TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 50:15-26
In one of the most well known narrative twists in Scripture Joseph, who began as an arrogant, favored son of Jacob, has become God’s agent of redemption. This is a reminder of how God uses the dark chapters of our lives for our good and His glory. As the curtain comes down on Genesis we find hope in the midst of Joseph’s death as he looks to a day when his family will no longer be in Egypt but brought back home.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 37:1-11, 19-20, 34-36
Joseph is a dreamer, but it lands him in trouble. The divine message is hard for others to accept. Even Joseph forgets his dreams until they come true (Genesis 42:9). This sermon draws lessons for big dreams and for when God’s plans seem impossible, mysterious, or too hard to accept.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 32:1-6, 22-32 
Jacob’s past catches up with him as he must confront his brother Esau. Before the meeting takes place Jacob finds himself wrestling with God and comes away with a limp and a new name: Israel. This marks the end of the story of the Patriarchs and looks ahead to Joseph and his brothers who would become the twelve tribes of Israel, through whom the world would be blessed.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 28:10-22 
The story of Jacob is the story of a person living for himself, deceiving his father and father in law. In between we find him with a stone for a pillow, a sign that his life had reached rock bottom. Yet what we find is that despite his circumstances God was with him. The story is a reminder that God has not abandoned us to a world that is disenchanted, but one where the sacred can be found in living out of our ordinary lives.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 22:1-19  
This is one of the most famous stories in all of ancient literature and narrates the nature of biblical faith. In the command given to Abraham we hear echoes of Jesus’ description of what it means to follow God: “Take up your cross.” 

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 16:1-16, 21:8-10, 14-21 
The story of Hagar is a case study in how to read the Bible. Here we find that the heroes of the faith are engaged in polygamy and slavery and act out of jealousy and hate. What are we to make of this and what does it tell us about the essence of the Bible’s message? Part of the answer is found in the way God sees and responds to Hagar, displaying compassion that is captured by the words of Jesus centuries later: “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 11:31 - 12:9
The introduction of Abraham and his family marks the beginning of the story of the patriarchs through whom God will redeem the world. God calls his people to join his plan. Salvation is defined as both particular (Abram’s tribe) and universal (all nations), as God initiates his plan through a miraculous gift of land and children.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 9:1-16
Noah’s story is presented in a way that recapitulates God’s command to Adam and Eve in Genesis 2 in which humans are identified as bearers of God’s image and stewards of God’s creation. Life is defined as sacred and grace is represented by a rainbow, highlighting that God will find another way to bring his children safely home.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 3:1-10, 21-24

The story of humanity takes a dark turn with this famous scene that includes a serpent, tree, forbidden fruit and fig leaves. This text explains the origin and ongoing impact of the shadow of evil and death that hovers over the face of the earth. The rest of the story of the Bible is an exploration of how to overcome death and get back to the garden of God.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | Genesis 1:1-5  
Perhaps no other words are more important to the journey we call ‘life’ than the first five words of the Bible. They state clearly that the world is not a cosmic accident but a created home in which we are confronted with an anthropology that is diametrically opposed to the contemporary belief that we are “autonomous individuals who find our greatest fulfillment in breaking free from all external norms” (Alan Noble). Instead, we are created image bearers who find our identity as those who are dependent on God and one another for life.