Guest speaker Dr. Todd J. Williams, President of Cairn University, opens Mark 5:21–43 and the intertwined stories of Jairus and the woman who had suffered for twelve years. Though they came from radically different circumstances, both were driven to Jesus by desperation and faith—believing that He alone could meet their deepest need. Through the chaos of the crowd, a devastating interruption, and even the apparent finality of death, Jesus demonstrates His complete knowledge, compassion, and authority. Dr. Williams reminds us that the Gospel accounts are not simply stories about what Jesus once did; they reveal who Jesus is and strengthen our faith in Him today. When fear, suffering, uncertainty, or loss overwhelm us, Christ calls us to the same posture He called Jairus to: “Do not fear, only believe.” Jesus Himself is our portion, and faith in Him gives us confidence to follow Him no matter our circumstances.

God's mercy is easy to celebrate when it's extended to us—but what happens when He shows that same mercy to the people we believe least deserve it? In Jonah 4:1–4, Pastor Bob Erbig explores the surprising conclusion to Jonah's mission in Nineveh, where revival sparks resentment instead of rejoicing. As Jonah wrestles with God's grace toward his enemies, we're confronted with a searching question: Is it possible to know God accurately and still be at war with Him? This message challenges us to examine our own hearts, surrender our resentments at the foot of the cross, and embrace God's mission to bring the hope of the gospel to every nation and every neighbor.

In Jonah 3:1–10, Pastor Dave Hentschel shows how the God of second chances sends His Word again, brings an entire city to repentance, and responds with extraordinary mercy. After Jonah’s failure, God calls him back to the mission, and through one reluctant prophet’s simple message, the people of Nineveh—from the king to the least—believe God, humble themselves, and turn from their violence. This passage reminds us that no sinner is beyond God’s reach, no failure is greater than His grace, and no person in our lives should be written off as hopeless. Receive God’s mercy, obey His call, and carry the good news of the God of second chances to others.

In Jonah 1:17–2:10, guest speaker and MBC pastoral summer intern Oliver Aridi shows how God meets Jonah in the depths with mercy, discipline, and salvation. From inside the fish, Jonah learns to pray in panic, repent on the road back to God, and declare with grateful praise that “salvation comes from the Lord.” This message reminds us that God’s provision may not always look like what we want, but it is always what we need, and that even in our lowest places, God is able to bring us up from the pit. Stop running, surrender your heart, and trust the Lord who saves.

In Jonah 1:3–16, Pastor Dave Hentschel shows what happens when God’s people run from his voice and resist his mission. Jonah’s rebellion takes him down into danger, but God lovingly disrupts, exposes, and calls him to surrender—not to destroy him, but to bring him back. This message reminds us that God’s discipline is mercy, that sin is costly, and that Jesus is the greater Jonah who entered the storm of judgment so we could receive grace. Stop running from God, surrender to him, and join his mission.

Guest speaker and MBC World Partner Eric Yee opens Matthew’s Gospel by showing how the genealogy of Jesus is not a passage to skip, but a powerful “season one recap” of God’s redemptive story. From Abraham to David, from exile to Christ, Matthew shows that God always keeps his word, sovereignly came through sinners for sinners, and began a new creation in Jesus. This message connects the family line of Christ to the mission of God among the nations, reminding us that Jesus is the long-awaited Son of Abraham, Son of David, and Savior of sinners from every tribe, tongue, and people. Because Christ has come, may we trust God’s promises, rejoice in his mercy, and live as a new-creation people sent for the sake of the gospel.

In the opening message of Jonah: Running From Mercy, Pastor Bob Erbig begins with Jonah 1:1-4 and challenges us to see Jonah not as a story about a big fish, but about a big God with a heart for the nations. As God sends Jonah to Nineveh, we see the word that sends, the prophet who runs, and the God who pursues with relentless mercy. This message calls us to examine our own Ninevehs, the people or places we resist, and our own Tarshishes, the places we run when God’s mercy offends us. Because salvation belongs to the Lord, may we stop running from God’s call and arise, go, and carry his mercy to the nations.

Can someone be too far gone for God’s grace? In this message from Acts 8:26-40, guest speaker Jack Kraus examines the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch—a man who appeared permanently excluded, spiritually disqualified, and unable to participate fully in the covenant community. As Philip opens the Scriptures and proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ, we see God’s heart for outsiders, the sufficiency of Christ for sinners, and the hope of redemption for those who feel like damaged goods. Through the promises of Isaiah and the power of the gospel, this passage reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s saving grace.

Whether you feel unworthy of God’s love, burdened by your past, or tempted to believe someone else is beyond hope, may this message remind you that Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost.

In the final message of Passing the Faith to the Next Generation, Pastor Dave Hentschel closes 2 Timothy by looking at Paul’s final words and the call to finish well. From a Roman prison cell, Paul reflects on his life as an offering, his race as completed, his faith as kept, and his hope as fixed on the crown of righteousness. This message challenges us to live for eternal reward, continue ministry to the end, trust Christ when people fail us, and pass the faith forward with courage and endurance. Finish well by giving your life fully to Christ and faithfully handing the gospel to the next generation.