Jacob: Wrestling with God
Week 1: Jacob: A Man Named "Struggle". Genesis 25
Jacob's story doesn’t comfortably fit into a modern American sermon or a modern American life. And maybe that’s the point. In this passage, we meet Jacob, the man named "Struggle," who invites us to struggle with him and with his God. Genesis 25:19-34
Week 2: Nobody Wants to Live an Unblessed Life. Genesis 27
At first, it reads like a comedy. Jacob pretends to be someone he is not in order to receive a blessing he doesn't deserve. Then, it turns into a tragedy when we realize that this isn't just a story about Jacob. It's about us too. This text forces us to wrestle with the ways we seek to be blessed, the ways we have (or have not) experienced God’s blessing, and the ways we do (or do not) bless others. It speaks to that deep human longing to be blessed and the deeply flawed ways we seek this blessing.
Week 3: Jacob's Ladder & the God Who Interrupts Our Lives. Genesis 28
Your life has just come crashing down. You're completely alone in the world. Your relationships are all ruined. You're running from your past. You're not quite sure who you are any more. But, what happens next is about to change everything. This is Jacob's story, but maybe this is your story too. Or, maybe it will be. Either way, Jacob's ladder is a story worth hearing.
Week 4: The Things We Do When We Feel Unloved. Genesis 29-31
This week we come to a love story. In fact, this one might just qualify as the world's first rom-com. It's a crassly humorous story about all the hurtful, messed up, stupid, and ridiculous things people do when they feel unloved. It's the story of how God will form these unloved people into His Beloved People. It's our story.
Week 5: The Blessing on the Other Side of Brokenness. Genesis 32
This is one of the great stories about how people are transformed by a personal encounter with God. It's night. Jacob is all alone. He has come to a crossroads. God wrestles with him all night, but Jacob refuses to surrender. So, in order to bless Jacob, God breaks Jacob. He walks away limping... and blessed. If you listen carefully, perhaps you will find yourself in this story.