Joseph, loved by his father and given a special robe, shares dreams that hint at a future beyond his present place. His brothers grow jealous, plot against him, and sell him to passing traders, sending him toward Egypt. What looks like a family conflict becomes the turning point that places Joseph on a path he never would have expected. Where are you being shaped for a future you did not plan?

God calls Jacob back to Bethel, and Jacob leads his household to bury their idols, cleanses their camp, and returns to the place where God first met him. At Bethel, Jacob builds an altar, receives reaffirmed promises, and is named Israel as his life is reordered around obedience and worship. As the journey continues, Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin, Reuben commits a grievous sin, and Isaac dies, marking loss and reckoning within the family. In a world crowded with competing loyalties, what old attachments might we need to lay down in order to walk renewed in where God is calling us?

When darkness feels heavy, God’s light still breaks through with comfort and joy. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet promises a child whose reign brings freedom and peace, and the Gospel of Luke shows that Joy arriving first to shepherds in the night. Heaven’s good news declares that true joy is not dependent on circumstances but on the Savior who has come. In this season, where might God be inviting you to rediscover His joy even in the dark places of your life?

Light dawns on a people who walk in deep darkness, and joy begins to rise where oppression once ruled. God breaks the weight of fear and violence, replacing it with freedom and gladness. A child is born who carries authority with compassion, ruling with justice that never fades. In a world still marked by conflict and unrest, where are we seeking a peace that can truly last?

On this first Sunday of Advent, we remember the God who speaks light into the deepest darkness, just as He did in the very beginning. Genesis 1 shows a world without form until God breaks in with His first word of hope: “Let there be light.” Isaiah 9 carries that same promise forward, declaring that a great light will shine on people walking in shadows. As we wait for Christ to come again, how might His hope shine into the dark places of your life?

Jacob approaches Esau with fear, yet Esau runs to embrace him, and their long-broken relationship is unexpectedly restored. Jacob settles in the land, building altars and naming the places that remind him of God’s continued nearness. When Dinah is violated, the family reels as grief and outrage erupt, exposing the fragility of their peace. Her brothers respond with brutal violence, leaving Jacob to face the painful aftermath. How can we live in grace while still facing the scars of what has been broken?

Rachel and Leah compete for children, each offering their servants to Jacob as the family grows through strained attempts to gain advantage. Rachel finally conceives, and the household shifts again as God grants what human plans could not secure. Meanwhile, Jacob and Laban strike uneasy agreements over livestock, each trying to outmaneuver the other. Yet even as schemes multiply, unexpected outcomes unfold that no one fully controls—so where do we place our trust when our own plans fall short?

Jacob arrives in Haran and meets Rachel by a well, moved by hope and affection. After striking an agreement with Laban, he serves seven years for her hand, only to awaken beside her sister, Leah. Deceived yet determined, Jacob works another seven years, and through tangled relationships, a family begins to form. What happens when our pursuit of what we want blinds us to what God is doing?

Jacob leaves Beersheba and travels toward Haran, weary and alone, stopping to rest for the night. As he sleeps, he dreams of a stairway reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending, and God standing above it, speaking promises of presence and blessing. When Jacob wakes, awe fills him as he realizes that this ordinary place is charged with holy significance. He sets up a stone pillar and names the place Bethel, marking it as a meeting point between heaven and earth. Is there an area in your life where you’ve overlooked God’s nearness?

In Genesis 26, Isaac follows in his father Abraham’s footsteps, facing famine, fear, and conflict, yet he finds favor and prosperity wherever he settles. God reaffirms His promise to Isaac, showing that His favor continues through generations despite human weakness. In Genesis 27, Rebekah and Jacob scheme to secure Isaac’s blessing, altering the course of their family’s story through deception and desire. In light of these two chapters, does God’s promise depend on human honesty or His own faithfulness?

Abraham takes another wife, Keturah, and fathers more children, though he gives all he has to Isaac before his death. After living a long and full life, Abraham dies and is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael beside Sarah. The chapter then shifts to the generations of Ishmael and Isaac, highlighting the birth of Esau and Jacob. As the twin brothers grow, tensions arise—culminating in Esau selling his birthright for a meal, hinting at deeper currents of legacy and favor.

After Sarah’s passing, Abraham negotiates the purchase of a burial site, ensuring a lasting place for his family. With the weight of loss still present, he turns to the future by sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The journey leads to Rebekah, whose willingness and character fulfill a hope carried from afar. In the midst of grief and promise, legacy moves forward through both memory and commitment — but how do we honor the past while preparing for what lies ahead?

Abraham is tested when God calls him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, the child of promise. With heavy obedience, he journeys to the mountain, binds his son, and prepares to offer him as instructed. Just as the knife is raised, the voice of God stops him, and a ram is provided in Isaac’s place. In that moment, we see a glimpse of the Father's heart.

Sarah finally gives birth to Isaac, fulfilling a long-promised hope, but joy soon turns to tension as Hagar and Ishmael are cast out into the wilderness. Though sent away, they are not abandoned, and a well appears when all seems lost. Abraham makes a treaty with Abimelech, establishing peace that outlasts the moment. Even in moments of hard choices, provision and promise move forward side by side—what does it mean when mercy remains even after mistakes are made?

After the destruction of Sodom, Lot and his daughters retreated to a cave where fear and isolation lead to sin. Meanwhile, Abraham misleads others about Sarah, using the same lie that he used before, knowing fully well that it did not work out the way he expected it to before. Despite the lies, consequences were averted through God's intervention. In moments like this where recurring choices are echoing past mistakes, we can ask ourselves, what patterns do we carry with us even when we think we've left them behind?

In Matthew, when Jesus rises from the water at His baptism, the heavens open and God affirms Him as His beloved Son. In 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds the Church that confidence in standing strong can be dangerous without vigilance. Temptation is a reality for everyone, but God always provides a way out so that endurance is possible. The call is not to boast in strength, but to flee what entangles and lean on God’s faithfulness. What would change if we saw temptation as a warning light instead of an invitation?

David flees from Saul and finds refuge among strangers, hungry and desperate, receiving bread from the priests at Nob. Saul’s paranoia erupts into violence, and he orders the slaughter of the priests who dared to help David. David escapes with only a handful of followers, carrying grief but still clinging to God’s guidance. How do we live faithfully when the cost is high?

This message discusses mental health through the lens of Scripture and the hope we have in Christ. God places us in one body, where each part is honored and cared for (1 Corinthians 12:24–27). He also gives us not a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). Join us as we seek hope, healing, and the peace that only Jesus gives.