20. Is Anything Too Wonderful for the Lord? (Genesis 21) | Joe Schneider

20. Is Anything Too Wonderful for the Lord? (Genesis 21)

It's been said that all of our problems in life come from lack of belief in the goodness of God. When God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in their old age, it sounded too good to be true—but then He fulfilled it! In this message, Joe Schneider, one of Thrive's board members, looks at the miraculous birth of Isaac in Genesis 21 and what it shows us about the riches of God's goodness.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 21; Proverbs 8:22-31; and 2 Corinthians 5:21.

19. When the World Rebukes the Church (Genesis 20) | Michael Bouterse

19. When the World Rebukes the Church (Genesis 20)

God often uses us in spite of us, and Abraham was no exception. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, unpacks Abraham's blunder with Abimelech and how the gospel gives us the power to be faithful witnesses to the world around us.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 12:10-20; 13:18; 18:1; 20; 22:1-19; 50:20; Galatians 3:9; Matthew 6:33; and Romans 8:28.

18. True Witness (Genesis 19) | Michael Bouterse

18. True Witness (Genesis 19)

When you become a Christian, God changes you from the inside out and makes you new. But how should we relate to old people and patterns as we live out this new life? In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, explores what Genesis 19 says about how God's people should relate to the world. Only as Christians maintain their distinctiveness from the world can they actually serve and bless the world as Jesus would.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 12:4; 13:10-13; 14:12-13; 18:16-33; 19; 23:3-5; 2 Peter 2:7-8; Ruth 4:1-12; and James 1:13-15.

17. God Meets with Abraham (Genesis 18) | Tim Guenther

17. God Meets with Abraham (Genesis 18)

What would it be like to meet God? In Genesis 18, Abraham finds out. Through his encounter with God, Abraham learns that God desires to meet with His people, that He is a righteous judge, and that He at the same time delights to show mercy. This message was given by Tim Guenther of Thrive Harbor.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 18; Exodus 33:20; Psalm 19:1; John 17:24; Luke 24:13-35; Romans 10:9; Matthew 26:42; 2 Corinthians 5:21; and Isaiah 53.

15. Faith and Patience (Genesis 16) | Jake Chambers

15. Faith and Patience (Genesis 16)

In Hebrews 6:12 we read that "faith and patience inherit the promises”—or in other words, trusting in God means waiting. In this message Jake Chambers, pastor of Local Church, looks to the story of Abram and Sarah in Genesis 16 to unpack the messy and frequently painful fallout of taking matters into our own hands when we feel God isn't coming through for us—but also God's incredible patience with us even when we're impatient with him.

14. The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 15) | Conner Dill

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14. The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 15)

One of the most significant moments of Abraham's life happens in Genesis 15. God made an agreement with Abraham called a covenant—and He promised him He would fulfill it no matter what. In this message, Conner Dill, a member of Thrive Harbor, explains why the covenant with Abraham is so earth-shaking and how it reveals to us the character of God.

13. Abram Rescues Lot (Genesis 14) | Dustin Polley

13. Abram Rescues Lot (Genesis 14)

No one follows God in a vacuum. For Abram, his walk with God was lived out against the tough backdrop of paganism, cross-cultural experiences, and—in Genesis 14—Middle Eastern politics. In this message, Dustin Polley, director of ⁠Thrive Kitsap⁠, expounds the story of Abram defeating a coalition of kings who had taken his nephew captive.

12. Abram and Lot Separate (Genesis 12:10-13:18) | Tim Guenther

12. Abram and Lot Separate (Genesis 12:10-13:18)

God promised to bless Abram, and for him that blessing included material riches. But God had to teach Abram how to have riches without getting attached to them, a lesson he learned one day when he and his nephew Lot got into a little dispute over real estate.

This message was given by Tim Guenther, a member of Thrive Harbor.

10. The Tale of the Tower (Genesis 10:1-11:9) | Michael Bouterse

10. The Tale of the Tower (Genesis 10:1-11:9)

At the Tower of Babel, humanity marshaled their creative powers to rival the Creator. What began as an expression of human pride became a monument to human folly, and a pointer to the better way of Jesus, the one who ascended through descending and ruled through serving.

This message was given by Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor. Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 1:28; 10:1-11:9; 12:1-3; Daniel 4:30; Revelation 2:17; Philippians 2:7; and Matthew 11:28-29.

9. Noah, the Flood, and the Judgment to Come (Genesis 6-9) | Tim Cedarland

9. Noah, the Flood, and the Judgment to Come (Genesis 6-9)

The Bible says that God is a righteous judge. He gives us over to what we ask for and uses judgment to restrain evil. But He always provides a way of escape—much as He did for Noah and his family in the days of the flood. In this message, Tim Cedarland, Thrive's director emeritus, shows how the story of Noah points to the salvation Jesus offers us from the judgment still to come.

8. After Adam (Genesis 5) | Eric Lundquist

8. After Adam (Genesis 5)

Genesis 5:1 and Matthew 1:1 summarize the Old and New Testaments. The former is the "book of the generations of Adam," whereas the latter is the "book of the generations of Jesus Christ." And in Genesis 5 we see that Adam's book consistently, repeatedly ends in death. Only with the arrival of Jesus is death swallowed up by life. This message was given by Eric Lundquist, a special guest speaker.

7. Sin City (Genesis 4:17-26) | Michael Bouterse

7. Sin City (Genesis 4:17-26)

One of the first things humanity does after the fall is to build a city. Why? In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, looks at how Cain's city and descendants gives us a pattern for how all of us operate as sinners in a fallen world, desperately seeking hope and security through our own ingenuity and strength.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 4:17-26; Nehemiah 1:3; and Psalm 9:9; 18:1-2; 27:1.

6. Murder Most Foul (Genesis 4:1-16) | Michael Bouterse

6. Murder Most Foul (Genesis 4:1-16)

After humanity's exile from Eden, the question the rest of the Bible wrestles with is, "How can we get back?" And the story of Cain and Abel offers us hints. In this message, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, explores how Cain's murder of his brother in Genesis 4 shows the right and wrong way to get back to God.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 3:17; 4:1-16; Jude 11; Hebrews 11:4; 12:22-24; James 1:13-14; 1 John 3:12; and John 7:7.

5. Paradise Lost (Genesis 3:8-24) | Michael Bouterse

5. Paradise Lost (Genesis 3:8-24)

Genesis 3 ends with Adam and Eve exiled from the Garden of Eden. And yet even this punishment is an exhibit of God's mercy that points ahead to a future day of redemption. In this talk, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, explores what Genesis 3 teaches about God's mercy and justice, and how the two fit together.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 1:22, 27, 28; 2:15; 3:1-24; 4:17; Isaiah 26:9; Romans 1:24, 26, 28; 11:32; Matthew 26:31; and Zechariah 13:7.

4. Nakedness, Covering, and Grace (Genesis 3:1-13) | Michael Bouterse

4. Nakedness, Covering, and Grace (Genesis 3:1-13)

Immediately after the first sin, Adam and Eve are ashamed to be naked and cover themselves. Why? What’s the relationship between sin and shame, and why does shame hold such power over us? In this talk, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, explores what Genesis 3 teaches about the consequences of sin.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 2:25; 3:1-13, 21; Hebrews 4:13; and Ephesians 4:24.

3. The Lie of the Serpent (Genesis 3) | Michael Bouterse

3. The Lie of the Serpent (Genesis 3)

What’s wrong with the world? The Bible's answer is sin. Sin is more than just the bad things we do. At the heart of sin is the lie of the serpent that God isn’t good and trustworthy. In this talk, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, unpacks what Genesis 3 teaches on the nature of sin.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 2:17; 3:1-24; 4:7; John 8:34; Galatians 3:16; and Luke 15:11-32.

2. A Very Good World (Genesis 2:4-25) | Conner Dill

2. A Very Good World (Genesis 2:4-25)

The fall in Genesis 3 explains for us why our world is broken and marred by sin. But the world didn't start out that way. Before Genesis 3, there was Genesis 1 and 2: a depiction of God's "very good" world, the world as it should be. So what can we learn from Genesis 2 about God's original design? In this talk, Conner Dill, a member of Thrive Harbor explores what Genesis says about the goodness of creation.

1. In the Beginning (Genesis 1:1-2:3) | Michael Bouterse

1. In the Beginning (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

Every story has a beginning. And how a story begins shapes its entire trajectory. What about our world? How does our world begin, and what does that tell us about God, ourselves, and the kind of universe we're living in? In this talk, Michael Bouterse, director of Thrive Harbor, opens up a new series on Genesis exploring how the Bible begins.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 1:1-2:3; John 17:24; Romans 1:20; 8:28; Ecclesiastes 1:9; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:4; Psalm 139:14; Jeremiah 2:13; and 1 John 4:8, 16.