Study Guide for

We - we are family

May 10, 2009

Open Up

Some people in your group may recognize the song title “We Are Family,” by Sister Sledge. You may not have anyone who knows the additional lyrics, “All of the people around us they say / Can they be that close / Just let me state for the record / We're giving love in a family dose.” Share with your group a personal example of a close family. Do you know of a crisis or turning point that brought them closer together? TRANSITION: The Bible probably has more stories of dysfunctional families than healthy families, which shows how much our perfect God loves imperfect people.

Dig In

1) Read Genesis 29:13-35. Jacob’s extended family is one of the more imperfect ones in the Bible, and that is saying something! Jacob’s grandfather Abraham had multiple wives. Abraham favored his son Isaac (Jacob’s father) over another son, Ishmael, eventually sending away Ishmael and his mother Hagar. Isaac favored Jacob’s brother Esau, while their mother, Rebekah, favored Jacob, which led to more family conflict. Jacob tricked his father into giving him a blessing that Isaac wanted to give to Esau, and then Jacob fled because he feared Esau’s reaction. In this story, how does Jacob’s uncle Laban continue the dysfunctional family dynamic? How does Jacob contribute to the favoritism cycle? The meaning of names is important in ancient Jewish culture – how does the name of Leah’s fourth son show a change in her priorities from the name of her first three sons?

2) God works through imperfect families, even those as dysfunctional as Jacob’s. Sadly, the family conflict continued in the next generation, because Jacob favored Joseph, his son with Rachel, which led to violence between Joseph and his brothers. Read Genesis 50:15-21 and Romans 8:25-28. Share with your group an example of God working good from something in your life that was unpleasant.

Work On

Sunday’s message emphasized, “It never works when you try to fill the void [in you] with anything other than God.” Share an example of someone you personally know who is looking to his or her family or job or hobby or something else to fill their void. Ask your group for suggestions on how you can “walk across the room” to talk to that person about Jesus.

Lift Up

Read Isaiah 62:3 as you thankfully pray about God’s love for the “real you.”

Another Step – Advanced Study

Read Romans 5:6-11 and 1 Timothy 1:15-16. What do these verses tell us about God’s ability to save imperfect people?