Wrestle It Out (Part 3)  Teachers Guide

Handout
Lesson Plan

A. A New Identity and A New way of Walking

Genesis 32:24-30
“24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.  25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.  26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.  27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.  29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.  30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

  1. Give a brief summary about the life of Jacob until this chapter.

      (Genesis 25-32)  (See Wrestle it Out lessons 1 and 2)

  1. Read Genesis 32:24-31

 

  1. Explain to the class that sometimes we must wrestle something out with God, not against Him, in order to step into the new identity and the new way of walking that He has for us.
  1. Explain that when we are born into the family of God we are a new creation in Christ and that He begins a work in us and it is an ongoing process. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

  1. Explain that in order to step into the new identity that God has, we must first confess and understand who we are in our own fleshly natures and be willing to let God change us to be what He wants us to be.  We can be a person who allows God to prevail in our lives in all things.
  1. Sometimes we must struggle with God on some things in order to walk with God.  We can fear the pain and hardship and walk as we have always walked, or we can latch on to God and battle our way through to victory and a new way of walking.

 

  1. Explain that like Jacob we can come out with a blessing if we do not give up!  Our battle scars are not shameful but they show that we have a GOD who is fighting for us and who has already planned our victories and will bring us to them when WE DO NOT GIVE UP! (Genesis 32:28)