SCRIPTURE: Genesis 29 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: What goes around, comes around. Those who live by deception are caught by deception. Jacob the trickster is tricked! Paul speaks about reaping what we sow (Galatians 6:7-10). This story shows that even though our hope is in the Lord, His presence and purpose with us, that our actions have consequences, and God…
still with me
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 28 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Jacob goes through life as one blessed by God. This is not because he is such a good person, but because God decided even before he was born to work out His plan of salvation through Jacob. Unfortunately Esau doesn’t understand that blessing comes from God. At first he flaunts his firstborn…
the problem with shortcuts
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 27 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The heal-puller (the meaning of Jacob’s name, also means deceiver) is at it again. Jacob tricks his father, lies about his own identity and about God (‘the Lord put the animal in my path’). But as we saw with Isaac and his father, Jacob is imitating his mother. This is her scheme, her…
a role model for trusting God
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 26 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Is there a pattern here or what? Isaac has been shaped by his father on earth, but needs to be shaped by his Father in heaven. God warns him not to go to Egypt, like his father did when there was an earlier famine. God will take care of him, and will give…
cool bible maps online
Here is a cool resource that can help you visualize the chapters of the Bible you are reading, using Google Maps. It is www.biblemap.org. All you have to do is select the Bible book and the chapter, and it will give the map with symbols identifying the locations in the passage. You can zoom in…
God of surprises
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 25 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: It seems that God likes surprises – He seems to prefer going against normal expectations. He takes Abram, a nobody from somewhere else, and plants him as a stranger in Canaan, with the promise that one day he will have the land and a big family. Then He waits forever and ever…
everything’s amazing, but nobody’s happy
Have we become so spoiled? Comedian Louis CK is interviewed by Conan O’Brien, and he does give an interesting spin on the consumer culture we live in, and the consumer monsters we’re becoming. He suggests that maybe we need to go through some tough times to really appreciate how far we’ve come. And its kind…
what God is up to
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 24 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The Bible is not primarily a collection of stories with morals (be like this, don’t be like that) – though there are stories with morals. The Bible is not primarily a collection of principles and commandments, though there are principles and commandments. The Bible is primarily a story, or The Story, of…
living with integrity
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 23 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The line that stands out in this passage is “you are an honoured prince among us (v.6). This speaks of Abraham’s integrity and good reputation. And the way he handles this land transaction demonstrates this as well. He insists on paying fair value for the land he purchases. As I read this,…
dynamic community of Jesus-followers
I recently read a book called “It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It” by Craig Groeschel. Craig attempts to describe that “something” that dynamic churches have, and discovers that while we cannot define it or package it in a program, there are important qualities found among those who have it. While…