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God Sees Leah We just finished the story of Lavan, the uncle, swindling his nephew, Yaaqov, the trickster. The trickster gets tricked in a way that mirrors his own trickstering Genesis 29:31-30:24 - Another example of how the numbering doesn’t always match up with the narrative, but that’s ok. And these…

Introduction This third week of Advent we light the pink candle, the candle of Joy . In the middle of the Advent journey, we pause to remember that joy is not simply a feeling dependent on circumstances—it is a steadfast, soul-deep response to who God is. Even when life feels bleak, even when our hopes…

Deception in the House of Lavan Last week we talked about that amazing dream. Do you wish you had dreams like that? He did say he was terrified. We're not gonna forget about the dream though, 'cause it's gonna come up again as we move forward. he goes from Bethel, which is up in the northern hill country.…

Introduction – When Life Feels Like a Storm Have you ever noticed how life can shift from calm to chaos in a matter of moments? One phone call, one diagnosis, one loss—and suddenly the waves rise, and the winds roar. You thought you were sailing peacefully along, but then a storm hits that you never…

Introduction Today is Thanksgiving Sunday—a time when we pause to remember God’s blessings and to express our gratitude to Him. But gratitude isn’t just a seasonal emotion; it’s a spiritual posture. True thanksgiving flows from recognizing who God is , not just what He gives. Psalm 100 is one of the…

Jacob’s Exile We just finished act one, the first main part of the Yaaqov story. Where we had lots of deceit. Now we are going to follow the deceiver into exile and see where it leads him. The first thing that happens to Yaaqov in his exile is he ends up alone in a field, so he falls asleep, as one does…

Looking Back at the Journey Today we come to the end of Ecclesiastes. Over the past weeks, we’ve walked with Qoheleth—the Teacher—on his quest for meaning. And what a journey it’s been. We began with the declaration: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (1:2). Life under the sun is fleeting, elusive,…

Parting of the Brothers Let's take our third and final step into this first part of the Yaaqov story. You can feel the tension has built to a climactic point here. The double deception. Now Jacob appears to be walking away with the blessing, the deceptive plan that he and his mother worked. But it's…

Introduction Life is short. That’s a truth we can’t escape. If you’re young, life feels long—like you’ve got all the time in the world. If you’re older, you know how fast the years go by. One day you’re full of energy and possibility, and then suddenly you’re looking back wondering where it all went.…

Isaac Blesses Jacob So Yaaqov just walked into the tent with the tasty food that my father loves. 18 When he came to his father, he said, “My father.” And he answered, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob replied to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit…