Ovilla Road Baptist Church

This Sunday, we landed in Genesis 39 and looked at Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Even when Joseph's life did not seem to be unfolding positively, he responded to the goodness of the Lord with faith. In the same way, Christ was faithful in both abundance and suffering so that His righteousness might become ours. Joseph reminds us that whatever our lot, Christ has taught us to say, "It is well with my...

Yesterday, we landed in Genesis 37–38, covering the accounts of Joseph being sold into slavery and the story of Tamar and Judah. These texts remind us that even when we cannot see God at work, He is still working. In both the life of the sufferer, Joseph, and the life of the guilty, Judah, we see that the Lord is in control and has already written the final chapter.

This Sunday, we were in Genesis 35, where the text expands on Jacob's name being changed to Israel. In this passage, we see that God calls us to worship Him on His terms, not our own. People often seek peace while refusing repentance, but God calls us to surrender our idols. It is in giving up control and walking in obedience that we experience true freedom in Christ.

Genesis 34 is one of the darker passages in Scripture. In this chapter, Dinah, Jacob's daughter, is defiled by Shechem. When Jacob's sons find out, they respond with deceit and violence, destroying Shechem and his people. So how does a passage like this apply to our lives today? Listen as Pastor Matt teaches how Jesus can redeem our monuments of shame and turn them into monuments of salvation.

Pastor Stephen taught through Genesis 32–33, where Jacob's life reminds us that Christians often move forward with a limp—marked by weakness, yet sustained by God's grace. Even in our struggles, we hold fast to the hope we have in Christ, our sure and steadfast anchor, who faithfully carries us to the end.

Yesterday, we studied Genesis 30:35–31:42 , focusing on the growing conflict between Jacob and Laban as Jacob seeks to leave his father-in-law. In this passage, we see the futility of relying on our own schemes, manipulation, and false sources of security. Listen as we explore how often we try to control outcomes rather than trust the Lord, and how the things we place our hope in apart from God ul...

This week we arrive at the account of Jacob marrying Leah and Rachel. Through Leah's story, we see the contrast between the "City of Man," which values outward beauty and worldly desirability, and the "City of God," which looks upon a heart that loves and trusts the Lord. In this passage, we are also reminded that our God not only loves His people, but He identifies with the despised and rejected.

Today we continued our study through Genesis 28. In this passage, Jacob walks in obedience to Isaac while Esau continues in disobedience. As Jacob journeys on, the Lord meets him in a dream and reaffirms His covenant promises — that Jacob would be blessed, his offspring multiplied, and that God Himself would be with him wherever he went until every promise had been fulfilled. One of the central qu...

In Genesis 27, we walk through one of the most dysfunctional moments in Isaac's family and yet still witness the unstoppable sovereignty of God. From Isaac's spiritual blindness and Esau's cravings, to Rebekah and Jacob's manipulation and deception, every person in the story attempts to seize control rather than trust the Lord. But despite their sin, God's decrees cannot be frustrated. His promise...

In Genesis 26, we see the faithfulness of God on full display — not because of Isaac's perfection, but in spite of it. Just as with Abraham, Isaac stumbles, fears, and falls into familiar patterns. Yet God's promises do not falter. What the Lord has spoken, He will surely bring to pass. This reminds us that the covenant rests not on human strength, but on divine faithfulness. Despite us, God remai...

Sunday morning, we walked through Genesis 25 and saw the depth of God's undeserved grace on display. From the end of Abraham's life, to the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah, to the birth of the twins—Jacob and Esau—and the birthright given to Jacob, we see God's sovereignty and His promises fulfilled throughout. Listen as Pastor Austin, one of ORBC's elders, teaches through the text.

In Genesis 24, Rebekah is set apart as a bride through her encounter at the well. Throughout Scripture, this theme unfolds again and again—Rebekah with Jacob, Moses meeting his wife, and even the Samaritan woman's interaction with Jesus. Each account points us to a greater reality: we, the Church, are an unlikely bride, yet Christ pursues us and offers living water that no one else can give. The c...

Today's sermon from Genesis 23 reminds us that the people of God set their hope on foundations that endure. Even in death, Abraham's actions reveal a deep trust in God's promises. While the world invests only in what is temporary, believers live with eternity in view—making even our earthly decisions in light of the inheritance that awaits us. Confident in the resurrection, we see this life differ...

Happy Resurrection Sunday! Today we rejoiced in our risen Savior as we continued our journey through Genesis. In Genesis 22, we find Abraham and Isaac ascending the mountain of sacrifice—a moment marked by deep trust in the Lord. Though the situation appeared grim, Abraham believed that God would provide, even trusting that He could raise Isaac from the dead. At the crucial moment, God provided a...

Yesterday we considered Genesis 21:22–34, where we see that the presence of God distinguishes His people. As the Lord was with Abraham, even the nations recognized it. The life of faith is never hidden—God's work in His people is made visible. As His promises take root in ordinary life, His steadfast faithfulness draws us to worship.

This Sunday's sermon covered Genesis 21:8–21, where Abraham is called to release Ishmael. The passage reminds us how easy it is to hold on to what is familiar— even when it isn't what God has promised. Until we release what we've built in our own strength, we won't fully walk in what God has promised. Letting go requires trust— trust that even in the releasing, God is still at work. Obedience ofte...

Yesterday we walked through the beginning of Genesis 21, where Sarah gives birth to Isaac and rejoices as the Lord fulfills His long- awaited promise. This passage reminds us that the Lord is always faithful to what He has said, and we can trust Him completely. We invite you to listen to yesterday's sermon.

This Sunday we studied Genesis 20 and were reminded of how easily we can fall back into old patterns instead of living in the sure hope we have in Jesus Christ. Abraham's righteousness was not rooted in his actions, but in God's promise to him. In the same way, our hope rests not in our performance, but in the faithfulness of God. His promises are stronger than our failures. Will you submit yourse...

As we walked through Genesis 18 & 19 this Sunday, we saw that the Lord, in His patience, allows the wicked to remain for a time so that His righteous ones might be saved. Like Lot, our deliverance does not rest in ourselves, but in the intercession of Another. Jesus Christ—born of an impossible birth—is the righteous Judge of all the earth. And in His mercy, He has taken hold of our hand and led u...

Listen as Pastor Matt walks through Genesis 17 and shows how Abraham longed for God to fulfill His promises through Abraham's own past efforts—efforts he had grown to trust and love—but which ultimately fell short of God's greater plan. This passage reminds us that the Christian life is not anchored in our past failures or successes, but in the future hope we have in Christ and the promises He alo...

This week, we were in Genesis 16, walking through the account of Sarai and Hagar. This passage reveals that the more we try to make ourselves righteous—to earn God's love through our own efforts—the more we actually live in slavery. When we believe God's love is based on our performance, our lives become marked by control, fear, and the need to manage our reputation. But the gospel reminds us of a...

This Sunday we landed in Genesis 15 as Pastor Joe Etter walked us through God's covenant with Abram. In the middle of Abram's questions and fears, the Lord met him with a simple promise: "Do not be afraid." God didn't just make a covenant — He guaranteed it Himself. A powerful reminder that our hope isn't in what we can accomplish for God, but in what God faithfully accomplishes for us.

This week we landed in Genesis 13–14 as Abram and Lot return from Egypt and settle in the land. When given the choice, Lot chose what looked best to his eyes—the fertile Jordan Valley—while Abram trusted to go to the place God called him to, depending fully on the Lord to provide. There, Abram lives with deep conviction, confident that God's promises are secure and that his future rests not in hum...

Yesterday, Pastor Matt walked us through Genesis 12 and the promise that all nations would be blessed through Abram's seed . Because God always remembers His promises and fulfills His purposes, we have been brought out of darkness and into His light. So the question for us is this: Are we willing to leave what is seen for what is unseen? Jesus calls us to loosen our grip on this life and anchor ou...

We're back in Genesis! This week we land in Genesis 11 and the story of the Tower of Babel. Follow along as Pastor Matt explains how our attempts to build the perfect life without the Lord always end in confusion and dissatisfaction.