How can you discern if a person is telling you the truth? And are you able to tell if you are hearing the whole truth, the whole story, or just select portions intended to lead you to specific conclusions which shape your attitudes or actions? That was the challenge facing Joseph when, as Prime Minister of Egypt responsible for Famine management, Joseph was one day, suddenly, unexpectedly confronted with his brothers who had come to Egypt to buy food for their starving families! Remember we looked at that first encounter yesterday, found in Genesis 42.

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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We’ve all heard the phrase ‘from rags to riches’, right? Is there a better example than slave Joseph being hauled up out of that prison, to the Pharaoh’s throne room, and elevated to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt, all in one day? We looked at that remarkable miracle yesterday. If you’ve taken some time to think deeply about it, can you see several vital aspects to that story that might have DERAILED the entire miracle if Joseph had acted differently? * What if Joseph had succumbed to the seduction of Mrs. Potiphar?  * What if Joseph had been an argumentative, irresponsible prisoner?  * What if Joseph had refused to help the chief cupbearer when he asked for interpretation of his dream? * What if Joseph had been impatient during his years in prison, and demanded justice for himself, and pressed charges against Mrs. Potiphar for framing him?  * What if Joseph, when standing before the Pharaoh, had pleaded his cause and begged for his freedom, rather than focusing on giving God the glory by serving the Pharaoh with integrity?  The lesson I’ve learned here is this: I should ALWAYS assume God is doing far more than I am aware of, to accomplish HIS larger purposes in my world.

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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Are you enjoying this “Grand Narrative” overview of the Bible? We’ve come today to a very important moment in history. I left you yesterday with young Joseph suddenly thrown into prison in Egypt! Do you remember why? It was the epitome of injustice, and the story is found in Genesis 39. 

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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What would you say are the evidences of God’s hand of blessing upon someone? Good health? Financial bounty? A comfortable, enjoyable life? But what about God’s hand of blessing upon someone who lives in desperate circumstances beyond their control? What does that look like? Yesterday I left you contemplating what had happened to Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, who had been sold by his brothers to a traveling caravan which took 17-year-old Joseph to Egypt and sold him on the slave market! Jacob’s heart had been crushed at the evidence that suggested his favorite son Joseph had been attacked and killed by a wild animal. Joseph’s brothers were finally rid of the brother they hated, confident they would never see him again or have to answer for their barbaric act against Joseph. 

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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In our “Grand Narrative” journey with Jacob we come to Genesis 37 where we discover sibling rivalry has reached a boiling point with Joseph and some of his stepbrothers. While all the brothers shared Jacob as their father, they were from four different mothers! Joseph and Benjamin from Rachel, all the other stepbrothers from Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah. They all lived together with Jacob, their father, on one big homestead, yet in tent clusters which separated them as families with their mother. Can you envision this family arrangement and how it fed sibling rivalry?  

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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Family reunions can be wonderful things, can’t they? I left you yesterday watching one of the most joyful family reunions recorded in the Bible, the reunion of Jacob & Esau after 20 years estranged from each other. Following their celebration, Esau returned home, and Jacob continued his southern journey toward his boyhood home from which he had fled.

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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We’ve all experienced CONVICTION in our hearts for something we’ve done or said which we deeply regret, haven’t we? But what have we done about that conviction? Too many people blame others for their failures or excuse it away claiming it’s a problem common to many people. Still others simply ignore the conviction, but not Jacob.  

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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We’ve all heard of many reasons for people changing jobs or even relocating to other places, right? As we continue following the story of Jacob in God’s “Grand Narrative” we left Jacob and his large family yesterday in the midst of trying to decide if and when would be the right time to separate from employment by Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law and move far away, taking Jacob’s large family, including his wives who were BOTH Laban’s daughters, and  their grandchildren with them! Can you put yourself into that situation to see what a big and complex decision it was?

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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All of us have had “Defining Moments” in our lives which ended up being so significant they actually shaped the course of our lives. In some cases, those critical moments or events might have been prolonged and were a season of time, you might even call it a ‘chapter of your life’, which not only shaped your life but your family heritage. That is the story of Genesis 29 & 30 for Jacob and today, let’s step into that season of his life and watch it happen.  Yesterday we saw Jacob run for his life, away from his brother Esau and his parents Isaac and Rebekah.

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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Disagreement in Parenting can be disastrous, do you agree? We see it all around us and maybe you’ve even experienced it in your own family. As we’re following the story of God’s “Grand Narrative”, yesterday the mantle was passed as Abraham, the patriarch of God’s Covenant family had died, and was buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael.  Isaac and his wife Rebekah, like Abraham and Sarah, faced 20 years of heartbreaking inability to bear children, until God intervened and blessed Isaac and Rebekah with twin boys, Esau and Jacob. (Gen.25:19-26) Yesterday we saw Isaac preferred his outdoor loving son Esau; and Rebekah was partial to her home loving son Jacob.

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

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