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We are honored to have Dr. Ronni Kurtz as our guest speaker this morning! He is an Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. And, even more importantly, an EHS grad! The doctrine of the Trinity can feel abstract—how is it that one God can be three persons? When Christians set out to consider the Trinity, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by how other God is. In this sermon, Ronni Kurtz seeks to show how not only is the Trinity true, but why God’s being three is beautiful. The aim of this sermon is to show how we are both satisfied and saved by the triune God.

One of the great gifts God gave humanity is the gift of marriage and sex. Sexuality is designed to bring oneness to a man and woman in a covenant relationship and paint a picture of Christ’s love for His people. In the right context, sexuality is actually an act that glorifies God. On the other hand, sex is a terrible god and our sexuality is a powerful substitute. Everywhere false gods are worshiped, they are accompanied by broken and destructive sexual practices that often lead to the horrible objectification and mistreatment of people. As Samson steps on the scene, the first thing we discover about him is that he is a sexually broken person. He desires a woman from the Philistines. The conflict between his desires and the call of God will define the rest of Samson’s life and lead to his downfall. We live in a sexually broken culture that now defines identity around sexuality. For Christ-followers, the call is to submit even their sexuality to the purpose and for the glory of God. Yet, the Samson story reminds us that God orchestrates the events of our lives in such a way that He even weaves the mess of our brokenness into a beautiful tapestry of redemption.

The events of the first Good Friday and Easter are central for the entire Christian faith. We believe the One True and Living God accomplished something cosmic and glorious in the death and resurrection of a single human being named Jesus. While thousands died on cruel Roman crosses in the ancient world, Jesus’ death is unique as it was predicted hundreds of years before the events of that holy weekend some 2000 years ago. Furthermore, the story ends unlike no other, with the executed man walking out of His grave a few days later. But, you may ask, what does this have to do with me in 2026? Jesus’ final word on the cross gives us the beautiful and life changing answer. One of Jesus’ closest friends, a man named John, wrote an amazing book explaining Jesus’ life, identity, death, and resurrection. John tells us that the Roman soldiers gave Jesus a quick drink of sour wine, and after getting some liquid in His mouth, Jesus pushed up on the nails in His feet one last time and cried out, “It is finished!” At first glance, it may seem like a statement of defeat and hopelessness. Actually though, this statement, which is a single word in the original Greek text, is an unbelievable declaration of victory; providing hope for every human being and meeting our deepest needs and longings. Today we will look at this single word and share the implications of Jesus’ final word from the cross for you and me.

The Philistines were ruthless and horrible people. A sea-faring people who were the first to use iron in warfare, they inhabited the coast on the west side of Israel. They would become the key adversaries for Israel for generations. The unfaithfulness of Israel resulted in God giving them over to the Philistines for 40 years. The Samson story is born from this moment, but there is something missing in chapter 13. The people no longer cry out to God for deliverance; no longer look to Him for rescue. Yet, they are still God’s covenant people, descendants of Abraham. They deserve their fate, but how could God show them mercy? Amazingly, God shows up in the way He often does, by showing faithfulness to a couple and giving them a miracle child. This child, Samson, represents the entire problem of Judges. He is the most powerful of the judges—empowered over and over again by the Spirit of God to harass and destroy Israel’s evil oppressors while at the same time being a morally bankrupt person. The simple truth of this story is glorious and our hope. Salvation belongs to the Lord, and does not depend on us. And, the God who made promises will be faithful to the end, even when we are not.

What does it look like when someone becomes enslaved by their idols? What does it look like when someone lets the idols of the culture around them influence their worship of the one true God? We’re going to look at examples of both questions this morning. One man is so enslaved by his idol that he resorts to murder. The other man is so influenced by the pagan culture around him that he makes a rash decision that costs him dearly. One man does not regard God at all while the other is saved by his faith in God despite his costly sin.

This morning’s message is a cautionary tale that we are not to take our salvation lightly. Jesus did not pay a ransom for us so that we can pursue a life of comfort and self reliance. Our hearts are prone to wander, to putting ourselves and our needs as first priority in this life. We need to be reminded that through the work of our true deliverer, God did for us what we could not do ourselves. Through the sinless life of Jesus, His sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection, our worship should turn to Him. The idols in our lives can be dislodged as we focus on a King who never fails us.

The narrative of how God uses Gideon to defeat the Midianites and Amalekites is one of the amazing moments in the Old Testament story. This is the God who promised to fight on behalf of His people, defeating their enemies in glorious ways so that He alone would get the credit. Gideon gathers an army of over 32,000 men to go fight. But this is not God’s plan, and through a process of elimination, pares the army down to 300 timid men—a force in no way sufficient to defeat these joined enemies. The story gets even crazier from there, as the warriors go out to fight with torches, pots, and trumpets, not swords and spears. But this is how God brought deliverance for His people in a way that guaranteed He would get the glory. It is amazing what God will do when those who serve Him do not care who gets the credit. This story confronts us with an amazing truth: that God uses the weak to shame the strong so that no human being may boast in the presence of God. Our God is still the God of victory; yet, He always fights for us so that we experience the blessings and He gets the glory.

Gideon is a fascinating character. When he is introduced in the Book of Judges, he is anything but a brave and mighty warrior. As a result of their idolatry and abandoning God, the Hebrew people have been handed over to their enemies, the Midianites, who treat them horribly. Midianites were notorious for stealing crops and livestock, so the Hebrews were hiding in caves and mountain dens, helpless and cowering. From there they cried out to the Lord. First, God sends a prophet with the Word of the Lord to the nation. This is followed by the Angel of the Lord appearing to Gideon, who is also afraid. Yet, the messenger from God addresses Gideon as a mighty warrior, and from his hiding place, God invites Gideon into His story. The story of Gideon is unique; but, embedded in the story is a reminder that God saves people and then invites them into His mission. He doesn’t work through the most courageous and powerful; rather, God acts in and through people who are often the last person we would choose. The difference is His presence. When God is with us, well, there is nothing that can’t be done.

If you’ve ever sung in a group setting, you might have experienced a feeling of elation or comradery with those around you. Science actually backs up that notion: studies have shown that singing produces chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin, which produce feelings of elation and aid bonding with others in the group. It also reduces cortisol, which lowers stress and anxiety, not to mention the added intake of oxygen which increases blood flow to the brain and lowers blood pressure. Is it possible that God designed our bodies to work this way as a supplemental physiological benefit to His biblical call to sing together as His redeemed people? Today, we will encounter a song in Judges 5 that functions as the response of God’s people to the revelation of His redemption. We will see how it was the sovereign hand of God orchestrating the events of the crazy story in Judges 4 such that He fulfills His mission in ways we could not predict that portray His undeniable love, grace, and mercy for His people. Over and over in scripture, we see how in response to the revelation of His redemption, God’s people will naturally respond in song, glorifying His name and proclaiming wide the story of the gospel for all to hear.

Today is a special day for Genesis as we will introduce the Good Neighbor Initiative and the work of Oasis International during our service. Rachel Hart, Director of Good Neighbor, will be with us to share how we can join the mission of God in loving our refugee neighbor. Our text this morning in Judges 4 is a crazy story and, at first glance, does not seem to fit the message we intend to share. The truth is that this crazy and bloody story in Judges is all about the mission of God and His glorious purposes. God’s mission for His people at this time is tied to His protection of them as a nation of people. So, God raises three different people—a prophetess, a warrior, and housewife—to be His arms of rescue and deliverance. God’s mission is different in the New Testament; no longer about defending a nation, now the mission is taking the Gospel to neighborhoods and the nations. Yet, God is still raising up ordinary men and women to trust Him and be used by God for His glory while proclaiming and demonstrating the love and justice of Jesus.

What do you think about when you hear the word “idolatry”? A little golden statue encased in a make-shift shrine with primitive people bowing down to it like something from The Temple of Doom? These sorts of idols seem almost silly to our culture. It seems so distant when God commands His people to avoid making idols and warns the Hebrews about falling into the idolatry of the surrounding peoples. Sadly, the book of Judges shows the utter failure as Israel slipped deeply into that very idolatry. We may think of idolatry as bowing to a little wooden or golden images, but the problem lies much deeper. Actually, the Bible show us that idolatry happens whenever we put something other than God in the place of God—pursuing created things as ultimate things— believing our happiness, identity, and purpose is in them. Judges helps us understand idolatry as the core problem in our humanity and the fountain that produces all of our sin. And, it reminds us that idols never keep their promises because they are gods that are not real or true.

What do we think of when picturing a judge? A man or woman in a robe sitting on a bench and dispensing justice for a court? This is not the meaning of a judge in the Biblical book. There was no king, so as people did right in their own eyes, they ended up in oppression. As they cried out to God, He raised up deliverers, generally in the form of military leaders who became an extension of God’s justice, both to Israel’s oppressors and for the nation in rebellion. He fought their enemies, often in crazy and rather insane ways, returning the nation to the state of blessing promised under the covenant. But these judges are not heroes. Rather, they are incredibly flawed humans who actually grow worse and worse in character as the nation drifts further away. But, they are pictures of our need for rescue from the worst of enemies brought on by idolatry and sin, and of the better Judge who came to bring God’s justice for the nations and deliverance for us, His people.

The book of Joshua (just prior to Judges) details a glorious military campaign with victories on every side that resulted in God’s people being given the land God promised Abraham. But, they did not fully trust and obey God in the process. Judges begins with reminders of the faithfulness of God to keep His promises, but also shows the unfaithful path His people begin to take. Judges ends with a statement that defines the whole book, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Of course, we should read this a bit sarcastically; there was a King—God was their King. But they turned to worship the idols of the surrounding nations and, as a result, forfeited God’s protection. The outcome is a downward cycle that runs through the whole book. Today’s sermon will introduce this repeated cycle of apostasy—God giving them over to bondage and the people cry out. God raises a deliverer who rescues them, and they have a season of ease, which then starts the cycle again. The reason they (and we) live in this cycle begins simply, we forget the blessings of God’s rescue and want to be our own king.

The Old Testament book of Judges opens by setting this historical story in the larger narrative of Israel’s relationship with God. As a book of history, Judges is doing so much more than giving us facts and details about events in history, movements, and leaders. The key to understanding Old Testament books of history is to see that they are revealing the true and living God in a covenant relationship with a nation of people whom He loved, rescued, redeemed, and brought into a relationship. Through the series, we will learn that God is faithful and people are not. Because God is faithful and gracious, He has provided The One True Rescuer.

Welcome to 2026! The first week in January—the time where gyms are full, weight loss programs make all their money, and financial plans are in place. It’s one thing to make resolutions; it’s a completely different thing to develop some healthy rhythms. The 70’s Christian song “Day by Day” gives us a good prayer for the New Year: “Three things I pray. To see Thee more clearly, to love Thee more dearly, and to follow Thee more nearly, day by day.” The book of Psalms begins with a vivid picture of two paths to walk. One becomes a path to a withered and wasted life. The other is a path that creates deep roots like a tree near a stream. But how do we walk the path to life? The Scriptures teach us that the way to walk this path is in developing healthy rhythms that lead us to deeper love for and knowledge of Jesus and a more devoted life to His mission. Today we will look at the spiritual rhythms of Bible intake, prayer, rest, worship, and fasting; sharing ideas to implement these rhythms in our lives to help us walk in the way of the Lord day by day.