As we close out this week and prepare for worship together, let’s step back and see the big picture. God is working out a plan to have a people devoted to Him in faith and trust. Abraham, with all his flaws, believes God and is credited with righteousness. He opens the way for all of us who believe to also receive righteousness and adoption. What a plan.

Spend a few minutes this morning praying and asking God to grow your faith and trust in his plan in and around you.

• Read or listen to Genesis 24-25 and Genesis 27

Thanks for plugging along in this quick flyover of Genesis! There is a lot of history and a few people who become the focus of the chapters. God, in the preserving of these stories, does not hide our human faults or frailties- but this also allows us to celebrate our faith in trials! Today we read about a young woman who follows God into a new life and marriage, and two sons who are favored differently which leads to much strife!

• How or where do you see God at work in these chapters?
• What are some of the poor choices you see Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau make that you can relate to?
• What makes you sad in this story?
• What gives you hope in this story?

• Read or listen to Genesis 21-22

We see God remain faithful to (now) Abraham and Sarah in the birth of Isaac. But it is still not smooth sailing as their mistrust and self-determination (sin) that led to the birth of Ishmael reaps consequences.

• How do you see God’s character being revealed in this section? What kinds of names would you ascribe to Him?
• How do you see God as Provider in these stories?
• How does Abraham demonstrate faith on his way to the altar with Isaac? (Romans 4 also adds more flesh to this story)

Abraham’s distrust of God’s plan, and his failure to lead well has a lot of consequences in Hagar and Ishmael’s lives. Our sin always hurts us and those around us.

• When have you seen this true in a circumstance in your own life?

• Read or listen to Genesis 15-17

As we continue on in the story of Abram, we will see God make him some pretty amazing promises. We will also see he and his wife Sarai struggle to believe, and at the same time sometimes show incredible faith. So like you and me.

• What kinds of things do you learn or see about God’s character from these chapters?
• What kinds of character traits do you see in Abram?

15:6 tells us that God credits righteousness to Abram because of his belief. Galatians 3:7 tells us that those of us who believe in faith become children of Abraham. We become an answer to this long ago promise.

The story of Hagar is amazing to me. God sees.

• When have you seen and known that God saw you right in the midst of your pain/ struggle/ grief?

• Read or listen to Genesis 11:27- 12:20

After we leave the story of Noah, the flood, and the covenant, we see the people again grieving God by building a large tower. So they get scattered all over the earth and receive new languages. We then zero in on one man and his lineage: Abram.

• What does God reveal about Himself in these chapters?

I love that it says “the Lord said to Abram”. I wondered what that looked like? How did God “say” what He said?

• How have you heard God voice in your own life?
• What do you learn about Abram in this section- there is a lot, both positive and negative!
• We see both trust and mistrust in Abram, a blend of strong character and weak. In your own life, where do you struggle to trust God?

Read or listen to Genesis 6-9

We left off yesterday with Adam and Eve leaving the garden that they tended to make their way in the world. The sin that they choose continues to follow them as one of their sons murders his brother. This lineage continues on with sin becoming rampant and normative until chapter 6 tells us that God is grieved that He created man.

• Who does God reveal Himself to be throughout these chapters?
• What sort of challenges do you see Noah facing?
• Where do you see God’s compassion at work in these chapters?

In chapter 9, God makes a covenant, a promise to Noah and his sons. This promise continues on to today.

• Where have you seen God be faithful in your own life?
• I love that God “remembers” His promise when He sees the rainbow. When God sees you what promises are you wanting Him to remember?

Read or listen to Genesis 1-3

Today we see God creating all that we can see out of nothing. He then creates the man and the woman in His image, and gives them the free choice to follow their loving and gracious creator, or to usurp His authority and decide what’s best in their own eyes.

• How does God reveal His wisdom through all of His creating in these chapters?

• What are other characteristics of God that you see revealed in these chapters?

• How does God show value for the man and the woman in these chapters? Prior to as well as following the Fall?
• How do you hide today, from God and from others?

• What is one way that you could begin to allow others into your story?

Pray and ask the Lord to give you wisdom in your choices, and that daily you would turn towards Him rather than away from Him.