Unshaken Saints

Is your family tree a bit... messy? If you feel like your life is full of sibling rivalry, deception, or "unanswered" prayers, you are in good company. From the tents of Isaac and Rebekah to the wrestling match at Peniel, the story of Jacob proves that God doesn't call perfect people—He transforms people who are willing to hold on until they receive a blessing.

Summary: In this massive study of Genesis 24–36, we follow the Covenant through three generations of trials, travels, and transformations. We look past the "Sunday School" versions of these stories to see the grit and grace required to stay on the Covenant Path.

Finding Rebekah: We analyze the decisiveness of Rebekah in Genesis 24—a woman who was willing to leave everything she knew for a promise she hadn't seen yet.

The Birthright Conflict: We dive into the controversial "deception" of Isaac. Was it a trick, or was Rebekah ensuring God's will was done? We explore the heavy price of prioritizing the temporal over the eternal.

Jacob’s Ladder: We break down the symbolism of the "stairway to heaven" at Bethel and how Jacob turned a cold stone pillow into a temple-like encounter with the Divine.

Leah and Rachel: We discuss the years of labor and the "comparative" heartbreak of Leah and Rachel, seeing how God remembers those who feel unloved.

Wrestling with God: We finish with the most pivotal moment in Jacob's life—his night-long wrestle. We learn that "Israel" means "Let God Prevail" and discover how we can also prevail through our trials.

Call-to-Action: Jacob had to return to "Bethel" to find his way again. Where is your "Bethel"? Where do you go when you need to remember your covenants? Let’s discuss in the comments! To keep your faith "Unshaken" while you wrestle with your own challenges, please like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell.

Chapter Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

2:44 A Last Look at Lot

5:12 Salting the Earth

7:25 Creating Covenant Couples

12:38 Honoring Agency in Marriage

18:50 Holding the High Ground

22:41 Seeking a Covenant Companion

32:14 Remarkable Rebekah

45:17 Entwining Family Trees

52:42 The Right Place at the Right Time

58:01 Giving a Faithful Narraive

1:04:19 Speaking Kindly & Truly

1:09:03 Failed Hopes or False Conclusions

1:15:05 Urgency & Decisiveness

1:23:27 The Passing of Parents

1:28:50 Barrenness and Birth

1:38:01 Personalities of Esau & Jacob

1:46:52 Degrees of (Social) Glory

1:52:41 The Mess of Pottage

2:01:42 Renewing the Covenant

2:07:41 Isaac & Abimelech

2:25:05 "Stealing" the Blessing

2:41:07 Judging Jacob

2:46:10 Esau's Remorse

2:58:30 Covenant Continuation

3:08:00 Sharing Spiritual Experiences

3:12:48 Covenant Marriage

3:26:33 The Vertical Straight and Narrow

3:34:06 Renewing the Abrahamic Covenant

3:36:41 God with Us

3:50:44 Wells of Living Water

3:53:58 Meeting Rachel

4:02:54 Rachel & Leah

4:10:07 Jacob's and Rachel's Love

4:16:17 Leah or Rachel

4:23:09 Compensatory Blessings

4:27:49 All in a Name

4:33:30 Familial Arms Race

4:50:15 Remembered by God

4:56:16 Jacob's Flocks

5:04:21 Tangible Supports to Intangible Faith

5:09:58 Parting Ways

5:26:16 Letting them Leave

5:50:38 Returning to the Promised Land

5:59:59 Wrestling the Angel

6:11:29 The Prodigal Son

6:18:56 Reunion with our Elder Broher

6:30:38 The Rape of Dinah

6:38:35 Misusing the Covenant

6:49:52 Back to Bethel

"Is any thing too hard for the Lord?" This is the question that defines the lives of Abraham and Sarah. From a biological impossibility to a heartbreaking command on a mountain top, their journey proves that God can bring life out of "deadness"—if we are willing to trust Him with everything.

Summary: In this episode, we study Genesis 18–23, following the "Father of the Faithful" and the "Mother of Nations" through their ultimate trials. We explore the transition from the joy of Isaac's birth to the gut-wrenching climb up Mount Moriah.

The Promise to Sarah: We look at the visit of the three messengers and the shift from Sarah's "laugh of doubt" to her "laugh of joy." We discuss how she received strength to conceive because she "judged him faithful who had promised".

The Sacrifice of Isaac: We dive deep into the "Abrahamic Test." Why would a God who abhors human sacrifice command this? We explore the parallels between Abraham offering Isaac and Heavenly Father offering His Only Begotten Son.

Life from Death: Using Paul’s words in Romans and Hebrews, we analyze how Abraham was able to obey because he accounted that "God was able to raise him up, even from the dead".

Jehovah-Jireh: We discuss the significance of the "ram in the thicket" and the name "The Lord Will Provide," exploring how God provides the lamb for us when we cannot provide it for ourselves.

The Burial of Sarah: We reflect on the end of Sarah’s mortal journey and the faith required to buy a piece of the Promised Land as a "possession of a buryingplace."

Call-to-Action: Have you ever had to surrender something you loved back to the Lord, trusting that He had a better plan? How did you find the strength to keep walking up your own "Mount Moriah"? Share your testimony in the comments. To continue your journey toward becoming "Unshaken," please like, subscribe, and share this video with someone who needs a reminder that the Lord will provide.

Chapter Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:53 True Messengers

4:32 Hospitality

10:00 Sarah's Laughter

17:48 Pleasure this Side of Paradise

20:02 Too Hard for God

25:23 Revealing Secrets

29:13 Condescension & Comprehension

33:19 Bartering with God

44:10 Inching Toward Sodom

48:42 The Sanctuary of Standards

54:07 Sins of Sodom

1:12:35 Homosexuality

1:45:50 Standing Up to Sodom

2:03:19 Fleeing Sodom

2:13:55 Don't Look Back

2:19:22 Lot's Daughters

2:24:37 Sarah's Repeated Test

2:29:16 Abraham & Abimelech

2:41:07 Isaac's Birth

2:47:00 Hagar & Ishmael

2:58:43 Making Peace

3:02:31 Abraham & Isaac

3:16:20 Sacrifice

3:26:01 Teaching the Atonement

3:38:49 The Death of Sarah

3:45:11 The Faith of Abraham & Sarah

3:52:48 Life from Death

God told Abraham to "get thee out of thy country" and promised him a legacy that would bless all the families of the earth. But for decades, Abraham and Sarah had no land and no children. How do you keep walking when the promises of God seem impossible?

Summary: In this episode, we dive into the heart of the Old Testament:

The Abrahamic Covenant. We look at Genesis 12–17 and Abraham 1–2 to see how a "foreigner and a stranger" became the Father of the Faithful.

The Search for Greater Happiness: We analyze Abraham’s desire for the "blessings of the fathers" and why he sought for his own "place of residence" spiritually and physically.

The Three-Part Promise: We break down the core of the covenant—Posterity (seed as the stars), Priesthood (the power to bless), and Property (a land of inheritance).

The Name Change: We explore the profound symbolism of Abram becoming Abraham and Sarai becoming Sarah—adding the Hebrew letter "He" (the breath of God) into their very identities.

The Symbolism of Circumcision: We discuss the "token" of the covenant and why God requires a physical reminder of our spiritual commitments.

Sarah’s Role: We look at why Sarah is the "Rock" from which we are hewn and how her faith was just as essential to the covenant as Abraham's.

Call-to-Action: Abraham was told to "be thou a blessing." How are you using your covenant privileges to bless those around you today? Let us know in the comments! If you’re ready to "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn," please like, subscribe, and share this video to help others stay "Unshaken."

Chapter Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

2:22 Looking to Abraham & Sarah

8:49 Looking for More

13:20 The Fathers vs. My Fathers

20:16 The Daughters of Onitah

25:27 Abraham Delivered & Called

31:58 Journey to the Promised Land

39:23 Priesthood Promises

43:23 The Importance of Posterity

45:42 Temple Sealings & the Abrahamic Covenant

49:29 Exclusivity vs. Inclusivity

55:59 Seeking & Finding

1:01:01 Establishing Altars

1:09:21 The Sacrifice of Sarah

1:22:23 Abraham & Lot

1:36:23 Rescuing Lot

1:44:16 Sodom or Salem

1:52:20 Melchizedek

2:04:54 The Promise of Seed

2:13:13 The Confines of Covenant

2:18:32 Waiting for the Cup to Fill

2:26:57 Sarah & Hagar

2:39:31 Pride from Above & Pride from Below

2:48:35 Facing Awkward Conversations

2:51:59 Ishmael

2:56:38 Covenant Renewed

3:02:00 Circumcision

3:09:23 Sarah

3:18:38 Immediate Obedience

3:20:25 Wanting the Blessings of Abraham & Sarah

Are you experiencing a faith crisis or know someone who is? Then welcome to "Finding Faith," a master class on navigating faith crisis brought to you by the creator of Unshaken, Jared Halverson.

Summary: In this introductory lesson, we explore the contents of the course - lessons on doubt and disappointment, stages of faith, proving contraries, anti-Mormon strategies, and becoming unshaken. In the course of the course, we will follow an outline suggested by a medical metaphor: learning "the healer's art," identifying those who might be wrestling with their faith (and identifying those who might be able to help them), diagnosing the causes and characteristics of faith crisis, and prescribing practices and approaches that can lead to a stronger, more well-grounded faith.

Jared Halverson will also introduce himself as your teacher in this course, sharing the formative experiences that led to his desire to help people wrestling with their faith, and explaining the academic background that prepared him to teach this course.

When the world became "filled with violence," God sent a Flood. Was it a fit of divine anger, or a desperate act of love to save future generations from a world without hope? Discover why Noah’s Ark is the ultimate symbol of the Atonement.

Summary: In this episode, we dive into the deep waters of Genesis 6–11. We move past the Sunday School "flannel board" version of Noah to find a profound story of covenants, agency, and second chances.

The Problem of Wickedness: We explore why the earth was "corrupt" and how the Flood served as a necessary "reset" to allow God's children a fair chance at life.

Building the Ark: Noah was commanded to build a "tebah" (box or chest), a word used only one other time in the Bible—for Moses' basket. We discuss how we can build our own spiritual arks today.

The Second Creation: We analyze the parallels between the Flood and the original Creation, seeing the earth emerge from the water as a new beginning.

The Token of the Covenant: The rainbow wasn't just a pretty sign; it was a "token" of an everlasting covenant between God and Enoch's posterity.

The Tower of Babel: We contrast Noah's altar with Nimrod's tower—showing the difference between building toward heaven God's way versus trying to "make a name for ourselves".

Call-to-Action: What are the "thorns and thistles" in your life that God is trying to wash away through a fresh start? Share your thoughts on "new beginnings" in the comments! If you want to keep your faith "Unshaken" through life's storms, please like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell.

Chapter Timestamps:

0:00 Welcome

2:10 3 Falls & 3 Floods

6:31 Marriage Outside the Covenant

10:10 Refusing to Hearken

12:05 Ignoring Consequences

15:43 Violence & Corruption

21:58 Caught Up or Held Back

27:07 Noah's Character & Commission

37:35 Flood & Famine

40:09 A Merciful Flood

54:07 The Ark

1:06:51 Gopher Wood & Pitch

1:14:17 A New Creation

1:20:06 The Rainbow

1:30:33 Wickedness Resumes

1:32:02 Animals' Fear of Man

1:37:24 Noah, Ham, & the Curse of Canaan

1:52:46 The Tower of Babel

2:04:09 Conclusion