Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let...
Genesis 39:20-23 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s...
The Text. Genesis 31:44-54 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it...
Theme: There’s more freedom than we imagine in doing God’s will for our work. Key Truths/Outline 1...
Robots on assembly lines. Cars that drive themselves. The gig economy. Political uncertainties. Economic downturns. The news is full of troubling predictions...
Help us to be fruitful and faithful stewards of the work you have called us to do in the world.
Create in us a clean heart and make us whole again that we may live the life we long to live, a life of true integrity.
What are you doing to nurture and grow your relationship with God?
At the tender age of seventeen, Joseph was clearly gifted and trustworthy. But he wasn’t a polished product. We know he wasn’t...
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Most people think of this day as a time for wearing green and that’s about it (unless you’re Irish!).
Welcome, Tom Nelson! ...
Judah was the fourth and final son born of Jacob by Leah, his lesser wife, the one who knew she was unloved. Her father Laban had tricked Jacob into marrying her, presenting her...
What’s in a dream? Consider Elias Howe—the sewing machine pioneer. In his original model, his needle had an eye in the middle. And it didn’t work. One night, Howe dreamed he was under...
"I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. But you will die in Egypt with Joseph attending to you." Genesis 46:4 As Jacob offered sacrifices to...
Joseph expressed one of the great mysteries of our faith, the wonder of God's sovereignty. To the brothers who had indeed mistreated him by selling him into slavery, Joseph said, "So then, it was...
Finally Joseph had his chance. After years of being a slave, the last few in prison, he stood before Pharaoh, who praised Joseph for his ability to interpret dreams.
Genesis 34 is rife with dishonor and deception.
What an extraordinary scene! After years of alienation and physical separation, the two brothers are finally reunited.
Wells and water dominate Genesis 26. Isaac and his people kept trying to find reliable sources of water, but this led to conflict with the people who lived in the lands where Isaac...
Hagar is my unlikely daily-life heroine. Why? Because she encounters God in the midst of a terrible day. Probably the worst day...
God's commitment to justice led him to condemn the evil city of Sodom. Yet, in an astonishing display of boldness, Abraham challenged God's standards of justice. He appealed for Sodom on the basis...
Earlier in Genesis 18, the Lord revealed to Sarah that she would bear a son even in her old age. But she knew that women of her age never had children, so she...
In the previous verses, God had promised to Abraham that his wife, now called Sarah, would bear a son. So what does...
God had promised to Abram abundant descendants through his own son (Gen. 15:4-5), even though his wife, Sarai, had not been able...
Earlier in Genesis 13, Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen quarreled because there wasn't enough land to support their flocks.
The Bible’s story of Joseph resonates with everyday life. When we were young we didn’t get everything we thought we deserved. We studied hard, but didn’t get the jobs we wanted. We married...
This commentary on Genesis 12-50 explores work through the stories of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, and more.
Genesis chapters 12 through 50 tell about the life and work of Abraham, Sarah, and their descendants. God called Abraham, Sarah, and...
When Abraham left his home in Haran and set out for the land of Canaan, his family was probably already quite large...
The initial results of Abraham’s journeys were not promising. There was fierce competition for the land (Gen. 12:6), and Abraham spent a...
When Abraham and his family reentered Canaan and came to the region around Bethel, the friction that erupted between the herders of...
The story of Abraham and Sarah’s generous hospitality to three visitors who came to them by the oaks of Mamre is told...
When Abraham and Sarah entered the country of King Abimelech, Abimelech inadvertently violated the rules of hospitality, and as restitution awarded Abraham...
When Sarah died, Abraham engaged in an exemplary negotiation to buy a burial plot for her. He conducted the negotiations openly and...
Isaac was the son of a great father and the father of a great son, but he himself left a mixed record. In contrast to the sustained prominence that Genesis gives to Abraham...
The names Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob appear often as a group, because they all received covenantal promises from God and shared the same faith. But Jacob was far different from his grandfather, Abraham...
Although it was God’s plan for Jacob to succeed Isaac (Gen. 25:23), Rebekah and Jacob’s use of...
In escaping from Esau, Jacob ended up at the family farm of Laban, his mother’s brother. Jacob worked for Laban for twenty-one...
After increasing tension with his father-in-law and a business separation in which both men acted less than admirably, Jacob left Laban. Having...
From a young age, Joseph believed God had destined him for greatness. In dreams, God assured Joseph that he would rise to...
Joseph’s stint in Potiphar’s employ gave him a wide range of fiduciary responsibilities. At first, Joseph was...
Joseph’s service in prison was marked by the Lord’s presence, the jailer’s favor, and Joseph’s promotion to leadership (Gen. 39:21-23). ...
Jesus Working Beside You: Genesis 41 Sermon Notes (Click Here to Read) Especially for pastors: sermon notes on Joseph in the context...
Joseph immediately went about the work to which Pharaoh had appointed him. His primary interest was in...
After the people ran out of money, Joseph allowed them to barter their livestock for food. This plan lasted for one year...
Genesis’s interest in Joseph’s management of the food crisis lies more in its effect on the family...
In the midst of the crisis in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers arrived from Canaan, seeking to buy food, as the famine severely affected...
In the final episode of Joseph’s testing of his brothers, Joseph framed Benjamin for an imaginary crime and claimed Benjamin as a...
Joseph and Pharaoh lavishly gave Joseph’s brothers “the best of all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 45:20) and supplied them for their...
Genesis 12-50 tells the story of the first three generations of the family through whom God chose to bring his blessings to the whole world. Having no particular power, position, wealth, fame, ability...
Verse Theme Genesis 12:1-4a Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to...
Truthtelling treats people with dignity. To tell someone the truth is a measure of respect that is missing when someone is lied...
Adolescence is not the only time in our lives when identity development and the search for SoulPurpose come to the fore. It also occurs at other stages, especially midlife. The period of midlife...
