Jesus never leaves us unexpectedly. We know He came to save us. We know He had to leave for the Holy Spirit to come. We know He will return, and, in the meantime, we should be working, watching, and waiting. And we know that in the end, He will be victorious. In today’s message, Pastor Bill encourages us to be this courteous to those around us. Be Jesus to them. Don’t just leave or walk away from someone forever, like Jacob tried to do with his Uncle Laban. Forgive and reconcile. Love them and be kind.

God’s Will for your life is not a secret. He wants you in on it. In today’s message, Pastor Bill mentions three important pieces in determining God’s Will. First, what is the desire in your heart? Second, your current circumstances are no longer right. Maybe they served you well for a time, but now God wants you to move on. Most importantly, you need to hear from God. Seek the Lord in prayer and wait for Him to answer. His leading feels different for everyone, but you can tell it’s Him when you’re expecting Him to answer.

Today, Pastor Bill reiterates over and over to trust God and work hard. This is the recipe for a fulfilling life in Christ. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are blessed. But God also has a calling on your life. Fulfill that calling, listen to the Lord’s leading, trust him, and work hard because you love Him. No matter what this life brings, God has a plan for you and heaven awaits. In the meantime, be a light shining for Jesus. Do what He calls you to do and live a life pleasing to Him.

When you trust God and work hard, it is impossible for you to get ripped off. In the light of eternity, no matter what happens in this life, you are blessed. People and circumstances won’t always be ideal, but with God, your eternity is secure. In today’s message, Pastor Bill reminds you to keep your focus on the future that awaits you. If your focus is on earthly matters and your hope is in this life, you will be disappointed and feel ripped off. But God is your gauge for success and will never rip you off.

You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and adopted into God’s kingdom for all eternity. Today, Pastor Bill reminds you that additionally, God has a calling on your life. There are good works that He has planned for you. You will be blessed and go to heaven whether you fulfill your calling or not, but your faith should be shown through your works. Be what you’re supposed to be in Christ!

To God, you are beautiful! He desires the best for you and can use you in mighty ways. Take Leah, for example in Pastor Bill’s message today. By the world’s standards and even to her own husband, she was nothing special. She was not beautiful, her father tricked Jacob into marrying her, and she lived in the shadow of her sister, Rachel. But Leah is the woman God created to be included in the bloodline of Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven! God loved Leah and he loves you more than you know!

God doesn’t always do things the way we think He will or should. When things in this world appear to be derailing, it might actually be true that we are in the exact right spot where God wants us. As illustrated today in Pastor Bill’s message, Jacob and his family often tried to take matters into their own hands. Through deception, greed, and selfishness, Jacob’s family was in shambles. However, even when we try to screw up God’s plan, He can use what we have created. Turn to God and allow Him to bless your mess!

God can make beautiful people out of anyone! Do you feel unworthy or unloved? Today, Pastor Bill discusses the mess that Jacob made of his family. He married two wives who were sisters and openly loved one sister more than another. Leah was the unwanted wife who felt betrayed and forgotten. But God heard her cries and loved her. He blessed her with sons, one of whom would be a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ. The King of heaven came from Leah. Don’t believe for a second that God has forgotten you!

Today, Pastor Bill retells the story of Jacob and his marriages to Leah and Rachel. He was swindled by his uncle to first marry Leah even though the deal was for Rachel’s hand. But Jacob came from a swindling family and needed to learn that you will reap what you sow. Years earlier he had tricked his father into giving him the birthright that belonged to his brother. So, lest we think of Jacob as an innocent victim, we must remember that he sowed bad seed earlier. God will not ignore sowing of bad seed.

Here’s the good news of Jesus: before He came to save you, all you could sow was bad seed. You had no means to sow good seed because no good was in you. In today’s message, Pastor Bill reminds us that since Jesus came, we now have the option to sow good seed. He came to save you from yourself and turn you in a new direction. You will reap what you sow, but with Jesus, that can be a good thing. Do you choose to sow good seed with Jesus’ help? Have you repented of your old bad seed ways?