"Faith in God's Will" (Genesis 48:1-22)

Have you ever considered what you might say on your deathbed? What would be your last words? In all of the Jacob’s long life it is what happens on his deathbed that the New Testament book of Hebrews records as his greatest act of faith. We’ll see how Jacob trusted in God’s will, God’s plan, and God’s choice even more than his eyes could see.

"Comfort for the Crossroads" (Genesis 46:1-34)

What do you do when you come to a crossroads in your life? A crucial decision that must be made that will have far-reaching consequences. How do you discern God's will in it? In Sunday's passage, Jacob comes to his own crossroads--the edge of the Promised Land--and he is afraid. What comfort does the Lord offer him? What does He offer us? We'll consider this as we continue the story of Joseph: the favorite son, rejected by his brothers, thought to be dead, but is alive to bring salvation to his family.

Deception and Discipline (Genesis 29:1-30)

Scripture is clear that the Lord leads his people into difficult circumstances to grow our faith in him. Do you remember a past faith-refining season in your own life? This Sunday's passage is a particularly bizarre and painful expression of that. We'll observe both the Lord's kind providence and his refining discipline in Jacob's life and apply it to our own lives.

Where God Meets Us (Genesis 27:41-28:22)

Our passage this week finds Jacob in the consequences of his sin: alone, running for his life, and with an uncertain future. Perhaps you can relate to some or all these feelings in your own life. Yet it is in this dark, lonely place where God graciously meets Jacob--and delights to meet us--with his amazing grace.

Blessing Undeserved, Undeterred (Genesis 26:34-27:40)

Favoritism. Greed. Deception. Despair. Our passage is full of ugliness—all within one family, and the family of promise no less! God's blessing perseveres even in the midst of this mess, and our messes, too. This Sunday, Genesis 27 offers us a strong warning against sin and a consolation of God's undeterred plan of blessing for his people.