Jesus welcomes children and those who are child-like to demonstrate what the Kingdom of God is like…Kids have nothing to offer - they are dependent and need to position themselves in a place of trust and receiving.

The wrestling match is a picture of Jacob’s life – he had used human ingenuity, strength, and scheming to secure blessing for himself. But now that Jacob is facing the Promised Land and the uncertainty of what’s going to happen with Esau, God wants Jacob to learn a new lesson in trust. So, God injures his chosen one – he permanently disables him – so now Jacob can’t fight, can’t run… he is at the will of what happens next.

God promised His blessing to Jacob, then He went above and beyond by promising His presence to him as well… And God’s presence went with Jacob into a time of discipline and hardship – bringing him face to face with the errors of his past so that Jacob would learn from them to live differently…

Kevin Mast from Hope City Barrie came to share his heart for the ministry he does in the city of Barrie and the inspiration and direction he receives from Jesus in doing so.

This story illustrates the tendency for God to operate outside of human wisdom and formula. In this story, instead of honouring the human tradition of blessing the first-born, Jacob is blessed even though he uses deception to receive it… God often chooses to operate outside of the confines of human wisdom to show that He is not like us. He does this so that we don’t treat Him as a formula, but rather as a living being… Is. 55:8-9, “Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds,” says the Lord, “for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans.” Repeatedly, God chooses and blesses the second born. The first born is a symbol of our flesh and everything that is accomplished through it, while the second born is a symbol of the Spirit and God’s work in and through us because of Jesus…

In Genesis, we see a God who blesses, provides for and protects humans – and He reveals to them what He is like so that they can bear His priorities into the world on His behalf. God blesses humans so that humans will bring His blessing and bear His character into the world. In this story – God wants to remove from Abraham any preconceived ideas of how a god is supposed to operate. He reveals a new part of His character to Abraham so that Abraham knows how to properly represent God in the world.

Some of us have spent years believing faith means having certainty or a perfect theology. We think if we still have questions, if we still wrestle, if we still feel fear, then we're failing at being a Christian. But Abraham and Sarah's story say otherwise. They laughed. They doubted. They tried to take matters into their own hands. They struggled to believe. And through all of it, God stayed faithful. • Because faith was never about Abraham's perfect confidence. • Faith was about God's perfect character - and it remains the same today. The good news this morning is that God is not asking you to manufacture certainty – to just believe hard enough. He is inviting you to trust Him. To relax into Him. To place the weight of your life into hands more capable than your own.

The beauty of this passage is that it’s a reminder that God hears us, God sees us, His heart is inclined towards rescue and blessing. And maybe that’s what some women here need to hear this morning. Whether today feels joyful, painful, complicated, or exhausting… Whether you feel appreciated or overlooked… Whether you are carrying grief, pressure, responsibility, or quiet loneliness… You are seen by God – and despite your perceived failures and inadequacies, He still renews His promise to you – He still chooses to bless you so that you can bless others.

The beautiful part of this passage of Scripture is that we see progression and change in Abram… He’s moving in the right direction… He’s not the same man who ran to Egypt and lied to Pharaoh to protect himself. He believes God and is learning to trust Him. But he is still unfinished. He still questions. He still doubts. He still defaults to fear. He trusts more deeply now… but he still makes contingency plans for God. And the encouraging thing for us is that despite Abram’s continual fear, God still binds Himself to us… The Messiah, God in the flesh, the redeemer comes from the line of this fallen man. And through you, imperfect and fearful – the world can see and experience Jesus too…

Mary’s act of anointing Jesus reveals how genuine love for Christ is expressed in ways that go beyond words, creating a “fragrance” that impacts everyone around us—either drawing people toward Him or pushing them away. Our lives similarly carry a spiritual influence, reflecting the presence and work of Christ within us.