
Week 3 – Fall 2026
LIFE GROUPS – WEEK 3
FULL SERMON
ICE BREAKER:
Do you have an item you’ve kept because it reminds you of a special person, season or moment in your life? Share what it is and the story behind it.
SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 27:41-45 NLT
41 From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”
42 But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. 43 So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. 44 Stay there with him until your brother cools off. 45 When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
10 Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. 12 As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.
13 At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” 17 But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”
18 The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.
20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Jacob left home because of a broken relationship and the consequences of his actions. What do you think he was feeling as he traveled alone to Haran?
- God met Jacob at one of the lowest points in his life. What does this reveal about God’s character? How might this encourage us to turn to Him when we hit rock bottom?
- Read Genesis 28:15 again. God promised Jacob His presence, protection, and faithfulness. Which of these do you most need to be reminded of right now, and why?
- In verse 16, Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” Have you ever looked back on a difficult season and recognized that God was with you?
- Jacob set up a memorial to remember his encounter with God. What is something God has done in your life that you want to remember? What could you do this week to keep that reminder in front of you?
Next Steps
- Consider baptism. If you’ve decided to follow Jesus but haven’t been baptized, consider taking that step this week! Sign up at freedom.church/baptism.
- Pray together. Invite each person to share where they need to trust God’s presence, care, or faithfulness. Pray for one another and for those being baptized this week.
Life Journal Reading Plan
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Day 1: Matthew 15
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Day 2: Matthew 16
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Day 3: Matthew 17
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Day 4: Matthew 18
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Day 5: Matthew 19
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Day 6: Matthew 20
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Day 7: Matthew 21
