Laughlin Community Church

Introduction: One Command That Shapes the Whole Church After opening his letter with thanksgiving and prayer, Paul spends much of Philippians 1:12–26 describing his own situation. He writes from prison, uncertain whether his future holds release or death. Yet his concern is not self preservation. His…

Jacob’s Silence We've pondered how the story began. Highly disturbing. We have Shechem, the son of Hamor, who abuses his exalted position to see, take, and rape one of the daughters of a migrant family that just came into the area and bought new property. So we took a long time, and rightfully so, to…

The Oppression of Dinah We are coming to the center of the third act of the Yaaqov story. It's not a happy story. It's highly disturbing, and it's gonna repeat patterns that we have seen at the center of the other two acts. Recall that in the first act, you had the story of the twins and deceptions as…

Introduction: A Statement That Reorients Everything Few sentences in Scripture are as concise and as demanding as Paul’s words in Philippians 1:21 : “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This is not a poetic flourish or a slogan for difficult times. Paul is not writing from comfort or security.…

The Reunion of Jacob and Esau We have the sending of messengers to Esau. He's coming with 400 men. We have the wrestling with God, seeing him face to face. Yaaqov is now the wounded servant. But he has the blessing, he has the blessing of God. The blessing of God is a dangerous thing to one's own health.…

This morning we are taking a short break from our journey through the book of Philippians. As we move through the year, I like to pause and draw attention to the biblical calendar and the Jewish festivals that shaped the faith of God’s people. Even though we do not celebrate these feasts as Christians,…

God Wrestles With Jacob We are in the final act, the third and final act of Yaaqov's story, and we have reached the middle of this opening piece. The meeting with Esau happens on either side of this narrative right here. And the fact that they're all next to each other, it's a point of meditation that…

Introduction: What Is Worth Showing the World? Paul’s words in this passage are not theoretical. They are spoken from confinement, under real threat, with his future uncertain. He is not writing from comfort but from custody. Yet what rises to the surface is not fear, bitterness, or self-defense. It…

Jacob Builds an Ark We are at a crossroads moment in the story of Yaaqov. We just walked with him through a 20-year exile in Mesopotamia, halfway to Babylon, in the house of Lavan. Do you remember the first story of him leaving the land was having that dream and vision of Heaven and Earth united with…

Introduction Some of you may remember walking through this passage years ago. Others were not here yet. A lot has changed since then. Seasons change. Circumstances change. People change. But the gospel has not changed, and it has not slowed down. Paul writes Philippians from prison. Not a metaphorical…

Jacob and Laban Make a Covenant This is the climactic showdown between Yaaqov and his uncle. Remember all the brothers are there. All the kids are there, all the animals. It's this whole crew. And remember they're up in the hills. 43 Then Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters; the children,…

Introduction Think about someone in your life who always shows up for you—someone who prays for you, encourages you, and walks with you in your faith. That’s a gospel partner, and that’s what Paul writes about in Philippians. When we hear “partnership,” most of us think marriage, or maybe a business…

Introduction Every family has habits that reveal who they are. Some families have a certain way of greeting each other. Some share meals every night. Some build traditions that are passed down for generations. When you see those habits, you know something about the identity of that family. Paul does…

Jacob verse the Narrator We're turning a significant corner right now in the story of Yaaqov. We followed him into exile because of the mess of he and his mom's making. And it's been, as I said, a hall of mirrors of the deceiver being deceived mirrored by the sisters deceiving and tricking, the rivalries,…

Introduction Some of the greatest movements of God begin in the darkest places. For Paul and Silas, the path to salvation for a Roman jailer ran straight through pain, injustice, humiliation, and a midnight prison cell. What happened in Philippi is not just a story of a man saved. It is a story of how…

Introduction: When God Opens a Door, No One Can Shut It Have you ever had a moment where you knew, beyond your plans and beyond your control, that God was clearly the One opening the door? That is exactly what we see in the story of Lydia. Paul’s second missionary journey had been one redirection after…

God Sees Leah Last time we were together we talked about Read that just to get our bearings 31 When the Lord saw that Leah was neglected, he opened her womb; but Rachel was unable to conceive. 32 Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has seen my affliction;…

Introduction: The Best-Laid Plans Good morning. Welcome to the first Sunday of a new year, 2026. This morning, we are starting a brand new sermon series called Philippians: The Pursuit of Joy . We are going to spend the next several weeks walking through the Book of Philippians, a letter the Apostle…

Welcome Tonight, y’all are invited to rest your weary hearts and rejoice. The waiting is over. The promise is fulfilled. Christ the Lord is born! Let’s pray that the light of His coming fills every dark and tired place in us tonight. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping…

Introduction: The Love That Found Us There’s a reason the last candle we light before Christmas is the candle of Love . Because love is the center of it all — it is the heartbeat of Christmas and the foundation of our salvation. In a weary, wounded world, love often feels conditional. We love those who…