LET THERE BE LIGHT

THIS ONE SHALL BRING US RELIEF

As I write this, we’re a day or so into the thick, orange-tinted, smoky clouds shrouding our city. Wildfires have made doing anything outdoors hazardous. What we need is relief. That same theme hits in Genesis 5 [https://biblia.com/bible/esv/genesis/5/1-32], our passage for this coming Sunday. This comes in the wake of the murder of Abel by Cain and his exile from Eden. It is a tragic moment that flowed out of the decision Adam and Eve had made in the garden. The section we looked at last week gave us only the faintest hope that anything would change. “At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26b). And God heard their cry. In the chapter that follows, God documents the birth and death of the next ten generations: Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, and his three sons. And it was Lamech who was told concerning Noah, “This one shall bring us relief.” Not so much Noah, but the descendant of Noah, who would provide a way of escape, a rescue from sin. Not an ark to survive a flood, but a cross and an empty tomb to give eternal life. An answer for those who began to call out to the LORD. It will be a great time together as we look at this passage and stir up that hope once again in our own hearts. Series: Genesis – The Things That Are Revealed Message: 9 – This One Shall Bring Us Relief Text: Genesis 5:1-32 Todd Dugard Harvest Bible Chapel July 19, 2026 Despite my disobedience, God never abandons the plan… …concerning creation (v. 1-2) …and establishment of a godly line (v. 3-20) Romans 5:12 Genealogy from Adam to Noah Adam > Seth > Enosh > Kenan > Mahalalel > Jared > Enoch > Methuselah > Lamech > Noah > Shem, Ham, Japheth The greatest mission field today is not in some far-off country, but in the pews of our churches. - attributed to Billy Graham …of those who walk with him (v. 21-27) Hebrews 11:5 Hebrews 11:6 Micah 6:8 1 Corinthians 15:26 …pointing to the offer of rest in Christ (v. 28-32) Matthew 11:28-30 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Resources How Did Noah Point to Christ? https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/how-did-noah-point-to-christ For resources relating to the Genesis series, go to https://www.harvestbible.ca/resources/ and scroll down to "Genesis".

SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD

Well, High Five 2026 is now in the rearview mirror. It was another incredible week! God has once again blessed us with his evident presence and work in the lives of so many. We’re grateful to him. As we gather, I’m going to set aside our series in Genesis and celebrate with you what God has done through our day camp. Things will look a little more like they did during High Five, and I’m going to preach a message on Hebrews 4:11-13 [https://biblia.com/bible/esv/hebrews/4/11-13], with the focus being on verse 12, “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” Maybe I’ll actually have a sword with me. So whether you’re exhausted from serving all week or curious to hear how everything went, we hope you’ll join us to discover the reasons for the joy experienced by campers and leaders this week. We’ll give God our hallelujah with worship songs from camp and a video with highlights from the best week of the summer. Message: Sharper Than Any Two-edged Sword Text: Hebrews 4:11-13 Todd Dugard Harvest Bible Chapel July 12, 2026 If I’m to rest in Christ… (v. 11) …the Bible must be (v. 12) …like nothing else to me Psalm 19:10 John 1:1 John 5:39-40 …cutting through the nonsense If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it. — Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head by believing the Word of God when all about you are losing theirs and buying into the nonsense…yours is the earth and everything that’s in it. — Todd Dugard Matthew 5:5 Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth and you will get neither. ― C.S. Lewis, The Joyful Christian …and speaking into all aspects of my life Spiritual growth depends on two things: first a willingness to live according to the Word of God; second, a willingness to take whatever consequences emerge as a result. — Sinclair B. Ferguson …because nothing escapes his notice (v. 13) Psalm 139:1

SIN IS CROUCHING AT THE DOOR

There’s a reason that the story of Cain and Abel is one of the most well-known, well-read, and often replicated in all of human history. It’s not because it’s ancient, but because it’s familiar. The jealousy that burns quietly before it acts. The anger that looks for somewhere to go. The moment we know we’ve gone too far and look for someone else to blame. We’ve all been closer to Cain than we’d like to admit. What’s sobering about this account is that sin didn’t ambush him out of nowhere; God warned him directly. He had every opportunity to turn back, but he didn’t. What follows is Moses tracing that trajectory outward—from one man’s heart to an entire civilization that denied the God who made them. It’s an uncomfortable chapter, but Genesis 4 [https://biblia.com/bible/esv/genesis/4/1-26] has something to say to all of us, about ourselves, about our world, and about the mercy of God that has a longer reach than sin’s destruction. Series: The Things That Are Revealed Message 8 - Sin Is Crouching At The Door Text: Genesis 4:1-26 Jordan Coros Harvest Bible Chapel July 5, 2026 Because sin runs deep in my heart… …crouching at my door (v. 1-7) Hebrews 11:4 1 Peter 5:8 …driving me from God (v. 8-16) The way God’s judgement works in our lives is very often to leave us to the judgement we have made of ourselves. If you live without God, you will live without God. — David Atkinson, The Message of Genesis 1-11, The Bible Speaks Today …consuming everything it touches (v. 17-24) Matthew 5:45 Cain’s family is a microcosm: its pattern of technical prowess and moral failure is that of humanity. — Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Genesis I must… …rule over it (v. 7) Romans 6:14 Romans 7:19 …own what I’ve done (v. 9) 1 John 1:9 Hebrews 12:24 …call upon the name of the LORD (v. 25-26) Romans 10:13 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For resources relating to the Genesis series, go to harvestbible.ca/resources [https://www.harvestbible.ca/resources/#finances] and scroll down to "Genesis".

BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS

As Christians living in this fallen world, you and I already know about the effects of sin in the world around us, the people we know, and of course, in ourselves. With the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we have an acute sense of what’s evil. We have built-in enmity with the Evil One. That said, we also have this eternal hope in Jesus Christ and are seeking to live our lives as God has ordained. Not always an easy task! As we look at Genesis 3:14-24 [https://biblia.com/bible/esv/genesis/3/14-24] this Sunday, we’ll see that play out for Adam and Eve as God pronounces the consequences of their decision to sin against him. You and I experience these consequences to this day, though with the great hope of the gospel having been revealed to us in much greater detail than it was for them. Join us Sunday to look at this together. We’ll be observing the Lord’s Table as well. If you’ll be watching the livestream, be prepared with bread or a cracker and juice or wine. Series: Genesis – The Things That Are Revealed Message: 7 – Because You Have Done This Text: Genesis 3:14-24 Todd Dugard Harvest Bible Chapel June 28, 2026 As a Christian living in this fallen world… …I know the effects of sin (v. 14, 16-19) …I hate what’s evil (v. 15a) Enmity — a deep-rooted hatred; irreconcilable hostility; animosity; antagonism; being an enemy of Simul justus et peccator; both saint and sinner – Martin Luther Romans 7:15 Romans 7:18-19 Romans 7:24 What sort of freak, then, is man! How novel, how monstrous, how chaotic, how paradoxical, how prodigious! Judge of all things, feeble earthworm, repository of truth, sink of doubt and error, glory and refuse of the universe! – Blaise Pascal, Pensées V Ephesians 2:13-14 James 4:1-2 James 4:4a Romans 8:31-32, 37 …I have hope in Jesus Christ alone (v. 15b) Protevangelium — the first form in which the gospel appears …I live my life as God ordained it (v. 20-24) The first act of redemption was God’s stooping to cover the shame of His creatures. – R.C. Sproul John 1:29 Hebrews 10:10 ————— For resources relating to the Genesis series, go to harvestbible.ca/resources and scroll down to "Genesis."

DID GOD ACTUALLY SAY?

There’s no way around it. This Sunday is going to be rough. Adam and Eve set in motion an event that altered the trajectory that God had offered to humanity. Perfection. Forever. Face-to-face fellowship with God in an indescribably beautiful and lush garden that provided everything anyone would ever need. But it wasn’t to be. Eve caved first. Then Adam. They believed the lie, succumbed to pride, and crossed the one boundary God had set. Sin entered. Death too. And that was that. You and I are suffering the consequences to this day. Every day. Now, the reason it will be rough is because there’s no way to avoid the hard message for us. We can’t blame Eve because we would have done the same had it been us. And we gladly give ourselves up to temptation and sin on a regular basis. Even those of us who have confessed our sin and found forgiveness in Christ. That’s the rough. We’re going to take a hard look at ourselves and see what still needs to be done to not abuse the grace of God. That is, to deal with the remaining sin in our lives. Best not listen if you’re not up for this. But I’d counsel you to listen anyway and let the Holy Spirit do his work in you. Series: Genesis – The Things that are Revealed Message: 6 – Did God actually say? Text: Genesis 3:1-13 Todd Dugard Harvest Bible Chapel June 21, 2026 Sin against God happens when I… …underestimate the power of temptation (v. 1a) John 8:44 Matthew 16:23 Romans 16:20a Revelation 12:9 …fail to grasp his Word (v. 1b-5) Ephesians 6:11 Ephesians 6:17b Psalm 119:11 …succumb to my own unbridled passions (v. 6) …the desire for pleasure …the desire for possessions …the pride in having power The way of rebellion puts immediate pleasure in front of possible consequences and sets our own perceptions of what is good for us against what God has told us about ourselves and his world. - David J. Atkinson …forfeit his goodness, choosing instead …shame (v. 7) …fear (v. 8-10) …guilt (v. 11-13) To gloss over the losses sustained in the fall of man and its reverberations would be to deny the cost of the rescue, the worth of our ransom, and the surpassing joy Christ saw that made him scorn the shame of the cross. And it would cause us to miss entirely what’s coming. - Amy Baik Lee, This Homeward Ache And God asks, “Where are you?” (v. 9) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For resources relating to the Genesis series, go to harvestbible.ca/resources and scroll down to "Genesis".