GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Thursday, September 30

Matthew 6:25-34

If we’re locked into this world’s values, any fiscal crisis or constraint can leave us feeling deprived and scared. Jesus tells us, “Don’t worry.” (For an uplifting Bible study project, look for all the places where Scripture tells God’s people, “Don’t be afraid.” Luke 12:32 and John 14:37 are good starting points.) 

• Jesus approaches this passage from two angles. His main point is that worry puts our attention on the wrong things (verse 33). What does your life look like when you are focused on God’s kingdom and righteousness? How does worry take you away from that kind of life?
• Jesus also makes the more practical point that worry usually doesn’t do any good (verse 27). Can you think of things you spent considerable time and energy worrying about that never came to pass? How does worry differ from sensible foresight and precautions?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Wednesday, September 29

Matthew 6:19-24

Here Jesus reminds us that there can only be one “most important” focus, one top priority, in our life. It’s simply not possible to make God and the values of the unseen kingdom of heaven most important if our priorities are ruled by the values of the tangible life and culture around us.

• Jesus says you cannot serve two masters. Who or what is the “master” you are serving, as measured by where you put the most energy, time and focus? In what ways, if any, have you experienced the power of money to control and direct your life?
• What forces besides purely financial ones (e.g. social prestige, children) can become your “treasure,” more important to you than God? How do you find that living in God’s kingdom makes you a better parent, citizen, friend, etc., if at all?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Tuesday, September 28

Matthew 6:1-4

Sometimes we find that even our “generous” acts come because we feel the need to put on a performance for others—to make ourselves feel better, to get others to think better of us. Jesus pointed to the fact that God is leading us away from these “false selves” to our true “child of God” selves. 

• When you give to others, in what ways (if any) do you identify with this text? Ask Jesus to give you a vision of serving “an audience of one,” and allowing God to fill the empty places inside you. 
• In his book The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg writes that many of us suffer from an “approval addiction.” Have you ever done something generous, and purposely tried to make sure no one else knew about it? If not, try it this week and see how it affects you inwardly.

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Monday, September 27

Matthew 19:16-20

Jesus invited the young man in this story to reset his priorities, to change the focus of his life. The young man chose not to do that. That he went away sad suggests that he really wanted to follow Jesus—but not if following Jesus meant actually making Jesus central to the way he lived his entire life. 

• This story confronts us with the difficult question, “Which of my possessions, if any, are so precious to me that I’d choose them over Jesus?” We know the young man’s answer to the question. What is your answer?  
• The disciples thought prosperity always showed God’s favor on a person. Jesus’ perspective on wealth and poverty turned their world view upside down. In our sometimes upside down financial world, how will you strengthen your trust in God and reset your valuation of earthly treasures?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Saturday, September 25

Personal Application:

Make a list of personal habits that may not be in line with Scripture. Then make a list of issues that you may need to rethink in light of Scripture. Choose one thing from each list and describe what you need to do in order to let God’s word rule instead of the world. Begin to put into action in real life what you have just described. You might forget or feel like you fail at times, but remember that in Christ you are forgiven, and try again.

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Friday, September 24

Matthew 28:30; 2 Timothy 2:9 

The writers of “The Theological Declaration of Barmen” likely considered Jesus’ words at the end of Matthew to be a great source of comfort. When they referred to this verse in the letter to Timothy, what claim were they making? There were many people in Germany at the time, including Christians, who wanted to get rid of everything in the Bible that carried even a hint of Jewish influence, or anything else that didn’t line up with the overall values of the German people. The writers of the “TDB” argued that it was wrong to try to impose restrictions or even change the message of the Word of God. In fact, they argued, it couldn’t be done. Ultimately the Word of God could not be bound by humans.

What restrictions do you impose on Scripture (intentionally or not)? What would happen if you truly let the word of God rule your actions and world view?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Thursday, September 23

1 Peter 2:13-17

This letter was written to people who were facing difficult choices in living out their faith. Should they be open and public about being a Christian or should they submit to the emperor and Roman law? (It was not necessarily legal to be a Christian.) The writer of this letter encourages Christians to submit to all legitimate authorities, just as Jesus did. However, the writers of “The Theological Declaration of Barmen” use this passage to argue against the government taking over the leadership of the church itself, as well as the church taking over the primary role of the State (government).

What do you think it means to “Fear God” and “Honor the Emperor”? What impact does that make on how you live out your Christian faith?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Wednesday, September 22

Matthew 20:20-28

In this passage, two of his disciples (along with their mother) approach Jesus with a request that basically could be seen as a power play. The other disciples were furious that they had done this, but many of them had similar motives in their competition with one another to be the ‘greatest among them’. Jesus responded by reminding them that following him was different than the Roman way of doing things. He wanted them to stand as a sharp contrast to the world.

If Christian leadership involves serving others with great humility, how might that be different than leadership in our world today?

If you are a leader in the church, or are considering taking on a leadership role in the church, does this passage change your view of what it means to be a Christian leader? If so, how? If not, how does your view line up with what Jesus says in this passage?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Tuesday, September 21

Ephesians 4:15-16 

“‘We reject the false doctrine, as though the church were permitted to abandon the form of its message and order to its own pleasure or to changes in prevailing ideological and political convictions.” (TBD 8.18)

When the law of the land goes hand in hand with Christian beliefs, it can seem easy to be a Christian. On some level we might be tempted to equate being a ‘good Christian’ with being a ‘good citizen’ of our country. The question is, where do we find our true citizenship?

The writers of “The Theological Declaration of Barmen” argued that Christian citizenship in the Kingdom of God must take priority over being a German citizen. As a result, they thought it was more important to follow Scripture, the Word of God, than to follow the doctrine of the Nazi party, the words of Hitler.

In your life, what are the implications of placing citizenship in the Kingdom of God as a priority over being an American citizen? What difficult choices might you need to make as a Christian in this time and place?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Monday, September 20

John 10:1, 9; 14:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30

“We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God’s revelation.” (TDB 8.12)

“We reject the false doctrine, as though there were areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords - areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.” (TBD 8.15)

These words from “The Theological Declaration of Barmen” highlight the fact that we do not belong to Jesus in part, but he has authority over a person’s whole life. In the time leading up to World War II, many German Christians were giving in to the idea that the Church must take into consideration the ideas and ideals upheld by the Nazi party. Along with this, the prevailing sentiment among most German Christians was, in effect, that faith or religion should have a secondary role to the practice of politics and daily life.

Who or what comes first in shaping how you approach life? Is it really Jesus? Describe some of the implications of Jesus having the primary role in what you do and how you think about the issues that come up in your daily life?

The Theological Declaration of Barmen

This confession was used in our worship service on September 19th as part of the Sermon Series "Finding Your Way Out of the Desert". The first Message ("A New Creation") and the second ("Who Is Your Desert Guide?") are available in audio (MP3) and video (MP4, FLV) formats on our website, www.discover-first.org.

This text is from the "Book of Confessions"(English) ("Spanish"), part of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). There it was reprinted, with permission, from The Church’s Confessions Under Hitler by Arthur C. Cochrane, pp. 237–242. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1962.

I. An Appeal to the Evangelical Congregations
and Christians in Germany

The Confessional Synod of the German Evangelical Church met in Barmen, May 29–31, 1934. Here representatives from all the German Confessional churches met with one accord in a confession of the one Lord of the one, holy, apostolic church. In fidelity to their Confession of Faith, members of Lutheran, Reformed, and United Churches sought a common message for the need and temptation of the church in our day. With gratitude to God they are convinced that they have been given a common word to utter. It was not their intention to found a new church or to form a union. For nothing was farther from their minds than the abolition of the confessional status of our churches. Their intention was, rather, to withstand in faith and unanimity the destruction of the Confession of Faith, and thus of the Evangelical Church in Germany. In opposition to attempts to establish the unity of the German Evangelical Church by means of false doctrine, by the use of force and insincere practices, the Confessional Synod insists that the unity of the Evangelical churches in Germany can come only from the Word of God in faith through the Holy Spirit. Thus alone is the church renewed.

Therefore the Confessional Synod calls upon the congregations to range themselves behind it in prayer, and steadfastly to gather around those pastors and teachers who are loyal to the Confessions.

Be not deceived by loose talk, as if we meant to oppose the unity of the German nation! Do not listen to the seducers who pervert our intentions, as if we wanted to break up the unity of the German Evangelical Church or to forsake the Confessions of the Fathers!

Try the spirits whether they are of God! Prove also the words of the Confessional Synod of the German Evangelical Church to see whether they agree with Holy Scripture and with the Confessions of the Fathers. If you find that we are speaking contrary to Scripture, then do not listen to us! But if you find that we are taking our stand upon Scripture, then let no fear or temptation keep you from treading with us the path of faith and obedience to the Word of God, in order that God’s people be of one mind upon earth and that we in faith experience what he himself has said: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” Therefore, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

II. Theological Declaration Concerning the Present Situation of the German Evangelical Church

According to the opening words of its constitution of July 11, 1933, the German Evangelical Church is a federation of Confessional churches that grew out of the Reformation and that enjoy equal rights. The theological basis for the unification of these churches is laid down in Article 1 and Article 2(1) of the constitution of the German Evangelical Church that was recognized by the Reich Government on July 14, 1933:

Article 1. The inviolable foundation of the German Evangelical Church is the gospel of Jesus
Christ as it is attested for us in Holy Scripture and brought to light again in the Confessions of the Reformation. The full powers that the Church needs for its mission are hereby determined
and limited.
Article 2(1). The German Evangelical Church is divided into member Churches (Landeskirchen).

We, the representatives of Lutheran, Reformed, and United Churches, of free synods, church assemblies, and parish organizations united in the Confessional Synod of the German Evangelical Church, declare that we stand together on the ground of the German Evangelical Church as a federation of German Confessional churches. We are bound together by the confession of the one Lord of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.

We publicly declare before all evangelical churches in Germany that what they hold in common in this Confession is grievously imperiled, and with it the unity of the German Evangelical Church. It is threatened by the teaching methods and actions of the ruling church party of the “German Christians” and of the church administration carried on by them. These have become more and more apparent during the first year of the existence of the German Evangelical Church. This threat consists in the fact that the theological basis, in which the German Evangelical Church is united, has been continually and systematically thwarted and rendered ineffective by alien principles, on the part of the leaders and spokesmen of the “German Christians” as well as on the part of the church administration. When these principles are held to be valid, then, according to all the Confessions in force among us, the church ceases to be the church and the German Evangelical Church, as a federation of Confessional churches, becomes intrinsically impossible.

As members of Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches, we may and must speak with one voice in this matter today. Precisely because we want to be and to remain faithful to our various Confessions, we may not keep silent, since we believe that we have been given a common message to utter in a time of common need and temptation. We commend to God what this may mean for the interrelations of the Confessional churches.

In view of the errors of the “German Christians” of the present Reich Church government which are devastating the church and are also thereby breaking up the unity of the German Evangelical Church, we confess the following evangelical truths:

1. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6.) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. . . . I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” (John 10:1, 9.)
Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God’s revelation.

2. “Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (I Cor. 1:30.)
As Jesus Christ is God’s assurance of the forgiveness of all our sins, so in the same way and with the same seriousness is he also God’s mighty claim upon our whole life. Through him befalls us a joyful deliverance from the godless fetters of this world for a free, grateful service to his creatures.

We reject the false doctrine, as though there were areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords—areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.

3. “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way
into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body [is]
joined and knit together.” (Eph. 4:15–16.)
The Christian Church is the congregation of the brethren in which Jesus Christ acts presently as the Lord in Word and Sacrament through the Holy Spirit. As the church of pardoned sinners, it has to testify in the midst of a sinful world, with its faith as with its obedience, with its message as with its order, that it is solely his property, and that it lives and wants to live solely from his comfort and from his direction in the expectation of his appearance.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church were permitted to abandon the form of its message and order to its own pleasure or to changes in prevailing ideological and political convictions.

4. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” (Matt. 20:25, 26.)
The various offices in the church do not establish a dominion of some over the others; on the contrary, they are for the exercise of the ministry entrusted to and enjoined upon the whole congregation.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church, apart from this ministry, could and were permitted to give to itself, or allow to be given to it, special leaders vested with ruling powers.

5. “Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (I Peter 2:17.)
Scripture tells us that, in the as yet unredeemed world in which the church also exists, the State has by divine appointment the task of providing for justice and peace. [It fulfills this task] by means of the threat and exercise of force, according to the measure of human judgment and human ability. The church acknowledges the benefit of this divine appointment in gratitude and reverence before him. It calls to mind the Kingdom of God, God’s commandment and righteousness, and thereby the responsibility both of rulers and of the ruled. It trusts and obeys the power of the Word by which God upholds all things.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the State, over and beyond its special commission, should and could become the single and totalitarian order of human life, thus fulfilling the church’s vocation as well.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church, over and beyond its special commission, should and could appropriate the characteristics, the tasks, and the dignity of the State, thus itself becoming an organ of the State.

6. “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matt. 28:20.) “The word of God is not fettered.” (II Tim. 2:9.)
The church’s commission, upon which its freedom is founded, consists in delivering the message of the free grace of God to all people in Christ’s stead, and therefore in the ministry of his own Word and work through sermon and Sacrament.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans.

The Confessional Synod of the German Evangelical Church declares that it sees in the acknowledgment of these truths and in the rejection of these errors the indispensable theological basis of the German Evangelical Church as a federation of Confessional churches. It invites all who are able to accept its declaration to be mindful of these theological principles in their decisions in church politics. It entreats all whom it concerns to return to the unity of faith, love, and hope.

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Saturday, September 11

Personal Application: “Work” is different for a young mother, a hard-driving sales person, an executive, or a retired person living alone. List the work you do, paid and unpaid. For each item on your list, ask God “Are you calling me to keep doing this?” Next ask “How could I do this better?” Then ask “Lord, what shall we celebrate about this work?” Finally, ask God to help you to set your work aside regularly and rest.
Family Activity: As a family, list different ways people work including household chores, mission projects and careers. Using your own criteria, categorize these jobs into “big” and “small.” Read Colossians 3:23. Does God distinguish between “big” and “small” jobs or is all work important to God? How does our attitude and the quality of our work matter to God? Choose a volunteer job to do as a family. Consider sponsoring a litter removal area, planting a neighborhood garden or helping your school or workplace recycle. Be aware of your spirit and attitude as you serve others, fulfill household duties or complete tasks at school or your workplace. Would God be pleased? Thank God for the opportunity to work and ask God for a servant’s heart.
Prayer: God, many days I need both energy and purpose. Help me to remember to turn to you, the source of both and so much more. Keep me from activities that drain me and turn my focus away from you. Thank you for the always-open door into your presence. Amen.

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Friday, September 10

Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Exodus 34:21

God wants us to work honestly and diligently. But in our “workaholic” culture we also need to hear what God taught Israel by setting up the Sabbath. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt who NEVER got days off. Now God told them a Sabbath rest, the ability to stop working and renew their inner life in communion with God, was as important as their work.
Recall that Genesis says God set the model for a rhythm of work and rest (Genesis 1:31 -2:2). Is your work “never done?” Are you a person who can find a stopping point, rejoice in what you’ve done and rest? How can making a Sabbath rest a regular part of life specifically bless driven, Type-A personalities?
Exodus 34 says, to a mainly agricultural people, “even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.” How can you apply that to the patterns and rhythms of your life? In which times or seasons do you think, “I just can’t take a break”? What would a Sabbath rest look like in your life?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Thursday, September 9

Luke 19:1-10

The Roman Empire told each tax collector how much they expected. Anything he collected beyond that was his. So Zacchaeus, a “chief” tax collector, was wealthy. But he wanted to meet Jesus, and Jesus wanted to meet him. When Jesus’ grace touched his life, Zacchaeus’ first response was to say, “I’m going to make things right.”
Is Zacchaeus wealthier and more of a “success” at the start of this story or at its end? Sure, you know the answer you’re supposed to give! But, honestly, how do you define “wealth” and “success” for yourself? Would you give up as much as Zacchaeus did in order to have Jesus, the “pearl of great price,” in your life?
Jesus seemed to like being with sinners and outsiders. That appalled the “good” people of his day (verse 7). Suppose Jesus was here today Who would he “call out of the trees” in your neighborhood, your workplace or your city that would be likely to upset you? How can you help him call them?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Wednesday, September 8

Amos 8:1-7

The wealthy merchants of Israel no doubt saw Amos as a rural bumpkin (Amos 1:1) who just didn’t “get” what it took to make it in business. But Amos spoke for God. God saw actions like exploiting the poor or using short weights and measures as a spiritual issue. There was no unique “business” part of life where spiritual values didn’t apply.
Amos lived in a world without standard measures. The principles he taught, though, apply as much today as in his day. What modern practices have you seen that fit the words “we make the measures small and the price of things big”? In what areas are you tempted to think, “The bottom line is all that matters”?
Beyond plain fraud, Amos confronted these pious people (8:3) about how they “trampled the needy.” What “legal” things do you see, on any scale from private to global, which trample and seek to do away with the poor? How can you act to help “justice and righteousness roll on like a river” (Amos 5:24)?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Tuesday, September 7

Daniel 6:1-10

Daniel was a Hebrew exile serving the Persian Empire—a clear target for political plots. But Daniel’s rivals were shocked. They found no sleaze, no slips, nothing to criticize. So they duped the king into making a law aimed at the spiritual habits that sustained Daniel. Daniel was ready to lose his job, even his life, rather than even appearing to stop his prayers.
We often hear public figures facing a scandal complain, “No one could survive the kind of scrutiny I’ve faced.” However, the most powerful people in the Persian government found nothing about Daniel that could be used against him. How about your work, your life? Would you pass the “Daniel test”?
Today’s verses set the stage for the famous story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Was it all really necessary? Would it have been so wrong for Daniel to say his prayers quietly in an inner room, or at least to keep the windows shut? Was he foolish or faithful to risk his standing and impact by holding to his well-known practice of prayer

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Monday, September 6

Genesis 1:31 – 2:2, 2:8-15

The pagan nations around Israel described their gods as living lives of leisure and fooling around. By contrast, the creation stories in Genesis show God as a master artisan, working to make a “very good” world. God also gave humans work (caring for the Garden). God meant that work to be wholesome and fulfilling.
The Hebrew of Genesis 2:15 uses a verb that means “to guard or protect.” Part of the work God gave humans is to guard and protect the earth. How well or poorly do you believe we have done in living up to this divine commission? What is one change you personally could make to better care for the earth?
We sometimes think we are “stuck” with work because it’s a harsh, hostile world. But Genesis shows God at work creating and sustaining the conditions in which human work will be fruitful (2:8-9). How do you see your work, paid or unpaid? Are you “on your own,” or is God working before and with you?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Saturday, September 4

Personal Application: In Genesis 28:18, Jacob turned the stone he used for a pillow into a sign of God being there with him, even in painful times. Find a way to do something similar in your life. It might be a picture put up in your workspace, a verse taped to the dash of your car, or a common TV tray used as a simple altar. Creatively remind yourself of God’s abiding presence and steadfast love.

Family Activity: Do you appreciate receiving a blessing? Blessings, whether they are words, gifts, or kind deeds uplift our spirits, renew our strength and sustain us along life’s journey. Scripture is filled with blessings from God. Read aloud the following passages: Genesis 2:2-3; Psalm 33:12; Ezekiel 34:26; and Matthew 5:3-11. Discuss the blessings found in each one. Create a family blessing basket. Write kind word or phrases on several small slips of colorful paper and place them in a basket. Younger children could draw pictures to place in the blessing basket. Whenever a family member is in need of a blessing, pull a slip of paper, read or show it to him or her, then share a hug or smile.

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Friday, September 3

Genesis 27:42 - 28:22

Jacob ran for his life. Isaac didn’t think the plotting and hurt wiped out God’s covenant with Abraham (28:3-4). And God went with Jacob. Did you ever sing “Jacob’s Ladder”? In Jacob’s dream, the Lord at the top of the ladder promised him safety and a role in God’s grand story. Jacob inherited the covenant promises, not because he was great, but because God is.

As to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, so here God promised Jacob that his descendants would be a blessing for all peoples on earth. How does this “blessed to be a blessing” theme shape your grasp of what it meant for God to bless Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? How does it challenge you to use the blessings in your life?

Genesis says that when Jacob awoke, he said, “Surely the Lord God is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” Have you ever had a moment like that—an uncanny sense that “God is in this place, this person, this event—and I had missed it”? How can you become more aware of God’s presence in your life?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Thursday, September 2

Genesis 26:30-41

Esau’s return showed up Jacob’s fraud—but too late. You may ask, “Why not just take back the blessing, or say it again to Esau?“ Isaac’s world saw words as potent, not trivial (unlike ours, which says, “They’re just words”). Often we can’t just say, “I didn’t mean it” and undo the harm words cause. Esau’s words at the end were angry and ominous.

Isaac and Jacob’s culture may have been a little “over the top” on the permanent nature of words. We, on the other hand, are probably too casual about that (see James 3:2-11). When have you wished you could take back words that were irretrievably gone? When have “just words” uplifted and blessed you?

Only late in the story does Esau show any interest in or appreciation for the blessing and birthright that might have been his. How might his life have been different if he had valued them from the start? Now he became angry and bitter. What healthier, more healing ways have you found to deal with your regrets and hurts?

GPS - Grow, Pray, Study Weekly Guide: Wednesday, September 1

Genesis 26:34 - 27:29

Both Isaac and Rebekah played favorites (Genesis 25:28). Isaac tried to flout custom by giving a parting blessing only to Esau, his chosen. Rebekah overheard. She and Jacob fooled nearly blind Isaac, and Jacob got the blessing. Jacob now had all of Esau’s birthright. Genesis is bluntly frank about Isaac’s family, the keepers of the covenant!

Usually, a father called all his sons around his deathbed, and blessed each one (see Genesis 49). Isaac was not just a naive victim—he tried to bypass Jacob. Do you believe God could have worked in this situation without Rebekah’s deceit or not? How do you decide when to wait and trust God and when you need to act?

Genesis hints in many ways that Esau was not likely to carry on Abraham’s covenant with God (e.g. Genesis 26:34-35). What do you learn about God’s heart from God’s readiness to work with Jacob, despite Jacob’s flaws? In what ways has God had to be patient with you?