Posts in Genesis
The Bible As A Resource, Not An Obstacle: Abraham & Isaac - Kyle Hanawalt

Insisting that millennia-old stories can speak plainly to a modern day context is one of the major reasons many people find the Bible an obstacle. Take the story of Abraham & Isaac, for example: to modern readers, this is a troubling story about a God who almost had a child sacrificed. Its’ really hard to get beyond that. BUT, to its original audience, this story communicated something very different. Could that communicate something different to us modern readers too?

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We Are Our Brother's & Sister's Keepers, Part 2 - Kyle Hanawalt

In individualistic and capitalistic America, it is particularly hard to live out a conviction to be the keepers of our brothers and sisters. Why? Partly because we see so much of life as transactional. But, maybe above all, because we hate to feel discomfort, and the level of injustice and suffering that many of our brothers and sisters in America experience should make us feel uncomfortable. Kyle coaches us on leaning into that discomfort, letting it humble us, and letting it activate us.

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We Are Our Brother's & Sister's Keepers - Vince Brackett

From the ancient Jewish story of Cain & Abel, we get the powerful suggestion that part of being human is to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers — we are responsible for and to each other. But that is like the definition of “easier said than done”. Vince explores how the story of Cain & Abel addresses this: (1) posing the question “how will we respond to life’s disappointments and resentments?” and (2) showing us an encouraging, loving God who believes in us.

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