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Scripture: Matthew 5:3-16 I. The kingdom’s norms are upside down compared to the world’s norms. A. Jesus comforts His afflicted people by speaking about who is blessed in a series of what are called beatitudes in Matt. 5:3-12. Someone who is blessed is someone who has found God’s approval. To be poor in spirit (vs. 3) is to…
Scripture: Matthew 24:29-35 I. We have hope that Jesus will come with glory and majesty. A. In Matthew 24 Jesus is answering two questions of the disciples. When will the temple be destroyed and when will Jesus come again to earth (vs. 3)? But Jesus said there will be a delay between the destruction of the temple and…
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 I. Stress is caused by focusing on me. A. King Herod in Matthew 2 was a paranoid old man. He was stressed out and troubled when he heard the news of a new Jewish king (vs. 3). His paranoia made everyone in Jerusalem troubled (vs. 3) by what violent act he might do next. He wanted to…
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25 I. The fact that Jesus is Savior can free us from disappointment. A. The facts of Jesus’ birth are found in vs. 18: “When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” How incredibly disappointing for Joseph to discover…
Scripture: Genesis 35:9-29 I. God gives grace of reassurance in a fallen world. A. Genesis 35:9, “God appeared to Jacob again.” Again. God is always appearing to Jacob. God keeps showing up in Jacob’s life to reassure him that God will indeed bless him. God reminds Jacob of the blessing that he had won in a wrestling match…
Scripture: Genesis 34:1–35:8 I. Sex and marriage can bring danger to your relationship with God. A. How did Jacob’s daughter Dinah do wrong? Verse 1 says she went out to see the women of the land of Shechem. Dinah was probably a teenager. She was naïve. But what were Canaanite women like? Not righteous. See Genesis 26:35.…
Scripture: Genesis 32:22-32 I. God’s grace cripples self-sufficient believers to bless them. A. Jacob was left alone. And that’s when things get weird in our story. Suddenly in vs. 24 we are introduced to a mystery wrestler who begins to grapple with Jacob. Who is this? At first Jacob thinks he is wrestling with a man (vs.…
Scripture: Genesis 32:1-21 I. God wants you to walk in the way of faith. A. In Genesis 31:3 God had commanded Jacob: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” But this land was where Esau was – the Esau who 20 years ago wanted to kill Jacob. Notice…
Scripture: Genesis 31:22-55 I. God protects you by direct intervention. A. How did God directly intervene in Jacob’s life? God sent a dream into Laban’s head when Laban was hunting Jacob down (vs. 29). This dream made Laban afraid to harm Jacob. Laban feared tiny household gods that Rachel had stolen from him (vs. 19). But Jacob…
Scripture: Genesis 30:25–31:21 I. God blesses you to bless others. A. It is clear to both Laban and to Jacob that God has blessed Laban because of Jacob. Laban wants to keep Jacob on the farm (Genesis 30:27), “I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” Laban was not rich…
