Learning to totally rely on God is not something that happens instantly in a person's life. In this sermon Mr. Smith illustrates this by going through the life of Jacob. Jacob knew about God from his father and grandfather, but he did not rely on God. Rather he used his own schemes to get his way even to the point of deceiving his own father. But later in life God used events with Laban and Esau to teach Jacob some hard lessons. When Jacob came to rely on God, God changed his name to Israel.

Gary Smith

United Church of God Pastor

Gary Smith was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but spent most of his youth in the Pasadena, California area. He graduated from Ambassador College in 1976 and he and his wife, Liz, moved to Peoria, Illinois. For the next six years he worked as a nursing home administrator in Illinois, Ohio, and Texas.
In 1982, he and Liz began to serve in the full-time ministry. Since that time, they have served in a number of congregations in the Midwest.
Gary and Liz now pastor in Houston, Texas near their two children and grandson.