Christmas is much more than the birth of the Savior. It is about His arrival, His long awaited coming. It is, at the same time, the arrival of His full identity as the Prince of Peace. This was as profound a reality then, on that humble night in Bethlehem, as it is today. 

Hope is a precious commodity in our world today. We are all longing for something (or someone) we can count on. As we venture into the Advent season, we’ll remember the hope of many before us; those who held on for the One who would make things right. Today, that same invitation into hope still stands for us.

It’s been a minute since Joseph’s original prophetic dreams as a kid. Now, as Master of all of Egypt, the only place that has food, Joseph’s betraying brothers come looking for help. In this dramatic story we see much about faith, forgiveness and family reconciliation. 

Life’s challenges, like Joseph’s trials, can feel like an endless cycle of setbacks. Yet in moments of suffering, God is with us, forming our character, growing our faith, and preparing us for His purpose as we trust Him to bring us through each wave.

Joseph had every reason to doubt the goodness of God. But he didn’t. In adversity, he knew the love of the covenant-keeping God. It was that same love that compelled him to trust and obey. 

In our study of Genesis on Sundays, we’ve walked through some difficult passages together. Chapter 34 may be the most difficult passage of all because of the sexual violence it details. To give this story the care and attention it deserves, we’ve recorded a podcast episode in place of a shorter Sunday morning sermon. Doing so allowed more time to honor the content and the opportunity for multiple trusted and qualified voices to join the discussion.

God’s decision not to omit this story from His Word demonstrates His commitment to provide grace and care even in the harshest realities of life this side of heaven. We hope this discussion will shine light into places that remain dark and that the Lord will use it for healing and reconciliation.

This conversation was led by:

Amy Lathrop - Licensed Counselor specializing in trauma, Co-Lead of Reach Counseling Center

Erin Sanchez – Pastor at Reach, Licensed Counselor specializing in women’s trauma

Josh Loy – Pastor at Reach, Licensed Counselor, Co-Lead of Reach Counseling Center

Moderated by Scot Pollok - Interim Teaching Pastor at Reach

In one of the hardest chapters of the entire book, Genesis 38 confronts us with sin, death, immorality, hypocrisy, repentance and birth all hanging in the particulars of a culture quite distant from ours. But there is much to learn and see as we faithfully engage even the ugly parts of the human story God is writing. Our Father never sweeps sin under the rug or dismisses it. Instead, even within its consequences, He wisely overrules it, faithfully keeping His promise and enduring with sinners in loving pursuit and grace. 

This week we return to our study of Genesis. As we continue to examine the life of Jacob, we’ll see how God’s truth is able to heal our brokenness and how it enables us to become conduits of his healing love for others.

As we conclude our People, Place, & Presence series, we examine what it means for us to be created in God’s image, sent by God to the place we live, to put down roots (no matter how long we’re here) and have a role in transforming our region.  

We explore the question of discipleship both universally and contextually: what has always been true of Christ’s disciples, and what specifically shapes us at Reach? Our desire is to follow Jesus, become like him, and join him in his mission.