Be true to yourself sounds like the finest advice the modern world has to offer, but true to which self, when several conflicting desires wrestle inside us every day? That question leads us to the river Jabbok, where Jacob, who spent his life taking matters into his own hands, is left alone and wrestles with God until daybreak (Genesis 32). The sermon shows that the real victory in this struggle is, paradoxically, losing, throwing your whole self into God’s arms, even if it leaves a permanent mark. Listen if you have had enough of your own plans for life and want to speak with God honestly.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Before meeting Esau, Jacob first prays, reminding God of His promises, and then right away sends his brother gifts of cattle and sheep. What does this mix reveal about his heart?
- Why does Jacob say by the river at night, "I will not let you go unless you bless me," when God had already blessed him? What does the new name Israel change (Genesis 32:27-29)?
- The sermon asks: "Live true to which self?" What two selves do you recognize in yourself, and how do you decide which one gets priority?
- The speaker describes a tendency to "tack God onto" our own plans or to make a deal with Him: if You do this, I will do that. Where do you see that kind of thinking in your own faith?
- Jacob limps for the rest of his life, and David speaks to God very honestly in the Psalms, yet ends with "but You, Lord." What does honest wrestling with God that ends in surrender to Him mean to you?
- What difficult situation or question do you want to bring to God this week without polishing it or using religious clichés, like Jacob, who had nowhere else to go?
