Genesis 3:16-19

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

March 1, 2026

Subjects

Genesis 3, Sin and Grace, Image of God, Breaking Patterns, Hope, Romans 5, Spiritual Growth

Summary

Why do we keep doing the very things we know won’t end well?

From carrying too many grocery bags in one trip (and cleaning tomato sauce off a church parking lot) to repeating the same unhealthy patterns in our relationships and in our world, this week’s message asks a deeply human question: Why am I like this?

Genesis 3 isn’t just an ancient story about Adam and Eve—it’s our story. It’s the story of human beings made in the image of God who keep settling for less. It’s about consequences that describe the brokenness of the world, not prescribe it. And it’s about a pattern we repeat over and over again.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Looking at Paul’s reflections in Romans and Corinthians, we discover a powerful “but”: sin is real, dust is real, brokenness is real—but none of it is stronger than God. If Adam represents the pattern, Jesus breaks the pattern. We may have dust on us, but dust is not our destiny.

If you’ve ever asked, “Why do I keep doing this?”—or “Why does the world keep doing this?”—this conversation is for you.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Genesis 3:1-13

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

February 22, 2026

Subjects

Sin, Temptation, Original Sin, The Fall, Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:1-13

Summary

In this episode, we take a fresh look at Genesis 3 — the story of Adam, Eve, the serpent, and the garden — and ask a different question than the one many of us grew up with. What if this story isn’t trying to explain why hurricanes form or why the world is broken… but instead holds up a mirror to what people are like?

We explore how temptation rarely feels evil, how trust erodes slowly, and how most of us ignore good advice because what we want seems reasonable. Along the way, we challenge the idea that this chapter exists mainly to defend God or explain Original Sin, and instead focus on what it reveals about instinct, justification, shame, and hiding.

But the story doesn’t end with blame and exile. It ends with a question: “Where are you?” And that question changes everything.

This episode connects the garden to our own lives — and even to our national life — before ultimately pointing to the cross and resurrection as God’s response to our hiding.

If Genesis 3 is a mirror, this conversation invites you to look honestly… and step out from behind the tree.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Genesis 2:18-24

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

February 15, 2026

Subjects

Creation, Loneliness, Women, Patriarchy, Hebrew, God, Genesis 2:18-24

Summary

Birthdays used to mean new privileges. Now they mean colonoscopies—and sometimes ruined pumpkin spice candles. This week’s sermon begins with humor but moves into something deeper: how beautiful things can become “contaminated by association.”

For many, the Bible is one of those things.

Focusing on Genesis 2, we confront a passage that has been used to justify patriarchy...especially the word “helper” in the creation of woman. But when we slow down and read carefully, we discover a very different story. The Hebrew word ezer is most often used to describe God as rescuer. The problem in Eden isn’t hierarchy—it’s loneliness. The design isn’t patriarchy—it’s partnership.

This message invites us to reclaim Scripture from lazy and harmful interpretations, to challenge systems that diminish others, and to hold fast to the sweeping story of God’s love and human dignity. Before sin enters the picture, the only thing God calls “not good” is isolation.

You were never meant to be alone. And that’s a story worth fighting for.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Genesis 1:31-2:3

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

February 8, 2026

Subjects

Sabbath, Rest, the Nature of God and the Universe, Creation, Genesis 1:31-2:3

Summary

In this sermon from The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible, Rev. David Collins explores a deeply common belief many of us were taught…that everything that happens in the world must be the will of God. Turning to Genesis 1:31–2:3, he challenges that assumption by looking closely at the kind of God the creation story actually reveals.

Rather than a micromanaging or detached deity, Genesis shows us a God who speaks, blesses, names, and ultimately rests. Creation is called “very good” not because it is perfect or finished, but because it is trustworthy…capable of response, responsibility, and relationship. God’s rest is not a footnote, but the climax of the story, revealing a goodness that includes freedom, trust, and risk.

From there, the sermon connects Sabbath to both justice and care…naming rest as resistance in a world driven by endless production, and as grace for those living with anxiety and exhaustion. If the way things are is not automatically the way God wants them to be, then Sabbath becomes an invitation…to rest, to trust, and to take responsibility for how we live in the world God loves.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Genesis 1:26-31

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

February 1, 2026

Scripture

Genesis 1:26-31

Summary

In this sermon, Pastor Megan begins with a childhood story about wanting the power of being a patrol...and discovering instead the responsibility that comes with it. Turning to Genesis 1, we explore what it really means to be made in the image of God and entrusted with “dominion.” Far from domination or control, Scripture consistently defines dominion as shepherding: caring for the vulnerable, protecting those at risk, and using whatever influence we have for the good of others. From Genesis to the Psalms to Jesus the Good Shepherd, the message is clear—your life matters, you are here for a reason, and God chooses to show up in the world through you, right where you are.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Genesis 1:2-23

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

January 25, 2026

Scripture

Genesis 1:2-23

Summary

Genesis 1 isn’t about scientific certainty. It’s about hope in the middle of chaos.

This sermon explores how bad biblical readings shaped faith, power, and community, and how Genesis offers a different vision: light without violence, life before usefulness, and God present even in exile.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Genesis 1:1-2

The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

January 18, 2026

Scripture

Genesis 1:1-2

Summary

Where did "In the beginning God" go in updated Bible translations like the NRSVUE and why? Join Rev. Megan Collins as she digs into what it means that creation didn't just happen once.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

By the Rivers of Babylon

Memory, Exile, and the Making of Scripture

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

January 11, 2026

Scripture

Psalm 137

Summary

This sermon launches a multi-year project exploring what the Bible is and isn’t, and how it has been used, misused, and sometimes rescued in moments of crisis.

Beginning with the image of a box of memories and turning to Psalm 137, we look at how Israel’s experience of exile shaped the Hebrew Scriptures. Rather than being written from a place of power or stability, the Bible took shape as people tried to make sense of devastating loss, preserve their identity, and hold onto hope that God was still with them.

This message reflects on grief, rage, memory, resistance, and the slow work of faithfulness…offering a way to read Scripture that helps people survive without losing their souls.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Grace for the New Year

Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins

January 4, 2026

Scripture

Luke 15:11-32

Summary

The start of a new year often comes with big hopes—and a heavy dose of exhaustion, self-criticism, and pressure to do better. In this sermon, Rev. Megan Collins invites us to begin the year not with shame or impossible resolutions, but with grace. Drawing on Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, she reminds us that God meets us exactly where we are—with compassion, welcome, and a fresh start—long before we have it all figured out.

This message encourages listeners to practice grace toward themselves and others as the foundation for any meaningful change. It also introduces an exciting, long-term journey for the church: a thoughtful, honest walk through the entire Bible, read through the lens of Jesus, love, context, and community. If the new year has you feeling behind, worn out, or unsure where to begin, this sermon offers a different starting point—grace first, then hope, then the next faithful step.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠

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

Living Faithfully in the Middle

A Christmas Eve Sermon about Hope, Peace, and Unfinished Stories

Preacher: The Rev. David Collins

Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025

Scripture

Luke 2:1-15

Summary

What do you do when the world feels unfinished…when peace feels partial, hope feels fragile, and answers don’t come quickly?

On Christmas Eve, we gather around a familiar story and discover that the good news doesn’t skip over the middle of things. God begins what will be finished, not with force or certainty, but with a child. This sermon reflects on Luke 2, the angels’ song of peace, and what it means to live faithfully in the tension between promise and fulfillment.

This is a message for anyone carrying hope and fear at the same time…and learning to trust that God is still at work.

Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠

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