Washington Avenue Christian Church

In today’s journey with Joseph, we come to a suspenseful climax. The brothers can no longer hide or run from the truth, and Joseph can no longer bear to forestall his reunion with them. They get a sweet taste of grace, a lesson in sovereignty. Joseph gets to hug his brothers 20 years after their crimes against him. And we get to catch a glimpse of the greater story God is writing all around us. Al...

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me… You probably know the song, and you may well know the beauty of grace if you have been its beneficiary. In our story today from Genesis 34, the eleven sheepish brothers of Joseph return to Egypt, expecting to be in deep trouble because it appears they didn’t pay for their grain on the last trip. But what they get is love, acceptance,...

As a parent, letting your children go can be unbearable. In the story of Joseph, Jacob is faced with a choice to keep his children under his control, or to release them to God. Decisions like these can make us "sad to be a dad," and make us question why certain things happen to us. We can rest in the fact that God has everything under His control, and He will use those experiences for our good.

There are many ways to react when a dark part of your past shows up in your life. Lennie walks us through the Recognition, Remembrance, Reprimand, Reckoning, and Restoration of Joseph and his brothers. We continue to see God working through Joseph, this time in showing grace to his brothers.

Today we look at Genesis 41:41-57 and Joseph’s promotion from prison to second in command only to Pharaoh. His example encourages and challenges us in our jobs, roles, and positions to honor God and serve others.

During a season of life on the sideline, it is easy to feel forgotten and insignificant and unloved, but God promises in scripture that he will "confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10) This week, Joseph's prayers are answered (after 2 years!) in a way he could never have imagined.

Joseph's ever-changing circumstances find him in prison, now seemingly forgotten and forsaken. All of us will do time there, wondering if God knows, sees, cares where we are. So what do you do in the pause between the prayer and the answer?

Temptation comes in many different forms, and as humans, every single one of us are subject to temptation. Today we will learn from Joseph how to remain strong in the face of great temptation; we will also learn that sometimes the price of integrity is quite high!

Today we begin our journey into the story of Joseph, one of the most dynamic characters in the early Old Testament. As we consider his family of origins-namely his father Jacob, and the extreme dysfunction of his family unit-perhaps it reminds us that all families are broken; Their story could make your family seem down right normal! The thing to remember is that even in the midst of the chaos, Go...

There are a lot of high-stress, high-stakes times in life; in many of them, we will have to choose whether we are going to trust in ourselves to solve the problems and meet the needs--or trust in God. King Asa of the Old Testament knew about this kind of decision. Early in his reign he trusted God and God showed up. Every time! But late in his reign an enemy king began to threaten the people of Ju...

Have we forgotten who we are? We attend church on Sunday mornings to worship and listen to a sermon, but is that all it takes to be a Christian? What would life look like if church wasn't something we do, but something we are? Day by day, continuing the work Jesus began to do, you are the body of Christ!

Everybody has a story, and most of us think we know or can control the ending, or at least have very definite ideas about “how things are supposed to turn out.” In our Easter Sunday message, we meet two Christ-followers who are traveling the road to Emmaus that first Easter Sunday evening. They are bewildered and dejected by the intense plot twist that has taken their hopeful Messiah and had him n...

Much has been made of the seven last “words” or sayings of Jesus Christ from the cross, both in music, art and literature. Last words are important, and they capture our imagination and attention with their weight. In this message Jim will be travelling to all four gospels and their resurrection accounts, trying to hear and see the meaning behind our Savior’s last words on the cross. They are word...

God is always at work in the lives of those who have submitted to His rule and reign. In this conclusion to our “New YOU Revolution” series, instead of looking at other people changed by the power of God, we will spend our time looking deeply inside our own hearts. The work God wants to do in us is far more important than anything we might ever do for Him! But we stand in the way. Sometimes there...

There are many interesting characters in the Bible from whom readers can learn a great deal. In this study we look at the well known tax collector named Zacchaeus and how his encounter with Jesus transformed his life. How revolutionary was this encounter? How did Zacchaeus' view of Jesus change after the encounter?

God wants to change us for the better. He wants to heal us spiritually, so we can live the abundant lives Jesus promised. Too often, we resist healing and remain unchanged, untouched, untold as what could have been be a story of God’s work. Naaman of the Old Testament (2 Kings 5) was faced with a choice between being healed God’s way or staying sick like he was. He chose wisely. How about you? Wha...

Do you ever wonder if it is too late for you to change? Or someone very close to you? A Tale of Two Kings reminds us that with God nothing is impossible, it is never hopeless nor is it too late. God‘s grace is greater than our sin and is found in our repentance. The only time it’s too late is when we continually refuse what God offers.

Isaiah was minding his own business, enjoying life and security and abundance, probably an externally devout man who would have scored high in “religiosity.”  Then one day something happens that is amazing… he goes to church and SEES GOD!  And his life is never the same; a revolutionary calling changes everything!   God works when he changes ANY life. The response required from us for any signific...

Jesus Meets a woman at a well who is a deep well of needs. But we all are – our cravings tend to drive us and if we're not careful, destroy us. The revolution of a better way starts with knowing our thirsts and drinking from the only well with living water – Jesus Christ

Almost every human knows the feeling of wanting more. Satan takes advantage of our hungers and thirsts by offering counterfeits (which we often settle for). Jesus' revolutionary offer is the only way to find REAL life.

The Washington Street Family Service Center gives hand ups, not hand outs. Darnel shares the fruit of this ministry and Jim reminds us that it is not about the provision from these stories, but it is about the Name and the power of Jesus Christ.