Perez: A Testimony of God's Grace

Ever feel weighed down by the family you came from—or by things in your past you wish you could take back?

This week’s Advent message looks at one of the lesser-known names in Jesus’ family tree: Perez. His story includes Judah, Tamar, dysfunction, deception, and deep regret… and yet Perez is intentionally named in the genealogy of Jesus. That’s not an accident; it’s grace.

We’ll talk about:

• Why the circumstances of your birth don’t lock in your eternal future

• How God can bring beauty out of the messes we make

• How Judah’s change of heart points us ahead to Jesus, who steps into the breach for us and says, “Let them go free—take me instead.”

If you come from a broken or dysfunctional family, or if there are things in your past that still make your stomach drop when you remember them, this message is for you. Jesus came from a messy family to save messy people—and he comes to you not as your judge, but as your Savior.