The document describes Jacob's encounter with God where he wrestled with a man until daybreak. It outlines this event in four phases: (1) God uses crises to change our lives when we are alone; (2) God waits to see if we persist in our faith when problems remain unresolved; (3) Jacob's name means deceiver, and we must acknowledge our weaknesses to change; (4) Jacob's name was changed to Israel because he struggled with God and men and overcame, and he walked with a limp as a reminder that he saw God face to face and of his transformation.

1. Work sheet for:
HOW CAN I CHANGE MY LIFE?
Genesis 32:22-32 & Selected
Genesis 32:22-32 - An incident from the life of Jacob illustrates the process God
uses to change our lives. After this event, Jacob was never the same again.
I. PHASE ONE: _____________________________________________
"So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the
man saw he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so
that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man." (vs. 24-25)
God uses crises to:
We often never change until:
II. PHASE TWO: _____________________________________________
"Then the man said, `Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, `I will not
let you go unless you bless me.'" (vs. 26)
God often waits to resolve a problem to see if:
Many people miss God's best because:
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up." Gal. 6:9
III. PHASE THREE: _____________________________________________
"The man asked him, `What is your name?' `Jacob', he answered." (vs. 27)
"Jacob" means:
Lesson: I'll never be able to change my weaknesses until:
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2. IV. PHASE FOUR: _____________________________________________
"Then the man said, `Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you
have struggled with God and with men and have overcome. ... then he blessed
him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, `It is because I saw God
face to face ..." (vs. 28-30)
(vs. 31) Note: Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life. It was to be a
constant reminder of 2 truths:
1.
2.
You don't have to stay the same!
"So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to ... and put on the
new self, which is created in God's likeness ... " Eph. 4:22-23
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