In this final sermon of our “Genesis” series, Pastor Chad looks at the profound experiences that Joseph faces in his life. From being sold into slavery by his brothers to being promoted to second-in-command of Egypt, there is one word that summarizes the life of Joseph: “redemption.” There is no one and nothing too far gone that our God cannot redeem and turn it around for His glory and our good.

Forgiveness and reconciliation can be very difficult to do sometimes. However, God still calls us to be willing and able to forgive those who wrong us. It is a convicting truth that if the King of the universe could forgive traitors and criminals like us & adopt us as His own children, then CERTAINLY we should be able to forgive our fellow human beings, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Today's story of Jacob and Esau is a perfect example of what reconciliation looks like when God steps in.

Do you know Abraham Lincoln? Most of us would say we know OF him and many might say we know a lot ABOUT him. But none of us can say we PERSONALLY know him. Why? Because he died over 150 years ago! So we see then that the word "know" can hold many different meanings. Do you know Jesus? We're not talking about if you know ABOUT Jesus, if you read the Bible, or if you even go to church every Sunday - that is all "head" knowledge of Jesus. We're talking about a "heart" knowledge - where you have personally asked Jesus to save you from your sins and put all your trust in His death & resurrection. Once that happens, you will be able to see with new, spiritual eyes what God is doing in your life, other's lives, and in the church's life!

There is a lot to be learned from the life of Jacob - he made many mistakes and he oftentimes took the hard road instead of the easy one. Sometimes we can make decisions like Jacob in our own lives. We may feel God leading us to go a certain way but we run from it. The Bible is clear that our actions have consequences and we will "reap" whatever we "sow." But the beauty of it all is that God is relentless in His patience, grace, and love towards us. He sent His Son Jesus to make a way to bring us back to Himself. Take heart in knowing that no matter how many times you have messed up, Jesus still offers His forgiveness to you and wants you to be more like Him.

Have you ever watched a movie or TV show about an "amazing" family and wished you could have that? Whether it was "The Incredibles" or "The Brady Bunch," I'm sure we've all been there at some point! Our world is broken and messed up. That harsh reality is that same brokenness creeps into every area of our life - including our families. This is why we must FIGHT to love & remain unified with our parents, our children, and our brothers & sisters. It takes work but it will be SO worth it in the end. But we must FIRST start by identifying the toxic, dysfunctional traits that we may not even realize occur on a daily basis. It is only by destroying the roots we can begin to see real change and healing happen.

We make hundreds - if not thousands - of little decisions each day. Most of them are so trivial we may not even realize we do them! However, there are other actions & decisions we make that carry massive impact. These are the most important ones that others will observe and remember. This is especially true when it comes to our friends and families. We have tremendous influence on who we spend time with and vice versa. If you are a Christ follower, then the goal is to live out behaviors that are "like Christ" - things that He would do. And the prayerful goal is others will see those actions and desire to tap into what life can be like when God is involved.

Today is our annual "Fall Family Fun Fest" and we are SO thankful for the beautiful weather we are having! We are gathered with our families, friends, neighbors, and new people we haven’t even met yet! Moments like these are when the local church comes together in thriving unity and experiences the deepest of joys. But on a wonderful day like today, the sad truth is many people all over the world are not experiencing what we have. Our world is struggling greatly to find peace. Wars and rumors of wars are on the rise. We can try and look the other way but the reality is that darkness is all around. Today we will focus on some encouraging & hopeful truths from God's Word. The challenge is we would take this message with us and spread it like it's contagious to those sitting in the dark!

A dictionary definition of the word "legacy" is "the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past or of a person’s life." The actions and decisions we make TODAY have the potential to affect our lives and others' lives for YEARS to come. Many of us don't want to think about death or dying. However, it is VITAL that we often think about our last day on Earth because that will affect the decisions we make in the here & now. It is especially important when it comes to the life after this one, namely where we will spend eternity and who we are trying to bring with us.

Back in the day, when someone said, "I promise," you knew they meant it. Nine times out of 10 you could count on that person. In our current culture and society, people make & break promises all the time. They tell you one thing and they cross their fingers behind their back and have no intention of doing it. God is not like this. There are a few things God actually can't do: God is incapable of changing (He is the same yesterday, today, and forever) and He is incapable of lying. This means when God says He will do something, He WILL do it. If He did not, that would mean He has ceased being Himself and is no longer God. Isn't it so comforting to know that when our God makes a promise, we can trust that no matter how bad the situation looks, He will do it and come through for us?

No one really likes to talk about death. It is a heavy subject and carries many emotions with it. However, it is the reality of life - not one of us will leave this Earth without passing through the black waters of death (unless Jesus comes back before then!) In the Christian "world," sometimes we can feel pressured of "when" and "when not" to show certain emotions. This can be especially true when someone close to us passes away. "You shouldn't be crying," some may say. "They were a Christian and you know they are in Heaven right now. If you're sad then your faith must not be very strong," others may chime in. Each one of us processes grief and tragedy differently. The Bible makes it clear there is a time to weep & to mourn. It's okay to feel sad sometimes. Even JESUS wept (not just cried but WEPT) when His friend Lazarus died - and He was the Son of God. So take comfort today knowing that your Savior's arms are always open to embrace you and His shoulder is always there to cry on.

WE MADE IT!!! Today is the FIRST official day of being in our NEW building at our NEW location! God is just SO amazing, awesome, and good to us! A lot of times we talk about faith in the future tense: "I believe God WILL do this" or "I am believing that Jesus WILL answer this prayer." Well today we are literally sitting IN an answered prayer! Faith truly has become SIGHT and is on DISPLAY in front of us - all for God's glory and Kingdom!