This sermon, titled "Back to Bethel," is drawn from Genesis 35 and centers on God's call for Jacob to return to Bethel, the place where God had first met Him years earlier. The pastor uses Jacob's journey as a mirror for anyone who has drifted from their first love of God. Just as Jacob had to lead his household to release their foreign gods before approaching God in worship, the sermon challenges listeners to identify and surrender whatever has become a rival to their devotion to God. The message is built around four key movements: hearing God's call to return, releasing what competes for our devotion, remembering God's faithfulness across the whole of our lives, and continuing to walk with God even when the road remains painful. The pastor is careful to note that returning to God is not a transaction that guarantees easier circumstances, but rather a response to a faithful God whose presence and promises remain trustworthy even through grief and loss.
25 Oct 2026
The Fallout of Sin
Genesis 34 is one of the most difficult passages in Scripture, telling the story of Dinah's assault and the devastating chain of events that followed. One act of violence led to deception, manipulation, and mass killing, revealing a painful truth: sin never stays where it starts. The chapter shows a family unable to find a right response to a terrible wrong, caught between passivity and retaliation. Righteous anger is not a sin, but it does not give anyone unlimited authority to decide who must suffer and how much. Justice seeks truth and holds the right person accountable, while revenge simply demands that others hurt because we hurt. What we truly need is not just better choices but a Savior who Himself suffered injustice and entrusted judgment to the Father. The cross shows us how God handles sin, and because Jesus rose from the grave, evil does not have the final word. Grace, like sin, does not stay where it starts.
18 Oct 2026
Reunion and Reconciliation
Broken relationships can feel permanent, but the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 33 shows that God is in the business of redemption. After twenty years of separation rooted in deception and rage, these two brothers experienced a reunion marked by unexpected grace. Jacob approached Esau with humility, bowing low and taking responsibility for his part, even though he had no guarantee of how Esau would respond. Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, and they wept together. This moment reminds us that forgiveness does not always mean full restoration, but it does mean releasing the other person to God and refusing to make revenge our mission. Forgiven people are called to be forgiving people, and that calling flows naturally from a life that has truly received God's grace.
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