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The Passage: Genesis 35.6-10
The One Thing: Changing Names
Growgroup Discussion Starters
Know
K1 Looking back at Genesis 35:6–10 (Gen 35:6–10), what names or renamings stand out to you in the passage, and what do they mark or signify in the story?
Grow
G1 Jacob returns to Bethel, a place where he once encountered God (Gen 28:10–22; Gen 35:1–7). Why do you think returning to that place mattered so much for Jacob at this stage of his life?
G2 The renaming of Luz to Bethel turns an ordinary location into a “spiritual address” (Gen 28:19; Gen 35:7). Can you think of a place, season, or moment in your life that became significant because of an encounter with God?
G3 The oak named Allon Bakuth marks grief and loss (Gen 35:8). Why do you think Scripture makes space for naming sorrow rather than rushing past it (cf. Isa 61:1–3; Ps 34:18)?
G4 God renames Jacob as Israel—shifting his identity from “supplanter” to “one who wrestles with God” (Gen 32:27–28; Gen 35:10). What does this tell us about how God relates to people with complicated pasts?
G5 In the sermon, three movements were highlighted: returning to Bethel (Gen 35:1–7), revisiting Allon Bakuth (Gen 35:8), and receiving a new name (Gen 35:9–10). Which of these do you find most personally challenging or inviting right now, and why?
G6 How does the idea of God giving new names and new identities (Gen 17:5; Gen 32:28; Isa 62:2) help us better understand what Jesus ultimately offers at the cross (2 Cor 5:17; Rev 2:17)?
Show
S1 This week, what would it look like for you to intentionally “rename” something in your life—acknowledging God’s presence (Gen 35:7), inviting healing into grief (Isa 61:3), or embracing a new identity in Christ (2 Cor 5:17)—and how might that shape the way you live or pray?
