This week we begin a new series titled, "Redemption's Storyline." Over the next several weeks we will be considering a range of passages from the O.T. As we reflect on what God was doing and communicating to his people in those moments, we will also think about how these stories fit into the larger picture of God's plan as revealed now in Christ. This week we start with the story of creation in Genesis 1. Here we see God's intention for human beings and all his creation. We also are reminded that just as the Lord alone could create us and everything else, so too only the Lord can save us and bring heaven and earth back together.

This Sunday morning we conclude our series reflecting on some of the sayings or teachings of Jesus which are more difficult for us to understand or apply. This week we dive into Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus, a story which might leave us with several questions as to what Jesus is trying to communicate. How literally should we take the things Jesus is saying here? What does he mean by the great chasm which separates the parties in the story? While some of the details are interesting to explore, the overall message of the story is one calling us to see the importance and urgency of how we are responding to God's word in our lives now. There are varying responses to the message of Christ, and these responses will have eternal ramifications.

This Sunday morning we continue our series on some of the sayings or teachings of Jesus that we typically have a hard time understanding or applying. In this passage in Matthew, Jesus tells a parable of a landowner who is hiring workers throughout the day to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day, he pays everyone the same, regardless of how many hours they've worked. The longer-term workers in the story take exception with this, and as we read the story we might as well. Is this fair? What is Jesus communicating here? This teaching of Jesus reminds us that the value systems of our world don't often translate to the way things work in God's kingdom. When it comes to the gifts of God, we can be assured that not only is he completely fair with us, but also generous in his giving.