Genesis

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS

Journalism students are taught to answer the Who, What, When, Where, and How of a story. It is considered by some that the Bible answers all these questions, but in reality, it is written to confirm the Who. This study will focus on the Who and to some degree the What.

Genesis celebrates the fact that God made the world, it does not explain the details of how he made it. Chapter One hints at, but does not focus on the mechanics of creation, only to say "Then God said, let there be...". This is a book of beginnings because it talks about the beginning of the universe, the beginning of the human race, and the beginning of the people of Israel.

Genesis and the other “books of Moses” (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) introduce the continuous story of Israel running through the first quarter of the Bible. Genesis is traditionally attributed to Moses, the one who led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Genesis explains how one nation comes to have a special role in God’s plan for all of humanity. Early on, the order and harmony of God’s good creation are overwhelmed by the destructive consequences of human rebellion and pride. The violence, injustice, and suffering that follow lead God to condemn and restrain human wickedness through the judgment of the great flood. God then makes a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, providing an ongoing framework for the story. The family of Abraham—Israel—will be God’s chosen means to bring the nations back to themselves. Genesis closes with Abraham’s descendants having grown into a league of large tribes, but they are not in the land God has promised them. So the story leads naturally into the books that follow.

Chapters 1-11 detail the story of God and his relationship with the whole world, while chapters 12-50 focus on the story of God's relationship with Abraham and his family. The book is divided into twelve parts by eleven repetitions of the phrase "this is the account of." Each section is about the life and family of the person named. These are woven together to document the story of human history and the beginning of God’s plan to restore humanity and its place in his world through Israel. source: biblica

SESSION 1 - How much beauty do we miss every day?

READ - Genesis 1:1-29

The Beginning

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”

7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.

8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.

10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,

15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.

16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,

18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”

21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.

25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Parents who take walks with young children know, that a walk with a toddler will be a long one. Toddlers stop whenever something attracts their attention — and everything attracts their attention!

Kids see things we wish they didn’t, like discarded chewing gum or the neighbor's front door. But, they also see what we miss. The tiniest flower among the weeds? They want to touch, even taste it. They stare in wonder and tug at our clothes, saying "Look! Look!"

When we’re too busy to look as children do, we can miss the miracles around us:

an entire ‘crayon box’ used for a sunset

weeds, breaking through the hard asphalt of a seldom-used roadway to find the sun

the deep red cardinal perching on a still-green branch

a doe on the side of the road, waiting for her fawn to timidly stand beside her

the magnificence of a soaring hawk

Nature with all its intricacy and lavishness has been around since God spoke it into being and pronounced His work "good." The first verses of Genesis tell the story. Imagine it! The incredible planning, detail, and orderly preparation!

First, nothing but God. Then, all of nature! God dots His sky with birds, His earth with animals. His oceans fill with fish and swimming mammals. Then life is breathed into mankind — from no life to abundant life with God’s voice!

Just as inquisitive toddlers want us to see what they see, our Lord says, “Look! See what I have prepared!” As in the beginning, He wants us to come from no life without Him, to abundant life with Him. He calls to us as He did to all Creation: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

IN-CLASS DISCUSSION

Is there a location you have been to where the beauty of the sights is so profound that they come to mind occasionally?

What beauty do you see in the birds, animals, and people that give you joy?

Is there a difference between enjoying the beauty of the world and recognizing God in that beauty?

What things can cause us to miss God in the beauty?

I like what Ian K. Smith writes: The apostle Peter makes it clear that this present earth will one day be “destroyed by fire”—(see 2 Pet. 3:10)—and will be no more. John tells us that God will make a new heaven and a new earth—a place for God’s people to dwell forever with him (see Rev. 21). This new heaven and earth will not be separated as they are now; heaven and earth will actually be one. God will dwell among his people, and believers in Jesus will walk, run, worship, and celebrate in a physical heaven/earth with glorified resurrection bodies. This new heaven and earth will be like this earth in some ways—but far greater, more beautiful, and perfect.

2 Pet 3:10 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

Rev. 21 1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

REFLECT

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the Earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

Genesis 1:1-31 God made the heavens and the earth and it was good.

Genesis 2:15 Humans are commanded to care for God’s creation.

Leviticus 25:1-7 The land itself must be given a rest and not abused.

Deuteronomy 10:14 All of heaven and earth belong to the Lord.

Psalm 24:1-2 All the earth is the Lord’s.

Psalms 19:1-14 Creation proclaims the glory of God.

Matthew 6:25-34 God loves and cares for all of creation.

Romans 1:20 Creation reveals the nature of God.

1 Corinthians 10:25, 26 Creation and all created things are inherently good because they are of the Lord.

What does God’s intricate planning for life tell you about His character?

What is one step you can take to be more intentional in appreciating what God has prepared for you?

Can you look at the trees, flowers, food, and home and thank Him for your blessings?

RESEARCH

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Hebrews 1:10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;

Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

Colossians 1:16-17 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Acts 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,

2 Peter 3:5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,

Nehemiah 9:6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

Jeremiah 32:17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Proverbs 3:19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;

Psalm 115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

Proverbs 8:22-30 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.

Psalm 8:3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Hebrews 3:4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Proverbs 16:4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 37:16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.

Psalm 148:4-5 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created.

Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Romans 1:19-20 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Isaiah 51:13 and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor?

1 Chronicles 16:26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Revelation 21:6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

SESSION 2 - How to survive an identity crisis

UNDERLYING THOUGHT

Exodus 19:4-6 - 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

Verses 5 & 6 tell of an important plan. Obey and keep, then you will be God's treasured possessions, a kingdom of priests. (our concept of a priest is to minister to others) 1 Peter 2:9 says "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light". God intends to prepare His followers, through obedience, to be examples/priests to the world, the people we meet every day.

READ - Genesis 1:25-31

25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Identity is an all-consuming word. We use our identity to define how we perceive ourselves, what choices we make, and how we portray ourselves to others. We allow our identity to be shaped by our appearance, our children, our spouse, or maybe our career and income. Who are we really, deep in the core of our souls? Have you ever wondered the origin of who you really are?

The answer to any identity crisis can be found in the first chapter of the Bible. We were created on purpose, with a purpose, and for a purpose.

From the very beginning, God had big plans for us! We did not arrive here by accident. We were custom-created by the One who created the entire universe. Not only did God custom make us, He made us to be like Him.

We were made to represent the One who made it all.

The reason nothing else—our careers, roles as parents, or positions in the community—satisfies us completely is we were made for more. We were made to represent the One who made it all.

When we find our identity in being God’s child, it changes how we interact with Him and with others. Seeing God as our Father and Creator causes us to want to spend time with Him. And, as we spend time with Him, we realize how great and loving He really is. And, as we experience His love, it changes how we treat others.

Our identity is not found in what we do for a living or who others say we are, but in who God says we are. He made us, and He alone can sustain us.

REFLECT- Who is it that you know or have known that reflects the "image of God"? That person who has been a "priest" to you, helped you financially, emotionally, or spiritually.

Practical Ways to Embrace Your Identity in Christ and Live in Abundance

Release shame, guilt, and failures of the past.

Start a regular Bible study and prayer time.

Renew your mind with biblical truths.

Walk in the ways of God, not the world.

Seek the Lord's will for your life.

Create daily habits that allow you to live on purpose for God

Have you ever considered your identity to be defined by the image of God? By understanding you were created in His own image, how does this change the choices you make moving forward?

How can you better relate and identify with others knowing we were all created in the image of God?

RESEARCH

Jeremiah 27:5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.

Job 12:8-10 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Genesis 2:19-20 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Psalm 8:4-8 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

James 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Hebrews 2:6-9 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Psalm 8:4-8 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

James 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Hebrews 2:6-9 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Acts 17:28-29 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

Psalm 104:20-24 You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Acts 17:26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

Matthew 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 4:24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Isaiah 43:7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Psalm 127:1-5 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 104:14-15 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.

Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Zechariah 12:1 The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:

SESSION 3 - God has a question for you

READ - Genesis 3:8-24

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

THINK ABOUT THIS

We’ve all stood in Adam’s shoes, thinking we’re getting away with something that doesn’t seem too bad. Our stomach’s in knots, and fear and guilt swell up inside us. Like Adam and Eve, we want to do our own thing, our own way. Sometimes, we want to be liberated from parents, bosses, or any other authority who says, “No!”

But, when Adam and Eve tried to make it without God’s authority, the best they came up with was sewing dead leaves together to cover up sins. They hid in a bush, blaming God and others for their deliberate rebellion.

Fortunately, God didn’t leave Adam and Eve in their predicament. He pursued Adam, even in his rebellion, and asked him the same question He is asking us: “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). God knew Adam’s location, but He wanted Adam to realize where he was spiritually.

Without God, our best thinking, on our best day, leads to dead-end living. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Someone had to die for our sins. So, foreshadowing Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, God sacrificed an animal and replaced Adam and Eve’s leaves with skins (Genesis 3:21). Animal sacrifice continued until Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross by substituting His life for our sins (Isaiah 53:4-7). God forgives our sins and gives us life when we declare Jesus our Lord.

God’s still asking, “Where are you?” We have a choice. We can continue hiding and trying to fix our own sin problem. Or, we can step into the light, and let Jesus fix it for us. He’s the only one with the power to do it.

REFLECT

7 Reasons we hide from, or avoid God’s presence—

When we draw near to Him, we find that it is us who must change—not Him. We cannot control or manipulate God. We hate change; so we think that hiding is the easiest option.

In the presence of God we only have two choices—obey or disobey. We may be afraid of what God might ask of us. If we are already disobeying the Lord, we may not want to face Him.

Spiritual fear causes us to withdraw from the light of His presence. True openness before God is costly and exposing. We are naked and vulnerable when we come before Him.

The sight of God involves the sight of self. We are forced to face who/what we are—pretense is no longer an option. If you gaze upon God, you WILL be confronted with your humanity at some point – it is unavoidable.

We hide from Him before He hides from us. Our humanity makes us afraid that the Lord might disappoint us—He might not desire to be present with us. We believe that others experience His presence, but “surely His favor is not upon me.” In other words – we attribute human responses to Him rather than taking Him at His word – that He loves us absolutely, completely, without reservation or pre-conditions.

Traditions can sometimes keep us from intimacy with God - that is if we place the traditions above personal faith and relationship with the Father. We hide behind our traditions by holding to the way things have been done for centuries rather than blaze the trail of our own passionate and intimate relationship with Him. Unfortunately, some churches practice “religion” rather than “relationship.” All churches are based on relationships, but that aspect of their beliefs may have dwindled in order to accommodate a “safer” or more publicly acceptable form of Christianity.

We may have an incorrect view of who God is and how He communicates with us. Just like the children of Israel in Exodus 19–20 we sometimes withdraw from His presence because of fear and misunderstanding.

• How would you answer God asking, “Where are you?”

• What is one sin you need to confess that you are trying to “manage” yourself?

• Has there been a moment when you stopped hiding, confessed your sin to Jesus, and asked Him into your life? If not, you can do it today.

RESEARCH

Jeremiah 23:24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Hebrews 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Psalm 139:1-12 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

Romans 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

Jonah 1:9-10 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

Amos 9:2-3 “If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.

Job 31:33 if I have concealed my transgressions as others do by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

Joshua 7:17-19 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

Revelation 20:12-13 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

Isaiah 57:11 Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me?

Isaiah 47:3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.

Psalm 119:120 My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.

1 John 3:20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”

Revelation 16:15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

Revelation 3:17-18 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Proverbs 19:3 When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1 John 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Isaiah 53:3-4

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

1 John 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Matthew 13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Numbers 21:6-7nThen the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

John 14:30-31 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Jeremiah 31:22 How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man.”

Luke 19:2 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

Matthew 25:45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

CLASS NOTES

Living things are outrageously adaptable. I've seen videos of dogs who have lost the use of their back legs yet get about on a wheel contraption. I remember going swimming and when first jumping in, the water was way too cold yet, it seemed to tolerable after being in for a while. Change causes us to find a way to adapt. These changes happen because of transitions in life. Sometimes transitions happen quickly, other times they are gradual. Examples: a new birth in the family, a child leaving home, job change, illness, aging.

Look at some examples of changes in people of the bible. Abraham, Joseph, Paul...

The change from Moses to Joshua shows how we are to continue after a tragic change.

Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide:

2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

Gen 3:8-24 depicts a major transition in the relationship between God and Adam (mankind). Some transition changes can seem minor, but most have a major impact on our lifestyle. What has been the hardest transition for you?

SESSION 4 - "Am I my Brother's Keeper"

READ - Genesis 4:3-12

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.

4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

THINK ABOUT THIS

Let’s consider the case of the original murderer: Cain, the son of Adam. Cain admitted nothing. Cain confessed nothing. Even when given the specific opportunity, even when confronted by God himself with the evidence of his brother Abel’s blood on the ground, Cain admitted nothing.

“Where is your brother?” was God’s simple question, and Cain answered that he had no responsibility to keep his brother from harm. This was the response of the man who had just murdered that brother.

To the God who knows all, Cain lied: “I don’t know where he is.” But of course, Cain knew where he had left Abel dead.

And did you notice that Cain seems to have thought he should still have God’s protection? Without confessing his sin, or even being sorry for it, Cain thought it was unfair that he should be a cursed wanderer. He complained to God, “I will be hidden from your presence.” But even that wasn’t true, as God made clear to him.

Standing in that blood-stained field, claiming to be without sin, Cain deceived no one but himself.

Are we deceiving ourselves? Are we repentant? Are we our brother’s keeper?

REFLECT

The phrase “my brother’s keeper” occurs in the context of the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-9. After the Lord God had expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden for their disobedience, Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy that God had found Abel’s sacrifice acceptable, but He had rejected Cain’s. After the murder, the Lord, knowing full well what had happened, asked Cain where Abel was. Cain’s response was "I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?"

There is a grain of truth in this brazen lie, despite the surly response Cain offers to the God who created him. While no one is the absolute “keeper” of others in that we are not responsible for everyone’s safety when we are not present, every man is his brother’s keeper in that we are not to commit violent acts against them or allow others to do so if we can prevent it. This sort of “keeping” is something God rightfully demands of everyone, on the grounds of both justice and love. But Cain’s reply indicates a total lack of any kind of feeling for another human being—not to mention the absence of brotherly love—and the overriding presence of the kind of selfishness that kills affection and gives rise to hatred.

So are Christians to be the keepers of other Christians? Yes, in two ways. First, we are not to commit acts of violence against one another. This includes violence of the tongue in the form of gossip and “quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20). Second, we are to exhibit brotherly love toward our brothers and sisters in Christ with a tender heart and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8). In this way, we “keep” those for whom Christ gave His life.

One of the golden chapters of the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13. In this magnificent portion of the Scriptures, we are reminded that love is even greater than faith and hope. Chapter 13 comes on the heels of Paul’s explanation of how the Body of Christ (the Church) is like the human body and is made up of many members, all of whom are important to the function and well-being of the Body. We are continually encouraged throughout the New Testament to love one another (Hebrews 13:1; Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). Sometimes love must correct, admonish or reprove (2 Thessalonians 3:13-15; Matthew 18:15). However, correction is always to be done in the spirit of love with the goal of reconciliation.

Paul the apostle wrote to the church at Thessalonica, “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15).

So, as Christians, we are to be our brother’s keeper. As Paul wrote, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify (build up) another” (Romans 14:19).

RESEARCH

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.

1 John 3:16-18 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Romans 14:19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:15-16 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Ezekiel 3:17-19 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

John 15:12-14 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Proverbs 31:8-9 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 29:7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.

Proverbs 24:11-12 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?

Luke 6:30-31 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Mark 12:30-31 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

2 Timothy 2:23-24 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

Romans 13:9-10 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

John 13:14-17 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Psalm 41:1-3 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

Titus 3:9-11 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Deuteronomy 22:1-2 “You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him.

Leviticus 25:35-38 “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Philippians 2:3-8 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ...

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

SESSION 5 - Are we making the most of our time?

READ - Genesis 5:1-8 & Genesis 6:1-8

Chapter 5

1 This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.

2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.

3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.

4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh.

7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters.

8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

Chapter 6

Wickedness in the World

1 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,

2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.

3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal ; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”

8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Was her birthday really yesterday, and I forgot to call?

How did this deadline sneak up so quickly?

We’ve all been there. The sinking feeling of missing an important occasion, or realizing our project is one day too late to turn in. If only we had a little more time!

But, what if the problem isn’t that we don’t have enough time? What if the real issue is how we spend the time we have?

Before Genesis 6:3, people regularly lived from 800 to 900 years. To think about 120 years as a shortened life span seems strange to us. But, when God announced He was limiting man’s life, it was an effort to get their attention. God saw mankind’s wickedness and said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever…” (Genesis 6:3).

The men in Noah’s day had 120 years to turn to God, but they chose not to. These people didn’t get to see God’s promises unfold. Noah and his family were the only ones who survived the flood.

Noah chose to follow God daily and pursue Him, even when it didn’t always make sense. Building an ark in the middle of the desert probably didn’t seem like the logical next step at the time. Noah could have easily said, “Not right now,” or, “I need more time.” But, he didn’t.

The purpose God created us for doesn’t start next week, next month, or next year. It begins now.

When we let God direct our days, we’ll always spend our time wisely. Life is such a precious gift that God has given us. He promises not only to give us life, but also to give us a full life when we follow Him (John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.) That is something that we don’t want to procrastinate away.

REFLECT

What does God’s Word say about how we should use our time?

1. Use our time responsibly as one accountable to the Lord not in bondage as a people-pleaser or mere lover of self.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved – even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:9-10)
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10)
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Eph. 4:1)
Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. … (1 Pet. 1:17-25)

2. Use our time in God-honoring ways, making it our goal to please Him in all you do.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Rom. 13:11-14)
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17)
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. (1 Thess. 4:1)

3. Use our time to its best advantage, investing it wisely, knowing that you will never get it back.

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Eph. 5:15-16)
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. (Col. 4:5)
Parable of the Ten Virgins and their Oil Lamps (Matt. 25:1-13)
Use your time to do good, not living merely for your own comfort and convenience.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal. 6:9-10)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:10)

4. Use our time productively, in beneficial ways.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. (Prov. 6:6-11)
Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. (Prov. 20:4)
“I have the right to do anything,” you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” – but not everything is constructive. (1 Cor. 10:23)

5. Use our time strategically and purposefully with everything in its proper time, not taking life for granted.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to … (Eccl. 3:1-11)
Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. (Ps. 39:4-7)

6. Use our time in full dependence on the Sovereign Lord, making His priorities ours.

But I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. (Ps. 31:14-15)
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Ps. 139:16)
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. (Prov. 16:9)
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt. 6:33)

7. Use our time humbly as though each day was our last, knowing that God is in control.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Prov. 27:1)
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:14-17)

- On a scale of 1 to 10, how many times do you find yourself wishing for more time each day?

- Would you consider yourself a wise steward of your time? Why, or why not?

- When was the last time you asked God how He wants you to use the time in your day? Take time to pray through your calendar and ask: Is there anything I need to start doing or stop doing?

RESEARCH

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Ephesians 5:16 Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ...

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

James 4:14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

John 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Romans 13:11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

Ephesians 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

Romans 12:1-21 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ...

Psalm 31:15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

Proverbs 31:17-18

She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.

James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

2 Corinthians 6:2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Psalm 127:2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

1 Corinthians 7:29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,

Luke 14:1-35 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” ...

Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.

Proverbs 6:6-11 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, ...

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

2 Thessalonians 2:3-16 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ...

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Matthew 18:34-35 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

SESSION 6 - Ever wonder why God showed us mercy?

READ - Genesis 7:5-23

5 And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.

7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground,

9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.

10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.

14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings.

15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.

16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.

18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.

19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.

20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.

21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.

22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.

23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Have you ever wondered why God would choose to save you? Why does He choose to give us mercy instead of punishing us with death?

Noah probably felt the same way in Genesis 7. When we read Genesis, it’s hard not to focus on the death and destruction occurring as the world floods. It’s easy to overlook God’s mercy.

Noah’s family was safe on an ark he had obediently built while the world and everything he had known disappeared. Noah probably could not understand why God chose to rescue his family. How overwhelming and humbling to experience God’s mercy in that way.

Noah was blameless, not sinless. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And, Romans 6:23 tells us, “...the wages of sin is death…” Noah was a sinner who deserved death, like anyone else, but he was declared righteous and blameless before God because of his faith (Hebrews 11:7).

God didn’t have to save Noah and his family; He chose to. God made the world in one week. He could have started over, but in His mercy, God saved Noah. God’s mercy has rescuing power for people in trouble—people like us.

Mercy is different than grace. Grace is giving us what we do not deserve. Mercy is withholding what we do deserve. When Noah’s family could have been wiped out in the flood with the rest of the world, God extended His love, mercy, and kindness.

He offers us the same mercy and kindness. When we, like Noah, put our faith in Jesus, we become righteous and blameless before God. Jesus rescues us and gives us eternal and abundant life.

REFLECT

Why did God save us? That’s easy. The answer rolls right off our tongues… because God loves us, of course! God sent Jesus because He desired to rescue us from hell and bring us to heaven. (John 3:16)

Scripture teaches that our salvation has a purpose that goes beyond ourselves. Let’s consider…

1. It’s Not About Me

Salvation is from God, of God, for God.
Jesus paid the cost for our salvation.
We reap the benefits.
God gets the glory.

2. We are saved for reasons that transcend us, adding to the extravagance of our salvation in Christ. We are saved to:

glorify God
be in God’s family and enjoy His presence forever
be God’s temple on earth
reflect Christ’s image
do the work of Christ
join in the worship of heaven
Saved to Glorify God

3. God made us in His image.

Our very bones, muscles, and sinews display the glory of a Creator who surpasses us in every way. Even more marvelous, this same God recreates us when we place our faith in Christ. In Him, we are born again as new creations. Born now of His Spirit. We carry more than a dusty resemblance to our Maker. The blood of Jesus, shed on the cross for our sins, pulses through our spiritual hearts with divine life.

Isaiah 43:7 – Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.
2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
Romans 11:36 – For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.
Revelation 4:11 – You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.

All have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfection. Further, we are utterly incapable of making ourselves right before God. Our salvation, through the shed blood of Christ, demonstrates God’s unspeakable mercy.

Ephesians 2:4-9 – God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

4. Saved to be in God’s family and enjoy His presence

While all humans are blessed to be made in God’s image, believers are now adopted into His family, through Jesus Christ. A gift of forever.

1 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 John 3:1 – See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Romans 8:14-17 – For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God… The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Psalm 16:11 – You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 23:6 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

5. Saved to be God’s Temple

So great was His love, that God desired to be near mankind from the beginning when He walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve. While in the wilderness, the LORD directed Moses to build a Tabernacle (sacred tent) to dwell with His people there. Later the Temple was built as a permanent dwelling place for the Presence of God.

Incredibly, after Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell the hearts of His believers. (Acts 1:4-5) God is near! God is with us! God is within! He dwells within our hearts now. What a treasure, we carry the Presence of God. We are God’s Temple.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
2 Corinthians 6:16 – For we are the temple of the living God.
2 Peter 1:4 – By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

6. Saved to Reflect the Image of Christ

Jesus returned to the glory of heaven and we await His second coming. While we wait, we re-present Him to others, as we reflect the image of Christ in spirit and in truth.

Romans 8:29 – For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
2 Corinthians 3:18 – And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 – Christ’s love controls us… He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

7. Saved to Do the Work of Christ

Christ ascended into heaven and is preparing a place for His people there. (John 14:2-3) We are His ambassadors on earth, representing His kingdom and accomplishing His work until He comes again. To do the work of Jesus Christ is the highest calling of our lives. What work does Jesus have for us?

--Do Good Works

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven Matthew 5:16

--Christ’s Ambassadors

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 – And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

--Make Disciples

Matthew 28:19-20 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

--Bear Fruit

John 15:8 – By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
John 15:5 – I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

--Obey God and Grow in Holiness

“Be holy as I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

> Do you have a hard time accepting God’s mercy? Why or why not?

> Consider where you would be without God’s grace and mercy. Take some time today to thank Him for it.

RESEARCH

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Luke 6:36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Matthew 9:13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Psalm 86:5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—

John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

SESSION 7 - Need proof that God keeps His promises?

READ - Genesis 9:8-17

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:

9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you

10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.

11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:

13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,

15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

THINK ABOUT THIS

Not too long ago, Kentucky experienced the kind of flooding that only happens once every thousand years. There was loss of life, property damage, injury, displacement, and other harm to people. Many felt devastated and hopeless.

A local flood gives us a shadow of what Noah experienced. When that flood was over, God made a promise that “...never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:11). God’s promise was a covenant, a sacred agreement, between God and future generations. Rainbows are a sign of this covenant. Every time we see a rainbow, it’s a tangible reminder that God keeps His promises.

When we put our trust in God and His faithfulness, we can bear anything. God’s promise of security and safety is not a pledge to prevent trouble in the world (John 16:33). It is a pledge to each of us that God will be with us in the flood. He will protect us, provide for us, and work all things for the good of those of us who love Him (Romans 8:28).

REFLECT

Some Bible promises concerning God’s goodness

Psalm 145:9 The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
2 Samuel 7:28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

God’s promises about being with us

Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
John 1:12 -13 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The promises of God about provision

Matthew 6:31-33 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Matthew 7:9-11 Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Psalm 34:10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Romans 8:39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 5:24 Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven.

Amazing things Jesus promised

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
John 8:12 I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners …
John 14:15-16 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 11:25 Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.’
John 15:5 Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
Matthew 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:1-3 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

God’s promises about answering prayer

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Luke 11:9-13 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Psalm 102:17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

God’s promises about salvation

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Romans 10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.
Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

- What devastating flood are you experiencing in your life?

- Are you focused on the flood or on God’s promise to see you through to victory?

- A great source of strength during a flood is to be connected to others who will encourage us to stand on God’s promises.

RESEARCH

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Joshua 23:14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.

2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Joshua 21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

SESSION 8 - God cares about the big and small stuff in our lives

READ - Genesis 12

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.

11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.

12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.

15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.

16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?

19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

THINK ABOUT THIS

We love God's plans but often take the details into our own hands.

Just like we sometimes do, Abram thought he had it figured out at first. He was following God, and God was making it clear he would be famous and blessed. Not only would Abram be blessed, but God said the whole world would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:2-3).

But, Abram found his situation too risky, so he took the easy way out. Abram told his wife to lie to Pharaoh. He let fear control him in that moment, convincing his wife to tell Pharaoh that she was his sister.

God was not pleased with Abram’s plan and afflicted Pharaoh, so Pharaoh would let Sarai go. Abram believed God would do the big things He promised but got scared in the small details of how it would happen.

God has called you to something great, something that you were custom-designed for.

Details matter to God, the big and the small. God has called you to something great, something that you were custom-designed for. God keeps His promises, and you can trust that He will take care of all the details of what He has called you to. Just take one step at a time, and trust Him along the way.

REFLECT

As long as He allows our world to stand, God will always be working to reconcile men and women to Himself. We each are the tools that fit somewhere inside that plan. While we see from a limited viewpoint, God is able to see the big picture. Consider these Scriptures that show us how God demonstrates His care for us.

God answers our prayer, Matthew 7.7-11; Philippians 4.4-7. We have been told to ask without doubting, James 1.6. 1 John 5.14-15 instructs us to ask in confidence.

God provides hidden things that we do not ask for or know we need. Remember Ephesians 3.20. God is able to do beyond all we ask or think.

God provides us with material things, Matthew 6.25-34. Our physical needs will be met. God always sustains His people, Philippians 4.19. He wants us to depend on Him. It is also important to remember that material things should not become our primary goal in life. See Colossians 3.1-2 and Matthew 16.24-26. And, we must never forget that blessings and prosperity do not always mean an endorsement by God. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust, Matthew 5.45b.

God equips us spiritually. He gives us all we need for every good work, Ephesians 6.10-12. He provides an escape from temptation, 1 Corinthians 10.13. And, He provides us with the necessary discipline in order to bring correction to our spiritual life, Hebrews 12.6-11.

God provides us with His constant love and care. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you, 1 Peter 5.6-7. Never forget that Peter wrote from personal experience. He had personally witnessed the love, care, and compassion of our Savior. Our God truly cares.

• What does the fact that God cares about the details of your life tell you about His character?

• Is there a situation where you need to start trusting God with the details? What is one practical step can you take to do that?

RESEARCH

Proverbs 12:10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Revelation 5:8-13 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” ...

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

SESSION 9 - How to set the stage for blessing

READ - Genesis 13:7-18

7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.

9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company:

12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.

13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.

15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.

17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the LORD.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Occasionally when I read this passage I see how Abram gave Lot the choice and Lot chose the well watered plain. But, that is not the story here, it's about God loving, giving and providing, and about how we respond to God's great love. Verse 15, "All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever." Abram's response was to believe God's word. Hebrews 11:13 "All these great men died in faith. They did not get the things that God promised his people. But they saw them coming far in the future and were glad. They said that they were like visitors and strangers on earth."

The people living within our circle of community see who we are. We have an opportunity to show our faith and heart. A great example of a person with God's type of heart is shown by Betsie in the book, THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Larry Loftis.

The man responsible for betraying the ten Booms, the lady told Betsie, was the same man who had tricked Corrie about the six hundred guilders. His name was Jan Vogel, and he had worked with the Gestapo from the first day of the occupation, eventually teaming up with Willemse and Kapteyn.

Corrie fumed. "Flames of fire seemed to leap around that name in my heart," she recalled later. "I thought of Father's final hours, alone and confused, in a hospital corridor. Of the underground work so abruptly halted. I thought of Mary Itallie arrested while walking down the street. And I knew that if Jan Vogel stood in front of me now I could kill him."

That evening, as women gathered for the prayer meeting around their bunk, Corrie asked Betsie to lead it, saying she had a headache. But it was more of a heartache. That night she couldn't sleep. She now could affix a name-Jan Vogel-to the treachery that had led to her father's death, and to the incarceration of her family.

For days Corrie's stomach churned, and one night she asked Betsie how she could be so peaceful. "Don't you feel anything about Jan Vogel? Doesn't it bother you?"

"Oh, yes, Corrie! Terribly! I've felt for him ever since I knew- and pray for him whenever his name comes into my mind. How dreadfully he must be suffering!"

That Betsie, always teaching by quiet and humble example. She seemed to be from another order of beings. And what exactly was Betsie teaching? That Corrie was as guilty as Jan Vogel? "Didn't he and I stand together before an all-seeing God convicted of the same sin of murder?" she wondered. "For I had murdered him with my heart and with my tongue." Convicted, she prayed, telling God that she forgave Jan Vogel, and asking that she be forgiven. "I have done him great damage, she went on. "Bless him now on, and his family."

That night she had her first restful sleep in a week.

In Genesis 13, Abram looks out at the land he will eventually inherit. His obedience in going where God told him, building an altar to worship God, and continuing on to the Negev set the stage for Abram to be blessed beyond his means (Genesis 12:4-9, Genesis 13:1). Psalm 112:1-3 says, “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.”

We serve a loving God who wants us to be joyful. He wants to bless us more than we can imagine. We can find great delight in God’s commands because following them leads to rewards.

Blessings begin to flow out of obedience. If we’re desperate to see God bless our dating relationships, are we pursuing purity? If we’re desperate for a promotion at work, are we displaying a work ethic and conduct that honors God?

Following God protects us from ourselves. When we experience the awe and wonder of who God is and what He wants for us, we begin following Him from the belief that His commands are for our good.

By trusting in God’s Word, our stage will be set to reap future rewards.

REFLECT

#1 Realizing God is Our Greatest Need

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

#2 Allowing God to Break and Humble Us, it may take some time...

Examples: Moses spent 40 years in the desert, David who was a shepherd and fugitive hiding in deserts and caves, Paul who had been given a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble

#3 Learning to Wrestle with God in Prayer

Remember Jacob who wrestled a whole night with a “man”, called also an angel and God? In the end, Jacob is given the name “Israel” and blessed, while the “man” refuses to give his own name. Jacob then names the place where they wrestled Penuel, meaning “face of God” or “facing God”(Genesis 32:22-32)

#4 Learning to Be Honest and Transparent with God

God wants to give us: peace, comfort, love, strength, joy, wisdom, and knowledge. Job is a great example of unburdening before the Lord and being completely honest. Job poured out all his painful emotions, anguish, terror, questions, and doubts, wanting to hear from God, and longing to receive an answer. God approved of this behavior much more than the religious talks of his friends. And we know how richly God blessed Job at the end of his trial.

• In what area of your life do you want more blessings? Are you being obedient in that area?

• What needs to change to set the stage for those blessings?

EXAMPLE

Our culture encourages the mindset that we get even with those who have wronged us, but is that how Christians should act?

1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

The following is a quote from THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Larry Loftis:

Six months removed from the suffering of Ravensbrück, Corrie decided to seal her forgiveness of enemies. All enemies. She had already forgiven the Germans, but there was another who was most difficult: the Dutchman who had betrayed her to the Gestapo-Jan Vogel- "Mr. Six Hundred Guilders."

On June 19, 1945, she wrote to him:

Dear Sir,

Today I heard that most probably you are the one who betrayed me. I went through 10 months of concentration camp. My father died after 9 days of imprisonment. My sister died in prison, too.

The harm you planned was turned into good for me by God. I came nearer to Him. A severe punishment is awaiting you. I have prayed for you, that the Lord may accept you if you will repent.

I have forgiven you everything. God will also forgive you everything, if you ask Him.... If it is difficult for you to pray, then ask if God will give you His Spirit, who works the faith in your heart....

I hope that the path which you will take may work for your eternal salvation. Corrie ten Boom

RESEARCH

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Malachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

Genesis 12:2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Ezekiel 34:26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Psalm 133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Psalm 85:12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

Psalm 24:5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Deuteronomy 28:8 The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

Exodus 23:25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.

Jude 1:24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Peter 2:7-9 And if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

2 Peter 1:2-4 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

SESSION 10 - What to do when God seems to be taking His time

READ - Genesis 16:1-6

Hagar and Ishmael

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;

2 so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.

4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you had to get your hands on it before it was released? Maybe, it was getting the newest iPhone before anyone else. Maybe, it was the newest PlayStation or car. Whatever it was, we've all had something in our lives we wanted to have before its appointed time of release.

In Genesis 16, Sarai and Abram were desperate for the child God promised them. God had told Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5). But in Genesis 16:1-4, Sarai decided to take matters into her own hands instead of waiting on God’s timing. She convinced Abram to get her servant Hagar pregnant. Out of this impatience and lack of faith came a long series of problems—beginning with a broken relationship between Sarai and Hagar in Genesis 16:5-6.

Time is the greatest test of our willingness to let God work in our lives.

When we attempt to take over for God and make His promises come true, problems inevitably follow. Time is the greatest test of our willingness to let God work in our lives. It's not a question of if God will do what He said. The real question is this: Will we trust Him enough to wait for Him to deliver on His promise?

God keeps His promise to Abram throughout the rest of Genesis. It just wasn’t in the timing that Abram and Sarai wanted.

It may not be in the way and the time we want, but God will always fulfill His promises in His way and in His time. The challenge for us is to trust Him enough to wait. Because if we do, it will be so much more than we could ever dream (Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine",).

REFLECT

When the Bible speaks of waiting, it’s an entirely different thing than what we do after we take a number at the motor vehicle department. Biblical waiting is not a passive activity but is demonstrated by active dependence upon and obedience to God. Thus, waiting upon God is a spiritual discipline that we should seek to practice in our lives. Here are nine ways we can practice biblical waiting.

Nine ways to wait on the Lord

Acknowledging God's sovereign control of all things. ...
Coming to terms with our dependence upon God. ...
Seeking spiritual strength from the Lord. ...
Being patient and quiet. ...
Refraining from needless fear and worry. ...
Continuing to learn and obey God's commands. ...
Expecting the Lord to save. ...
Seeking the Lord through constant prayer. ...
Longing for Christ's final return. ...

RESEARCH

Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Psalm 27:13-14 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Romans 5:3-4 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

James 5:11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Isaiah 64:4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

Psalm 25:4-5 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Habakkuk 2:1-3 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Psalm 37:9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Colossians 1:11 Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

Habakkuk 2:3 ESV / 113 helpful votes
For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

SESSION 11 - We are not alone in our pain

READ - Genesis 16:7-16

6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.

8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”

10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

11 The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery.

12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Lost and desperate, our only defense is to run away from our problems. Our problems—ranging from the death of a loved one to someone gossiping about us at work—can parade around as giants we believe we can’t face. Our biggest defeat in our battles is measuring our own strength against our problems, rather than measuring God’s strength against them.

In Genesis 16, Hagar faced a seemingly impossible problem. She was Sarai’s slave. And, when Sarai and Abram lost faith in God’s ability to overcome Sarai’s barrenness, Sarai forced Hagar to sleep with Abram to have a child for them. After Hagar became pregnant, jealousy and anger overtook Sarai. So, Hagar decided to run away from this beast of a problem (Genesis 16:1-6).

While on the run, “the angel of the Lord found Hagar…” (Genesis 16:7). Notice the Lord found and came to Hagar during her desperate situation.

While talking with the angel of the Lord, Hagar realized where her strength should come from. Genesis 16:3 says, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,' for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’”

God desires to draw near to those who are brokenhearted and beaten up by life. There are times when it may feel like God has forgotten about us. Hagar reminds us that God sees us. He sees every problem, big and small. He knows every detail, every emotion, every thought we have.

When we surrender our circumstances to the One who sees us, we can stop running and turn ourselves around. And like Hagar, we can face our giants with a godly strength. Remember, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

SIDELINE THOUGHT

Verse 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

I have never fully understood verse 10 because, from a Christian perspective, Jesus is the only way to God. Muslims see a different path through Hagar and Ishmael. Follow this link to a comparison between Christians and Muslims.

Link to an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions. Also included here is listing of different countries and their religions.

REFLECT

Uplifting Bible Verses

#1. You are not alone. God is with us in every season of our lives. God will never forget you.

Zephaniah 3:17, The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

#2. You are not alone. God will never leave you.

Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

#3. You are not alone. God will never abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:8, And the LORD is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.

#4. You are not alone. God will never give up on you.

Psalm 107:1, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

#5. You are not alone. God will never fail you.

Deuteronomy 31:8, Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

#6. You are not alone. God is ever-present!

Psalm 46:1, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

#7. You are not alone. God is on your side. You are never alone!

Isaiah 41:10, Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

#8. You are not alone. God goes before you.

Deuteronomy 31:8, The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

#9. You are not alone. God is constantly thinking about you.

Psalm 139:17-18, How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!

#10. You are not alone. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!

Jeremiah 31:3, The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

• What is one practical way you can remember God sees you in everything?

• What situation have you yet to surrender to the One who sees you?

• What is one step you can take today to surrender it?

RESEARCH

Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”

Genesis 2:18 “And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone: let us make him a help like unto himself.”

Psalm 142:4-5 “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence. In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.”

Psalm 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.”

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with thee: turn not aside, for I am thy God: I have strengthened thee, and have helped thee, and the right hand of my just one hath upheld thee.”

Deuteronomy 4:31 “Because the Lord thy God is a merciful God: he will not leave thee, nor altogether destroy thee, nor forget the covenant, by which he swore to thy fathers.”

Romans 5:6 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Be you humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation: Casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of you.”

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God, I am what I am; and his grace in me hath not been void, but I have labored more abundantly than all they: yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

SESSION 12 - What do we need to let go of?

READ - Genesis 17:1-14

The Covenant of Circumcision

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.

2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,

4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.

10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.

13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.

14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

THINK ABOUT THIS

You have something great — a relationship, friendship, or position at work. If God told you to give that up, would you? It wouldn’t be easy, but what if God only wanted you to give that up to give you something greater?

God made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:10: “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”

Abraham might not have wanted to give up his comfort to carry out his part of the covenant. But, God tells Abraham in Genesis 17:2, “...I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

God didn’t make this covenant with Abraham to hold him back or take something away, but to place Abraham in a position to be blessed. Giving things up isn’t always easy, but it makes room for the blessings God wants to give us.

Maybe God wants you to let go of that relationship to bless you with a better one. Maybe He wants you to give up that great position at work to jump start something new. God never wants us to give something up to hurt us, but only to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11).

When God tells us to give something up, let’s not look at it as a loss but as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to listen to Jesus, to grow, and to open our hands for Him to bless us.

REFLECT

Consider these 5 things that we might be prompted to give up as part of our "covenant" with God.

Give up bad relationships. Bad company corrupts good character according to 1 Corinthians 15:33. The Bible also says that we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Give up on the desire to sin. As Christians, we will continue to make mistakes and we will still sin. However, we need to give up on the DESIRE or the ENJOYMENT of sin. We need to cultivate a HATRED toward sin. The more we hate sin, the less likely we are to sin or enjoy sin. Romans 12:9 says that we should hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Therefore we must hate evil; we must hate sin. How can we hate sin? The more we love and fellowship with God and the more we obey God, the more we will hate sin. Drawing near to God enables us to resist the devil (James 4:7-8).
Give up the world. The Bible says that we should not be conformed to the standards of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). As Christians, we might live in the world. However, we are not of this world. As Christians we are citizens of heaven and ambassadors of the Kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:20). The world and the systems of the world are governed by different principles and values. God’s values and principles are the complete opposite of what the world systems offer and they can never agree. The Bible says that the devil rules the world or the systems of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and this is why Biblical values are hated and being challenged by the world even to this day.
Give up the works of the flesh. Sometimes we blame the devil for everything. But sometimes it’s really us who are to blame. Sometimes it’s really our flesh that is at fault. Galatians 5:19-21 describes the flesh as being adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; and Paul warns and says: “of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Give up your old nature. When we received Jesus Christ we became a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. As Christians, we should therefore always put on Christ and represent Christ.

RESEARCH

Hebrews 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Luke 22:20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Hebrews 8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

2 Corinthians 3:6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Jeremiah 31:33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Mark 14:24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

Romans 7:6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

Romans 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Matthew 26:28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Romans 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

SESSION 13 - How do you handle the impossible?

READ - Genesis 18:1-15

The Three Visitors

1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.

2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.

4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.

5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.

8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said.

10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’

14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

THINK ABOUT THIS

Have you ever felt stuck in a season of life—confused about your health, your family where to spend the rest of your life, thinking about the loss of your friends or family? These unanswered questions and unfulfilled desires can lead us to doubt and mistrust God’s plan for our lives. And, we often find ourselves waiting for the next answer.

If you have ever questioned God’s promises, you are not alone. In Genesis, Abraham and Sarah battle with distrust in God’s promise to give them children and more descendants than they can count. Sarah even schemes to make this happen on her own terms in Genesis 16.

In Genesis 18, the Lord visited Abraham and promised him a son by the following year, and “Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, ‘After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?’” (Genesis 18:12).

It’s easy to doubt God’s plans and promises when they seem impossible. But, God answered Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?...” (Genesis 18:14). Then, in Genesis 21, God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah, and they had a son, Isaac.

When we begin to doubt, we can ask ourselves: Is this day too hard for the Lord? Is this addiction too hard for the Lord? Is this decision too big for the Lord? Is this marriage too far gone for the Lord?

Though it is hard to see past our present circumstances, nothing is too hard for God. Even when things don’t go as we expect, we can trust that God still has a plan for our lives, and He is faithful to fulfill His promises.

REFLECT

God knew we would doubt and has built into His Word Truths to help combat unbelief. Here are 7 powerful Truths to remember when you find yourself doubting God.

1st Christ Died for You

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever should believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

2nd He Loved You Even When You Were Still Dead in Sin

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ —by grace you have been saved—

3rd He is Your Heavenly Father

1 John 3:1a See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.

4th God has Compassion on You

Psalm 86:15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

5th God's Plans for You are for Good

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

6th Be still and Know that

Psalm 46:10 Be still and Know that

7th The most powerful tool is to Pray!

Mark 9:24 b “I believe; help my unbelief!”

• Has there ever been a time in your life when you doubted God’s plan for you? What was the outcome?
• How impossible did it seem for God to give Sarah a child at such an old age? Considering what God did for Sarah, how impossible is your situation today?

RESEARCH

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

Matthew 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Mark 11:23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Jude 1:22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Luke 24:38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Romans 14:23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Mark 11:22-25 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

SESSION 14 - Put our faith into practice

READ - Genesis 21:1-7, Genesis 22:1-19

The Birth of Isaac

1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.

2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.

3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.

4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.

5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”

7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Abraham Tested

1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,

7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time

16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,

17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,

18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

THINK ABOUT THIS

A group of children dare their friend to climb to the top of the highest tree in the park. Everyone thinks this is a great idea—except the climber.

Have you ever thought something was a great idea until you’re the one elected to carry it out? Life’s big trees have a way of becoming bigger when we have to find the courage to face them ourselves.

It’s one thing to believe. It’s another to act on that belief. It’s easy to talk about God’s promises, but when push comes to shove, do we really trust Him?

When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Abraham obeyed. God kept His promise to miraculously give him that son in Genesis 21:1-7, so Abraham trusted Him. He chose to remember that and obey. At the last minute, God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, but imagine the confusion and fear he must have felt leading up to that.

Obedience opens us up to receive God’s blessings.

Abraham didn’t just say he believed God, he acted on that belief. Our desire to do what God calls us to do shows our faith (James 2:18-24). And, like Abraham, our obedience opens us up to receive God’s blessings (Genesis 22:15-19).

This type of surrender is difficult because we don’t want to give up control. We think following God means losing freedom. But, refusing to surrender doesn’t allow us to “keep” freedom, it restricts us from being fully open to receive God’s goodness. When we surrender our lives to God, He will lead us to a life of fulfillment and freedom.

God doesn't want to take things from us; He wants to bless us. He only gives good gifts (Matthew 7:11). What if what’s hindering us from fulfillment is our unwillingness to put God first in certain areas of life? We can choose freedom and toss restrictions to the curb. That choice starts with obedience.

REFLECT

Six ways to put faith into action

1. Make the Word a Study Habit Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

2. Realize His Power Acts 2:43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

3. Be Community Minded Acts 2:44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

4. Give of yourself Generosity Acts 2:45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

5. Be Consistent in Faithfulness Acts 2:46-47 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.

6. Transform Actions Acts 2:47 … And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved …between being saved by God and being on mission for Him in your life. What’s one thing you could do to live for God?

RESEARCH

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Philippians 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:24-27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

1 John 3:5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

2 Peter 1:5-8 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:15 But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

James 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

SESSION 15 - When opportunity comes, opposition often follows

READ - Genesis 26:1-3 & 19-35

Isaac and Abimelek

1 Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar.

2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.

3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.

---------------

19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there.

20 But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him.

21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.

22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

23 From there he went up to Beersheba.

24 That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

26 Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces.

27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”

28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you

29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the LORD.”

30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.

32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!”

33 He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.

35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

THINK ABOUT THIS

It’s easy to follow Jesus when life is full of open doors and opportunities. But, what about when we face obstacles and opposition—we lose our job, we’re rejected by someone we love, we can’t have a child? Is God still in control when our lives seem to be falling apart?

In Genesis 26, Isaac may have wondered the same thing. As he tried to settle in the land God had promised his family (Genesis 26:1-6), Isaac faced repeated opposition. He was forced to move once he became prosperous (Genesis 26:16). Every time he worked to settle into a new place, his efforts were thwarted by the hostility of others (Genesis 26:17-21).

Isaac could have felt defeated and abandoned. He had done what God told him to do, yet his circumstances didn’t seem like they were lining up with God’s promise to give his descendants the land (Genesis 26:3).

Isn’t that how we feel sometimes—that God is not coming through for us? That following Him isn’t paying off, and it would be easier to give up?

But Isaac didn’t give up on God. And, neither should we.

As Isaac continued to follow and trust God’s plan, God proved Himself faithful to keep His promise. God ultimately used those closed doors in Isaac’s life to direct Isaac to exactly where he was supposed to be (Genesis 26:28-32).

Even when we are sold out to following Jesus, we aren’t guaranteed a life full of open doors. We will still experience obstacles and opposition; disappointment and loss; hostility and heartache.

But, as long as we continue to trust and follow the Lord, we can be confident that He is in control of our circumstances. He will use even our greatest disappointments to drive us closer to our own lands of promise.

REFLECT

8 Biblical Strategies to Help You Overcome Obstacles

Strategy #1: Overcome Obstacles by Reading Your Bible

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. ”Psalm 119:105

Strategy #2: Overcome Obstacles by Staying in Prayer

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Strategy #3: Overcome Obstacles by Not thinking too Highly of Yourself

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Strategy #4 – Overcome Obstacles by Choosing Faith Over Fear

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Strategy #5 – Overcome Obstacles by Abstaining from Sin

“reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Strategy #6: Overcome Obstacles by Trusting God Completely

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5

Strategy #7 – Overcome Obstacles by Seeking Strength and Wisdom from God

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Strategy #8 – Overcome Obstacles by Trusting in God’s Plan

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

RESEARCH

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

James 1:19-21 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Psalm 27:1 Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 Timothy 2:23-24 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 5:3-5 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

SESSION 16 - The proper response to sin

READ - Genesis 28:1-9

1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.

2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.

4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”

5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,”

7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram.

8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac;

9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

THINK ABOUT THIS

How do you react when you are confronted with your sin? Do you try to excuse or make up for your sin? Or, do you feel genuine remorse that compels you to address the sin issue deep in your heart?

In Genesis 28:1-9, Esau tried to make up for his sin. Because he was losing favor with his parents, he decided to marry someone he thought his parents would find more suitable. He reasoned that his third wife would make up for the disappointment of the first two.

However, Esau’s offense was much more than marrying women his parents did not like. The promise given to Esau’s grandfather, Abraham, was to establish a nation of people who worshiped the one, true God (Genesis 17:1-8). By marrying foreign women who worshiped idols, Esau was effectively rejecting his role in God’s plan to establish a people who were set apart. Esau’s attempt to make up for his sin fell short because the real issue was not just his behavior; it was the condition of his heart.

Jesus taught that the proper response to sin is repentance (Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:32). Repentance is more than feeling sorry about what you have done or trying to be a better person. Repentance is a change of heart that leads to a change of behavior.

When we repent, we experience an internal transformation that causes us to see God as holy and worthy of our worship and obedience. While this inward change manifests itself through changed behavior, repentance is far more than a behavior modification program. Only true repentance addresses the sin issue deep in our hearts.

REFLECT

It seems like we talk about sin a lot; like it's the thing that keeps us from connecting fully with God, but it's more than that, it's the heart. Your heart drives everything you do (Proverbs 4:23). If your heart is not well, it will be displayed in your actions. If your heart is in the right place, your life will be on the right course. In Luke 8:4-15, Jesus compares the state of a person's heart to the condition of soil in a field.

The proper way to handle sin is to confess it to God and forsake it. Each of these two basic steps deserves a closer look:

First, confession is the proper way to handle sin. Naturally, to confess our sin, we must recognize that what we’ve done (or left undone) is sinful. Everyone has sinned, and believers in Christ also sin. The apostle John, writing to believers, said, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

To “confess” is to “agree with.” To properly handle sin in our lives, we must agree with God about our behavior; if the Bible calls something we’ve been doing “sin,” then we should call it “sin” as well. In our confession, we should be brave enough to be completely honest before the Lord. We should start by confessing all known sin and then ask the Lord to reveal any other sin that may need confessing. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24). Biblically, our confession is made to God, not to a priest. Jesus is our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5).

When we properly handle sin through confession, we have this promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This promise was encouraging to the people John was writing to in the first century AD, and is encouraging to us today. It is the heart of the gospel. Jesus sits enthroned at the right hand of God the Father, a position of power and influence. He intercedes for those who are His, made so by grace through faith. When someone who is in Christ sins, it’s as if Jesus says to His Father, “I have paid for that sin.” The Father forgives us on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. He is faithful to do so, in keeping with His promise; and He is just to do so, because Jesus has already paid the price for the sin.

Second, forsaking the sin is the proper way to handle sin. When Jesus forgave the woman taken in adultery, He told her, “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). Go—that is the word of forgiveness and release. Sin no more—that is God’s command to live a holy life.

We cannot seriously claim to be properly handling sin if we refuse to give it up. If we find a venomous snake inside the house, we don’t toy with it; we remove it from the premises. If we discover cancer in our body, we don’t go about business as usual; we begin an aggressive treatment program to pursue a clean bill of health. And if we become aware of sin in our lives, we do all we can to change our behavior to please the Lord.

To handle sin properly, we should not only forsake the sin but also seek to make restitution for our wrongs, when possible. Zacchaeus is a good example of this (Luke 19:8). We should also take steps to avoid falling into the same trap again. This means establishing new habits, frequenting different places, and avoiding certain people: “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin” (Proverbs 18:24). We should heed God’s command: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11).

To properly handle sin, we must follow the directives in God’s Word. We must “watch and pray so that [we] will not fall into temptation” (Mark 14:38). And we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. When He is grieved, it is time to confess our sin and forsake it (see Ephesians 4:30).

When we properly handle sin in our lives, our lives will change, and we will “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:9). We will live in the confidence that our sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven in Christ (Romans 8:1). We will praise the Lord of our salvation as the One who can keep us from stumbling (Jude 1:24–25). We will trust Him to finish in us the work that He began (Philippians 1:6).

When we properly handle sin in our lives, we will prove the truth of Proverbs 28:13: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (ESV, emphasis added).

GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT

Sin can be defined in many ways, including:

Transgression
Breaking a law, duty, or moral principle

Moral wrongdoing
An action or behavior that is considered unethical or morally wrong, often conflicting with personal values or societal norms

Offense against God
A violation of religious commandments or precepts, which can be seen as a breach of one's relationship with God

Iniquity or wickedness
Evil or immoral behavior that can stem from a depraved or corrupt nature, and is often associated with deliberate wrongdoing

Failure to meet God's standard
A failure to meet God's perfect standard of holiness, which can be internal or external

Ponder these 20 practical ways to “consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God” by killing sin today:

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s conviction and help.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

2. Practice regular confession.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

3. Remove the temptation.
And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:43)

4. Tell a friend.
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

5. Memorize Scripture.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil….take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God… (Ephesians 6:11, 17)

6. Meditate on the cross.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

7. Deal quickly with offense.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” (Matthew 18:15)

8. Discern your desires.
…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22, 24)

9. Help someone in need.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

10. Praise and thank God.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:5, 16).

11. Watch your words.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

12. Forgive the repentant.
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Luke 17:3-4)

13. Know yourself.
Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. (Proverbs 26:11)

14. Heed your conscience.
But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

15. Flee sexual sin.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)

16. Preach the truth to doubt, fear, and unbelief.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:5)

17. Deal with your anger.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. (Psalm 37:8)

18. Aim to please Christ.
So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

19. Remember God’s work to save you.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?…And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 11)

20. Follow Jesus.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

RESEARCH

1 Corinthians 5:5 You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

SESSION 17 - God wants a relationship with you

READ - Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.

11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.

12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.

14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.

19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear

21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God

22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

THINK ABOUT THIS

One of the “superstar” families of the Bible would have to be Abraham, his wife Sarah, their maid Hagar, and their children, Isaac and Ishmael. Abraham was a wealthy man. More importantly, Abraham was a man of God with a strong faith.

In Genesis 17, the Lord comes to Abraham and establishes a covenant with him. Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, would have heard the tremendous stories of faith and trust in God by his grandfather and his father, Isaac (Genesis 22). Jacob’s family would have learned early on to give thanks to God for His provision and faithfulness.

Despite Jacob’s God-fearing family, a relationship with God was not automatic. In Genesis 28:10-15, God reaches out individually to Jacob to establish a personal relationship with him and offers the covenant promise he gave to Abraham and Isaac. It was not enough to be Abraham’s grandson; Jacob had to establish his own personal relationship with God.

The same is true for us today. Our salvation does not occur by being raised in the church, attending youth group, knowing Bible stories, or having parents or a spouse with great faith. We are saved through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Just as God sought out Abraham and Jacob, He seeks to have a personal relationship with you. God has a personalized plan for your life and it begins when you believe and accept Him into your heart (Romans 10:9).

REFLECT

Think of building a relationship with God just as you would a relationship with anyone else you might wish to know better:

Take the time to touch base with God, acknowledging and giving thanks for His presence.
Invite Him to come close — to sit with you at your heart’s kitchen table and just hang out.
Talk: Some days this will feel like pouring out your heart. On other days, it will be casual chit-chat.
Listen: Remember to make it a two-way conversation and expect to hear from God, just as you would from a trusted friend. God wants you to know how much He loves you. He wants to offer support and guidance to you. If you don’t take the time to listen, you won’t hear His “still, small voice.”
Make contact throughout your day. Being in touch with God doesn’t have to be only during times of meditation or prayer. It can be while you’re on the run, when you’re in the midst of activities, or when you have a moment’s break.
Take action when you hear God’s voice. If you feel God is guiding you or telling you something, take action on it as soon as possible. The insight you receive may only show you where to take the next step, but once you’ve taken one step, the following step will appear in front of you.

RESEARCH

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

Ephesians 5:1-33 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ...

Psalm 25:14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Matthew 11:28-29 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

1 John 1:1-10 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ...

Romans 8:1-39 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ...

Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Romans 8:27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Matthew 5:1-48 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ...

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Jeremiah 33:1-26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: “Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. ...

Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Psalm 73:23-26 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:1-34 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ...

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Romans 12:9-10 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Acts 17:1-34 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. ...

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

SESSION 18 - God is always faithful

READ - Genesis 30:1-24

1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her,

5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son.

6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.

7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad.

12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

14 During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.

18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son.

20 Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.

23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”

24 She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

JUST SO YOU KNOW: Listing of the children of Jacob also called the children of Israel.

Jacob had thirteen children, twelve sons and one daughter, by four different women. These children are important in biblical history, as the twelve sons of Jacob became the heads of the twelve tribes. The account of the birth of Jacob’s children is found in Genesis 29—30, 35.
Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. He was the son of Leah, Jacob’s first wife. Gen. 29:32
Simeon was next, and he was also a son of Leah. Gen. 29:33
Levi was the third of Jacob and Leah’s children. Gen. 29:34
Judah was the next. After bearing Judah, Leah stopped bearing children for a time. Gen. 29:35
Dan was born to Jacob by Bilhah, his wife Rachel’s handmaid. It was common practice in that day for a barren wife to give her servant to her husband to bear children in her name.
Naphtali was the next child, also through Bilhah.
Gad was number seven. He was the child of Jacob and Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah.
Asher was next. He was the second son of Zilpah.
Issachar was another son granted to Leah.
Zebulun was the next child, Leah’s sixth.
Dinah was Jacob’s only daughter, and her mother was Leah.
Joseph was Jacob’s twelfth child and Rachel’s first, as God opened her womb and enabled her to conceive.
Benjamin was Jacob’s last child. His mother, Rachel, who died during labor, named him Ben-Oni, which means “son of my trouble,” but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, which means “son of my right hand.” Gen. 35:16-20
So the first four of Jacob’s children belonged to Leah, and she later bore him two more sons and a daughter—seven children total. The last two of Jacob’s children belonged to Rachel. In between were two sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s maid) and two sons of Zilpah (Leah’s maid).

When dividing the Promise Land, these names were used with two exceptions. Levi and Joseph. Joseph's children, Ephram and Menasseh, received a parcel each. Levi, as priest, received a portion of land within each family. Listing: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Yissachar, Zebulun, Dan Naftali, Gad and Asher, Ephram and Menasseh and Benjamin (Map)

THINK ABOUT THIS

When the pregnancy tests all come back negative when it would be easier to cut corners at work, when our bank balance doesn’t cover the bills, or when our spouse is being unfaithful, how do we respond?

Do we try to fix things ourselves? Do we get on our knees in prayer?

In Genesis 30, Rachel tries to take control by offering her servant to her husband in an attempt to “be enough” as a wife. Rather than waiting on God, Rachel tries to take His place and do things her way.

When we are faithless, God remains faithful.

In spite of Rachel’s unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. And just as God was faithful to Rachel, He is faithful to us. Because faithful is who God is. When we are faithless, God remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).

God is loyal, always reliable, full of wisdom, and completely sovereign. When we run away or try to take control, like Rachel did, God does not panic (Psalm 103:8-14). He is not sitting in heaven coming up with contingency plans. He loves us, pursues us, and awaits our return, just as He did with Rachel.

In Genesis 30:23, Rachel acknowledges God’s work by saying, “He has taken away my disgrace.” He took away her shame and any mark on her reputation, and He wants to do the same for us, no matter how undeserving we feel of His grace and mercy.

That’s the beauty of the Gospel. Often we try to take God’s place by going forward with our own plans rather than seeking His wisdom. When we are faithless and full of pride, God is faithful. At any moment, we can drop to our knees with whatever life throws at us and trust in our faithful God.

REFLECT

Five ways that God will remain faithful in your life even when life doesn’t feel fair:

1. God is faithful in providing for you

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

2. God is faithful to uplift and encourage you

“...being confident of this, that he that began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

3. God is faithful in comforting you

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

4. God is faithful in strengthening you

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

5. God is faithful in sending a community of support

“...not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

God is faithful when we are not and when life isn’t fair. When we want to throw in the towel or are feeling overwhelmed, be assured that God will provide, uplift, comfort, strengthen, and support. Our immediate circumstances may not change, but be confident that God will provide us with all that we need to persevere. Be grateful that God is faithful.

RESEARCH

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

Lamentations 3:22–23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Romans 3:1–4 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

Exodus 34:6–7 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

2 Timothy 2:11–13 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Psalm 36:5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Micah 7:18–20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Revelation 1:4–5 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled

Psalm 33:4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

Psalm 40:11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

Psalm 89:2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

Psalm 119:90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.

Isaiah 25:1 Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Isaiah 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Lamentations 3:23-24 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Hosea 2:20 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hebrews 11:11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

CLASS NOTES:

Matthew 5:45 (NKJV), “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Tell of someone who has proved to be reliable and trustworthy. (Thomas Weekly)

What does it mean to say God is faithful?

Similar words: fidelity, loyalty, constancy, devotion, trueness, dedication, commitment, dependability, reliability, trustworthiness, steadfastness

What are the characteristics of faithful people?
A faithful character is someone who can be relied upon to keep their promises, honor their commitments, and stay true to their values and beliefs. They are trustworthy, reliable, and dependable, and they inspire others to have faith in them and their actions.

What good things does God bring us?

He takes care of our physical needs, promises to provide what we need, provides rest, direction, gives us grace, shows us how to escape temptation, helps us when we're hurting, saves us, and gives us peace. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. , Matthew 6:31-32 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and my our heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

During my last few years at Apollo I developed a close friendship with a custodian. We often ate lunch together. He would tell me about the sermon he was to share with the small church he pastored in Central City and would tell of the subjects for our Bible study. One told me of something that struck a chord with me. He planned to say to the group, "We at this church are always wanting to do God's will and to follow his commands. We ask ourselves "just what does God want of me". He said, "I'm reminded of how it is to work at a job. It seems some employees were called into the boss's office and told of a company policy of how they should dress and treat the public. One person was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he did not listen to any of the information. You can imagine the problems he would have in the future at work? It's like that when you don't read the bible. How can we know what God expects of us without listening to his instructions?

God is faithful to all.

To those who seek after him, He promises eternal life. Hebrews 11:6 “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him”
To those who ignore him or seek their own way, he promises destruction. Matthew 22:13 “Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

God is faithful and always keeps his promises because he is trustworthy and unchanging in his nature. God's faithfulness means that he can never act against his character and nature. The Bible offers many examples of God's faithfulness, including in the Old Testament with Abraham, Moses, and Joseph, and in the New Testament with Mary, Peter, and Paul.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock; His work is perfect; for all His ways are just. He is a God of faithfulness and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.
Psalm 36:5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

List of wars by death toll
List of Famines
List of Death by Natural Disasters
Cause of Death by Health or Accident
General Question, What do People Die from

SESSION 19 - Choices Have Consequences

READ - Genesis 34

Dinah and the Shechemites

1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.
2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.
3 His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”
5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.
6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.
7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.
9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.
10 You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”
11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask.
12 Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”
13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.
14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us.
15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.
16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.
17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”
18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.
19 The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.
20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city.
21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.
22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are.
23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”
24 All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.
25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.
26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled.
28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.
29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

THINK ABOUT THIS

The Bible doesn’t shy away from Jacob’s shameful deceit, nor from the deceit of his sons. Their sister Dinah has been raped by Shechem, a local youth, so her brothers were furious. They manipulated the men of Shechem into agreeing that they should all submit to a painful religious rite—circumcision—which was intended to be a special reminder of God’s promise to Abraham. But Jacob’s sons planned to murder the men while they were recovering. And they did just that.

It was wicked to manipulate justice to avenge their sister. Even worse, though, was that the brothers abused the symbol of their family’s relationship with the one true God.

Their shameless manipulation of God’s blessing and their murder of the men of Shechem did not go unpunished: “You have brought trouble on me,” Jacob told them. Their response was to justify themselves: “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

If Christians are abused by the burning of churches and other forms of persecution, that gives us no reason to manipulate God’s gifts to get personal vengeance. Nor would it be right to tell people you will not love or forgive them if they don’t convert to Christ or don’t live as faithful believers. Patience in the name of Jesus is best, giving time for God to work his righteous justice.

The phrase "no sin will go unpunished" may refer to the Bible verse Proverbs 11:21, which states, "The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free". This verse could help the righteous avoid becoming discouraged when they see the world supporting wickedness. It also suggests that God will not ignore sin.

REFLECT

The Bible illuminates the importance of choosing wisely. With numerous passages referring to choices, we understand that decisions hold significance in both our spiritual and earthly lives. From the importance of discernment to the outcomes related to our decisions, the Bible provides comprehensive teaching about choices.

Choices have a profound impact on our lives. God bestowed upon humans the power of free will, enabling us to make decisions. Choices determine the trajectory of life, as well as directly affect our relationship with God and the level at which we can realize His plans for us. Our devotion to God means that we consciously choose His teachings over worldly allurements. Choosing to follow, trust, and obey God is an essential part of the believer’s covenant with Him. Such choices also influence our spiritual growth and our position in eternity.

The Bible instructs believers to seek God’s guidance through prayerful consideration before making decisions. Believers are reminded that human understanding is limited and that relying on God’s wisdom leads to better decisions. The narrative of the Bible illustrates the vital role of choices in both human history and personal lives.

Some suggestions on how to make Godly decisions are:

Trust in God: Proverbs 3:5. ... 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Ask God for Wisdom and Discernment: James 1:5. ... If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Realize God Calls People to Counsel Each Other: Proverbs 11:14. ... For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.
Pray About Everything: Philippians 4:6. ... Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Turn to Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:16. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
Consider what God would honor: 1 Samuel 2:30 “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

RESEARCH: Subject - Choices

Romans 8:7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!

1 Kings 18:21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

Romans 14:10-12 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister ? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

2 Samuel 24:12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ”

Luke 9:57-58 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Luke 14:28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

ALTERNATE SUBJECT FOR SESSION 19 - Don’t let temptation win

READ - Genesis 34

Dinah and the Shechemites

1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.

2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.

3 His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”

5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.

7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.

10 You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask.

12 Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.

14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us.

15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.

16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.

17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

19 The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city.

21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.

22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are.

23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”

24 All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.

26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.

27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled.

28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.

29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

THINK ABOUT THIS

What tempts us is unique to each of us. It could be anything from our desire to spread gossip at work to having lustful thoughts when an attractive woman walks by. When temptation wins, we give sin a place to come and spread its destruction in our lives.

The story of Shechem and Dinah in Genesis 34 shows how sin devours us if we give into temptation. Genesis 34:2 says when Shechem saw Dinah, “he took her and raped her.” Shechem, lacking in self-control, gave into a temptation that would set the scene for the destruction he never expected. James 1:15 drives this point home saying, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

When facing temptation, we can look to Jesus as an example. With every temptation Satan threw at Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus responded with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). The more we dig into the Bible, the more we can speak truth to ourselves in times of temptation.

If temptation keeps winning in an area of our life, Jesus says, in Matthew 5:29, to fully eliminate that which is causing us to sin. This may sound drastic, but sin devouring us is nothing to take lightly. Shechem gives us great motivation to make sure we overcome our pitfalls.

Being tempted does not make us bad people. After all, Jesus was tempted in every way possible, yet he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). The moment we realize temptation is creeping in, we can remember that Jesus has been there. He knows exactly what we are dealing with in that very moment and He will fight for us if we let Him.

(From this, God reveals that parents must set boundaries to protect their children from predators and their own poor choices. Second, Jacob showed no anger at Dinah's rape. Dinah was the daughter of Leah, the unloved wife. Jacob made the mistake of treating the children in his blended family differently.)

REFLECT

It is the believer's responsibility to overcome temptation. Here's a few of them:

Take heed to God's Word. This will help you to build up your strength before any temptation comes towards you. If you fall when tempted, your strength is small (Pro.24:10) Build up strength by heeding to God's word. Psalms. 119:9-11, Proverbs 24:5, John 17:17, Acts 20:32

Pray for the Strength. Your prayers are a way to ask God for strength and grace to ward off temptations when they come. Matt. 26:41, Jude 20.

Forgo Self Gratification. There should be a great sense of intentionality when it comes to addressing the inordinate desires that pave the way for sinful acts. Romans 13: 14 is clear to say there should be no thought or plans to satisfy or fulfil these inordinate quests that are contrary to the expectations of a Christian character.

Grow into Spiritual Maturity. 1 Corinthians 3: 1-3 explains that carnality (not spiritual; merely human and temporal) is a sign of Christian immaturity. It finds expression in envy, divisions, and strife. It is important therefore to have a growth plan. A Christian that must avoid the sting of temptation and the wages of sin must purge himself fit for enlistment in Kingdom activities (2 Timothy 2:19-21). Believers must work hard to purify themselves.

Surround yourself with people of value. The friends we keep fan the flame of our desires into manifestation. Amnon according to 2 Samuel 13 has an inordinate desire to have sexual relations with his sister but he could not carry out this enterprise on his own. However, his friend Jonadab helped him to plot his way to committing the sin. The scriptures have warned severally about not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, not sharing paths with sinners, and not being in the company of those that scorn honorable living (Psalm 1:1-3). Evidently, evil communication and association corrupt good manners.

Resist the Devil. Whatever you don't confront you won't conquer. Whatever you don't resist has a right to remain. Whatever you don't want in your life, you must not watch growing in your life. The Devil is going around looking for who to devour, resist him and he will leave you alone. (1 Peter 5:8, James 4:7). Don't tolerate his suggestions and agents around your life.

Run away from Dangerous Spots. 1 Corinthians 6: 18 says we as believers should flee from fornication. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says we should abstain from all appearance of evil. The moment you find yourself in a situation that may threaten the sanctity of your faith, run away. That place has become a situation of danger to your relevance before God.

• In what situation do you find yourself tempted the most?

• What is one way you can avoid those situations altogether?

• What plan can you make to help you resist future temptation?

RESEARCH

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” – Proverbs 19:11

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

SESSION 20 - What am I willing to do to get out of this?

READ - Genesis 35:1-14

Jacob Returns to Bethel

1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.
3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”
4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem.
5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.
7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.
9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.
10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. ” So he named him Israel.
11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.
12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”
13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.
15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

THINK ABOUT THIS

Jacob was in a pinch. In Genesis 34, his son’s revenge had put his whole family in danger, and he wasn’t sure where to go. This was the second time Jacob found himself desperate for God’s help. The last time, Jacob had been running from his older brother whom he tricked out of his inheritance.

If God were like us, He might have rolled His eyes and grumbled, “Really, Jacob? Again?” Instead, God, in His steadfast love and mercy, shows up in Jacob’s hour of need and tells him what to do next: “Go to Bethel.”

Like Jacob, God always gives us a way out when we feel backed in. It just might not be what we want to hear. The way out of your desperate situation might come through a trip to rehab. It might mean making new friends or finding new weekend plans. God doesn’t promise that repentance will be easy, but He does promise it will be worth it.

For Jacob, repentance meant telling his family and entourage to give up their idols and good luck charms. This was a big ask, but Jacob knew the only way to prevent a repeat of the past was to remove anything that could stand between them and God.

When we surrender everything to God, He gives us a new identity and new purpose. That’s what happened when Jacob got to Bethel. God reminded Jacob that he is not who he used to be (“you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel”) and sent him out with a renewed sense of purpose (“be fruitful and increase in number”). The same can be true for us today.

What if the only thing stopping us from realizing our new identity and purpose is an unwillingness to give up the old one?

God can miraculously lift us out of the situation we’re in, but changing our circumstances won’t change our hearts. So more often than not, God invites us to participate in the process of overcoming our problems. How we respond is up to us.

REFLECT

Let these verses help When We Struggle with Breaking Bad Habits-

1. If you’re about to make a bad choice, God will always provide a way out but you must choose it. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. ~1 Corinthians 10:13

2. Be humble and ask for prayer- don’t isolate yourself. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ~James 5:16

3. If our inner dialogue is negative, we will sabotage ourselves. We NEED to give ourselves grace and truth, so we have the strength to fight another day. Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. ~Ephesians 4:22-24

4. God’s Spirit is alive in us- He will give us strength. Honor him with your body. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ~1 Corinthians 3:16

5. The enemy does not rest – he wants to lie to us about ourselves. Do not believe him. God has equipped you to extinguish his flaming darts! In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. ~Ephesians 6:16

6. Be obedient to God’s voice and not the voices of this world. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ~James 4:7

7. Identify unhealthy people in your life – is there anyone who is a bad influence? Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” ~1 Corinthians 15:33

8. Seek God for wisdom, discernment, and strength. He cares about you and wants to help you overcome your struggles. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ~1 Peter 5:6-7

9. God will give you strength- but you must have a plan. Setting a daily time to complete your goal can be effective in creating new habits. Having a plan is the first step in creating a framework that is strong. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ~Philippians 4:13

10. God has already equipped you with self-control, but you must use it and do the work! God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ~2 Timothy 1:7

SIDELINE INFORMATION ABOUT BETHEL

Only Jerusalem is mentioned more frequently than Bethel. LINK TO MORE.

RESEARCH

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Ephesians 4:27 And give no opportunity to the devil.

James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

Colossians 3:5-17 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices …

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Romans 6:1-23 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

SESSION 21 - Your life has a ripple effect

READ - Genesis 36

Esau's Descendants

1 These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).
2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
3 and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.
4 And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel;
5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob.
7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock.
8 So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)
9 These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir.
10 These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau.
11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.
13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
14 These are the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,
16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
18 These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: the chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the chiefs born of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.
19 These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.
20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom.
22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.
23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father.
25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: the chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, chief by chief in the land of Seir.
31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites.
32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah.
33 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.
34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith.
36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place.
38 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39 Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pau; his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.
40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,
41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,
42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,
43 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession.

THINK ABOUT THIS

We’ve all made foolish decisions. Sometimes we’re willing to admit that our decisions affect those around us, and other times we convince ourselves that we are the only ones changed by our decisions. If we were aware of the ripple effect of our decisions, would it change what we choose?

When Esau traded his birthright to his brother for a bowl of stew, there was probably a moment when he recognized his foolishness. But the impact of that one decision affected more than just Esau.

We can never stray so far from God that He can't save us.

Genesis 36 is an account of Esau’s descendants—his wives, his children, his grandchildren. Every name mentioned is a life that was impacted by Esau’s one decision to trade his birthright. Everything from the name of their tribe, the Edomites, to where they settled can be traced back to Esau’s decision. Esau could never have known how many people would be affected by his choice that day.

Every day, we get to choose God’s way or our way. We can never stray so far from God that He can’t save us. But because God is just, He will allow us to feel the consequences of our decisions—even if it means our children and grandchildren will feel the effects as well.

There’s no way to know all the outcomes of our decisions or the ripple effect they will have on those around us. God knows and He wants desperately for us to walk in obedience so the ripple we make is full of faith.

REFLECT

Hebrews 12:16 "Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal". NLT

Hebrews chapter 12 instructs Christians to maintain a Christ-honoring lifestyle and to seek peace and personal holiness. As the oldest son (Genesis 25:24–26), Esau would have been entitled to various benefits. And yet, his actions show that he did not take this blessing seriously (Genesis 25:34), as mentioned in Hebrews 12:16. The event referenced here occurred when Esau sold his birthright to his younger twin brother, Jacob (Genesis 25:29–33). Hungry or not, manipulated or not, Esau should not have treated his birthright in such a flippant way.

Of course, the more valuable an object is, the more respectful of it we ought to be. Esau's view of his birthright showed disinterest, disrespect, and negligence. That's rightly seen as something despicable. When a person applies that same attitude towards God, it's infinitely worse.

This passage commended holiness—then referred to Esau's reckless, casual attitude as something unholy. His careless treatment of his own birthright in Verse 16 speaks volumes of how decisions can impact one's future.

MORE ABOUT GENESIS 36

Genesis is divided into sections. Each section focuses on the main descendants of a certain Old Testament figure. Earlier sections discussed the heirs of Adam (Genesis 5:1), Noah (Genesis 6:9), Shem (Genesis 11:10), Terah, the father of Abraham (Genesis 11:27), and Ishmael (Genesis 25:12). The portion immediately before this gave the history of Isaac, Esau's father, and mostly focused on Esau's twin brother, Jacob (Genesis 25:19).

The descendants of Esau will become known as the nation of Edom (Genesis 25:30; 36:1). Jacob's sons will father the tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:10). The Old Testament records many incidents of strife between these nations, as they grow to become vehement enemies (1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Kings 8:20; Obadiah 1:8–11 and
Numbers 20:14–21); Which says, (14 "Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: "This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors,16 but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory."
18 But Edom answered: "You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword."
19 The Israelites replied: "We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else."")
The name Teman was later used for a region in Edom mentioned by both Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah suggested that Teman became known as a place of wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7). One of Job's comforters was named Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11).
If you are interested in an in-depth look at these names and interlink to other scripture look at this link. On a computer, open the "Expand" tab at the right of the screen. If you are on a phone, scroll down to find the "Expand" tab.
What can we learn after making a wrong decision?

Lesson 1: we need to be careful and be prayerful in making decisions. Decisions have consequences, even the seemingly innocent ones, and can lead to many regrets! If unsure, ask God to give you wisdom: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

You must not be afraid to use your own mind. After all, Christians had been given a “sound mind,” (1 Timothy 1:7). Paul declares, that we have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Lesson 2: we need to realize that making a wrong decision does not mean we have doomed ourselves to a life of failure, sin, and misery! God says when we sin, we can repent and confess (do a complete 180-degree turn), and He promises to forgive and cleanse, so we can start over (1 John 1:9).

Lesson 3: we need to realize that some of our wrong decisions do have dire consequences. It does not help to play the victim and blame your self-imposed problems on somebody else. David could have gotten belligerent with God and blamed Bathsheba for seducing him. He finally made the right decision by owning up: “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die” (2 Samuel 12: 13 and 14).

• Think of a time when you made a poor decision. What consequences did you experience?

• How did that decision affect those around you?

• How did that experience change the way you make decisions today?

RESEARCH

Proverbs 19:20 –“Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.”

Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Proverbs 16:9 – The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

James 1:5-6 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Luke 14:28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Like 6:45, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

SESSION 22 - Am I blinded by sin?
Am I blinded by sin? - Genesis 42:27-38
Genesis 42:18–28 describes a powerful Egyptian governor sending nine of Jacob's sons home with purchased grain, while keeping Simeon as collateral. He commands the others to return only if they can prove their honesty by bringing along their youngest brother. The men tell each other they must be suffering for abusing another brother, Joseph (Genesis 37:28). They don't realize the governor is Joseph himself (Genesis 42:7) and that he understands their language. After leaving, the horrified brothers find the payment for the grain is still in their bags. They do not know Joseph secretly arranged to give it back to them.
When the brothers sold Joseph into slavery, they were thinking of themselves. This scripture is a follow-up to how Joseph saw their actions and his response of God's love to his brothers.

The decisions we make can cause harm to others. It may seem like good a idea at the time, but later, when looking back we ask, "what was I thinking".

Over the years people and churches have done some things that appear to be cruel to others and come across as sinful acts.

Help me think of actions that appear to be against God's teachings. Some beginning ideas: Slavery, The way Native Americans have been treated, War ...
READ - Genesis 42:27-38
27 But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey, he found his money in the top of his sack.
28 “Look!” he exclaimed to his brothers. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”
29 When the brothers came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them.
30 “The man who is governor of the land spoke very harshly to us,” they told him. “He accused us of being spies scouting the land.
31 But we said, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One brother is no longer with us, and the youngest is at home with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 “Then the man who is governor of the land told us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families and go on home.
34 But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know you are honest men and not spies. Then I will give you back your brother, and you may trade freely in the land.’”
35 As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man’s sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain! The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money.
36 Jacob exclaimed, “You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”
38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ”

REGARD

It is such a pleasure to be part of The Bible Study Class. The Sunday Study Subject for today is to ask myself am I blind to sin that lurks in my life. — Genesis 42:28 says, Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Trembling! What a gift for a seared conscience! For 20 years these men had been slinking along through life, hoping their dirty secret would never be exposed.

But now, as they stopped to rest for the night, one of them opened his grain sack to feed a donkey and got the shock of his life. There lay his silver, staring him in the face. Later, back in Canaan, the jolt reverberated as each brother opened his sack with their father, Jacob, watching. Each one saw their own silver—“evidence” that could be used against them to show that they were not “honest men”!

When a truly guilty person wonders if some serious adversity may be a sign of God’s prodding them to repent, they may very well be on the right track.

When we are truly guilty but our hearts are still hardened against coming clean, then God, who sees all we have done, may roar at us through some adversity so unnerving that we cannot help trembling. If something like that happens to us, it is a sign of God’s grace, a gift leading us back to God.

Each one of us will do well to ask ourselves honestly today, “Is there something I need to confess to God?”
REFLECT
Blind to our sins
Do you really know yourself as well as you think you do? Consider the critical, progressive warning of Hebrews 3:12-13, paraphrased as, “See to it that none of you has a evil—-unbelieving—-falling away—-hardened heart.” It is a picture of what sin does if undetected, unexposed, and unforsaken. The process of heart hardening begins long before hardness becomes obvious.

It all begins with giving way to sin. As a believer the heart of stone has been taken out replaced with a heart of flesh, the conscience bothers us when we sin. This is the beautiful, convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit. When my conscience is activated and bothered, I must make one of two choices. The first and best choice is to admit that what I have done is wrong and place myself once again under the justifying mercies of Christ, receiving his forgiveness. Or I can erect some system of self-atonement that essentially argues for the rightness of what I’ve done. (rationalize) It's easy making oneself feel good about what God says is not good. Participating in spiritual blindness. Everyone still living with sin is a skilled self-swindler.

This is exactly what the next step in the hardening process is about. Unbelieving captures what we do to cover our sins and defend our righteousness. Rather than simple faith and rest in the Word of God and the sufficient grace of Christ, we tell ourselves that we are not really in this particular instance sinners in need of forgiving mercy. Our self-atoning arguments are acts of pride, rebellion, and unbelief.

This street-level pride, rebellion, and unbelief invariably give sin further room to operate. Because we have not confessed, have not repented, and have not sought the forgiving, transforming, empowering, and delivering grace we need, we have opened ourselves up to more of sin’s ugly work. The third stage in this sad progression, falling away, captures this well. When we cut the rope that connects us to Scripture and rest in the grace of Christ, we will always end up drifting further.

We finally end with a hardened heart. What once bothered us doesn’t bother us anymore. What once activated our conscience doesn’t seem to anymore. It is a scary place to be. The heart is hard and resistant to change, no longer tender and responsive to the squeeze of the Spirit’s hands. We’re okay with the evil of our hearts and hands. Could there be a more dangerous place to be?

• Are you as close to God as you want to be? Why or why not?

• Is there any unconfessed sin in your life? Pray Psalm 139:23-24 over yourself, asking the Lord to show you any unconfessed sin. Confess, turn from your sin, and let Him lead you “in the way everlasting.”

RESEARCH

John 14:17-20 The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

Matthew 15:14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

1 John 2:11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

Zephaniah 1:17 “Because you have sinned against the Lord, I will make you grope around like the blind. Your blood will be poured into the dust, and your bodies will lie rotting on the ground.”

1 Corinthians 1:23 but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

2 Corinthians 11:14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

John 12:39-40 This is why they could not believe: Isaiah also said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not perceive with their eyes, and understand with their mind and turn, and I would heal them.”

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

Romans 1:28-32 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

2 Peter 3:3-4 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.

Jude 1:18-19 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:21 or since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

Matthew 13:15-16 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them. “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

Romans 8:7-8 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

1 Corinthians 2:15:16 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

John 9:39-41 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

John 8:11-12 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

2 Corinthians 3:16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Teacher notes: Two different impressions from this text.
1. "What has God done to us? When difficulties arise we may ask ourselves if God is prodding us to repent. If we don't repent, it may lead to a hardening of the heart. It's like a scene from Little House On the Prairie. What's pa going to do to us when he finds out the truth about Joseph?

2. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” It might have been a way to create accusations later. This might have been an act of kindness to people who had tragically mistreated him.

SESSION 23 - God always shows up

READ - Genesis 43:15-23

(You can read along below) NLT

15 So the men packed Jacob's gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.”

17 So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.

18 The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

19 The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace.

20 “Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before to buy food.

21 But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man’s money—the exact amount paid—was in the top of his sack! Here it is; we have brought it back with us.

22 We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money in our sacks.”

23 “Relax. Don’t be afraid,” the household manager told them. “Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment.” Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them.

THINK ABOUT THIS

God often shows up in the most unexpected situations. In Genesis 43, Jacob’s family is suffering from a famine in the land. He sends his sons to Egypt to purchase food. After their trip, the sons discover the silver they used to buy food was put back in their sacks. Out of food again, Jacob instructed his boys to return to Egypt to purchase more and return the silver. In Genesis 43:23, the sons fearfully attempt to return the silver only to be told: “...Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks…”

God is never caught off guard by our circumstances.

Payday is bittersweet. After paying bills, we can often sit staring at an empty bank account, gas tank, and empty bellies to fill. The good news is, God is never caught off guard by our circumstances. He is not worried even when we feel like we are barely making it from check to check. At just the right time He can provide all that we need. If everything is smooth sailing there is no need for God to step in and do the miraculous. Maybe you won't find treasure in your pockets this week, but we serve a creative God, and He loves to provide in unexpected ways. What do you need from God this week? Why not ask Him? We can be confident because God is a God of miracles.

In the toughest times, God is waiting for the perfect opportunity to bless our socks off. You may be going through an emotional, spiritual, or financial famine. Don’t be afraid, God is in control. What blessings will you find in your sack today?

REFLECT

Unexpected blessings are all around us each and every day if we are open to receiving them. Because God is always and forever with us. There is nowhere that we can go to hide from Him. He surrounds us day and night, for He is a God Who desires a relationship with His creation.

Hosea 6:6 – I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices. I want people to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

• Blessing doesn’t have to be monetary. Think back over last year. How did God unexpectedly bless you? What did those experiences teach you about Him?

• How could you unexpectedly bless someone else today?

• Is there anything you need to ask God for today?

RESEARCH

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. With the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalms 23:1

And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. Numbers 6:24-25

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

Added Resource:

What is Spiritual Blindness

To be spiritually blind is not to see Christ, and not to see Christ is not to see God (Colossians 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 4:6). Spiritual blindness is a grievous condition experienced by those who do not believe in God, Jesus Christ, and His Word (Romans 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:12). Those who reject Christ are the lost (John 6:68-69). Being spiritually blind, they are perishing (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Revelation 3:17). They choose not to accept the teachings of Christ and His authority in their lives (Matthew 28:18). They are blind to the manifestations of God as revealed throughout His Word and Jesus Christ (John 1:1; Acts 28:26-27). They are described as those who “do not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Peter spoke of such people as “scoffers [who] will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” (2 Peter 3:3; see also Proverbs 21:24; Jude 1:18). Those who reject Christ and His Word are spiritually blind and cannot understand the truth of the Scriptures. The truth sounds foolish to them (Isaiah 37:23; 1 Corinthians 1:18). The Bible describes those denying God as fools (Psalm 14:1; Matthew 7:26). Because of their blindness and rejection of God and His Word, they are in a perilous, unsaved condition (John 12:48; Hebrews 2:2-4).

The spiritually blind are simply unable to understand God’s Word (Matthew 13:13; Deuteronomy 29:4). Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). Paul echoed this when he told the believers in Rome, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:8-9). Those outside of Christ are not of God because their lives are steeped in the things of the world with all its passions, their eyes blind to the Spirit of God. The Apostle John said, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” but that person’s love “is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).

The cause of spiritual blindness is made quite clear in the Scriptures: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Paul refers to Satan as the “god of this world.” Extraordinarily evil (John 8:44), Satan destroys the flesh (1 Corinthians 5:5), masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and is the cause of all temptations (Luke 4:2; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Corinthians 7:5). He revels in scheming against and trapping the unbelievers (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:26). Satan’s goal is to devour the weak who fall prey to temptation, fear, loneliness, worry, depression, and persecution (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Genesis

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS

SESSION 1 - How much beauty do we miss every day?

READ - Genesis 1:1-29

The Beginning

SESSION 2 - How to survive an identity crisis

UNDERLYING THOUGHT

SESSION 3 - God has a question for you

SESSION 4 - "Am I my Brother's Keeper"

SESSION 5 - Are we making the most of our time?

Wickedness in the World

SESSION 6 - Ever wonder why God showed us mercy?

SESSION 7 - Need proof that God keeps His promises?

SESSION 8 - God cares about the big and small stuff in our lives

SESSION 9 - How to set the stage for blessing

SESSION 10 - What to do when God seems to be taking His time

Hagar and Ishmael

SESSION 11 - We are not alone in our pain

SESSION 12 - What do we need to let go of?

The Covenant of Circumcision

SESSION 13 - How do you handle the impossible?

The Three Visitors

SESSION 14 - Put our faith into practice

The Birth of Isaac

Abraham Tested

SESSION 15 - When opportunity comes, opposition often follows

Isaac and Abimelek

SESSION 16 - The proper response to sin

SESSION 17 - God wants a relationship with you

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

SESSION 18 - God is always faithful

SESSION 19 - Choices Have Consequences

Dinah and the Shechemites

ALTERNATE SUBJECT FOR SESSION 19 - Don’t let temptation win

Dinah and the Shechemites

SESSION 20 - What am I willing to do to get out of this?

Jacob Returns to Bethel

SESSION 21 - Your life has a ripple effect

READ - Genesis 36

Esau's Descendants

SESSION 23 - God always shows up

READ - Genesis 43:15-23

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