Despite knowing that humanity would continue to live in sin, God makes a covenant with Noah to never again destroy the Earth with a flood. He demonstrates that He is committed to reconciling us back to Him no matter what we do and continues the story of redemption with mankind. 

The story of Noah and the Ark is a demonstration of both God's judgment and His love. God displays to Noah His desire for justice when we sin against Him, but also His love for Noah and his family by providing another way, being spared of His judgment. For those in Christ, the ultimate judgment we deserved was taken away through Christ's sacrifice on the cross so that through faith, we receive only the grace and love of God.

As the story of God's people continues through Genesis, we see the good that is being done as people connect with God's creation, the bad as people continue to struggle with sin, and the beauty in the restoration and relationship we have with God. 

As history unfolds after the Fall of Mankind, we start to see more of what it means to belong to the people of God. The story of Cain and Abel teaches us that God desires worship accompanied by faith. It also teaches us how God responds to His people when we sin - with an abundance of mercy.

We often find ourselves struggling with the same issue that caused Adam and Eve to first sin - the belief that God doesn't love us and want what is best for us. Failing to trust God in this way leads us to do what we think is best, even when that goes directly against the design God has clearly laid out for our lives. But Christ, who did what Adam and Eve were not able to do, created a path for us to restore our broken relationship with God.

When God created men and women, He also ordained the covenant practice of marriage to unite them together. This covenant not only provides a foundation for family structure, but also serves as a foreshadowing of the closeness we now have with God through the sacrifice of Christ who is the bride of the church. 

When God created mankind, He created us to use our hands to worship and obey Him. No matter what field you work in, you can use that profession to labor unto God's glory, and rest in the finished work that He accomplished on the cross.

The Bible begins with the story of our creation. In the first chapter of Genesis, we see that God is at the center of it all - He created all that exists, by Himself, and for Himself. For both the people of Israel who first heard this account, and for us today, this serves as a reminder and a comfort that God is in control - He is the one that brings chaos to order in our lives. 

Have you ever tried to read the Old Testament and found that difficult? Or, have you ever wondered why we even have the Old Testament still? Isn't it archaic, backward, and not culturally accepted today? In this week's passage from Matthew, we learn from Jesus that the Old Testament endures, has a purpose, and can lead us to life. Join us starting next week as we begin a new sermon series through the book of Genesis and learn about the foundations of our faith in Jesus. Matthew 5:17-20

What is the mission of the Church? In this passage, we see that Jesus calls his disciples to go and make other disciples. But what exactly is a disciple? And where are we supposed to make disciples? Listen to this week's message to learn not only that, but also how Jesus' abiding presence helps us on this mission, encouraging us to not be afraid as we open our mouths and talk about Jesus with our neighbor. Matthew 28:16-20