Nate D., our Eastside Community Group Leader, preached on the life of Jacob as told throughout the Book of Genesis, specifically from Genesis 25:19-28, Genesis 27:1-13, Genesis 29:13-30, Genesis 32, and Genesis 33:1-3.
- Jacob’s self-reliant, striving, scheming heart was on a quest for acceptance, however it led him into crisis, and loneliness, over and over again.
- Jacob liked the idea of God as his helper but was unwilling to rely on God. His heart wasn’t ready to rely on God in a way that would really cost him something if God didn’t come through.
- Despite Jacob’s lukewarm, half-committed heart and his lifelong habit of pushing God away in favor of doing it himself, God was steadfastly committed to winning Jacob’s heart. Even so much that God was willing to reduce himself to a fist fight to demonstrate His love for Jacob.
- Jacob is the portrait of a changed man. God’s love is more stubborn than our hearts. He will chase us, wrestle us, fight us, and go to whatever length He must go to win our hearts back and not let us wander alone.
COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Jacob had a habit of seeking acceptance and affirmation throughout his life everywhere but God, whether it was from his father, his family life, his wealth, or just his own self-sufficiency. What things in your life do you look to for love and fulfillment that distract you from complete reliance on God?
2. At the end of the story, Jacob was completely alone and preparing to once again rely on himself to get him through his life circumstances. Despite this, God was unwilling to let him continue on alone. Have you ever felt like you are alone, despite perhaps putting on a veneer of competence and perseverance? In what ways can we regularly come to Jesus and choose to submit to him instead of continuing on our ways independent from him?
3. Jacob found himself fighting against God and His will for his life. He even found himself in a physical fist fight with God. How have you seen evidence of God struggling with you in your life? How have you experienced God fighting for your heart?
4. Jacob had a wrestling match to prove God’s never ending pursuit of him. We have the cross of Christ as proof that God will go to the unimaginable lengths to pursue us. In what ways does the story of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross affirm us in our broken places?