First Baptist Family of Asheboro, NC

  The hungry caterpillar ate an apple.  He ate two pears and was still hungry so he ate some more until he was finally full.  He builds a cocoon and in two weeks emerges as a beautiful butterfly.  His dreams were fulfilled.  Today we are in Genesis 37.   God gives us all kinds of dreams and today we call our attention to Joseph, the son of Jacob.   When Jacob was about to meet Esau Joseph was just a little boy.   Joseph  was present.   Jacob prayed to God for the sake of the children.   Everyone won’t like your dreams. God gives Jacob a dream, but what happens when he shares that dream?   God speaks into our lives too.   We don’t always have the intended response we expect or want from others.   Not everyone will like your dreams.   Joseph’s brothers didn’t like his dream.   In fact, his brothers hated him.   Joseph was the favorite son of their father Jacob.   Joseph was like his dad.   Remember when Jacob was at the well with strangers and he started telling them how to things?

  How do we learn things?   Some of us learn by reading.   I’ve been learning on YouTube.   We can learn by watching other people.   Sometimes we have to learn by doing it, like riding a bike, for example.   There’s nothing like doing it.   Today we are in the same passage we were in last week. Jacob will wrestle with God.   How do we wrestle with God?   In Genesis 32 Jacob wrestles with God.   So many times in scripture there’s an encounter with God.   Some things we can only experience by doing them.    We are now twenty years past the event where Jacob encountered God with angels and the stairway to Heaven.   Today we look at another encounter with God.   This is a different encounter; it’s not about reconciling with man, but reconciling with God.   How do we reconcile with God?   How do we get everything right? Be broken. That may sound painful and it is!   Jacob will spend time with God.   God has to break us.   Jacob is alone; they’re split into two camps. He’s finished tel

  It’s been twenty years since we’ve encountered Jacob. He was in a rocky place in life and now he has a home with Laban.   He’s built up vast wealth as he poured himself into his career.   He now has a large family.   He’s set aside the pain of the past.    Jacob is in a solid place in life.   Jacob’s name will later be changed to Israel.   In Genesis 32, as we look at these passages, Jacob is about to take a huge turn in his life.   He has all the wealth he left behind years ago when he fled form his family.   He still has the pain of his past.   Jacob cannot keep running from his past.   God said Jacob would be a blessing to all nations.   Jacob has been comfortable here but it’s not where God wants him to be.   We cannot continue to run from our past.   It’s difficult for us as we are conditioned to forget our past and downplay it.   We teach our children this.   For example, moms know we cannot get caught up in the setbacks of life.   When a child skins their knee mom might start

  The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel by the Well oil, canvas by Antonio Paroli (1700-1800) When J.K Rowling was a young woman she was living on government assistance to meet her basic needs.   She was a teacher at night while writing and the first twelve times she submitted her manuscript she was told, “Don’t quit your day job.”   She’s sold half a billion copies of her Harry Potter books. In Genesis 29 we’ve been looking at what God has done in Jacob’s life.   Today we’ll see Jacob at his best, finding his way forward to what God has for him.   He reminds us of his mother, Rebekah.   Rebekah’s story sounds familiar here, how God is working. How do you get back on track?   Jacob has to face the unknown.   We understand this idea of the unknown.   Jacob has new strength after experiencing the stairway to Heaven.   He’s gained an insight where he realizes God is with him facing the unknown. Face the unknown.                      1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land

Church, you have been resilient.  We have about 180 people on our campus today in both of our services and some small groups.  You have been making lots of choices these last few weeks.  I want you to know how proud I am of you.  You’ve done well to encourage and support one another.  Those of you who are with us online; this takes persistence to worship online with is.  It’s a choice.  Thank you for joining us online.   It’s wonderful to hear the sounds of children.  Families are all together now in worship.  We’re old school!  We’re doing church like we did 100 years ago, all of us together in worship.  Some churches even had doors on the pews to keep the children from escaping.  Do you ever wish you could just walk into a room with God?  You could hear God’s voice and know what God wants you to do?  Today we’ll read about a stairway to Heaven.  It’s a familiar story of God speaking into someone’s life.  Jacob’s name was later changed to Israel.  As we look at Jacob, he’s just come