In today's passage, God commands Jacob to go to Bethel and Jacob obeys. There's only one problem...Jacob was already supposed to be in Bethel per God's previous command. This reminds me of a saying I once heard, "Slow obedience is no obedience." Jacob had to learn to be completely and totally obedient to God. The question for us is, "Have we learned that lesson?"

Genesis 34 contains one of the most disturbing passages in the entire book. This account includes rape, murder, deceit, and kidnapping. However, it also demonstrates the grace and mercy of God and points us to the necessity of the Gospel. Furthermore, this passage offers some important lessons for dealing with anger.

Genesis 33 demonstrates an encouraging truth...reconciliation is possible! Jacob and Esau had been estranged for decades, yet with the Lord by His side, Jacob was able to reconcile with his brother. The same is true for us today. Reconciliation is possible. It may not always be easy, but the Lord all things are possible. Let's look at the lessons we can learn from Genesis 33 as we discover what reconciliation requires.

Genesis 32 records the most interesting wrestling match of all time...God vs. Jacob. After this contest, Jacob will never be the same. He will limp away with a new name and a new walk. This passage serves as an excellent reminder of our ultimate authority and identity. Join us as we look at Jacob's divine encounter and ask ourselves, "Does my walk set me apart as a child of God?"

As Jacob prepares to meet his brother for the first time in over 20 years...he is afraid. And rightly so. The last time they saw each other Esau vowed to kill Jacob. The question is, how does Jacob respond when he is afraid? The answer is, he prays. Jacob's prayer is very informative and has a great deal to teach us about how we should pray when we're afraid.

Maybe you've heard the saying, "Where God guides, He provides." I don't know if that saying was popular when Jacob was living back in Genesis 31...but he definitely experienced the truth of that saying. As Jacob obeyed the Lord, the Lord protected and provided for him. Let's look at this passage together and see how it applies to us today.

We all love receiving presents. However, while gifts are nice, there is something much more important. The presence of God in our life is of significantly greater value than any present or gift we may receive. And while God often blesses us with presents, we must never value the gift more than the giver. Today we ask the question, what do you value more, the presence of God or presents from God?

Worship with us as we celebrate the return of our Mexico Missions Team as well as the return of Ty Grant who has been serving in Colombia with the IMB. Will will have pictures, videos, testimonies...and lunch!