Preparing for Sunday

Resting In Christ's Blessings  

This Sunday, as we explore Genesis 30:25–31:16 and what it means to rest in Christ’s blessings, we will see how both Laban and Jacob attempted to manipulate or manage what only God can provide—blessings. After twenty years of hard labor in Laban’s household, Jacob finally sees that Yahweh, the covenant God who revealed Himself at Bethel, had been with Jacob all along, blessing him with protection, provision, and justice. As you prepare your heart for worship and reflection, consider how often you, like Jacob or Laban, try to manipulate circumstances or earn God’s favor rather than resting in the covenant promises already secured for us in Christ. It is my prayer God will use our time on Sunday to both and encourage and convict us as we consider the innumerable blessings we enjoy in Christ. Soli Deo Gloria! 

Big Idea: Stop manipulating and start trusting in God’s promise to bless His people.  

1. God’s blessings cannot be controlled (30:25–36)

2. God’s plan cannot be engineered (30:37–43)

3. God’s servants are able to see (31:1–16) 

Preparation Questions: Genesis 30:25-31:16

1. In what areas of your life are you trying to control or earn God’s blessings instead of resting in His promises?

2. How does God’s faithfulness in the past encourage you to trust Him today? How should this trust be manifest on a day-to-day basis? 

3. In what ways has your relationship with God become transactional—where you do “x” expecting God to do “y”—rather than covenantal, trusting God to bless you because of His covenant? How can you surrender those patterns to Him?

4. How can you live daily in the freedom of already being blessed in Christ, rather than striving for what is already given? What steps are you willing to take today?