Sermons on Genesis
From Concept to Communion
Jacob’s wrestling with God in Genesis 32 is a picture of the spiritual journey from merely having a concept of God to experiencing a real relationship with God. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 2 AUG 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Longing Leads to Grace
The story of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob reveals how human longings, even for good things such as love, family, and acceptance, can never fully satisfy when they take the place of God. Both Jacob and Leah learn through disappointment that misplaced hopes lead to heartache, while God uses their struggles to shape their character and draw them closer to Himself. Leah’s journey culminates when she shifts her focus from seeking Jacob’s love to praising God, naming her son Judah, meaning…
A Dream of Heaven
This sermon uses the story of Jacob’s dream at Bethel (Genesis 28) to explore three themes: the hiddenness, openness, and givenness of heaven. Jacob, a lifelong trickster who tried to secure blessing and status through his own efforts, discovers that heaven is not earned through achievement but opened by God’s grace. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 19 July 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Will You Go With This Man?
The story of Isaac and Rebekah is a story of covenantal love. It is picture of God’s love for his bride, the Church. God guides, we respond in faith and the Spirit bring us home to our beloved. Text: Genesis 24 Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 5 JUL 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
God Will See to It
Abraham faces God’s agonizing command to offer Isaac, “your son, your only son, whom you love,” revealing a test of whether Abraham will trust God above even his deepest affections. The narrative heightens its emotional tension as Isaac carries the wood, asks about the missing lamb, and Abraham responds in faith that “God will provide for himself the lamb.” At the last moment God intervenes, sparing Isaac and providing a ram—showing that God both sees and “will see to it,”…
God, Our Father
Though earthly father’s are pale copies of our Father in heaven, in the story of Hagar in Genesis 21 we see a Father who sees us, a Father who hears us, and a Father whom we can trust.
Welcome God, Trust the Promise
The story of Abraham in Genesis 18 speaks to us of God’s radical hospitality toward us, our call to trust His seemingly impossible promises, and the joy that follows when we do.
Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 14 June 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Called, Blessed, Sent
God calls, blesses, and sends His people, using Abraham’s story in Genesis 12 as the foundational pattern. God’s blessing is never meant to be hoarded but shared—believers are blessed in order to become a blessing to others
The Trinity: Overflowing Love
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit eternally coexist in a perfect communion of love. Creation is not the result of divine need but the overflow of that love. Because love—not success—is at the heartbeat of the universe, believers are called to prioritize relationships, communion, and self‑giving love. Through Christ and the Spirit, we are invited into the very life of the Trinity, to experience God’s delight and unconditional love. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on Trinity Sunday 31 May 2026…
The Way Back to the Garden
The Way Back to the Garden The sermon traces the biblical story arc from the Garden of Eden, through the wilderness of sin, to our return to the garden made possible through Christ. It highlights that Scripture both begins and ends in a garden—Paradise lost and Paradise restored. Humanity’s fall introduces four forms of death/alienation: After Adam and Eve are sent into the wilderness, humanity continues to wander there. Yet God does not abandon us—Christ enters the wilderness to find…