Religion & Spirituality
The Father Heart of God - Genesis 27:1-40: Family tensions. Probably all of us know what this feels like. Joyce and I just survived a vacation with her four siblings and their spouses. Being on a big boat in the Caribbean helped! It was actually a great trip and we were all profoundly grateful for the opportunity — and desire — to travel together. (And I repeat, being on a boat in the Caribbean helped!) Scripture is filled with accounts that clearly remind us family life is not always easy. I often say it's great having three kids, because you at least like one of them at any given moment. One day, one is the apple of your eye, and the next, they might be the bad apple! The early stories of the Patriarchs in Genesis reveal no small amount of sibling rivalry. The story of the stolen blessing by Jacob from Esau is particularly troubling. Lies, manipulation, and deception abound but somehow God's will still prevails. I want us to see the hope of God's sovereignty this weekend, but I especially want us to see the power of a blessing. Esau's lament after discovering Jacob had stolen the blessing: "Do you only have one blessing my Father? Bless me too" rings in our ears like a line from a horror movie. Every child longs for a blessing and every child deserves a blessing. We will focus on this over the weekend and I'm so excited to teach on the power of living a life of blessing others. It might be cold outside but the warmth of being together and worshiping our God will be a great blessing to all of us! Thank you for being such an amazing blessing to me! Pastor Ian