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Class TraitorsThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsSeptember 27, 2026Exodus 1:22; Exodus 2:4–25Summary:Exodus 2 is crowded with women who quietly defy Pharaoh, and the sermon follows Pharaoh's daughter, the Bible's first "class traitor," who raises Moses in both worlds on purpose. Moses becomes the second, siding with the oppressed in Egypt and again in Midian. The sermon asks what we're teaching our kids about which side they're on, and notes that God isn't named until verse 23, after five women had already chosen to do the right thing. Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Tov in the Middle of the Noise The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins September 20, 2026 Exodus 1:15–2:3 Summary:This week's sermon moves through the noisy opening chapters of Exodus — Pharaoh's order to the midwives Shiphrah and Puah, and the birth and hiding of baby Moses. Along the way, the Hebrew word tov (the same word God uses over creation in Genesis 1) surfaces in the account of Moses' birth, revealing God quietly at work in the middle of atrocity. Pastor Megan reflects on how God breaks through the noise of our lives through ordinary people, and how Sabbath rest is a temporary ark — not a permanent hiding place. Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

The Groan That Started It All: Beginning Exodus The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David Collins September 13, 2026 Exodus 1:7, 1:8, 1:12, 2:23-25 SummaryKicking off a new series through Exodus, Pastor Dave traces how the book has repeatedly been cut, softened, or spiritualized by people in power — from an 1807 slave Bible that removed the story of the people's liberation to today's fights over what gets taught in schools. After a quick overview of the whole book, he lands on Exodus 2:23-25, where the Israelites' groaning and crying out... not a prayer, not the right words...is what it takes for God to hear, remember, look, and take notice. The same pattern shows up again in Jesus: liberation first, teaching second.Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Not Alone in the Wilderness Preacher: Christina Sparks With Bill Oelfke September 6, 2026 Jeremiah 29:4-7, Ezra 3:8-13 Summary This episode opens with an announcement from Bill Olfke on a new solidarity initiative for Haitian and other immigrant asylum seekers: church members mass-producing and wearing symbolic ankle monitors as a visible act of standing with those going through immigration proceedings. Bill dedicates the project to the memory of Pierre Damas Bell Pierre, a Haitian student who died by suicide in August after speaking publicly about the humiliation of wearing an immigration ankle monitor. From there, guest preacher, Elder Christina Sparks, a therapist and church member, connects the announcement to September's Suicide Prevention Month before turning to her sermon.  Tracing Israel's story from exile in Babylon to the rebuilding of the temple, she shows how God calls people to build, plant, and grow even in seasons that were never part of the plan. Drawing on her own story of plans that fell apart and a life that looks nothing like she expected, she makes room for the grief and joy that so often show up together, and asks where we might be holding back, waiting for normal to return instead of planting roots right where we are.

Joseph's Bones The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins August 30, 2026 Genesis 50:22-26

Fleeing Sin, Living in Grace The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsAugust 23, 2026Genesis 39; Matthew 5:21-29Summary:Joseph's flight from Potiphar's wife gets read as a purity lesson, but Rev. David Collins argues it's really a story about power. People who have been harassed know all about what it costs to refuse someone who holds all the leverage. From there the sermon moves through Jesus's teaching in Matthew 5 on anger and lust, and into Bonhoeffer's distinction between cheap grace and costly grace: freely given, but never without cost.Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Joseph, Jesus and the Pit The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsAugust 16, 2026Genesis 37; 39:21; 41:41; 50:19–21 (with a word-study detour into 2 Samuel 13)Summary:Finally into the Joseph story, Rev. Megan Collins traces Joseph from his father's favor and his "special outfit", through betrayal by his brothers, the pit, slavery in Egypt, a false accusation, and prison, all the way to Pharaoh's court. Along the way she notices how rarely God speaks in this story — and how, like Joseph, we usually only recognize God's presence looking back. She closes by tracing Joseph's story forward to Jesus, one of the first clear glimpses in the Old Testament of who is still to come.Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Defiled and Washed The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David Collins August 9, 2026 Genesis 34-35 Summary Genesis 34 is the chapter nobody preaches. Dinah is assaulted, her brothers slaughter a city in response, and the word "defiled" runs through all of it three times, a purity word rather than a moral one. Rev. David Collins looks at what happens to people once they decide their enemies aren't dirty but contaminating, and what it costs when the only other option in the room is an old man who stays quiet and calls it wisdom. Then Genesis 35, where God doesn't render a verdict, and hands the family something to do with their hands instead. Bury the gods. Wash. Change your clothes. Part of the Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible at Maitland Presbyterian Church. Learn more or read past sermons: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Listening to the Women The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins August 2, 2026 Genesis 30 & 34 Excerpt: "We know women are often still silenced today. Stories of trauma and assault are swept under the rug out of an insistence for polite conversation or to protect powerful people at their expense. And not just about assault. Women’s voices are ignored in businesses, in doctor’s offices, in the pulpit, in their own homes. How can we hear the stories of assault if we aren't listening to their stories in general?If we take a closer look at Genesis, the ancient writers in Genesis are actually doing better than we are. They record the women's names and their stories. So we can insist on the bare minimum of what we see in Genesis: that the stories of these women are told, that the stories of others with a story like theirs, is told.  But we have to look to Jesus. And the bare minimum was never where Jesus stopped. Jesus went looking for the women no one else was listening to.  These women speak. And Jesus listens to them." Learn more or read past sermons: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Heel-GrabberThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsJuly 26, 2026Genesis 28–33Summary:Jacob's story runs from a womb-grab to a wrestling match by a river — Bethel on the way out, Peniel on the way back, with twenty years of scheming, marrying, and running in between. Rev. David Collins traces how the very trait that made Jacob a "heel-grabber" (never letting go) is the same trait that finally gets him truly blessed.Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Esau (and Jacob)The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsJuly 19, 2026Genesis 25-32; Romans 9:13; Malachi 1: 2-3; Numbers 20:14-21; Obadiah 1:10; Ezekiel 25:14; Hebrews 12:1-2, 16 Summary:Rebecca's twins wrestle before they're even born, and by the time Esau trades his birthright for a bowl of stew, it's clear this family history is more complicated than the Sunday school version. Rev. Megan Collins follows Esau's name through Malachi, Romans, and Hebrews to sit with the Bible's harshest language about him, and asks what it means for those of us who married into this story rather than being born into it. The sermon lands in Hebrews' call to hold onto what matters and keep showing up for each other, even when the world makes that feel impossible. Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

The Abraham Paradox The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David Collins July 12, 2026 Genesis 22:1-13 Summary Genesis 22 is one of the hardest stories in the Bible. God gives Abraham a son, and then commands him to sacrifice that son on a mountain. For centuries, Christians have tried to explain the story away, or to hold it up as a model of faithful obedience. Neither move does the story justice. Rev. David Collins works through the standard readings and their real damage, then turns to the paradox underneath the whole chapter: God gave Abraham the promise, and then God commanded him to sacrifice the fulfillment of that promise. That same paradox sits at the heart of the Christian life. God has promised the Kingdom. Jesus has commanded us to love our enemies, refuse the sword, and live like lambs in a world of wolves. The promise and the command are opposed. And most of us cheat by dropping one to keep the other. But the people who have known God the deepest have been the ones who stayed inside the tension. Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Which Abimelech? The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins July 5, 2026 Genesis 20 & Judges 9 Summary Two leaders. Same name. Completely different legacies. On this July 4th weekend, we dig into Genesis 20 and Judges 8–9 to meet two men named Abimelech — one who leads with integrity even outside the covenant, and one who buys his throne with temple money and murders his way to power. What do we do when the leaders in our lives don't earn our trust? And what does it look like to find — or become — a tower of refuge for the people who need one? A sermon on leadership, power, and the one true King who sees it all. Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Outgrowing the Oldest Theology The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David Collins June 28, 2026 Genesis 18 & 19 (Sodom & Gomorrah) Summary The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the most misread texts in the Bible — and the Bible itself knows it. In this sermon from the Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible, Pastor David Collins looks at what the story actually says, why Genesis 18 was placed in front of Genesis 19 on purpose, and what it means that Abraham stood in God's way and argued. For people who have been told this story was about them. For people who have a list of who deserves the fire. For anyone who has ever looked at the way the world works and thought: that can't be right. Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons

Hagar in the Wilderness The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan Collins June 21, 2026 Genesis 16 & 21 Summary What do you do when you find yourself in a season that makes you want to run, hide, or give up? In this message, Pastor Megan Collins explores the wilderness — not just as a place, but as an experience every one of us knows. Drawing on the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21, we encounter one of the Bible's most overlooked characters: an enslaved woman who is used, abused, and ultimately cast out — not once, but twice. Through the lens of womanist theologian Delores S. Williams and her landmark work Sisters in the Wilderness, we discover that Hagar's story is one of remarkable courage, survival, and an extraordinary encounter with God. Hagar becomes the only person in the Old Testament to name God directly — El-roi, the God who sees — and her experience speaks across the centuries to anyone who has ever felt unseen, alone, or without a way forward. It doesn't matter how you got to the wilderness. What matters is this: God will meet you there. Learn more or read past sermons:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons