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...
by David Wahlstedt | Dec 13, 2025 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
Joy can be the most elusive of the Advent themes. It’s the one we feel the most pressure to manufacture. We vaguely hope that if we get the decorations right, buy the perfect gift, and attend the right parties, joy will finally show up. But what if joy isn’t...
by David Wahlstedt | Dec 6, 2025 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
We love the imagery of “Peace on Earth” during Christmas. We picture silent nights and tranquil snowscapes. But in reality, our world—and often our own families and communities—are defined more by division than tranquility. We live behind walls of...
by David Wahlstedt | Dec 1, 2025 | Pastor's Blog, Uncategorized
Advent is supposed to be a season of sparkly anticipation, but if we are honest, it often feels heavy. We carry the weight of a broken world, personal grief, or just the sheer exhaustion of the year. It can feel hypocritical to sing about “thrills of hope”...
