“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.” (Dwight L. Moody)
Through the story of Jacob, we can see how an ordinary man can be full of struggles in life. At the same time, however, we can also see the grace of the Lord in choosing and establishing the nation of Israel, and its long lineage of ancestors. Jacob’s story is a story about human relations such as parenting, brotherhood, husband and wife, but it is also a story about facing failures and, most importantly, facing the Lord. The apostle Paul reacted to this story and further developed his theology of election in the book of Romans. He said that the will of God in election (in choosing people) depends not on human deeds, but on the Lord who calls. Through Jacob’s story, every believer could grasp the essence of being a disciple: behind Jacob’s numerous flaws, there is a heart that firmly clings to the Lord.
| Date | Theme | Chapter |
| 07/04/2024 | Priority over genetics* | Gen. 25:19-26; Rom. 9:10-13† |
| 14/04/2024 | What’s behind the liar and the cheat?* | Gen. 25:27-34, 27:1-29† |
| 21/04/2024 | Family disaster and first escape* | Gen. 27:30-28:5 |
| 28/04/2024 | First Encounter with the Lord* | Gen. 28:10-22 |
| 05/05/2024 | When the father of your beloved wife is an expert liar* | Gen. 29:1-30, 30:25-43† |
| 12/05/2024 | Quarrels within Jacob’s family* | Gen. 29:31-30:24† |
| 19/05/2024 | Special Sunday: Carelinks Sunday | to be specified by speaker |
| 26/05/2024 | Another escape: flight from Laban’s family* | Gen. 31:1-55† |
| 02/06/2024 | Facing Esau whom Jacob hurts so much* | Gen. 32:1-21 |
| 09/06/2024 | Wrestling with the Lord* | Gen. 32:22-33:20† |
| 16/06/2024 | Special Sunday: Loving father as agent of change* (Father’s Day) | Prov. 22:1-9 |
| 23/06/2024 | Identity change and loss of beloved wife* | Gen. 35:1-26† |
| 30/06/2024 | The lost son regained* | Gen. 46:1-7, 46:26-47:12† |
Notes:
* all these titles are tentative for preachers’ use only; chairpersons should consult with the preacher in order to obtain the actual sermon title for the week.
† speaker should choose a smaller portion of the texts to be read out during service.