The Internet has given us access to all sorts of things, including unfettered access to evil. Only by finding contentment in Christ will be find the strength to turn away from this easily accessible evil.

The stories of the patriarchs are not always positive. In fact, much of what we find is the complete opposite. In this episode of Jacob's life, we come face to face with people, like us, who don't seek the grace they need, and don't deserve the grace they get.

 We will look at the high priority that Jesus gave to prayer in his ministry to be encouraged in the ongoing provision and practice of prayer in our own life.

Who sets the agenda for our lives and for the church? Personal interaction and ultimately God’s word should set the agenda, not the revenue-driven Internet.

Jacob's wrestling encounter with God sheds light on two realities: first, the path of pastoring; and, second, and more importantly, the path that Jesus walked before us.  

Jesus teaches us how to avoid the pitfalls of hypocrisy by giving us the heart of an authentic life of prayer. 

Amid the dysfunctionality of the covenant family, the Lord preserves a seed of faith within Jacob’s art of deception to make him the an heir of the promise.  

The Lord revealed to Joseph that the Lord was going to use him in a marvelous way, that he would be a savior of sorts, but between the time he innocently went looking for his brothers in Dothan and the fulfillment of the dream there was much humiliation and danger to be endured as the Lord prepared him for that great act of deliverance.

Who sets the agenda for our lives and for the church? Personal interaction and ultimately God’s word should set the agenda, not the revenue-driven Internet.

In the appeals of Judah, we see a picture of person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls his disciples to be the kind of people who develop an awareness of sin in their own hearts in order to be of greater service to others in the gospel. The practice of self-examination is grounded in gospel freedom and is done for the sake of neighbor love.

Despite God's amazing call to lead one of the greatest rescue missions ever, Moses says “no” to God five times. Like most people in Exodus, Moses wrestles with his own form of spiritual slavery — a fear that is greater than his faith in God.

Who sets the agenda for our lives and for the church? Personal interaction and ultimately God’s word should set the agenda, not the revenue-driven Internet.

Genesis 38 vividly portrays the power of sin among Jacob's descendants as Judah falls deep and deeper into sin. Tamar, by contrast, demonstrates her faith in God's promises to Abraham's seed through desperately clinging to her position as matriarch of Judah's heir, and she sees God's blessing through the unusual birth of her twin sons. 

Sarah displayed persevering faith in the God who made promises to her through her actions.

Rev. Matt Eusey exorts from Rev. 8:1-5

1 Peter 2 proclaims Christians the new people of God, and exhorts them to live accordingly as sojourners and exiles, with exemplary lives before unbelievers. Genesis 20 shows how the original sojourner, Abraham, failed to do this, yet also displays God’s common grace.

Who sets the agenda for our lives and for the church? Personal interaction and ultimately God’s word should set the agenda, not the revenue-driven Internet.

Like his grandfather Abraham, Jacob has nothing in his waking world to guarantee his role as promise-receiver and promise-bearer.  Yet God interrupts his scheming and shame to introduce him to his new world of the gospel.

The special friendship between Jonathan and David is well known.  It's the type of friendship we all long for and will need especially as people entering into pastoral ministry.  

We'll look at 3 specific aspects that made their friendship so special: common passion, vulnerability/transparency, and commitment.