Genesis 28:6-7

The Essential 100® Bible Challenge is a simple tool to read through the Big Story of God's Word. The reading plan is based on 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament passages. Continue with the second part "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." ®Produced by American Bible Society in partnership with Scripture Union, Inc.

What kind of people does God use to accomplish His extraordinary plans? Does He call the perfect ones? Or does He reach down into this messy world and use the people we would never expect? The grandson of Abraham was no angel. Jacob was a character controlled by fear, the last person we would ever expect God to use. But God saw different and took him on an unforgettable journey!

Hebrews 11 highlights many of the heroes of the Bible, including Jacob. The deeper you dig into Jacob's life, you begin to see that he’s a mess. But what if the people in the Bible aren't just heroes to imitate, but people to walk with on their own journey of faith? Let’s walk through the life of Jacob, and see his life transformed by the grace of God.

Jesus said that believers are in the world but not of the world. People want to be recognized and appreciated by others, and for this reason Christians often feel uncomfortable about “being different”. The Bible shows us our true status: we are not excluded from the world but rather included in the people of God. Our mission is to invite others to be part of this people. We will see from the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph how life as a stranger and pilgrim can be blessed by the Lord and be of blessing to others.