Viewing entries in
Series:jacobbecameisrael
Moral and spiritual failure often leaves us feeling like we’re in the doghouse. We can feel stuck and struggle to find a way forward. This message looks at how God meets us in those times and clears a path to our restoration.
When confronted with the evil and injustice in our world, we’re often caught off guard. We wonder why God doesn’t do something about it. Meanwhile, we gravitate toward passive indifference or vengeful aggression, and we can find our own character is corrupted in the process. This message looks at how to deal with the world’s injustice.
We all face the pressure of powerful people in our lives; governments, bosses, and popular classmates, but how should we respond to the pressure? Jacob, in Genesis 33, provides us a helpful example, showing us that God’s people walk the path of humility, generosity, and obedience.
When we feel desperate, the temptation is to fight with the wrong people for the wrong things or just give up and settle. In this message, we learn from Jacob’s wrestling with God how to pursue Him for what our hearts most yearn for.
There are many terms we can use to describe the various fears which we have in our lives. But all the way from the time of today’s passage to the present day, one of the most powerful kinds of fears we have is the fear of other people. This message looks at the only true way we can conquer this fear in our lives - through a different kind of fear.
We often find ourselves wanting to change. But when we start with the behaviour without addressing our thinking, frustration often results. This message looks at how God uses our circumstances and His Word to confront the patterns in our mind that bind us to our past.
When circumstances are difficult, moving on can seem like a solution. But how do you tell the difference between moving on and running away? And even when you are convinced that it’s time to move on, how do you move on without regret? This message looks at a transition in the life of Jacob that teaches us how to end well.
When it’s hard to see God’s blessing and change in our circumstances is a long time coming, we can be tempted to take matters into our own hands. This message shows us that God is at work even in our setbacks and can be trusted as the only source of true blessing.
Some people think that they have to be cleaned up before they come to God. Others assume that through an encounter with Him, they will be instantly changed. Neither of those attitudes aligns with the Bible. This message looks at how God helps us to change.
A belief in karma is popular today. You get what you deserve, they say. But in the Scriptures, we encounter a God who gives us more than we deserve and often we struggle in our response. This message looks at the grace of God and how we respond to it.
Does God’s goodness matter in a world that’s so evil? The Bible talks about God’s good plans and promises, but our world is filled with so much that seems opposed to Him that we can lose hope. This message considers whether the sin of the world or even our own heart can frustrate the plan of God.
Israel came to be known as the chosen people, but why did God choose them? Was there something special about them that set them apart? And if so, if they lost that special something would God abandon them? This message looks at how and why God chooses people for salvation and what it means for how we relate to Him and the life that He calls us to.
