Every great story needs a great villain. Imagine Star Wars without Darth Vader, The Lion King without Scar, or Batman without the Joker. The Bible is no exception.

When we explore the villain, an uncomfortable truth arises. They become a mirror held up to us that exposes where we've missed the mark. These villains reveal the familiar shapes and patterns of sin and brokenness. They confirm the deep tragedy of the human condition. And once we learn to recognize those shapes and patterns in Scripture, we begin to recognize them in the world around us - and in ourselves.

And while this all sounds really heavy, this is also where the good news of the Gospel comes in. Whenever that uncomfortable mirror is held up, God's grace surely follows. Like the prophet Nathan did for King David - calling sin a sin allows it to be forgiven. Brokenness called brokenness can be restored. Evil called evil can be redeemed.

This sermon series invites us into the stories of the villain. It holds up that mirror. And it reminds us that more often than not, we have more in common with the villain of the story than we'd care to admit.

But, ultimately, the God who sees all of this clearly is the same God who runs

toward us, anyway.