Jacob is a master deceiver, but what happens when he becomes the victim.  We are often blinded by the effects our sins have on others, and we are often unable to see that irritating sins of others that are present in our own lives.  

Jacob was the last person a reader of Genesis expects to meet God.  In the wilderness with his head on a stone is the last place a person might expect for God to reveal himself.  This section in Genesis reminds us that God's faithfulness to his promise is not dependent upon our goodness.

Our attempt to find heroes in the Old Testament often clouds our understanding of what took place.  Sin leads to brokenness and we cannot expect our situation to get better by taking things into our sinful hands.  We must submit to God if we expect healing and restoration.  

Though man is created in the Image of God, we cannot escape the image of Adam.  The guilt of sin plagues our minds and hearts, but God's promise is the only means of freedom.  The account of Isaac in Genesis 26 reminds us of this reality.

How do we measure the blessings of God.  Last week we determined that blessings were not determined by human criteria.  This week, we learn that blessings are not achieved by human methods or means.

Believers are often lured into the trap of determining blessing by circumstance.  This week we begin again in our series from Genesis.  As we review, we learn that blessings are determined by God's Word and nothing else.

The aspects of Abraham's failure are recorded in Genesis, but righteousness was still counted to him through faith.  In Chapter 21, Abraham's obedience and disobedience collide.  As he faces this great distress, God speaks to him and asks for Abraham's trust.  The God that was faithful to fulfill a 25-year-old promise was going to take care of Ishmael.

The downward spiral of sin in Lot's life did not occur overnight.  As he left with Abram on an 800-mile trek to the land of Caanan, the depravity in which he found himself at the end of chapter 19 was unthinkable.  What happened?  In this episode, we look at what the Genesis account teaches us about sin.

In chapter 16, Hagar learned that God saw her - her needs, her struggles, and her desires.  There is nothing that escapes God's vision and nothing that is beyond his knowledge.  In this episode, we learn that God also sees our sin; He knows our hearts.

Genesis 17 was more than a physical requirement.  There was a spiritual aspect of circumcision that validated it only by means of faith.  One could be circumcised physically, and still, be uncircumcised in heart.  Only through Christ, can our hearts truly be circumcised.