Genesis Church - Sermons
228 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThe sermon audio podcast of Genesis Church, located in Eureka, MO.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
The Disciplines of Our Walk
March 04, 2024 00:36 - 58 minutes - 27.1 MBAny meaningful goal will take effort and discipline. In most cases, long term goals will require dedication to rhythms of intentional effort. Following Jesus is really no different. Growth in the Christian life does require our dedication to rhythms and practices called the spiritual disciplines. As Jesus is teaching His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, He addresses their generosity to the poor, prayer, and fasting. We should notice that He does not say, “If you pray,” or “If you fast,”...
The Disciplines of the Word
February 26, 2024 00:35 - 46 minutes - 21.6 MBPsalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. It’s made up of 22 different stanzas with 8 verses in each stanza. All of the Chapter is devoted to praising God for His revealed word. It’s a song of praise for God’s love for us as shown through the pages of scripture. It’s a Psalm that encourages us as disciples of our need to hear, read, proclaim and even sing the word of God. It’s a song that is ultimately thanking God for His Holiness and for the perfect obedience of the Son – Jesus Christ.
Stewardship
February 19, 2024 03:55 - 51 minutes - 24.3 MBAt Genesis we sing a song that goes, “My one comfort both in life and death is that I am not my own.” This is the essence of stewardship, and the truth that all of our life, from top to bottom, belongs to God, is His, and our call is to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him in everything. This morning, we’ll see how this ingredient informs every choice, every possession, and every relationship we have in our life, and why it’s so important in making disciples.
Passion
February 12, 2024 03:33 - 55 minutes - 25.8 MBIt’s Valentine’s week, so no better topic than to talk about love. What we love defines us, shapes our lives, and we are continually being shaped by the objects of our affections. So, it should not surprise us that the primary call in making and becoming disciples is a command to love. This is so vital for our Christianity; we must continually remind ourselves that our faith is a relationship, not a call to religious performance. God is a loving Father and we are invited to know Him, to love...
Gospel Fluency
February 05, 2024 03:07 - 54 minutes - 25.5 MBAs we continue our series on Genesis Church’s recipe for making disciples, this morning we begin explaining the key ingredients … and the first and most important ingredient is Gospel clarity and fluency. Knowing and believing the Gospel is central to our journey of becoming disciples—followers of Jesus. Apart from the Gospel, religion will be centered on efforts to change our own lives by fulfilling religious duties and rules. Paul reminds us of the universal need of the Gospel, but also th...
The Recipe
January 29, 2024 00:01 - 56 minutes - 26.6 MBWhat is a disciple and how are they made? If Jesus’ call to each person is to be a disciple and His commission to His church is to make disciples, we had better know what this means. We might learn about disciple making by thinking about the perfect chocolate chip cookie. First of all, no way a great one comes from store-bought dough. To get the perfect recipe, you have to start with the goal of knowing the texture, taste, and aroma for the perfect cookie. Then you will need to develop a rec...
On a Mission from God
January 21, 2024 23:45 - 56 minutes - 26.4 MBJesus’ parting words to His followers gave their marching orders: to go and make disciples. While we may struggle to understand all the implications of this call, these men knew exactly what Jesus was commanding. They had spent over three years with Jesus as He invested in their lives making them disciples. So they knew that the commission was to invest in others the way Jesus had invested in them. This morning we begin a new series on this commission to make disciples. Over the next couple ...
How to Face a Rapidly Changing World
January 07, 2024 23:44 - 39 minutes - 18.2 MBCan you believe how rapidly our world is changing? We witnessed how quickly the world can be paralyzed with the threat of a global pandemic. Your savings can be wiped out almost overnight with a stock market crash. Advancing technology is changing every industry, sometimes for good, sometimes… not so much. With Artificial Intelligence a student can write a 10-page term paper in minutes! The uncertainty that comes with rapid change can be disabling. So how do we face such a rapidly changing w...
Sole Mates In Bethlehem
December 31, 2023 23:43 - 48 minutes - 22.9 MBAs we close out 2023, we also come to the end of our Hallmark Christmas Story. Boaz, in response to Ruth’s proposal, seeks out the closer relative to Elimelech and his deceased sons. He isn’t going to let another 24 hours pass before he has Ruth’s future secured. Will the budding romance between Boaz and Ruth come to fulfillment or will the closer relative step up? And, how does all this play into God’s sovereignty?
Small Town Proposal
December 17, 2023 23:41 - 1 hour - 28.2 MBAs we continue in Ruth 3 this morning, the focus of our story is an unusual proposal. Boaz’s kindness and attention spurns an interesting plan initiated by Naomi to be carried out by Ruth. In the previous chapter we were introduced to Boaz, a great guy who could marry Ruth and rescue the family. But like so many guys, he seems to be unaware of the opportunity in front of him and drags his feet to initiate a relationship. So, the budding love story takes a crazy turn as Ruth proposes to Boaz i...
Holiday Harvest
December 11, 2023 03:13 - 55 minutes - 26.2 MBAccording to the Law, the Hebrews were to leave the edge rows of their fields for the poor. This act revealed that they knew God was the giver of the harvest and that they were God’s representatives to the poor. In our passage today, as Ruth goes and gathers wheat, she catches Boaz’s attention and he shows her kindness and even welcomes her at his table. While love might be in the air, the greater beauty in the story is that Boaz is a picture of His God and the promised future Redeemer. The ...
A Very Mara Christmas
December 04, 2023 03:55 - 1 hour - 28.2 MBDo you like sad stories? The start of Ruth is set in a difficult period of history and begins with really hard circumstances for two women. Oppression of God’s people, a famine, tragic deaths of providers all lead to a season of bitterness and darkness. But, this sad story turns to one of redemption as Ruth returns to the homeland of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Little did Ruth know that this was the beginning of a redemption story that would put her in the family tree of the ultimate King for ...
Who Is Like You?
November 27, 2023 03:53 - 58 minutes - 27.3 MBMicah ends His prophetic book by raising the question embedded in his name: Who is like Yahweh? The answer is the only source of hope for people who have fallen, broken lives in a fallen, broken world. The True and Living God is full of grace and forgiveness – He will not stay angry forever, rather He loves us and will be faithful. And, He keeps His promises. How do we know? Because the hope promised in Micah and throughout the Old Testament finds its fulfillment on a Spring day when Jesus d...
Lament and Repent
November 20, 2023 03:52 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBDuring the final years of Micah’s ministry, Assyria is ripping through the northern portions of the land leaving Israel devastated and in bondage. Micah helps God’s people realize that there was a connection between their sinful disobedience and the judgment of God in their lives. The consequences of their rebellion is costly, yet for those in a relationship with God, there is always an invitation to repentance which leads to restoration and forgiveness. In the first of Martin Luther’s 95 Th...
The Way Forward
November 13, 2023 03:50 - 59 minutes - 27.6 MBIt is a simple yet complex question: “What does the Lord require of you?” This is a question many people want answered. People are spiritual and religious and, for the most part, they want their leaders and gurus to give them the rituals and activities necessary for acceptance by God. The Jews in Israel at the time of Micah were no different. So far, Micah’s prophecy has given an indictment for God’s people and then pointed to the birth of a King in Bethlehem as the ultimate source of hope. C...
O Little Town
November 06, 2023 03:08 - 55 minutes - 26 MBIt was really just a small, redneck town. Not a whole lot there— just a small shepherding village about six miles from Jerusalem. But the small village of Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David. In one of the clearest prophecies about the coming of Jesus, Micah predicts that the little shepherding village of Bethlehem will be the birth place of another promised Shepherd-King who would bring hope and restoration to the people of God. Like the nation, this King will come to rule, but will ...
After Darkness, Light
October 29, 2023 22:50 - 56 minutes - 26.3 MBWhere do we find hope in our world? It’s not hard to look around and find things fairly bleak in the world. It can seem that the world is random, chaotic, and cruel. The tone of Micah’s message changes quickly in Chapter 4. While judgment on Israel is coming, this is not the end of their story. Micah shifts from the indictment on their rebellion to the hope for restoration. And that hope did not rest on the goodness and obedience of the nation, rather this hope is in the dawning of a new Ki...
God’s Plan and Promise for Suffering Saints
October 23, 2023 02:55 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MBThe whole world has just gone through a time of trials and suffering. God never promised the church to keep us from suffering. The tough reality is that God guarantees that we will face various trials. The good news is that God has a profound plan for the trials He permits in our life and part of that plan is to fulfill a powerful promise to each of us. As we walk through 1 Peter’s teaching this morning, we can be encouraged by what God has done in the past four years in Ecuador and carry tha...
Indictment: Oppression
October 15, 2023 21:02 - 1 hour - 28.6 MBThe phrase goes, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” In Micah’s day, the illusion of peace and prosperity hid the fact that the leaders were the primary perpetrators of the injustices taking place in the land. Rulers used their position to protect their own power and wealth and the prophets of the day were more than happy to proclaim a message that benefitted the powerful—who were also more than happy to use them. The truth is that evil and unjust leaders are a sign of God’s judgment...
Indictment: Injustice
October 09, 2023 02:12 - 45 minutes - 21.4 MBGod’s love and grace should produce people who are generous, gracious, and deeply care for others. Instead, God’s people were involved in the worst types of injustices, showing no concern for human life, and mistreating the poor, immigrants, women, and children. Those in power will do anything to anyone to gain wealth, get more land, and become more powerful. Cries for justice matter, and God’s people should care for the marginalized and hurting. And, we must never forget that ultimately, G...
Indictment: Idolatry
October 02, 2023 02:05 - 56 minutes - 26.5 MBMicah’s message begins with a major warning for His people Israel, predicting coming destruction at the hands of the Assyrian Empire. This was ultimately God’s sovereign judgment on His people who were drenched in idolatry. Micah builds Jehovah’s case to show the people’s guilt and deserved justice. The first indictment is that Israel had traded their relationship with True God for cheap imitations and fake man-made gods who cannot deliver. Most of the time, the drift toward idolatry is subt...
Mr. ADA
September 25, 2023 02:23 - 58 minutes - 27.2 MBMicah stands in a long line of prophets, those sent with the Word of the Lord in their mouths and on their pens. They functioned as God’s prosecutors, indicting the nation for their failure to remain faithful to the covenant, while reminding them that God is holy and will be faithful to His promises. While their messages are difficult, any time we have a Word from the Lord it comes with an invitation and a promise. The invitation is to repent and believe the Gospel. And the promise is that Go...
True Religion
September 17, 2023 19:34 - 45 minutes - 25.1 MBAs a church, we are setting aside today to emphasize the importance of foster care and adoption. Jesus’ brother, James, wrote a letter to early Christians and his words are striking. The clearest evidence of true religion shaped by the Gospel is the way the faith community cares for the marginalized—specifically widows and orphans. This sentiment is echoed throughout Scripture. Furthermore, one of the most beautiful metaphors of the Gospel is that we have been adopted into God’s family, with ...
Mission
September 10, 2023 21:25 - 42 minutes - 21.2 MBWe like to say that the Gospel comes with an engine. The Gospel saves individuals, but then places them in a community of people and then sends them on a mission. And, not just any mission—we are invited into the Missio Dei, the mission of God. Our Community Groups are so much more than a place to hang out, read a few verses together, and then eat cookies. We see ourselves as a people who have been rescued by the Gospel so that we make the Gospel visible to our city and the world. Peter wro...
Community
September 04, 2023 00:22 - 52 minutes - 29.7 MBI am dating myself a bit, but I was a big fan of the TV show Cheers. The show was about a group of people who had developed a web of meaningful relationships at a Boston bar, and over the years, characters were developed in a way that revealed they deeply cared for and about each other. The show’s opening song was catchy, and revealed something all of us need: a place where everybody knows your name and are glad you came. We live in such a fragmented culture, it is difficult to find a place ...
The Gospel
August 27, 2023 20:55 - 55 minutes - 27.3 MBWelcome to Genesis Church and Baptism Sunday! Today we start a 3-week series, Pillars, where we will see that God’s purpose for us has always been tied to three key pillars: the Gospel, Community, and Mission. Many of us grew up believing that the Gospel, the message about Jesus’ death and resurrection, was the ABC’s of Christianity, the first message we need to know in order to be saved—that after believing the Gospel we move on to the deeper things, right? Actually, the Gospel is the A-Z o...
How Can A Loving God Send People to Hell?
August 21, 2023 02:35 - 1 hour - 27.7 MBWe close our Confronting Christianity series with a doozy. How could a loving God send people to hell? Philosopher and Theologian Peter Kreft has said, “Of all the doctrines of Christianity, hell is the most difficult to defend, the most burdensome to bear, and the first to be abandoned.” Hell has to be an outdated idea flowing from religious zealots seeking to control the lives of people, right? The truth is that no single person said more about the existence and nature of hell than Jesus ...
How Can You Take the Bible Literally?
August 13, 2023 22:31 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBToday Elder John Parke will lead us in a study of Psalm 19 and how that scripture can help us answer the question “How can we take the bible literally”? We will look at the composition of the Christian bible, the various human authors and literary styles. Our text today will testify to the power and authority of the true author of scripture, God Himself.
Hasn’t Science Disproved Christianity?
August 08, 2023 22:16 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MBHasn’t science disproved Christianity? The vast majority of our current academic community and culture would answer that question with a resounding YES! So, we need to understand the difference between “science” and “scientism”. When we do, we will see that through the ages, sinful man has found a way to twist the beauty of God’s gift of science into a belief system that denies God. Far from disproving Christianity, science fully supports our faith. Science is a God-given tool used to reveal...
Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?
July 30, 2023 21:22 - 52 minutes - 24.3 MBChristians are painted many ways in our culture, as we’ve learned over the course of this sermon series, and one of the loudest accusations is that “Christianity is Homophobic.” Certainly, mass attention goes toward the loudest of groups such as Westboro Baptist Church, a cult who yells obscene and sinful things at people who identify as LGBT, but the question is, do they represent the ideas of the majority of Christians? In this sermon, we will learn what God’s Word says about sexuality, Go...
Doesn’t the Bible Condone Slavery?
July 23, 2023 21:18 - 57 minutes - 26.3 MBThere are many questions that people use to discredit The Bible and God Himself, often looking to the horrors historically present in our world. One such question is how The Bible, and ultimately God, responds to the notion of slavery. Does God forbid slavery in the Bible, or does He condone it? Why should we believe in a God whose people were complicit in using the Bible to support slavery and oppress so many people? While people tend to look for black or white responses to these questions, ...
How Could a Loving God Allow So Much Suffering?
July 16, 2023 21:16 - 53 minutes - 24.6 MBFor many skeptics of the Christian faith, the question of suffering and evil is seen as a trump card disproving the existence of God. If God is good, and God is all powerful, how can this God allow so much purposeless suffering and evil in the world? Of course, those raising this question come at it from two different perspectives. Some ask the question philosophically, seeking to discredit the idea of God. Others though, ask the question experientially, as sufferers who have gone through hor...
Doesn’t Christianity Hinder Morality And Cause Violence?
July 10, 2023 02:49 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MBToday we will look at two questions from the book Confronting Christianity that address similar issues. Doesn’t Christianity hinder morality? And, doesn’t Christianity and religion cause violence? Be careful not to answer these questions to hastily. The truth is that religion is the cause of much suffering, injustice, hate, and evil around the world. Furthermore, religion has pushed agendas and morals that have deeply hurt people. And yes, at some times and places, institutional Christianity...
Faith That Perseveres
July 02, 2023 05:02 - 51 minutes - 23.7 MBOur guest speaker today is Ramon Rivera. Ramon’s wife, Diamond, and their two children, Scarlett and Levi, are joining us as special guests today. The Riveras live in Chicago where Ramon serves as a Pastoral Resident at Renewal Church. The Riveras are considering planting a church out of Renewal in the Humboldt Park area. Ramon is a recent graduate of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. On a personal note (from our Pastor, Mike Hubbard), we got to know Ramon and his family when he officiated t...
Doesn’t Christianity Denigrate Women?
June 26, 2023 04:58 - 59 minutes - 27.1 MBThis morning we continue our Confronting Christianity series, wrestling with the questions our culture is asking about the Christian faith, as discussed in Rebecca McLaughlin’s book. We will wade into a difficult cultural question this morning—one that has led to many leaving the church. Doesn’t Christianity denigrate women? We do need to acknowledge that Christianity has often misused Scripture to support a male-dominated society and has participated in the denigration of women. But if we l...
Doesn’t Christianity Crush Diversity?
June 19, 2023 04:54 - 45 minutes - 21 MBTake a look around at the folks attending this morning. Notice anything unusual? Probably not. The vast majority of us are Caucasian. Most of the churches in Eureka and the surrounding area are majority Caucasian. Does that indicate that Christianity is primarily a “white man’s” religion? Or, instead, maybe that indicates that we’re not seeing the bigger picture. Today we’re going to look back at the birth of Christianity and also look forward to the culmination of the Church and see how tha...
Aren’t We Better Off Without Religion?
June 12, 2023 04:51 - 53 minutes - 24.3 MBIn a recent opinion article in our local newspaper, the writer shared from her experience reasons for leaving the church and pursuing a different path for feeling close to God or the universe. She is not alone in her sentiments, as millions of people are leaving Christianity, deconstructing their faith, and abandoning religion. A common thread in many of these stories are experiences of church hurt and interactions with hateful religious people. In reality, aren’t we better off without religi...
Jesus Is Exclusive/How can you Say there is One True Faith?
June 05, 2023 03:21 - 51 minutes - 23.5 MBWe live in a pluralistic society, where people believe that the greatest doctrine is that there is no real truth or no exclusive path to God. People are fine with the idea of Jesus, but when Christians make the claim that Jesus is the only way, the culture says Christians are intolerant. Should we back off of the exclusivity claims of Christ? Well, if what we are saying is that Christianity is the best possible religion, then yes, we need to be careful. But Gospel Christianity is not a system...
Coming
May 29, 2023 03:18 - 55 minutes - 25.9 MBThe story of Jesus is not over. In one of his final prophetic discourses, Jesus promised that one day He would return and every eye will see Him. In His first appearance, Jesus came to earth as a simple Galilean peasant who lived the perfect life, died on the cross for us, and rose again. But the promise of the Second Coming guarantees His final victory over all enemies and the gathering of the elect— His people from every tribe, nation, and people. So, we believe in the visible return of Ch...
Alive
May 22, 2023 03:15 - 53 minutes - 24.9 MBWhat significance could the death of a man 2000 years ago possibly hold for me? Why does the empty tomb even matter? Even if I do trust in Jesus and believe He did rise - what does that mean for me when I die? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to Christianity. The apostle Paul tells us if Jesus did not rise from the dead, there is no point in believing in Him because there is no hope to be found in Christianity. The death of Christ only matters if He rose from the dead and is ali...
Perfect
May 15, 2023 03:12 - 49 minutes - 23.1 MBNobody’s perfect, right? We often use this sentiment to justify our failings to ourselves, those around us, and ultimately to God. And, of course, it is true—with one exception. As we continue our sermon series on the core Christian beliefs about Jesus, today we will see that Jesus is perfect. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, and they quickly gave in to his seduction and every person after them fell in the same trap. When Satan came at Jes...
The Prophet
May 07, 2023 19:30 - 55 minutes - 25.7 MBThe prophets in the Old Testament are an interesting group of characters. They tended to be eccentric people who were generally disliked by kings and the people. This was primarily because their messages warned of judgment to a nation who turned from their God. Yet, what binds these people together is the reality that God literally put His very Words in their mouths and on their pens. The role of the prophet was to speak for God to the nation. Central to this claim is the glorious truth that ...
High Priest
May 01, 2023 01:43 - 43 minutes - 20 MBToday we will study from the book of Hebrews in order to gain better understanding of the significant role of the high priests for the Jewish people in the Old Testament and marvel at the way that Jesus has transformed that role by becoming the Great High Priest. Since Jesus has defeated death and ascended into the heavenlies, He now holds the position forever and ever. We can take great encouragement from the implications that were outlined to the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews.
King
April 24, 2023 01:40 - 55 minutes - 25.8 MBThe central declaration of faith among early Christians was that, “Jesus is Lord.” In saying these words, followers of Jesus were being revolutionary—declaring faith in and allegiance to Jesus as the ultimate ruler and authority on earth and in their lives. Rome demanded people to see Caesar as their lord, and in response, Christians declared that Jesus alone is their Lord, their King. As we consider the person and work of Jesus, we need to examine three key offices held by Jesus Christ. Thi...
Messiah
April 17, 2023 01:39 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBExactly five days before He would die on the cross, and one week from His resurrection, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a colt. The crowd’s reaction and declarations are striking, as they lay palm branches on the road in front of Jesus and declare, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” In this moment the Jewish crowd is recognizing an amazing truth. For centuries they had been waiting on the one person who was the fulfillment of all the prophecies, pictures, and promises of God. But now He is here, ...
Sacrifice
April 10, 2023 01:31 - 50 minutes - 23.6 MBResurrection Sunday is the wonderful reminder that the crucified Jesus is now alive. This is the greatest reversal and victory in history. But only because of what happened on the cross. Jesus was no mere rabbi who got caught up in a political riot and ended up dying for a cause. Something cosmic happened for all people and for all of creation on that weekend. Some 700 years before Jesus died on the cross, God gave the prophet Isaiah a mental picture of this event, revealing a king who is re...
Human
March 27, 2023 01:25 - 54 minutes - 25.3 MBIt boggles the mind! The infinite Creator and Ruler of the universe cried as a baby, went through adolescence, and grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. Omnipresence grew in size. Omniscience developed in wisdom. Omnipotence got stronger so He could work in His dad’s carpenter shop. Jesus did not just appear to be human, He was truly man, fully human—just like you and me. The humanity of Jesus was absolutely necessary as the means for our salvation, as Jesus came to be the se...
God
March 20, 2023 01:22 - 46 minutes - 21.6 MBWho is Jesus really? Just a good and moral man? Or maybe He is a prophet similar to Jeremiah or John the Baptist? Perhaps He is a delusional man who just THOUGHT He was God? Or was He truly God incarnate, creator of the universe and savior of the world? Today we begin a new sermon series looking at who Jesus is. Ultimately, every one of us is confronted with the same question Jesus asked Peter in Matthew Chapter 16. Who do you say Jesus is? The answer has eternal implications.
Acts 29
March 13, 2023 02:09 - 53 minutes - 25 MBWe come to the end of this story, sermon #50 from the book of Acts. It ends with a rather frustrating cliff hanger. Paul has reached Rome, and the Gospel has spread all over the Empire. But he is still awaiting a trial when the book abruptly ends. We have no idea what happened to Peter and the other 12. And the story ends with Paul awaiting his trial before Nero where he could die or go free—which happened? If we read this story as primarily a narrative about early Christian leaders, the sto...
To Rome!
March 06, 2023 03:08 - 54 minutes - 25.5 MBWhen writing Romans 15,Paul made his goal clear to the Roman church. He planned to drop off an offering in Jerusalem and then come visit for the first time to encourage this church living in the shadow of the Roman Empire. It was also his wish that the Roman church send him on to Spain so he could continue the glorious mission to which God had called him. His ministry was to go to the nations, take the Gospel to the Gentiles, and preach Christ where the name of Jesus had not even been named. ...