Almost 700 years before the birth of Christ, the Greek poet Archilochus said, “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” This week we will seek to know one big thing - God is the creator. A great deals follows from this one truth, but after our time on Sunday I hope we will, at least, be all the more ready to recognize this world as the Lord’s and perceive the ways in which it declares his glory. Bring a friend, a blanket, and a Bible and join us for worship on the lawn! Pastor Josh
We've just begun a new sermon series on Genesis, and are considering God as creator. Psalm 104 follows Genesis 1 and celebrates God's creative work with verse and song. It is a fitting place for us to begin our thinking about creation and provides us with language to use in our worship of the creator God. Sunday is going to be chilly. Bundle up, grab a hot coffee, and join us for worship on the lawn. Pastor Josh
It’s here—creation according to Genesis 1, a passage that has frustrated and fascinated the people of God for millennia. I hope that you’ve been reading, thinking about, and illustrating this passage all week, but now it is time to put our heads together. This Sunday we’ll attempt to read Genesis 1 as it was meant to be read—with ancient eyes. We will get into the terms, the ideas, and the literary structure and hope to come away understanding the creation week. As always, bring your friends, warm clothes, and join us for worship on the lawn! Pastor Josh
Last week we focused on reading Genesis 1:1-2:3 carefully. We sought to slow down, interact with, and even illustrate the passage. This Sunday, we will ask how we should understand it. We will think about its meaning first in an ancient context for the original audience—Israelites who had been rescued from slavery in Egypt. Second, we will consider what this foundational passage means for us, as modern scientific people. See you on Sunday… Pastor Josh
A good deal of your thinking is about yourself. And, if you are to understand yourself rightly, you must understand what Scripture says about human origins. We’ve been studying Genesis, and we come now to the creation of humanity. We’ll take two weeks with this topic, first, this Sunday, how God created humanity, as described in Genesis 2:7. Then, next Sunday, why, from Genesis 1:26-28. Grab a friend, bring a blanket, and join us for worship on the lawn this Sunday at 10 am. Pastor Josh
We’ve been studying Genesis, which means beginnings and we come now to our second week on the beginnings of humanity. Last week, from Genesis 2:7, we considered how God created humanity. This Sunday, we’ll seek to understand Genesis 1:26-28, which explains why God created humanity. It should be a beautiful weekend, and Sunday will be a wonderful day to reconsider God’s purpose for our lives. Bring a friend, grab some coffee, and we’ll join together for worship on the lawn. Pastor Josh
This Sunday, in the seventh sermon of our series on Genesis, we will consider the seventh day of the creation week. It’s the day God rests from his work. It’s easy to skim over these verses, but this day is actually the culmination of the creation week. It points us to God’s design for the world and it provides the basic rhythm of work & worship for our lives. See you on Sunday! Pastor Josh
It is NOT good for the man to be alone. Think about that… Before sin entered the world, there was something that was not good. There was something not functioning the way it was intended to function. We are not intended to be alone. At creation, God cures the pain of Adam’s loneliness by giving him Eve in marriage. Marriage is how God intended a majority of relationships to function. It is good that man and woman be married. This Sunday we will continue our study through the book of Genesis by looking at the goodness of marriage. To prepare for our time together, spend some time reading and reflecting on Genesis 2:18-25. As you do, notice the beautiful differences and similarities between Adam and Eve and how they complement one another. I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday! Pastor Adam
This week, as we consider Genesis 3, the human story tragically swerves. We know it now as “The Fall.” It is the decisive first event when humanity chooses to sin against God. The repercussions—guilt, shame, corruption, estrangement from God, and death—are still present in our lives. This sad and sobering story is necessary if we are to understand our world, ourselves, and God’s promised redemption in Jesus Christ. Join us on Sunday for worship on the lawn and also for 15 minutes of Q & A after the service. Pastor Josh
Last Sunday we considered the story of the fall, as told in Genesis 3. This Sunday we take up the idea of original sin. We will think about how Adam’s sin affects us, how it results in our guilt and pollution, our experience of curse rather than blessing, and our death in place of life. We’ll also seek to understand the way the sin of the one man sets up the storyline of Scripture, in which the one righteous man obtains life and blessing for all. Sunday is supposed to be a beautiful day in sunny Southern California. Bring a friend and join us for worship on the lawn. Pastor Josh
You’ve heard the story of Cain & Abel, but did you know that that is more to it than Cain killing his brother? Join us this Sunday and we’ll learn the story anew, and hope we can take from it a couple of important lessons for our lives East of Eden. See you on Sunday Pastor Josh
This Sunday we continue in our study of Genesis and come to “The Generations of Adam.” As we’ll see, parts of this story are confusing, other portions are clear. But it is our story—the story of sin & humanity. Bring a friend, grab a cup of coffee, and join us for worship on the lawn. See you on Sunday, Pastor Josh
Your kids may have played with the cute Noah’s Ark toys, but the real story of the flood is darker. Honestly, I find Genesis 6-8 unnerving. If you read this and think, “Meh…” check out this movie clip to get more attuned to the story of “The Flood,” which we will be studying this Sunday. It is a story of God’s judgment on human wickedness and also of his covenant mercy. See you this Sunday for worship on the lawn. Pastor Josh
This Sunday we’ll pick up where we left off with the story of The Flood. It is a story that begins with a new world and new promises from God even though the world continues under the curse of sin. Bring a friend, grab a coffee, and join us for Genesis and for worship on the lawn. Pastor Josh
“Come, let us make a name for ourselves.” These are the famous last words of the people who tried to build the Tower of Babel. These words still haunt us today. Deep within each of us, we desire to make a name for ourselves. We desire self-glorification. We desire to secure our self-worth by our own strength. In Genesis 11:1-9, we see God in his mercy descend from heaven to intervene. To not let pride completely destroy his people. To remind them that their name is not self-made, but rather God-given. In preparation for Sunday, reflect on the ways you try to make a name for yourself, the towers you try to build by your own strength. And then look outside of yourself to the One (Christ) who has given you a name, a name you cannot work hard enough to make! I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. Pastor Adam
