The roller-coaster of life has it's share of ups and downs, and the ride is not always so thrilling. The danger in life is that when circumstances are good we become self-sufficient and forget God, and when things are going poorly we can easily become discouraged and blame God. But when we remember that God is not only with us on the ride, he's directing the journey, we are able to handle the peaks and valleys with a steady confidence and trust in God's sovereign grace. Listen as see how Joseph handles the journey from prisoner to prime-minister of Egypt.

Success and prosperity are often accompanied by the increased temptations of power and pleasure. Joseph quickly found that to be true when the Lord blessed him and his work in Potiphar's house. Resisting temptation is not just a matter of the will, but a matter of heart, and Joseph helps us to see what is necessary in resisting temptation of the strongest kind.

Sometimes circumstances in our lives or in the world can seem so entrenched in sin and evil that we cannot possibly see how God can be at work or even be in the picture at all. Such seems to be the case when Joseph is sold by his brothers into slavery. Indeed, God is not even mentioned in the whole chapter of Genesis 37. And yet, he is not only there, but at work in all the sinful, sordid details, bringing about his purposes of redemption not only for Jacob and his family, but for all of Israel and ultimately you and me. Listen as we consider sin, sovereignty, and salvation as it is seen in the early life of Joseph.

When we think of grace, we tend to think of it in the context of God's soft, sweet, gentle work in our lives. But more often, God's transforming grace comes as he contends with our sinful heart and breaks us of our self-serving motives. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than when Jacob find himself in a literal wrestling with God. Listen as we look at the necessity of God's contending grace in our lives in order that we might truly know his blessing.

Have you ever wanted something so bad, so desperately, that you'd do anything to have it? Maybe you've found yourself saying things like, "I'd give my right arm for that" or "If I only had that, my life would be complete". In this week's study of Genesis 29 and 30, we encounter two women who know this type of desperation. Listen as we see how God meets all of us in our most needy moments, teaches us contentment in them, and redeems them for the sake of His glory.

When life seems to come crashing down around us, God may seem remote and distant and we may think that he's abandoned us. Jacob found himself in the wilderness, wondering if God had cut him off, but God graciously gives him a vision of the gate of heaven, and reminds him of his covenant faithfulness. Listen as we look at the openness of heaven and the gateway to God.

One of the most encouraging truths about God is that when we are faithless and fail to trust his word, he remains faithful to fulfill his promises and carry out his purposes in our lives. Perhaps no where is this seen more clearly than in the manner in which God's promised blessings upon Abraham's descendants is passed on from Isaac to Jacob. Listen as we see how God marks out a people for his blessing in the midst of their own sinful battles.

When someone promises to do something, it helps to have some guarantee that they will follow through on that promise. Despite God's promises to Abraham, he still needed reassurance. Listen as we look at God's covenant with Abraham and God's faithful commitment to fulfill his promise.

Often times we face big choices or decisions in life that will have a profound impact on the future. In weighing factors in such decisions, it's tempting to forget the promises of God and look only to the circumstances as we see them from an earthly perspective. The story of Abraham and Lot gives us a glimpse into the danger of trusting only what we see versus the blessing of trusting what God says. Listen as we look at the importance of walking by faith and not by sight.