Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

The End of Jacob's Story | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 35-26

This week at Grace Seal Beach, we reach the end of Jacob’s central story in Genesis. Chapters 35–36 might seem like a mix of unrelated moments—but together, they show how God brings closure, growth, and transformation to Jacob’s life. As Jacob faces loss, renewal, and reconciliation, we’re invited to reflect on our own journeys. How do we respond to God’s faithfulness through change, hardship, and transition? And what can we learn from a man who wrestled with God and came out with a new name and a new heart?
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Justice, Sexual Violence, and The Gospel | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 34 + 38

This week at Grace, we’re covering two of the most difficult and uncomfortable stories in Genesis—and that’s saying something. In Genesis 34 and 38, we encounter accounts of sexual violence and justice. Genesis 34 tells the story of Dinah, assaulted by a powerful Canaanite. In Genesis 38, Tamar is exploited and then blamed by the very men who were meant to protect her. As painful as these stories are, they’re not irrelevant. The same questions that Dinah and Tamar might have asked are still being asked today: Where can I turn for justice? Who will defend the powerless? How can there be hope in the midst of suffering? The stories of Dinah and Tamar force us to confront painful realities that still exist today and remind us that God’s justice and compassion reach even into the darkest places. Join us as we discover how God’s redemptive heart speaks through stories that are hard to read but impossible to ignore.
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The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau | Chris Howard | Genesis 33

Alone with God | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 32

For the past few months, we’ve been following the life of Jacob—a man whose story could be summed up in one word: striving.From the moment of his birth, Jacob was grasping for something. First it was his brother’s heel, then his birthright, then his father’s blessing, and later his uncle’s approval and wealth. Every season of Jacob’s life has been marked by struggle. This week at Grace, we come to Genesis 32, where all of those struggles come to a head. This story isn’t just about Jacob’s transformation; it points us to Jesus, the One who wrestled sin and death on our behalf and emerged victorious so we could be made new.
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Leaving Laban | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 30:25-31:55

If God calls you to something, does that mean it will be easy? In Genesis 30–31, Jacob learns that obedience often comes with struggle. But Jacob’s story points beyond itself—to Jesus, the better Jacob. Where Jacob wrestled to secure a blessing, Jesus laid down His life to bless us. Where Jacob strived through manipulation and fear, Jesus trusted perfectly and fulfilled God’s plan with grace. This Sunday at Grace Seal Beach, we’ll see how Christ’s faithfulness gives us strength to endure hardship, hope in the midst of waiting, and confidence in God’s promises. Join us as we learn how Jesus transforms the story of Jacob—and ours too.
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Leah and Rachel | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 29:31-30:24

Rivalry makes us do dumb things. On the sports field, it’s usually harmless. But what about when rivalry hits close to home? In Genesis 30, we find one of the saddest rivalry stories in Scripture—Leah and Rachel, two sisters locked in envy, constantly trying to outdo one another. Their story is messy, relatable, and a warning for us today. Yet, even in the middle of all that dysfunction, God brings forth the twelve tribes of Israel. It’s a reminder that His purposes are never thwarted, and He can use broken people for His glory.
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Love, Deceit, and the Hope of the Gospel | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 29:1-30

What happens when our past sins come back to find us? In Genesis 29, Jacob—fresh off his vision of “Jacob’s ladder”—arrives in Haran with high hopes. He meets Rachel, is welcomed into Laban’s household, and seems to be stepping into blessing. But the story takes a sharp turn when Jacob, the deceiver, is himself deceived. This sermon looks at Jacob’s story in Genesis 29 and wrestles with questions many of us ask: Do we ever escape the consequences of our sin? How does God’s grace meet us in our failures? And what does this passage reveal about forgiveness and redemption in Christ? Join us at Grace Seal Beach as we continue our Genesis series and discover how God’s mercy runs deeper than our mistakes. 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach
 
📖 Passage: Genesis 29:1-30
🧠❤️ Reflection: What does the Bible mean when it says we "reap what we sow" in Galatians 6:7? How can the wisdom of this passage move us toward Christ and the hope the gospel offers?

Baptized in Christ | Bob Wriedt | Ephesians 5:1-14

This Sunday for Grace at the Beach werel taking a short pause from our Genesis series to learn from Ephesians 5:1–14. This passage reminds us that our identity in Christ transforms how we live. Just as baptism is an outward sign of an inward change, our daily lives overflow from the new identity we’ve been given in Him.
 
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📖 Passage: Ephesians 5:1-14 
🧠❤️ Reflection: Identity will drive your actions. Why is important to begin with the love of God in your identity as a child of God? How does this identity help you put off sin? How might actively living as a "child of light" allow you to live without shame?
 

Blessed and Kept | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 28:10-22

A.W. Tozer once wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” What we believe about God shapes how we worship Him, how we see His work in the world, and how we live in relationship with Him. That’s why it’s so important to ground our view of God in Scripture rather than in our own assumptions. This week at Grace, we’ll be in Genesis 28. After the “birthright heist” and all the deceit that tore his family apart, Jacob is on the run when he has a life-changing encounter with God. In that moment, God reveals His covenant promises and shows Jacob who He truly is. As we study this passage, we’ll see not only how God met Jacob in his failure, but also how it shapes what should come into our minds when we think about God today.
 
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📖 Passage: Genesis 28:10-22 (ESV)
🧠❤️ Reflection: 1. In what ways do you try to “climb” toward God through your actions, performance, duties—and how might faith in Jesus shift that paradigm? 2. What difference does it make to your spiritual life knowing God’s presence is not confined to church buildings or special moments, but is everywhere—even in ordinary, fearful, or wilderness places?

The Opposite of the Gospel | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 27

This week at Grace we’ll be in Genesis 27, where Jacob steals Esau’s blessing by disguising himself and deceiving their father, Isaac. It’s a heartbreaking story—full of family conflict, betrayal, and loss on every side.
But even in this painful moment, there are lessons for us today. We see the danger of favoritism within families, and we’re reminded how destructive it can be. More importantly, we catch a glimpse of Jesus, who stands in complete contrast to the selfishness in this passage. Where Jacob takes, Christ gives. Where this family is torn apart, Christ makes a way for us to be restored.
Join us Sunday at Grace as we explore how this story points us to the hope we have in him.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach