Crossing Community Church

Chapter 34 is a transitional chapter in Genesis, moving from the story of Jacob to the story of his children, in particular, the story of the rape of his daughter Dinah. It's in this tragic event that we learn just how much Jacob's flaws have been passed down to his children as Dinah's brothers take revenge on her assailant. In their reaction we have our point of application from this chapter -- exactly what does our circumstances reveal about how much we need to grow in Christ or how much we have grown in Him. 

FYI: At the 30 minute mark there are comments about something the listener can't hear on the podcast as a phone went off in the service and the owner couldn't turn it off. 

Jacob had several memorable life events, but perhaps the most notable of them is the sleepless night he had on his way home just before meeting his brother Esau. God interrupts his sleep and wrestles with him through the night. It's not until Jacob is helpless that God blesses him. This week Pastor Tim challenged us to take our hands off our life circumstances and trust God with them and allow Him to prove Himself faithful. What life circumstance are you wrestling with that you need to let God take care of?

Genesis 31 reveals Jacob's spiritual growth as God calls on him to return home after serving Laban for 20 years. Our text reveals two things about God -- His constant grace and forgiveness as he calls wayward Followers back to Himself and the manner that He does that by using circumstances to awaken our hearts to listen to him through His Holy Spirit and His Word. 

"Ok Lord, I'm yours." With those words Bud Ciotti trusted Christ with his life. But when you listen to Bud's story you can trace God's hand throughout his life. From being an "average everyday punk" through his years in the Navy into beginning a family and suffering the loss of infant twins -- God was instilling a "drumbeat" in his heart that still shapes and influences his life to this day. 

Genesis 30 records the controversy between Jacob's wives as well as the controversy between Jacob and his father-in-law, Laban. While living life for over 14 years far away from home, under the dominance of a deceptive father-in-law and jealous wives, God is at work, changing Jacob and shaping him for the role he will have a father of a new nation. God is at work in your life as well in the mundane days of your life. Take encouragement!

Tim Keller, in his book "Conterfeit Gods", writes that Leah is the 'greatest casualty' in Genesis 29. This week Pastor Tim Shared some of Keller's insights and related them to our everday life -- always wanting Rachel, but waking up with Leah. 

In one of many fascinating stories in Genesis, Jacob is deceived into marrying the wrong woman. He confronts Laban by asking, "Why have you deceived me?" Seven years earlier Jacob had been the deceiver as he stole his father's blessing from Esau. Now Jacob's father-in-law has dealt falsely with him and denied Jacob what he wanted. The seeds of deception Jacob had sown finally produced fruit as Laban deceives him!