In this series, we are following the life of Jacob, as he seeks to make a life for himself. Most notable of Jacob is how much faith he places in his own self-reliance. Jacob is beyond willing to employ deception and fraud in an attempt to build his life and thwart his fears. Consequently, Jacob is heir to the blessing God bestowed upon Abraham and Isaac. When Jacob encounters God, he finds his old tricks and cunning ways are useless. Today, we take a close look at the encounter between a man desperate to secure his future and the only One who actually can. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. In Genesis 28:10, we pick up the story of Jacob’s life on the run. Jacob is fleeing Esau for fear of retribution after stealing Esau’s birthright. Jacob defaults to a life living in fear. In your own experiences, what does fear do to you? How does it impact your daily life? 2. Jacob encounters God in a vision and speaks to Jacob. What are the thoughts or doubts that come against us when we think we hear God speaking to us? 3. In what ways can we disarm the thoughts and doubts we face? Produce practical examples and specific verses. 4. Jacob loves to deceive and control. How are we like Jacob in looking at our own self-reliance or ability to control things? Do we even realize how often we clamor or grasp for control due to fear? How does this behavior align with being faithful to God? 5. Jacob encounters God in the dream and learns of his blessing. The experience deeply impacts Jacob. However, in Genesis 28:20-22, we still see Jacob practicing his old ways of negotiation by demanding God meet specific conditions to gain Jacob’s faithfulness. We may quickly see the irony of Jacob’s position now, but if we are honest, how often do we make our own subtle or not-so-subtle demands of God? 6. How might we rethink our current positions when it comes to our surrender? Are we fully surrendered? Or angling for more control?