In Genesis 34, we encounter the disturbing story of the assault of one of the daughters of Jacob. She was treated as an object for a man's own pleasure, instead of as a person created in God’s image with intrinsic worth and value.
In Genesis 33, Jacob finally meets his brother, Esau, after the turmoil of their prior relationship and many years apart. We also see how God has started to change and transform Jacob's heart in how he treats his family and those around him.
In Genesis 32 Jacob hits rock bottom. His brother is pursuing him with 400 men, and Jacob is fearing for his life. Then he encounters God in the middle of the night and wrestles with Him, and Jacob’s heart is changed.
When envy and jealousy start to take root, all kinds of trouble will follow. We see this in Genesis 31 through the turmoil that happens in the lives of Lavon, Jacob, and their families.
If we let it, envy and jealousy has the power to destroy families and relationships. In Genesis 30, we see how envy causes all kinds of chaos and heartache in life of Jacob and his family.
Have you ever worked really hard for something only to have it taken from you in the end? This is what happens to Jacob in Genesis 29. He works for 7 years to marry Rachel only to be tricked in the end, as he finds himself married to her sister Leah instead.
Imagine seeing an enormous staircase that goes from the ground up into heaven. Imagine angels walking up and down the staircase, and God standing above you telling you he will bless the whole earth through your offspring. This is how God appears to Jacob in a dream in Genesis 28.
In Genesis 27, we see the story of how Jacob used deception to steal his brother’s blessing. Regardless of Jacob’s sin, and our sins, God still pursues us. It’s only because of His grace that we’re saved.
What will we do with the promises God gives us? That’s exactly the situation we see Isaac experiencing in Genesis 26. Will he follow the example of his father, Abraham, in placing his trust in God or will he turn away?
After the death of Sarah, Abraham marries again and has more children. Regardless of our circumstances in life, it’s important that we always put our trust in the Lord and his guidance for our life.
Chapter 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis and focuses on marriage, specifically how Isaac develops a relationship and eventually marries Rebekah. There are many lessons we can learn about marriage and how to love and honor our spouse.
Abraham and Sarah are getting advanced in age, and in Genesis 23, we read about the death of Sarah. They may have started life with a pagan background, but they turned their hearts to God and chose to honor Him with their lives. It’s not how you start life that matters but how it ends.
In Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. After Abraham and Sarah finally have a son of their own, why is God asking for Abraham to sacrifice him? While this story is shocking, it ends by showing us how God provides and serves as a foreshadowing of Jesus.
How we respond to conflict is very telling about our relationship with God. At the end of Genesis 21, we see how Abraham responds in a moment that could have turned into a significant conflict, but instead became an example of acting selflessly and working towards peace.
God is always faithful to fulfill his promises, as we see with the birth of Isaac in Genesis 21. Even when Abraham and Sarah tried to control the situation, God’s timing is always perfect, and we can always trust in his promises.
Ever find yourself falling back into a sinful habit? In Genesis 20, we see Abraham doing this by repeating his lie about Sarah saying she is his sister, not his wife. We see the faithfulness of God even when we are not faithful.
When people decide that they are entitled to do whatever their heart desires, you ultimately end up with sinfulness we see in Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 and 19.
In Genesis 18, Abraham and Sarah respond with hospitality to strangers, who turn out to be the Lord and angels. They are told again of God's promise that they would bear a son, but Sarah laughs and scoffs at the idea.
God uses circumcision as a sign of the covenant that he establishes between himself and Abraham. It’s a reminder that our life should be fully surrendered to God.
The culture around us tries to shape us into its mold. Culture isn't necessarily bad, but it is when it comes into conflict with what honors God. In Genesis 16, we see Abram and Sarai bending to cultural pressures and making poor choices.
There can be times in life when we question if God hears us and our concerns. These are questions that Abraham raises in Genesis 15. In one of the most important passages of the Old Testament, God establishes his covenant with Abraham and promises that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars.
During a time of conflict and waring armies, we see Abraham honoring God and the people around him through his actions. What are some of the characteristics that make someone honorable?
What's great about Genesis is even though people continue again and again to fall flat on their face, it gives us hope because God doesn't quit on us. He is consistent in his nature that while we continue to fall away from the Lord and reject him, God is faithful.
Continuing our series on Genesis, in today's message Pastor Nathaniel uncovers the problem, the hope, the opportunity and the promise revealed to us in Genesis 11 & 12. Here the story of tower of Babel concludes and we encounter God's promise to Abraham and his response.
In Genesis 11, the prideful descendants of Noah built a tower to the heavens. This displeased God, and He scattered the people of Babel by confusing their language.
In Genesis 9, God gives mankind a second chance after the great flood. He establishes a covenant with Noah that there would never again be a worldwide flood upon the earth.
The first 11 chapters of Genesis cover a period of approximately 1,600 years. One of the events recorded in Genesis 7 and 8 is Noah’s flood, which is full of examples of God’s providence and foreshadows Jesus.
In Genesis 5 and 6, we observe the increasing unfaithfulness of the generations following Adam and Eve. Their unfaithfulness ultimately leads to Noah and the flood, but through it all, we continue to see the faithfulness of God.
In Genesis 4 we see how people's actions are a reflection of their heart. If their priorities are themselves, then they treat those around them as tools or property to be used for selfish purposes. But a heart surrendered to God will seek to honor God and bless the people around them; seeing them as created in God's image and deserving of kindness and respect.
In Genesis 4, we see the outpouring of the human heart in the actions of Cain and Abel. In one we see a heart of adoration and thankfulness to God, and in the other we see a heart of jealousy, anger and malice, leading to the first murder. And what's up with the mark of Cain?
It didn't take long before Adam and Eve began disobeying God in the Garden of Eden. Instead of coming before God to confess their sin, they sought to hide and cover themselves up in an attempt to be presentable before God. In thinking they could work their way back into God's favor, they created the first man-made religion.
In Genesis 2, God creates Eve as a companion to come alongside Adam. He then sets the foundation for marriage, the most intimate of human relationships, just before things go off the rails with the serpent.
In Genesis 2, God creates man and woman, each with value and uniqueness. We were created in God's image to have a personal relationship with him, and we reflect his creative nature.
Genesis starts with a tree and ends with a tree, starts with a garden, ends with a garden, starts near a river, ends near a river. You just see these themes tied together throughout Scripture.
