Finding God’s Grace In This Messy World: A Study of Jacob and the Grace That Is Waiting for Us

By Angela Banae Patterson

At a more rapid pace than ever, we are all journeying through this treacherous life and sometimes we lose sight of God’s goodness and the redemptive grace God has for each of us. Finding God’s Grace in This Messy World is a Bible study that helps the reader dig into the Bible and study the life of a deceptive man named Jacob who found God’s beautiful grace even though he made so many mistakes. Read and discover that God’s saving grace is waiting for each of us, as well.

Join Angela Banae Patterson in this four week study as you learn how to study the Bible. Through Angela’s wit and her personal stories, you’ll see the beauty of God woven in her life and though she has fallen short time and time again, she has always felt the forgiveness of her Father.

Throughout this book, you’ll:

• Study how God richly displayed His grace to a deceptive man, Jacob.
• Reflect on your own memories and see how God is working in your life.
• Learn how God’s grace and forgiveness is readily available to each of us, no matter what tarnished past we may have.
• Discover how God can change us to live a life more boldly for Him as we draw closer to Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385018383

Angela Banae Patterson

Angela Banae Patterson is a small town girl, the wife to her college sweetheart, Patrick, and mom to their two amazing sons, Nate and Max. She loves to write, teach the Bible, speak at women’s retreats and has a hard time turning down soft and delicious homemade cookies. While Angela used to blog regularly on her site Angela Banae, she now fills her days being an active mom that includes attending their sons’ football games and track meets, making a semi-homemade meal when they have an occasional night at home, and being a positive influencer on social media. Angela is a writer, Bible teacher, and speaker with her greatest passion being able to help others walk closer with Jesus. She lives with her husband and two sons outside of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the small town of Walford.

Book preview

WEEK 1 ~ DAY 1

Meet Jacob

Details, I love them. I’ve always been one who needs details to really understand something. Unfortunately, I’m that annoying friend who interrupts you mid-storytelling to ask you a question because I need more details. I want you to clarify things so I can fully wrap my mind around your story. Tell me every single detail.

I’ve never been one to talk and get right to the point. Just ask my husband. He is always asking for the Cliff Notes Version of my story. With that being said, I am confident, by the end of this study, you will understand Jacob’s life and use his lessons and apply them to your own life. We are going to see how grace, forgiveness, and hope are all intertwined and how we can live them out. God has great plans for you and me, so let’s get started!

For starters, I should start by telling you my intentions were to begin a Bible study about the life of Joseph—yes, another man in the Bible. But to understand Joseph, I knew we needed to look at his mother and father. And that’s where this Bible study was born. I began to study about Jacob, and wow, God taught me so many things as I studied, and so let’s begin. Let’s start by studying about Jacob. Jacob is Joseph’s father. In the next Bible study I write, we’ll dive into who Joseph was, but for now, we are studying Joseph’s father, Jacob. Read how Jacob entered the world.

28345.jpg Read Genesis 25:19–26.

Did you read those eight verses? Great! Then check off that box. I love checking things off. It is such a feeling of accomplishment. Each time you see a box, read the Bible verses, then check off that box.

In Genesis 25, we find out how Joseph’s father, Jacob, was born. Isaac and Rebekah are expecting twins. When Rebekah gave birth to their two boys, Jacob and Esau, Jacob came out of the womb after Esau, with his hand grabbing ahold of his brother Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob.

Look in your Bible at the side notes and take a peek. What does Jacob mean?

Yes, Jacob means heel-grasper or deceiver. Now you might be wondering what this has to do with Joseph. Joseph’s father, Jacob, grew up being a deceiver, and perhaps this quality rubbed off on Jacob’s sons, Joseph’s brothers. Once again, I shouldn’t jump ahead of myself, so let’s put that on the back burner until later on down the road, in the next Bible study I write.

Jacob would grow up but not without doing some sneaky things to his brother, Esau. I’m not talking about tattle-telling to their mom or stealing Esau’s donkey for a little joy ride. No, Jacob was deceitful and tricked his brother; that brought forth some very serious consequences. Jacob convinced his twin brother, Esau, to sell his birthright. This meant, instead of Esau, the eldest, getting a double portion, perhaps two-thirds, of their dad’s inheritance, Jacob would get that double portion of their family’s inheritance. Go ahead and read this family drama for yourself.

28343.jpg Read Genesis 25:27–34.

Why did Esau sell his birthright?

That’s right, all for some food— the crazy things hunger will do to a person. Was Esau really going to die? No. He was hungry and desperately wanted that delicious-smelling stew.

Let’s look at trickster Jacob pulling a fast one on his famished brother. If I am honest with myself, I realize how similar I am to Jacob. He wanted that birthright so bad, and even if he had to be a sly fox, he was going to get it. I’d like to think I’m not a sly fox, but in all honesty, there are many times when I see something someone else has and I want it really bad, and I tell myself I just have to have it.

A friend gets a new pair of shoes, and I convince myself I need those shoes too, regardless of the fact that I have plenty of shoes in my closet. Doesn’t work into our budget? Well, I’ll make it work because those shoes are just too darling to pass up! Let me put it into perspective for you, men. Your buddy has some really cool rims on his truck, and you realize you need them too. Do you need new rims? No, yours are perfectly fine. But you put it in your mind that your truck needs new rims too. Yes. We all talk ourselves into getting things we feel we just have to have.

In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote, Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. Oh, how I need to learn this over and over—to be content, be joyful with what God has given me.

Look at the twelfth word in that Bible verse. What is it?

That’s right—learned. Listen, folks, being content is not in our nature. When Paul wrote Philippians, he stated it very clearly it is something that must be learned. Grab some markers, and in the space below, write out Philippians 4:11. Use that bubble handwriting you learned back in fifth grade or block print, whatever, but fancy it up. Draw and doodle around this powerful verse. These words are words to remember.

What are some things that you struggle with? Write what you find hard to be content with.

We can all relate to Jacob, feeling discontent and wanting what isn’t ours to begin with. But let’s confess those feelings of discontentment and leave them behind. The best way to do this is to be thankful and have a grateful heart. I love what Paul wrote in the book of Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

I just love that verse. That’s one to be written down on an index card. Let’s write it out and tape it up where we can see it every single day. Every day I need to remind myself to think of things that are praiseworthy, just, and true.

Are you with me on this? If you’re like me, let’s change our attitude of the gimmes—gimme this, gimme that, gimme everything I want—to an attitude of gratitude. Jot down a list of things you are thankful for. Close today’s study by thanking God for each one of them.

Eight Things I Am Thankful For

WEEK 1 ~ DAY 2

Rest Is Best

When life gets overwhelming for me and I’m going three hundred miles per hour in twenty different directions, the ugly, grouchy Angela comes out—claws, snarls, growls, and all. It’s not pretty. And I’m not proud of it. Life’s demands can zap the joy right from us. Then in my unpleasant, exhausted state, I say something