Podcasts about esv genesis

Pastor Aaron shares a message about hammering away a heart of stone and receiving a heart of flesh. We also take a look at the key to receiving life changing results in our faith journey. Scriptures referenced in this message:· Colossians 1:21-23 ESV· Ezekiel 36:26 ESV· Jeremiah 23:29 ESV· Proverbs 16:18· 1 Peter 5:6 ESV· Isaiah 41:10 ESV· Ephesians 4:32 ESV· Matthew 6:12 ESV· Matthew 6:14-15 ESV· Romans 12:2· Romans 7:18-19 ESV· Matthew 11:29-30 ESV· 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 ESV· Matthew 5:27–30 ESV· James 1:19-20 ESV· Genesis 3:1–13 ESV· Matthew 4:1-11 ESV· John 8:31-32 ESVLearn more about salvation, info about Destiny Church, or how to give by visiting our website.Real | Relevant | Relationship

Start to Finish Week 1 - Is Marriage Still Important? Ben Foote (Teaching Pastor - Flatirons Community Church)Description:These days it's easy to wonder if marriage still is (or ever was) all that important. In week one of the series, Ben Foote (Teaching Pastor of Flatirons Community Church) takes a look at what Jesus has to say about marriage and brings back the why for those of us who may have forgotten.—Message Notes:  Life is not a sprint. We need to focus on living a godly life From Start to Finish. Christianity helps us for the long haul in youth, singleness, marriage, parenting and aging.    Why is marriage so important?  Jesus directly addresses marriage and divorce.Matthew 19:1-2 (NIV)Matthew 19:3 (NIV)In Jesus' time, there were basically two sides of the divorce debate. 1. God only allows divorce in the case of infidelity. 2. God allows divorce for any and every reason.The culture in Jesus' time sounded something like this about marriage:Marriage is a contract that can be easily broken whenever men don't feel served or pleased by it anymore.Jesus responds to the Pharisees trying to trap Him on the issue of divorce.Matthew 19:4-6 (NIV)Jesus' answer points to two different Scriptures on why marriage is important.Genesis 1:27 (ESV)Genesis 2:24 (BSB)God unites the man and woman into ONE FLESH, one spiritually inseparable unit, to reflect God's goodness to the world around us.Why is marriage so important? Jesus says marriage is NOT a contract but a COVENANT.Covenant: A spiritually-binding oath between God and His people.The common view of marriage in Jesus time:Marriage is a contract that can be easily broken whenever men don't feel served or pleased by it anymore.Jesus' view of marriage:Marriage is a covenant that cannot be broken without doing a lot of damage because marriage is a covenant designed to show the world what God looks like.Marriage is uniquely designed to show the world what God's never-ending, never-quitting love and commitment look like.Married people should be able to swap their names for the end of the verse in Romans 8:38-39.“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate (name) from the love of (spouse's name).”Marriage is designed to show the world what God's never-ending, never-quitting love and commitment look like. —Helpful Links:For family resources, visit https://gethope.net/familyministry/#resources If you're new to Hope or looking to get connected, click here: https://gethope.net/next/If you'd like to receive regular updates on what's happening around Hope, subscribe to our newsletter here: https://gethope.net/enews/Subscribe to Family Conversations for weekly prompts and resources: https://touchpoint.gethope.net/OnePageReg/2451To support this ministry financially to help us continue to love people where they are and encourage them to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, click here: https://gethope.net/give/Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/2XBbBxqStay Connected with Hope:Website: https://gethope.net/Hope Community Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gethopecommunitychurch Hope Community Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/get_hope/Hope Community Church Twitter: https://twitter.com/get_hopeHope Community Church YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HopeCommunityChurchSubscribe to Our Podcast - Hope In Real Life YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HopeInRealLifeHope In Real Life Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7eifzI0r9uY8rUaBMGs7q1Hope In Real Life Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-in-real-life-with-jason-gore/id1691710678?uo=4

I Need Help! | Week 5 | The God Who Sees Me | Pastor Christi Villarias | Life Center Tacoma -Genesis 16: 7-8 (ESV) -Genesis 16:13 (ESV) 1. You might feel LOST, but never TOO LOST for His eyes. -Proverbs 15:3 (ESV) -1 Peter 3:12 (ESV) -Hebrews 4:13 (ESV) 2. In the desert God calls YOUR NAME -Genesis 16:8 (ESV) -Psalms 139:1-4 (ESV) -Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) 3. A gentle CONFRONTATION -Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) 4. True REVELATION -Genesis 16:13 (ESV)

Often, God allows or causes negative events to happen in the lives of Christians and non-Christians that are hard to comprehend. Our achievements appear undercut, our success is blighted, and we are forced to recalculate our next steps. Yet often this is a hidden and misunderstood sign of God's grace to us. Pastor Ben teaches us about how this complex and much-maligned providence is illustrated in the story of the Tower of Babel, and the way in which it's effects actually enhance the glory of God. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2011%3A1-9&version=ESV (Genesis 11:1-9)

One of the many recurring themes throughout the Bible is that of covenants between God and man, in which the Lord affirms His goodness and pledges His faithfulness to His people. One of the most visible signs of these covenants, the rainbow, is introduced in this week's passage. Pastor Wesley shares with us the significance of both this sign and the promise it signifies, as well as how it should point us towards God's ultimate covenant of His faithfulness to us. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%208:21-9:17;&version=ESV (Genesis 8:21-9:17)

The story of Noah's Ark is often transformed into childrens' books and nursery murals of pairs of cute animals meandering through a meadow towards the ark. Yet we forget the reason why there was an ark: humanity had become so corrupted and evil that God regretted creating mankind. So deep was man's rejection of Him that a just God, unable to be in the presence of such blatant sin, was forced to annihilate all of creation. But just as he had done with Adam and Eve, God's grace provided a path to salvation for those who pursued Him and a promise that continues with us to this day. Pastor Ben shares this promise and the reason for it's need as written in Genesis 6-9. This sermon is from our Genesis series and was first given on September 18, 2022. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+6-9&version=ESV (Genesis 6-9)

Sin corrupts our hearts and our relationships. Envy, jealousy, and rage affect how we relate to those we know and love, and often sneaks up on us without us even noticing them. Yet it's impossible to understand or truly appreciate God's grace if we don't understand the depravity of our sin. This week, Pastor Wesley preaches about how quickly we can fall prey to the sin crouching at the door of our hearts, and the sweet salvation that God has provided for us. This sermon is from September 11, 2022 A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%204%3A1-16&version=ESV (Genesis 4:1-16)

Psalm 92:5 (ESV) Genesis 1:6-8 (ESV) Genesis 1:1-5 (ESV) Psalm 148:4 (ESV) Genesis 1:9 (ESV) Genesis 1:14-19 (ESV) Genesis 1:20 (ESV) 1. The Necessity Water 2 Peter 3:5-7 (ESV) 2. Expanse Was Made Isaiah 40:21-31 (ESV)

As Paul states in Romans 5, sin entered the once-perfect creation through one moment of doubting the goodness of God's command. Ever since, humanity has suffered the disastrous consequences of sin, and yet we continue to doubt God's goodness and choose our own way. Yet, Paul continues, reminding us that another Adam has come. Pastor Ben preaches through Genesis 3:1-24, showing us the hope that Jesus, the true and better Adam, gives us in our fight against sin in our lives and the coming redemption of creation. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+3&version=ESV (Genesis 3)

What did the LORD tell you to do five years ago? Five months ago? Five minutes ago?! If you still haven't done it....NOTHING is going to change until you align your will with HIS. AMEN Scripture References: Hebrews 13:8 ESV Numbers 23:19 ESV Genesis 18:12-15 ESV Genesis 17 ESV --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/erica-brown24/message

As discussed before, man exists to be in relationship with one another. Yet while, this is true in the general sense, we were also created for the unique relationship that exists within the covenant of marriage. Yet all to often we can distort this good design of God beyond it's proper bounds either through an unholy worship of marriage itself, or by distorting the purpose and components of marriage. Pastor Wesley preaches on how we can return to a right and holy view of marriage itself by looking at this covenant as a way to selflessly serve others and understand who we are as Christ's Bride. This sermon was first preached on August 21, 2022. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A18-25&version=ESV (Genesis 2:18-25)

Man was made in God's image, which means man was made both to work and rest. Yet all too often we glorify one and neglect, or even disdain, the other. Pastor Wesley preaches through what Genesis 2:1-3 shows us about truly experiencing rest, the pitfalls we often encounter in our fallen pursuit of it, and ultimately where (or Who) true rest can be found. This sermon is from August 14, 2022. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A1-3&version=ESV (Genesis 2: 1-3 )

Human beings long for relationship with one another. If there was ever any doubt, the early days of COVID lockdowns confirmed it: deprived of in-person contact, we flocked to Zoom and FaceTime to keep in touch with those we cherished most. This week, Pastor Wesley talks through where this desire for relationship stems from, how it reflects our creation in God's image, and how it ultimately points towards our longing to be in relationship with Jesus Christ. This sermon was first preached on August 9, 2022. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A18-25&version=ESV (Genesis 2:18-25)

What does it mean to be "made in the image of God"? Given the state of the world, is it still true? Better yet, does it even matter? Pastor Ben addresses these questions and more in this sermon on Genesis 1:26-31, as we consider the implications of our divine likeness and continue our sermon series on Genesis. This sermon is from July 31, 2022. A full video of this service is available on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnWOxypdU3Ngped5xTlz2VA/videos (Youtube Page). For more information on King's Church, please https://www.kingschurchdc.com/ (visit our website) or email info@kingschurchdc.com. Scripture Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201%3A26-31&version=ESV (Genesis 1:26-31)

How God Says He Loves Us: Part 3 -- The Covenant with Moses Message Summary: Throughout human history, God has reached out to humans for a personal relationship and to express His love for humankind. We have a God that loves us so much, and God's love for us is expressed to us through His “covenants”. Also, God's “covenants” reveal to us His grace and faithfulness. In today's message, we will discuss God's Covenant with Moses. A “covenant” can be defined as an “oath or promise of God”. In a Biblical covenant: 1) God establishes the Covenant; 2) God always implies that “I am your God, and you are my people” – God desires a personal relationship with us; and 3) God sets the Covenant's terms and rulers. After God's Covenant with Abraham, his son Isaac became the recipient of God's blessings. Subsequently, Isaac had two sons. One of Isaac's sons was Jacob, and God changed Jacobs name to Israel. Jacob had twelve sons, and they evolved into the “Twelve Tribes of Israel”. In Genesis 37, the focus begins upon Isaac's son Joseph; and Genesis ends, in Genesis 50, with Joseph's death in Egypt. In Exodus 1, two hundred and fifty years have passed since the death of Joseph. During this time, God's people and the people of Egypt forgot about Joseph. God's people became fruitful and multiplied, but they forgot about God and God's Covenant with Abraham; and the people began to worship idols. Exodus 2 presents the birth of Moses., and Exodus 3 includes God's call to Moses and God's appearance to Moses through the burning bush. Since God had a blood covenant with His people, He sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people leave Egypt. Pharaoh said “no”, so God sent nine plagues on the people of Egypt – nine chances for their Repentance. Since Pharaoh continued to say “no”, God sent the tenth plague on the people of Egypt – a plague of Judgement on the people of Egypt. After the Passover for His people in the Plague of Judgement, Pharaoh relented and let God's people leave Egypt. In Exodus 19, God's people wound up on Mount Sini, and God made the “Sini Covenant” with Moses in Exodus 19:4-6: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”. In prior covenants, God did everything; but in this “Sini Covenant”, the people had obligations. God gives His Law, the Ten Commandments, to His people as God speaks directly to them in Exodus 20. The Glory of God, when He was speaking directly to His people, was too much for the people; and they feared a direct personal relationship with God, and they wanted Moses or an intermediary to speak to them for God – they rejected a personal relationship with God just has humans have been doing ever since. In Exodus 21, Exodus 22, and Exodus 23 (“The Book of the Covenant”), God takes His Ten Commandments and He applies the Ten Commandments to our everyday living. In Exodus 24:3,7-8, Moses takes God's Book of the Covenant to the people: “Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.' Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.' And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.'”. Deuteronomy 28 presents the “blessings” for the people if they adhere to their promises to God in the “Book of the Covenant”. On the other hand, Deuteronomy 28 lays out the “curses” for non-adherence to the Covenant. Within six weeks, God's people, who had said “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do”, had disobeyed and broken their Covenant with God. The disobedience of God's people is significant to us today because “it shows us what sin is”. “God is unconditional love” (1 John 4:16); and in this Covenant, God made plain to all of us “what sin is”. “We are made by God to be perfect mirrors of God's Agape love.” Our sin is our failure to act as the God of Agape love acts. Sin is our self-centeredness.  “The opposite of love is not hate; sin is me.” The Ten Commandments are not negative; they are God's Agape love because they show us what a life of love and without sin and death does not include. Jesus tells us the most important Commandment in Mark 12:28-30: “'. . . Which commandment is the most important of all?' Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.'”. The people of Israel continued to mess up and sin, but they continued to sacrifice a lamb for their sin thinking that their sacrifice brought their lives of sin back into adherence with their Covenant. However, in both God's impatience with our sin and in His Agape love and His adherence to this Covenant, God sent the perfect Lamb as His and our sacrifice for our sin – Jesus the Christ. This old Covenant points to God's New Covenant – Jesus' death on the cross and His Resurrection. Have you asked Jesus into your life so that your sin is atoned? If not, then there is a blot between you and God. Remember, the God who made Covenant with Moses is Jesus of our Trinitarian God.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Genesis 3:15; Genesis 37:1-36; Genesis 39:1-23; Genesis 41:1-57; Genesis 42:1-38; Genesis 43:1-34; Genesis 44:1-34; Genesis 45:1-28; Genesis 46:1-34; Genesis 47:1-31; Genesis 50:1-26;  Exodus 1:1-22; Exodus 2:1-25; Exodus 3:1-22; Exodus 19:3-11; Exodus 24:1-18; Deuteronomy 28:1-68; 1 John 4:16; Mark 12:29-30; A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Your Sin Is Never Too Great so that You Are Lost to God's Salvation - “Return to Me {God}, and I Will Return to You””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/   DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Forget what you heard … you better run like Joseph ||Episode Mentions & Shameless Plugs||

How God Says He Loves Us: Part 1 -- The Covenant with Noah MESSAGE SUMMARY: We have a God that loves us so much, and God's love for us is expressed to us through His “covenants”. Also, God's “covenants” reveal to us His grace and faithfulness. In today's message, we will discuss God's Covenant with Noah. A “covenant” can be defined as an “oath or promise of God”. In a Biblical covenant: 1) God establishes the Covenant; 2) God always implies that “I am your God, and you are my people” – God desires a personal relationship with us; and 3) God sets the covenant's terms and rulers. In Genesis 6:5-22, the corruption of humanity, through mankind's sin after the Fall, became too much for God, and He became sorry that He made mankind. From Genesis, we know that God “grieved in His heart” because of human evil, corruption, and violence. However, Noah found favor in the eyes of God. Noah was righteous and blameless, and Noah “walked with God”. After destroying all humans and all other inhabitants of the earth, except for Noah, his family, those animals that Noah collected for His arch, God “blessed Noah in Genesis 9:1-29; and God established His covenant with Noah in Genesis 9:9-1:10,11-13: “'Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you . . . that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.' And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.'". Therefore, this covenant is not only with Noah and all other living things on the earth; but God's covenant with Noah is with us too! The “rain'bow'” is a sign of this covenant between Noah and all humanity; and this “rainbow” is, also, a sign of God's love, grace, and mercy. In 1 Peter 3:18-21, the Apostle Peter relates Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, which is redemptive covenant for our salvation, to God's earlier covenant with Noah: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ . . .". In this text from 1 Peter, we learn that our “baptism” represents our Salvation through Jesus. Like Noah and his family, we have been saved “through the water” not “by the water”. Therefore, “baptism” is another covenant between God and all humanity, through God's Grace, to save mankind from itself if we accept God's Grace. God does not see us, now, in our sin like humanity's evil of Noah's time; rather, God sees us through the eternal (like the “rainbow”) “Justifying” covenant blood of Jesus.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Genesis 6:5-22; Genesis 9:1-29; 1 Peter 3:18-21; Psalms 28:1-9. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Is Your Faith Yours, or Is Your Faith a Faith Derivative of the Faith of Others?”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/   DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Description: On this episode of Old Fashioned Theology, Daniel and Ryan dive into the gospel theme of death while enjoying the Pour Choice of the Week, Old Bardstown Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. Pour Choice of the Week: Old Bardstown Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Timestamps: Intro: 0:00; Pour Choice of the Week: 0:55; The Gospel Narrative and Death: 8:46; Farewell Toast: 36:33 Scripture References: 1) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews+9%3A27&version=ESV (Hebrews 9:27)—"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment..." 2) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2%3A7&version=ESV (Genesis 2:7)—"then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature." 3) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A19&version=ESV (Genesis 3:19)—"By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” 4) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A4&version=ESV (John 1:4)—"In him was life, and the life was the light of men." 5) https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=I+am+the+way+the+truth+and+the+life&version=ESV (John 14:6)—"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."" 6) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+5&version=ESV (Romans 5:20-21)—"Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 7) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15%3A16-19&version=ESV (1 Corinthians 15:16-19)—"For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." 8) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+1%3A21-23&version=ESV (Philippians 1:21-23)—“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Links: 1) https://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/the-whiskeys/old-bardstown-bottled-in-bond/ (Old Bardstown Bottled-in-Bond) 2) https://www.christianity.com/church/church-life/what-is-ash-wednesday-why-do-christians-celebrate-it.html (What is Ash Wednesday? It's Meaning & Why It's Celebrated) Credits: Written and Produced by Daniel Carpenter & Ryan Boyd Edited and Mixed by Daniel Carpenter Disclaimer: All claims made here about alcohol, whether in this episode, in this description, or on our podcast as a whole, are intended only for those of legal drinking age. All links provided here should only be accessed by those of legal drinking age.

May we let God use us to show His might power on earth. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/storytime-revolution/message

All things come through to us by our mighty creator, may we accept with good grace His discipline as He molds us into the image of His Son. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/storytime-revolution/message

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Doesn't Jacobs story seem like a bit of a mess? and Isaacs for that matter. Only God can bring such good out of our wretched lives, may He receive the glory for only through Him is their anything good. Shalom, and God bless you my friend. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/storytime-revolution/message

May God bless you in faith and joy as you trust on Him. Shalom. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/storytime-revolution/message

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Thank you for listening, if its good please share, and God bless you! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/storytime-revolution/message

Thank you for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/storytime-revolution/message

In this moving message, Pastor Zach Maddox shares what God has to say about the life of the unborn. Our prayer is that this message encourages you to speak up for the unborn by praying, adopting, and supporting Matrix LifeCare Center. Notes: Theme: What does God have to say about the life of the unborn? Life Change Goal: Our prayer is that this message encourages you to speak up for the unborn by praying, adopting, and supporting Matrix LifeCare Center. Text: Luke 1:39-45 (ESV); Genesis 1:27 (NIV) What is abortion? What does Scripture say about abortion? God personally and individually creates every human life. Genesis 4:1 (ESV) Genesis 21:1-2 (NLT) Genesis 25:21-22 (NLT) Job 10:8-11 (NLT) Exodus 4:11 (ESV) John 9:1-3 (ESV) Psalm 100:3 (ESV) Psalm 139:13 (NLT) Psalm 139:15-16 (NLT) Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT) God judges nations who stain their land with murder. Psalm 106:37-38 (NIV) Genesis 4:8-10 (NLT) What should a person do if they have had or participated in an abortion. What can we do as a church? Proverbs 31:8-9 (NLT) Conclusion: Scripture tells us that before God formed us in our mother's womb, He knew us. Before we were born we were set apart. That's not just for us, that's for every baby conceived in our nation, and on this planet (Jeremiah 1:5). In response to this message I will… I will share part of this message with... Discussion Questions: Start Talking. Find a conversation starter for your group. What do you love about babies? Start Thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking. Do you know anyone who has adopted a child? If so, what kind of difference did that make in the life of the child and the family who adopted them? Start Sharing. Choose a couple of questions to create openness. What was something you learned about abortions you had not previously been aware of? What Scripture was most meaningful to you in regards to what God thinks about the unborn? When could you set aside time to pray for our nation, it's leaders, and those who perform or participate in abortions? When could you visit Matrix LifeCare Center to see the difference they are making in the greater Lafayette area?

Work isn't a punishment for sin, but a blessing God gave us at creation! Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV) Genesis 1:26-31; 2:15-25 (NLT) Date: September 5, 2021 Communicator: Dr. Chris Marshall

In this message, Pastor Zach Maddox talks about our Creator's plan for human sexuality. Our prayer is that this message encourages you to experience the benefits of following God's plan for human sexuality. Notes: Theme: What is our Creator's plan for human sexuality? Life Change Goal: Our prayer is that this message encourages you to experience the benefits of following God's plan for human sexuality. Text: Mark 7:1-8, 14-23 (NLT) Where did our current views of sexuality come from? What is our Creator's plan for human sexuality? Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV) Genesis 2:25 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 7:3-6 (NLT) What are the consequences of not following our Creator's plan? Mark 7:20-23 (ESV) Romans 1:21-32 (ESV) What are the benefits of following our Creator's plan? John 10:10 (NIV) Will we be shaped more by the culture in which we live or will we live freely in the Kingdom of God? 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) Conclusion: Following our Creator's plan for sexuality allows us to enjoy stronger bonds in marriage, avoid sexually transmitted diseases, be more emotionally healthy, and socially stable. In response to this message I will… I will share part of this message with... Life Group Discussion Questions: Start Talking. Find a conversation starter for your group. What are/were your Memorial Day plans? Start Thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking. What are the do's and don'ts you've heard about sex from church? Start Sharing. Choose a couple of questions to create openness. How have your thoughts regarding sexuality been shaped by our culture? What kinds of consequences have you faced by not following God's plan for sexuality? What kinds of benefits have you experienced by following God's plan?

In this episode, kicking off season 2, Ciara and Jessi, examine the role women play in husband's sins, what biblical submission looks like, and who is responsible for sin inside marriage. This issue always stirs up emotions, and as you'll hear, some serious misunderstandings about Christian teaching.Scripture we referenced:Ephesians 5:22-24 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%205%3A22-24&version=ESV Genesis 3:9-19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+3%3A9-19&version=ESVMatthew 18:15-17 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18%3A15-17&version=ESV1 Corinthians 7:2-5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+7%3A2-5&version=ESVEpisode notes:Episode 10 "Forbidden: Female Pastors" https://pdcn.co/e/www.buzzsprout.com/1538023/7755187-forbidden-series-part-2-female-pastors.mp3?download=trueEpisode 14 "God, Government, and Granted Authority" https://pdcn.co/e/www.buzzsprout.com/1538023/8105365-god-government-and-granted-authority.mp3?download=trueRachael Denhollander's tweet thread: https://twitter.com/R_Denhollander/status/1390390172009762820Founder's Ministry "Biblical Manhood and Womanhood" https://youtu.be/fAkyogF1VskMichelle Lesley "6 Steps SBC Churches Can Take to Prevent Abuse" https://michellelesley.com/2021/05/12/throwback-thursday-preventative-measures-6-steps-sbc-churches-can-take-to-prevent-sexual-abuse/John Piper "Six Things Submission is Not" https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/six-things-submission-is-not"The Excellent Wife" by Martha Peace https://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Wife-Biblical-Perspective/dp/1885904088/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+excellent+wife&qid=1621117132&sr=8-1WWUTT "Does the Bible Say a Wife Must Submit to Her Husband?" https://youtu.be/Ax9oU-ogYAE

In this message, Pastor Zach Maddox talks about what marriage is for. Our prayer is that this message encourages you to display God to the world with your marriage. Notes: Theme: What is marriage for? Life Change Goal: Our prayer is that this message encourages you to display God to the world with your marriage. Text: Matthew 19:3-9 (ESV) Marriage is about friendship. Genesis 2:18 (ESV) Hosea 13:9 (ESV) John 14:26 (ESV) Genesis 1:27 (ESV) Marriage occurs between a man and a woman to display the image of God. Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV) Romans 1:16 (ESV) Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) Genesis 2:24 (ESV) Matthew 19:4-6 (ESV) Matthew 5:17-19 (ESV) Exodus 20:14 (ESV) Leviticus 18:22 (NLT) Mark 7:20-23 (ESV) Marriage is meant to last a lifetime. Matthew 19:10 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 (NLT) Malachi 2:16 (NLT) Marriage is about displaying God to the world. Ephesians 5:31-32 (ESV) Conclusion: You can display God to the world with your marriage! In response to this message I will… I will share part of this message with... Discussion Questions: Start Talking. Find a conversation starter for your group. What is your favorite summertime activity? Start Thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking. Who are your 2am friends? Start Sharing. Choose a couple of questions to create openness. What can you do to deepen your relationships with others? How does God's definition of marriage seem counter to our culture's current definition of marriage? What is lost if we don't uphold God's definition of marriage? If you are married, what is something you could do this week to serve your spouse?

Hey Friend! Today we explore a somewhat controversial topic in some Christian circles: Women in the pulpit. Thanks for Listening! I had many technical issues in many areas and a learning curve for editing, which delayed getting the podcast completed. Thanks for your patience! Black-owned business shout out Kidd Krazed Kreations: https://www.facebook.com/KiddKrazed.Kreations (Facebook ) https://www.instagram.com/_kiddkrazedkreations/ (Instagram) Check out my other podcast on LifeAudio https://www.lifeaudio.com/mama-take-heart/episode-1-getting-to-know-generation-z (Mama, Take Heart): Understanding Your GenZ Girl.  Connect with me on Instagram https://my.captivate.fm/@robrennaredl (@robrennaredl) The podcast is produced and edited by me - Robrenna Redl  Original Music by Composer Michael Coffey of Hand-crafted Studios: Show notes: Verses discussed during the episode: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1%3A26-27&version=ESV (Genesis 1:26-27) (Man and Woman made in the image of God) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+14&version=NIV (1 Corinthians 14:26-40) Women remain silent(read full for context) https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1-timothy/2/11-14 (1 Timothy 2:11-14) Women learn quietly https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8%3A1-11&version=NIV (John 8:1-11) Woman caught in Adultery https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4%3A1-42&version=NIV (John 4:1-42) Woman at the Well https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205%3A25%E2%80%9334&version=ESV (Mark 5:25-34) Woman with the Issue of Blood https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+15%3A21-28&version=ESV (Matthew 15:21-28) Faith of the Canaanite Woman https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+7%3A36-50&version=ESV (Luke 7:35-50) Woman with the perfume https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+24%3A1-12&version=ESV (Luke 24:1-12) Women at the tomb https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans16%3A1-2&version=ESV (Romans 16:1-2) Phoebe https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+18%3A2-26&version=ESV (Acts 18:2-26) and https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans16%3A3&version=ESV (Romans16:3) Priscilla, also known as Prica Definitions:  Exegesis-critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture. Homiletics-the art of preaching or writing sermons. https://www.lifeway.com/en/product-family/jesus-and-women-bible-study (Jesus and Women) In the First Century and Now Bible Study By Kristi Mclelland Please pray for protection and against hatred toward the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Don't allow this violence to continue on your watch. https://www.ihollaback.org/bystanderintervention/ ( Here) training you can do to learn ways to intervene as a bystander. Also, https://stopaapihate.org/ (Donate) to Stop AAPI Hate and violence against the Asian community. #womeninchurch #womenpreachers #womeninthpulpit #stopaapihate #hollaback #aajc

In this inspiring message, Pastor Zach Maddox shares how we can live a fully alive life. Our prayer is that this message encourages you to live a fully alive life fulfilling your masterpiece mission. Notes: Theme: How can we live a fully alive life? Life Change Goal: Our prayer is that this message encourages you to live a fully alive life fulfilling your masterpiece mission. Text: Ephesians 4:7-16 (ESV) We can live a fully alive life by accepting the invitation of Jesus. John 16:7 (ESV) Luke 2:52 (ESV) Luke 4:14-15 (ESV) We can live a fully alive life by developing our character. John 10:10 (ESV) Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV) We can live a fully alive life by fulfilling our calling. Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV) Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT) https://assessments.giftpassionstory.com/register 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (ESV) https://connectionpointchurch.org/holyspirit We can live a fully alive life fulfilling our masterpiece missions together. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) John 12:24-26 (ESV) Conclusion: You are invited to live a fully alive life in Jesus fulfilling your masterpiece mission with others! In response to this message I will… I will share part of this message with... Discussion Questions: Start Talking. Find a conversation starter for your group. What would be your perfect day? Start Thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking. What questions do you have about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Start Sharing. Choose a couple of questions to create openness. What did Jesus teach that you have a hard time believing? What did Jesus command that you have a hard time obeying? What are your spiritual gifts? (If you filled out the gift, passion, story assessment, share it) What is your masterpiece mission, that with others, fulfills the Great Commission (if you don't know, we encourage you to read, Find Your Place)?

In this life-changing message, Pastor Zach Maddox talks about why suffering is an important part of following Jesus. Our prayer is that this message encourages you to trust God to bring your true self to the surface through suffering. Notes: Theme: Why is suffering an important part of following Jesus? Life Change Goal: Our prayer is that this message encourages you to trust God to bring your true self to the surface through suffering. Text: Luke 23:44-49 (ESV) Why does suffering exist? John 16:33 (NLT) 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT) Genesis 1:31 (ESV) Romans 3:23 (ESV) How does God use suffering? Romans 8:28 (ESV) Genesis 50:20 (ESV) Luke 9:23 (ESV) What is a pathway through suffering? Pay attention. Lament: turn to God, bring your complaint, ask boldly, and trust. Actively wait. Resurrection will always take care of itself, whenever death is trusted. The good news about suffering. 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (ESV) Romans 8:18 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV) Conclusion: God can use our suffering to draw us to Himself, to remove the hold this world has on our lives, to mold and sharpen our character, and influence others for Him. Text: John 16:33 (ESV); Luke 24:1-6 (ESV) In response to this message I will… I will share part of this message with... Life Group Discussion Questions: Start Talking. Find a conversation starter for your group. What do you like about winter? Start Thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking. Can anyone remember the four steps on the pathway through suffering? If so, what are they? Start Sharing. Choose a couple of questions to create openness. How have hardships in your past shaped who you are today? What have you learned about God through suffering? Who have you influenced during times of hardship? How has God freed you from this world during difficulties?

WATCH HERE - https://youtu.be/2Jns7iaKGlU In this podcast, Kim Pino and her daughter, Caroline, discuss life's issues from a multi-generational, biblical worldview. In today's episode, Kim and Caroline discuss loneliness and grief. What do we do when we or our friends and family find ourselves in a place that is hard and uncomfortable? If you are looking for a place to be refreshed in a world that seems to be running dry of truth, come be a part of the Conversations at the WELL. All other links mentioned can be found here: https://linktr.ee/wellwomensministry Job: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%201&version=ESV Hagar's Story- Genesis 16: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+16&version=ESV Genesis 21: 8-21: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+21%3A+8-21&version=ESV Link to the opening song: (Speak by Bethany Worship) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOXPVSRxttU ***Fact check: El Roi = the God who sees me*** --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/conversations-podcast/message

In this inspiring message from Pastor Zach Maddox, we discover what the Church is and why we need community. Our prayer is that this message encourages you to live on mission with others in Jesus' unshakeable community. NOTES: Theme: What is the Church and why do we need community? Life Change Goal: Our prayer is that this message encourages you to live on mission with others in Jesus' unshakeable community. Text: Matthew 16:13-18 (ESV) The Church is a Jesus community. Our Jesus community is unshakeable. Isaiah 51:1-8 (ESV) 1 Peter 2:5 (ESV) Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV) Our Jesus community advances the Kingdom of God. John 10:10 (ESV) Genesis 22:15-18 (ESV) Galatians 3:29 (ESV) John 14:15-16 (ESV) We must live in an unshakeable Jesus community to endure to the end. Our Kingdom Creed: Jesus Christ our King is our Lord, Savior, and role model. The Church is an assembly of people called out for a purpose. God's Word is our guide. Missions is our mandate. Holy Spirit baptism is our power. Prayer, fasting, love, truth, and suffering are our weapons. God's presence is our promise. The return of Jesus is our blessed hope for righteous justice. Eternity with God and other believers is our reward. Hebrews 10:23-39 (NLT) Conclusion: We can endure to the end by living on mission with others in Jesus' unshakeable community, the Church. In response to this message I will… I will share part of this message with... Discussion Questions: Start Talking. Find a conversation starter for your group. What are you planning on doing for Christmas this year? Start Thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking. What does the word “church” mean to you? Start Sharing. Choose a couple of questions to create openness. What are you concerned about right now? In what ways are you actively trying to advance God's Kingdom right now (in your life, your home, your neighborhood, and your workplace)? We are meant to live in a community where we are genuinely known, lovingly supported, and honestly challenged. How could this Life Group become that kind of community?

Does prayer set your worries at rest? Is it hard for you to trust in God and feel his peace? Join in ashttps://www.thecrossingchurch.com/staff/dave-cover/ ( Pastor Dave Cover) discusses and prays for restoration inhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+46&version=ESV ( Psalm 46 ESV):   1 God is our refuge and strength,     a very present[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+46&version=ESV#fen-ESV-14616b (b)] help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,     though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam,     though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,     the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;     God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;     he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us;     the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,     how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;     he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;     he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God.     I will be exalted among the nations,     I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us;     the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah   Interested in more content like this? Listen tohttps://abiggerlifepodcast.captivate.fm/episode/wheres-god-in-the-crisis-prayer-on-ephesians-1- ( Where's God in the Crisis?) andhttps://abiggerlifepodcast.captivate.fm/episode/how-to-pray-confidently-in-an-uncertain-world-prayer-on-psalm-23-esv ( How to Pray Confidently in an Uncertain World)   Like this content? Make sure to share it with others and leave us a rating, so others can find it too.   To learn more, visit ourhttps://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ ( website) and follow us onhttps://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO ( Facebook),https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/ ( Instagram), andhttps://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo ( Twitter) @TheCrossingCOMO.   Notes https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+46&version=ESV (Psalm 46 ESV) https://abiggerlifepodcast.captivate.fm/episode/wheres-god-in-the-crisis-prayer-on-ephesians-1- (Where's God in the Crisis?) Confidence and fearless trust in God https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+2&version=ESV (Genesis 2) andhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelations+21-22&version=ESV ( Revelations 21-22): Redeemed earth and restoration of God's presence Resting in God and acknowledging him Subscribe. Rate. Share.   Social Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO ( https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO) Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/ ( https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/) Twitter:https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo ( https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo)   Scripture Psalm 46 ESV:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+46&version=ESV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+46&version=ESV) Genesis 2:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+2&version=ESV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+2&version=ESV) Revelations 21-22:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelations+21-22&version=ESV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelations+21-22&version=ESV)   Related Where's God in the Crisis?:https://abiggerlifepodcast.captivate.fm/episode/wheres-god-in-the-crisis-prayer-on-ephesians-1- (...

The Bible doesn't just tell stories of the past. It's a narrative that also reveals what the future holds, and how we fit into that story. Join in ashttps://www.thecrossingchurch.com/staff/dave-cover/ ( Pastor Dave Cover) discusses our place in God's kingdom and prays throughhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+21%3A1-6&version=ESV ( Psalm 21.1-6 ESV):   1 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,     and in your salvation how greatly he exults! 2 You have given him his heart's desire     and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3 For you meet him with rich blessings;     you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. 4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,     length of days forever and ever. 5 His glory is great through your salvation;     splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6 For you make him most blessed forever;[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+21&version=ESV#fen-ESV-14198a (a)]     you make him glad with the joy of your presence.   Interested in more content like this? Listen tohttps://abiggerlifepodcast.captivate.fm/episode/what-does-the-future-hold-prayer-on-psalm-27-4-13-14 ( What Does Your Future Hold), a prayer overhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+27%3A4&version=ESV ( Psalm 27.4 ESV).   Like this content? Make sure to share it with others and leave us a rating, so others can find it too.   To learn more, visit ourhttps://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ ( website) and follow us onhttps://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO ( Facebook),https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/ ( Instagram), andhttps://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo ( Twitter) @TheCrossingCOMO.   Social Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO ( https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO) Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/ ( https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/) Twitter:https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo ( https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo)   Scripture Psalm 21:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+21&version=ESV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+21&version=ESV) Genesis 1.26:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+1%3A26&version=NIV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+1%3A26&version=NIV) Romans 5.17:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+5%3A17&version=NIV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+5%3A17&version=NIV) 2 Timothy 2.12https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+timothy+2%3A12&version=NIV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+timothy+2%3A12&version=NIV) Revelations 4.4:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelations+4.4&version=ESV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelations+4.4&version=ESV) Revelations 22.5:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelations+22.5&version=ESV ( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelations+22.5&version=ESV)   Related A World of Meaning and Purpose:https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/media-feeds/a-world-of-meaning-and-purpose/ ( https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/media-feeds/a-world-of-meaning-and-purpose/) What Does Your Future Hold?:https://abiggerlifepodcast.captivate.fm/episode/what-does-the-future-hold-prayer-on-psalm-27-4-13-14 ( https://abiggerlifepodcast.captivate.fm/episode/what-does-the-future-hold-p)

REFLECTION QUOTES: “The irony of the gospel is that the only way to be worthy of it is to admit you are completely unworthy of it.” ~Tim Keller, pastor and author “When we in our foolishness thought we were wise, He played the fool and He opened our eyes. When we in our weakness believed we were strong, He became helpless to show we were wrong.” ~Michael Card, singer-songwriter “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~William Faulkner (1897-1962), writer and Nobel Prize laureate “This non-event, this thing that nobody noticed except his friends and family turned out to have the power to transform the entire Roman Empire and the course of human history more profoundly than any other single event over the past 2,000 years.” ~Henry Louis Gates Jr., author, filmmaker and Harvard professor, speaking of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ “In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair…the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.” ~Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957), English writer and poet SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 17 & 18 (ESV) Genesis 17 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you…. 15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him…. 22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Genesis 18 1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth… 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

REFLECTION QUOTES “I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel… Rats. Nobody sent me a Christmas card today. I almost wish there weren't a holiday season. I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?” ~ “A Charlie Brown Christmas” “The waiting is the hardest part, Every day you get one more yard, You take it on faith, you take it to the heart, The waiting is the hardest part.” ~Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “If there does exist an absolute goodness it must hate most of what we do. This is the terrible fix we are in. If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again… God is the only comfort; he is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger—according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way.” ~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity “Our sins they are more numerous than all the lambs we slay, Our shackles they were made with our own hands. Our toil is our atonement and our freedom yours to give, So Yahweh, break this silence if you can. Deliver us, deliver us, Oh, Yahweh, hear our cry, And gather us beneath your wings tonight.” ~Andrew Peterson, “Deliver Us” SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 3:8-15, Luke 2:8-14 (ESV) Genesis 3 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Luke 2 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

REFLECTION QUOTES “The winter is cold, is cold. All's spent in keeping warm. Has joy been frozen, too? I blow upon my hands Stiff from the biting wind. My heart beats slow, beats slow. What has become of joy? If joy's gone from my heart Then it is closed to You Who made it, gave it life. If I protect myself I'm hiding, Lord, from you. How we defend ourselves In ancient suits of mail! Protected from the sword, Shrinking from the wound, We look for happiness, Small, safety-seeking, dulled, Selfish, exclusive, in-turned. Elusive, evasive, peace comes Only when it's not sought. Help me forget the cold That grips the grasping world. Let me stretch out my hands To purifying fire, Clutching fingers uncurled. Look! Here is the melting joy. My heart beats once again.” ~“Winter is Cold, Is Cold” by Madeleine L'Engle SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 29:31; 30:1-2, 22-24; Isaiah 54:1-8; Luke 1:5-7, 24-25 (ESV) Genesis 29 31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Genesis 30 1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the Lord add to me another son!” Isaiah 54 1 “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the LORD. 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. 4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. 5 For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. 7 For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. 8 In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer. Luke 1 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

REFLECTION QUOTES “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ~Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), Danish philosopher and theologian “We live in a broken world and we want hope. And we go to movies—we read stories—because we get to see broken people become whole. And that's the message that Jesus gives us.” ~Matthew Luhn, Pixar Story Editor and Artist “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” ​~Vaclav Havel (1936-2011), Czech statesmen, writer and former dissident “How can all things be worked together by God for good? The answer is at hand. It is because God's ultimate purpose is to make us like Christ. His goal is the complete restoration of the image of God in His child! So great a work demands all the resources which God finds throughout the universe, and He ransacks the possibilities of joys and sorrows in order to reproduce in us the character of Jesus.” ~Sinclair Ferguson (1948-present), Scottish minister, professor and author “Suffering and injustice that can make us bitter or dehumanized becomes an opportunity to grow in compassion and solidarity. I am convinced this is not a virtue but a grace, not something to be proud of but to be grateful for.” ~Francisco Argüelles Paz y Puente, Mexican-born activist “To believe that God must take away certain sinful affections for you to serve Him fully is self-centered at its core. You are commanded to serve Him because of who He is, not because of how you feel. The commands to kill the flesh, flee youthful lusts and take up your cross all reveal a major component of Christianity which is that you don't have to feel obedient to BE obedient.” ~Jackie Hill Perry, writer, poet and hip-hop artist SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 47 & 50 (ESV) Genesis 47 29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed. Genesis 50 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” … 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. 22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

REFLECTION QUOTES “The special mark of the modern world is not that it is skeptical, but that it is dogmatic without knowing it. The moderns believe without knowing what they believe—and without even knowing that they do believe it.” ~G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), writer and critic “Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.” “In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism.” “Forgiveness is the only way to reverse the irreversible flow of history.” ~Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), German-American political theorist and writer “Having looked the past in the eye, having asked for forgiveness and having made amends, let us shut the door on the past—not in order to forget it but in order not to allow it to imprison us.” ~Desmond Tutu, South African bishop, theologian and activist “Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.” ~Augustine (354-430), North African bishop and theologian “Providence is wonderfully intricate. Ah! You want always to see through Providence, do you not? You never will, I assure you. You have not eyes good enough. You want to see what good that affliction was to you; you must believe it. You want to see how it can bring good to the soul; you may be enabled in a little time; but you cannot see it now; you must believe it. Honor God by trusting Him.” ~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), London pastor and author “I'm not a victim. I refuse to be one.” ~Toni Morrison (1931-2019), novelist and college professor SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 49:33-50:21 (ESV) Genesis 49 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. Genesis 50 1 Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. 4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.'” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

REFLECTION QUOTES “Humility is throwing oneself away in complete concentration on something or someone else.” “The special mark of the modern world is not that it is skeptical, but that it is dogmatic without knowing it.” ~G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer and literary critic “Man's grandeur is that he knows himself to be miserable…. Man's greatness is so obvious that it can even be deduced from his wretchedness…. Who indeed would think himself unhappy to not to be king except one who had been dispossessed.” ~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician and philosopher “You must learn that if you are a Christian, you will without a doubt experience all kinds of opposition and evil inclinations in the flesh. For when you have faith, there will be a hundred more evil thoughts and a hundred more temptations than before.” ~Martin Luther (1483-1546), German reformer “The Cross is the ultimate evidence that there is no length the love of God will refuse to go in effecting reconciliation.” ~R. Kent Hughes (1942-present), American pastor and writer “In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but it seems that God continually chooses the most unqualified to do his work, to bear his glory. If we are qualified, we tend to think that we have done the job ourselves. If we are forced to accept our evident lack of qualification, then there's no danger that we will confuse God's work with our own, or God's glory with our own.” ~Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007), writer of young adult fiction “If we add anything to the gospel, we take away everything.” ~Trillia Newbell, American author “If your heart beats for Christ the king, then your heart will beat for the advance of the His rule.” ~Rhys Bezzant, Dean of Missional Leadership, Ridley College (Australia) SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 46-47 (ESV) Genesis 46 1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.” 5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt…. Genesis 47 5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land…. 7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents…. 20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. 21 As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.”…. 29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

REFLECTION QUOTES “Students are hungry for truth, for beauty, for goodness….” ~Cornell West on why he returned to teach at Dartmouth (The D' 9-26-2019) “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good….” ~Joseph to his brothers (Genesis 50:20 ESV) “The relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is a theological mystery that is something ultimately beyond human comprehension. Mysteries make us uncomfortable, and thus there is always a temptation to rationalize them, that is, to modify one belief to make it more compatible with the other, in this case to play down divine sovereignty by saying that certain actions fall outside the realm of God's control or, alternatively, to claim that, since all is predestined, man is not really answerable for his acts. But the Joseph story [Genesis 37-50] and the rest of scripture insist that both divine sovereignty and human responsibility are true.” ~Gordon Wenham, Cambridge-trained biblical scholar and professor “We do not suffer by accident.” ~Jane Austen (1775-1817), English novelist in Pride and Prejudice “… men have low thoughts of God, and high thoughts of themselves; and therefore it is that they look upon God as having so little right, and they so much.” ~Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), New England pastor and theologian “God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength.” ~Vance Havner (1901-1986), minister and author Q87. What is repentance unto life? A: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, by which a sinner, being truly aware of his sinfulness, understands the mercy of God in Christ, grieves for and hates his sins, and turns from them to God, fully intending and striving for a new obedience. ~Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) in updated language “You stand before God as if you were Christ, because Christ stood before God as if He were you.” ~C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London preacher SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 44-45 (ESV) Genesis 44 14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.” 18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?' 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.' 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.' 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.' 24 “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,' 26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.' 30 “Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life, 31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.' 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.” Genesis 45 1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.' 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

REFLECTION QUOTES “In these past few years, I have slowly been convinced of a type of ‘fate,' or some higher workings beyond our control. I don't really know what to call it. There have been a few defining moments, all linked to one another, which only makes me think ‘Huh, maybe. No. I mean—just maybe.'” ~Holden Harris in “The Strangeness of It All” in The Dartmouth Mirror (10-9-19) “A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory.” ~Mark Twain (1835-1910), American writer and humorist “Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking.” ~H.L. Mencken (1880-1956), journalist and critic “It is easier to fight the world than to wrestle with your conscience.” ~Matshona Dhliwayo, Zimbabwean-born entrepreneur and author “A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing.” ~Elizabeth I (1533-1603), Queen of England and Ireland “A man's conscience is the Lord's searchlight exposing his hidden motives.” ~Proverbs 20:27, The Living Bible “The Fall [into sin] is a view of life. It is not only the only enlightening, but the only encouraging view of life. It holds…that we have misused a good world, and not merely been entrapped into a bad one. It refers evil back to the wrong use of the will, and thus declares that it can be righted…. Every other creed except that one is some form of surrender to fate. A man who holds this view of life will find it giving light on a thousand things….” ~G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer and journalist SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 42-43 (ESV) Genesis 42 1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.” 12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” 13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days. 18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them. 26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” Genesis 43 – Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt 26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

REFLECTION QUOTES “Every time I look in the mirror, I'm in a shadow of doubt. Maybe I'm as lost as the next guy, Just have to find out. All I want is peace like a river, Long life of sanity, love that won't leave too soon. Someone to pull out the splitters, The reckless forgiver, Know that I'm talking to you.” ~Jars of Clay, “Reckless Forgiver” “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” ~C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” ~Matthew 9:10-13 “God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.” ~Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and theologian, 1813-1855 SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 35:1-29, 37:1 (ESV) Genesis 35 1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. 5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. 8 And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth. 9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. 16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni;but his father called him Benjamin.19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. 27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. Genesis 37 1 Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

REFLECTION QUOTES “The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It's when mercy is least expected that it is most potent – strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering.” ~Bryan Stevenson, lawyer, activist in Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption “Everybody makes excuses for themselves they wouldn't be prepared to make for other people.” ~Rebecca Goldstein, Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away “Christianity was also, to my surprise, radical – far more radical than the leftist ideologies with which I had previously been enamored.” “Christianity, it turned out, looked nothing like the caricature I once held…. God wants broken people, not self-righteous ones. And salvation is not about us earning our way to some place in the clouds through good works. On the contrary; there is nothing we can do to reconcile ourselves to God. As a historian, this made profound sense to me. I was too aware of the cycles of poverty, violence and injustice in human history to think that some utopian design of our own, scientific or otherwise, might save us.” ~Dr. Sarah Irving-Stonebraker (PhD, Cambridge) Australian historian “The letter of the law is too cold and formal to have a beneficial influence on society. Whenever the tissue of life is woven of legalistic relations, there is an atmosphere of moral mediocrity, paralyzing man's noblest impulses.” ~Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his 1978 Harvard Address “Power is perhaps humanity's most dangerous drug.” ~Rebecca McLaughlin, (PhD, Cambridge) author and activist SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 33:18-35:4 (ESV) Genesis 33 18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. Genesis 34 1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. 3 And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.” 5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing must not be done. 8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. 9 Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” 11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.” 13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15 Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.” 18 Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor's son Shechem. 19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father's house. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21 “These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. 25 On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went away. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. 29 All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.” 31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?” Genesis 35 1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

REFLECTION QUOTES “A powerful physical metaphor is intimated by the story of wrestling: Jacob, whose name can be construed as ‘he who acts crookedly,' is bent, permanently lamed, by his nameless adversary in order to be made straight before his reunion with Esau.” ~Robert Alter (1935-present), professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley on Genesis 32 “A perfect faith is nowhere to be found, so it follows that all of us are partly unbelievers.” ~John Calvin (1509-1564), French-Swiss reformer and theologian “I learned the first rule of repentance: that repentance requires greater intimacy with God than with our sin…. Repentance requires that we draw near to Jesus, no matter what. And sometimes we all have to crawl there on our hands and knees. Repentance is an intimate affair. And…intimacy with anything is a terrifying prospect.” “I think that churches would be places of greater intimacy and growth in Christ if people stopped lying about what we need, what we fear, where we fail, and how we sin.” ~Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, former professor of English at Syracuse “When fear rules your theology, God is nowhere to be found in your paradigm, no matter how many Bible verses you tack onto it.” ~Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert “Man is not at peace with his fellow man because he is not at peace with himself; he is not at peace with himself, because he is not at peace with God.” ~Thomas Merton (1915-1968), American monk, writer and social activist “There is tremendous relief in knowing His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me….” ~J.I. Packer, British-born theologian SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 32:24-31, 33:1-20 (ESV) Genesis 32 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Genesis 33 1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this companythat I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. 12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead ofyou.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” 15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. 18 And Jacob came safelyto the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of moneythe piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

REFLECTION QUOTES “…man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun…” ~Clifford Geertz (1926-2006), noted American anthropologist “…humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” ~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician and writer The Bible “presents its truth always in an existential manner. [That means] I cannot afford to sit back and consider it casually, in a detached manner. No, …you cannot afford to do that, because you are in an uncertain world, and your whole life in it is so uncertain…. [The Bible] is…a direct and personal address…. [God] is speaking to us about ourselves—where we are, why we are there, how we ever got there, how we can come from there.” ~Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1980), in a sermon on the book of Genesis “Whatever else it embraces, true Christian experience must always include a genuine encounter with God.” ~A.W. Tozer (1897-1963), pastor and author “What we have seen in the last four or five decades is the democratization of God…more deeply than ever before in our country's history.” ~T.M. Luhrmann, professor of psychological anthropology “And amid such uncertainty [about our self-identity], we typically turn to the wider world to settle the question of our significance. We seem beholden to affections of others to endure ourselves. Our ‘ego' or self-conception could be pictured as a leaking balloon, forever requiring the helium of external love to remain inflated, and ever vulnerable to the smallest pinpricks of neglect.” ~Alain de Botton, Swiss-born philosopher and writer “‘Is God trying to get my attention by making my life harder or something?' I said. Blowing out smoke between questions, said out loud but mainly meant for God to hear and relent. ‘I mean, does God want me that much?' As grace would have it, He did.” ~Jackie Hill-Perry, poet and writer SERMON PASSAGE Genesis 31:55-32:24 (ESV) Genesis 31 55 Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home. Genesis 32 1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God's camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.'” 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.” 9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,' 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'” 13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?' 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.'” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.'” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp. 22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.