Joseph's Bones

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

August 30, 2026

Genesis 50:22-26

Fleeing Sin, Living in Grace

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsAugust 23, 2026Genesis 39; Matthew 5:21-29Summary:Joseph's flight from Potiphar's wife gets read as a purity lesson, but Rev. David Collins argues it's really a story about power. People who have been harassed know all about what it costs to refuse someone who holds all the leverage. From there the sermon moves through Jesus's teaching in Matthew 5 on anger and lust, and into Bonhoeffer's distinction between cheap grace and costly grace: freely given, but never without cost.Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Joseph, Jesus and the Pit

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsAugust 16, 2026Genesis 37; 39:21; 41:41; 50:19–21 (with a word-study detour into 2 Samuel 13)Summary:Finally into the Joseph story, Rev. Megan Collins traces Joseph from his father's favor and his "special outfit", through betrayal by his brothers, the pit, slavery in Egypt, a false accusation, and prison, all the way to Pharaoh's court. Along the way she notices how rarely God speaks in this story — and how, like Joseph, we usually only recognize God's presence looking back. She closes by tracing Joseph's story forward to Jesus, one of the first clear glimpses in the Old Testament of who is still to come.Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Defiled and Washed

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

August 9, 2026

Genesis 34-35

Summary

Genesis 34 is the chapter nobody preaches. Dinah is assaulted, her brothers slaughter a city in response, and the word "defiled" runs through all of it three times, a purity word rather than a moral one. Rev. David Collins looks at what happens to people once they decide their enemies aren't dirty but contaminating, and what it costs when the only other option in the room is an old man who stays quiet and calls it wisdom. Then Genesis 35, where God doesn't render a verdict, and hands the family something to do with their hands instead. Bury the gods. Wash. Change your clothes.

Part of the Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible at Maitland Presbyterian Church.

Learn more or read past sermons:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Listening to the Women

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

August 2, 2026

Genesis 30 & 34

Excerpt:

"We know women are often still silenced today. Stories of trauma and assault are swept under the rug out of an insistence for polite conversation or to protect powerful people at their expense. And not just about assault. Women’s voices are ignored in businesses, in doctor’s offices, in the pulpit, in their own homes. How can we hear the stories of assault if we aren't listening to their stories in general?
If we take a closer look at Genesis, the ancient writers in Genesis are actually doing better than we are. They record the women's names and their stories. So we can insist on the bare minimum of what we see in Genesis: that the stories of these women are told, that the stories of others with a story like theirs, is told. 

But we have to look to Jesus. And the bare minimum was never where Jesus stopped. Jesus went looking for the women no one else was listening to. 

These women speak. And Jesus listens to them."

Learn more or read past sermons:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Heel-GrabberThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsJuly 26, 2026Genesis 28–33Summary:Jacob's story runs from a womb-grab to a wrestling match by a river — Bethel on the way out, Peniel on the way back, with twenty years of scheming, marrying, and running in between. Rev. David Collins traces how the very trait that made Jacob a "heel-grabber" (never letting go) is the same trait that finally gets him truly blessed.Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Esau (and Jacob)The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsJuly 19, 2026Genesis 25-32; Romans 9:13; Malachi 1: 2-3; Numbers 20:14-21; Obadiah 1:10; Ezekiel 25:14; Hebrews 12:1-2, 16

Summary:Rebecca's twins wrestle before they're even born, and by the time Esau trades his birthright for a bowl of stew, it's clear this family history is more complicated than the Sunday school version.

Rev. Megan Collins follows Esau's name through Malachi, Romans, and Hebrews to sit with the Bible's harshest language about him, and asks what it means for those of us who married into this story rather than being born into it.

The sermon lands in Hebrews' call to hold onto what matters and keep showing up for each other, even when the world makes that feel impossible.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

The Abraham Paradox

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

July 12, 2026

Genesis 22:1-13

Summary

Genesis 22 is one of the hardest stories in the Bible. God gives Abraham a son, and then commands him to sacrifice that son on a mountain. For centuries, Christians have tried to explain the story away, or to hold it up as a model of faithful obedience. Neither move does the story justice.

Rev. David Collins works through the standard readings and their real damage, then turns to the paradox underneath the whole chapter: God gave Abraham the promise, and then God commanded him to sacrifice the fulfillment of that promise. That same paradox sits at the heart of the Christian life. God has promised the Kingdom. Jesus has commanded us to love our enemies, refuse the sword, and live like lambs in a world of wolves. The promise and the command are opposed. And most of us cheat by dropping one to keep the other.

But the people who have known God the deepest have been the ones who stayed inside the tension.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Which Abimelech?

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

July 5, 2026

Genesis 20 & Judges 9

Summary

Two leaders. Same name. Completely different legacies. On this July 4th weekend, we dig into Genesis 20 and Judges 8–9 to meet two men named Abimelech — one who leads with integrity even outside the covenant, and one who buys his throne with temple money and murders his way to power. What do we do when the leaders in our lives don't earn our trust? And what does it look like to find — or become — a tower of refuge for the people who need one? A sermon on leadership, power, and the one true King who sees it all.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Outgrowing the Oldest Theology

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

June 28, 2026

Genesis 18 & 19 (Sodom & Gomorrah)

Summary

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the most misread texts in the Bible — and the Bible itself knows it. In this sermon from the Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible, Pastor David Collins looks at what the story actually says, why Genesis 18 was placed in front of Genesis 19 on purpose, and what it means that Abraham stood in God's way and argued.

For people who have been told this story was about them. For people who have a list of who deserves the fire. For anyone who has ever looked at the way the world works and thought: that can't be right.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons