by David Wahlstedt | Feb 28, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
In our House of Deception series, we have seen how the sins of the fathers often become the struggles of the sons. In Genesis 37:1–36, the cycle of rivalry reaches a fever pitch. We find Jacob—now Israel—settled in the land, yet he has failed to learn the most painful...
by David Wahlstedt | Feb 21, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
As we move through the House of Deception, we encounter one of the darkest and most difficult chapters in the patriarchal narrative. In Genesis 34, the seeds of rivalry and the legacy of deceit bear a horrific fruit. This is a story of a family that has been...
by David Wahlstedt | Feb 14, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
We have reached a transformative moment of our House of Deception series. In Genesis 32:22–32, the man who spent his entire life running, scheming, and “grabbing heels” finally runs out of room. Left alone on the banks of the Jabbok River, Jacob is...
by David Wahlstedt | Feb 7, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
Next up in our House of Deception series, Jacob finds himself in a terrifying middle ground. He has successfully fled the greed of Laban’s house, but to move into his future, he must pass through his past. In Genesis 32:1–21, the seeds of rivalry sown twenty years ago...
by David Wahlstedt | Jan 31, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
As we continue our House of Deception series, the tension between Jacob and Laban reaches a breaking point in Genesis 30:25–31:55. What began as a family refuge has become a corporate cage. This passage explores the suffocating nature of greed—not just for money, but...
by David Wahlstedt | Jan 24, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
In the House of Deception, the architecture is not made of stone and mortar, but of competition and longing. Following the mirror deception of Laban, we enter the most intimate spaces of Jacob’s life in Genesis 29:31–30:24. Here, we see the tragic fruit of a marriage...
by David Wahlstedt | Jan 17, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
In our House of Deception series, we’ve witnessed the devastating impact of lies and rivalry. We saw Jacob, the “heel-grabber,” orchestrate the theft of his brother’s birthright and blessing. Now, in Genesis 29:1-30, we encounter a profound twist:...
by David Wahlstedt | Jan 10, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
In our new series, House of Deception, we move from the quiet simmering of sibling rivalry to the full, devastating boil of betrayal. Genesis 27:1–45 presents one of the most heartbreaking scenes in scripture: a family fractured not by outside enemies, but by the very...
by David Wahlstedt | Jan 3, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
The story of Jacob and Esau, found in Genesis 25, is a powerful and unsettling narrative that lays the groundwork for centuries of conflict and serves as a stark reminder of how easily deception can take root within the most intimate relationships. In our new sermon...
by David Wahlstedt | Dec 20, 2025 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
As we make the final turn toward the end of Advent, the pressure mounts. Many of us carry a low-grade anxiety through life—a feeling that we need to perform to be accepted, or that if people really knew us, they’d leave. We work hard to secure our future and earn...
