“The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.” – Genesis 9:18–19

How large is your family tree?

Some years ago, I began to dabble on the website Ancestory.com. I found it to be a remarkable resource that enabled me to research and build out my family tree. I was surprisingly captivated. Obviously, I began building my tree with my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents but soon the information at my fingertips had me journeying into the lives of people I had never met yet whose name I bore. I learned how my name is topographical, meaning my forefathers came from the town of Lingenfeld in Germany. And from there, I worked backwards following my line’s migration. It turns out that my ancestors arrived in the United States by way of the Chesapeake Bay, came through Maryland and into Bedford County before settling in Altoona.

How about you? How large is your family tree? I guess the real question is how much of your family tree are you aware of?  Because the the reality is that all of our trees are just as large in that they all lead back to the same place. You know, at the top of my tree I wrote my name, Lingenfelter, just as you would write your name over yours.  However, if we were able to truly complete both of our trees, we’d all have the same name at the top, right?  According to the verse above, all of our family trees lead back to Noah. What an incredible thought. This week, our sermon is entitled Echoes of Names and Nations. We will learn that from the name of Noah came all the nations of the world. If there is one thing a good ancestry research project contains, it’s drama. And this study is no exception. The passage is absolutely mind-blowing. Take a look at Genesis 9:18-10:31, and you will see what I mean. Just as God used the name of Noah, He has a challenge for us in regards to the power of our names as well.

Be sure to listen to the worship set as you prepare to worship.

Love you, Church!

Pastor Jerry

Senior Pastor

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9:00 AM  – Worship Service On Campus & Online (Lancaster Campus)
9:15 AM  – Worship Service On Campus & Online (Myerstown Campus)
11:00 AM – Worship Service on Campus & Online (Lancaster Campus)

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