Sermon for September 26th, 2026

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 (NT p.175)

8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Hebrews 11:8-16 (NT p.225)

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’ 13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

Journey to a New Home: Stories of Migration. Part II - Ricardo and Sandra's Story

1. Many people imagine migration between the United States and Mexico as a one-way journey North. But Ricardo, your father moved from the US to Juarez, and Sandra, your grandparents were also born in the US but found their way to Juarez. How did your families come to call Mexico home?
2. What are some of your favorite memories of growing up in Juarez, and what was it like crossing over into El Paso in the 1980s?
3. As a family, you have made your home in El Paso, but Juarez is still very much part of your everyday lives. When someone asks you where home is... how do you answer?
4. Tell us about your charitable work with Fundacion Axcel and Ciudad del Niño? How can people in our community support that work?
5. Sandra, the verse from 1 Corinthians 13 is one of your favorites. Would either of you like to say more about how faith, hope, or love have been part of your journey?