July 26, 2026: I Won’t Let Go!
Genesis 32: 22-31

Rev. Dr. Leslie Taylor, preaching

Last week, we explored God ’s challenging call to Abraham in “You Want Me To Do What? ” as he faced the harrowing test on Mount Moriah with the binding of Isaac. That moment forced Abraham — and us — to confront the terrifying, confusing demands that sometimes accompany a life of faith.

This week, we turn to Genesis 32: 22–31 and Abraham ’s grandson, Jacob, whose story reminds us that wrestling with God isn't just an occasional test; it is at the very core of our identity. Under the cover of darkness at the Jabbok River, facing fear, isolation, and the consequences of past mistakes, Jacob engages in an all -night wrestling match with a mysterious divine opponent.

Instead of demanding passive submission or neat piety, God meets Jacob right in the middle of his brokenness, fear, and mess. God renames him Israel — “he wrestles with God” — embracing struggle as a defining mark of faith rather than a failure of it.

Together, these stories show us that whether God asks us to step into the unknown like Abraham or meets us in a dark midnight struggle like Jacob, faith is rarely simple or easy. Redemption and blessing do not require us to have everything figured out first; God works directly through our doubt, pain, and persistence to bring us through to the other side.

Music this week: 

• Gather Us In

• Here I Am to Worship

• Every Move I Make

• Breathe on Me Breath of God

• Sanctuary

• My Soul Waits

• We See You God