More often than not we don't need more information, but reminders. Jacob is reminded of who's he is in this chapter and also that God is the legacy.

What do we do with the 34's of the Bible? We use it as a warning for our own lives.

WARNING: This sermon deals with sexual abuse and may be triggering for some.

Full obedience and surrender is hard. Especially when life gets in the way. Jacob starts off chapter 33 more like Israel, and by the end looks a lot like Jacob.

Jacob finds himself in a wrestling match with Jesus Himself after a full chapter of fear and planning. He learns victory comes in defeat. A lesson we also need to learn.

Jacob and Laban get into a tiff. But the response is what matters. This chapter gives us a masterclass in putting aside differences for the betterment of those around us. 

It's our one year anniversary of Restoration Church. If you were in person we celebrated with Pulled Pork and a dish to pass and stories from the past year. If you're an online participant, well, you get Brian...sharing what's gone on the last year and the heart for next year. Either way, we take a dive into our mission statement of Transparency, Community, and Change and the vision for Restoration of People Following Jesus. 

Genesis 30 sees an intense competition between sisters and a crooked father in law. Sure, they say they want God to be a part of their lives, but certainly not over their lives. For us, Jesus doesn't want to be a part of our lives, he wants to BE our life.

Have you ever asked yourself, "how did I get here?" You're not alone. Jacob by the end of Genesis 29 must be asking himself the same question. Thankfully, God's not done with you yet. If we can see the issue we can fix the issue. And we can be better when we know better through the power of the Cross. 

In Genesis 28, Jacob goes on a journey and has a dream that God shows up in coming down a ladder. Jacob wakes up and builds a shrine to God and is sure that this is where God is. We often do the same things with our responses to spiritual awakenings. We begin worshipping the place more than the Person of Christ.

Trusting someone can be the most difficult thing as humans. It doesn't matter if it's a close friend, family member, or even a spouse. If trust has been broken once, it can be very hard to regain. Trust is a foundation of faith, and Genesis 27 is a prime example of what happens when we don't trust God with the outcome.