Recap from 8/8 and 8/22

8/8
We read Genesis chapters 19-22. Here are some questions to consider as you read these chapters:

1. How is the faith of Lot different from that of Abraham? How is it similar? What about the faith shown by other people in these chapters - Hagar, Sarah, and Isaac?

2. Chapter 22 is a very deep theological story. Things to think about are: could it ever be "wrong" to do what God tells you to do, or should we trust that even if it seems wrong God will make it right in the end? In what ways was this story a foreshadowing of God sacrificing his own Son on the cross? What does this story tell us about Abraham's faith?

Chapter 23 we skipped, it is bonus reading you can do on your own if you'd like.

8/22
We read Genesis 24-26. The clear theme in these chapters was that God is in control, and works things out according to his own plan. God led Abraham's servant to Rebekah, arranged her marriage to Isaac, and then told a prophet that she was having twins and that the older would serve the younger. This comes true when Esau gives up his birthright to Jacob, and (as we will read in a later chapter), when Isaac gives his blessing to Jacob instead of Esau. It is from Jacob that the nation of Israel, and ultimately Jesus, descends. God's plan for our redemption is already in the works.

As always, we welcome any further questions or comments here on the blog, or bring them in person next Sunday!

Prayer requests from 8/8 and 8/22

8/8/10
M - That aunt's recovery would be quick and she would have less pain.
A - Praise for parents coming home safe, pray that her brother has a safe trip.
T - Pray that everything goes well at Local Artist Nite talent show.
H - Praise that her computer is fixed, continue to pray for direction in life.
B - Pray that car issues would be resolved.
L - Pray that God would continue to keep her baby safe and healthy. Pray for her friend who is in jail, pray that school goes well this semester.
E - That God would bless a new fundraising partnership she is involved in.

8/22/10
A - Strenght for this week, working 40+ hours and exhausted.
T - Thinks God is speaking to him about something, wants more clarity and revelation.
M - That this week goes smoothly and her car gets fixed, praise that she made it home safe before her car broke down.
S - Praise that her DTR went well with someone she is no longer seeing, also praise for how church went on Sunday, pray for her family and that school goes well this semester.
B - Pray for his car to get fixed and for school to go well this semester.
T - Ditto on B's car issues, also that God will continue to bless our finances and help us make wise choices.

Recap from 8/1/10

This week, in addition to having a great dinner of Kabobs (thanks Ted and Angie) and awesome fellowship, we studied chapters 12 and 15-18 of Genesis.

These chapters tell the story of Abram/Abraham. Abram was called by God to leave his home land, and God promised to give him lots of descendants and make him a great nation. Abram and his wife got impatient waiting for God to fulfill his promise (his wife could not conceive) , so Abram used his wife's servant to give him a child. God promised to bless this child, but also insisted that he would have a child by Sarai, his wife, even though they were both old. God gave both Abram and Sarai new names, Abraham and Sarah, as signs of His promise to them.

Here are some questions that came up during our Bible study on Sunday. If you couldn't be there in person, think about these as you read through the chapters yourself.

• In the Old Testament, God speaks very directly to people. Why doesn't God speak to us in this way today? Is it possible that he does and we don't realize it?
• Was it sinful for Abram to have a child by Hagar even though the Ten Commandments had not yet been given? What was the cultural norm of the time?
• God continually reassured Abram of His promise to give him descendants. Did Abram sin by not trusting God? What were the consequences of him not trusting God?
• What was the significance of the animal ritual in chapter 15? (see also Jeremiah 34:18-20)

We did not read chapters 13,14, 19, or 20. These are "bonus reading," so you can read them on your own if you would like to read through all of Genesis with us. You can discuss these chapters (or any of the things we have discussed so far) here, or you can bring your questions or thoughts to Bible study on Sunday.

Prayer Requests from 8/1/10

C - Pray for family togetherness.

M - Pray for God's blessing and direction in his life.

T - Praise that his cat is behaving better.

A - Pray that her parents have a good trip, and that she survives being home alone with her brother.

M - Further guidance for where her life should go.

H - Pray for her life situation. She needs steadier income and a permanent place to live.

B - Praise that life is going well.

T - Praise for the best year ever. Pray for continued blessing at work.

And please pray for our Bible study that it continues to grow and that everyone that participates is moved in some way by the Holy Spirit.

Recaps from 7/17/10 and 7/24/10

The first week we studied Genesis chapters 1-3. We discussed creation and the fall. Here are a few key questions that came up.

• Is the creation story scientifically factual? Does it matter if the story is symbolic or if it is how it actually happened?
• Why did man sin? What was their true sin? Is our own rebellion similar?
• How did God start his process of redemption after the first sin?
• How did the fall affect all of creation? What were specific consequences?

We also spoke about how the pattern of the rest of the Bible is established in the first 3 chapters of Genesis.

1. Humans sin by trying to act independent of God's will
2. God intervenes to try to get us back on track
3. There are physical consequences even after the intervention

This theme introduces us to the need for permanent redemption, which comes in the form of Jesus Christ.

The second week we studied Genesis 6-9 and 11:1-9. These chapters included the stories of Noah and the Tower of Babel. There were a few key questions that came up.

• Who were the "sons of God" and the Nephilim mentioned in chapter 6?
• Was the flood world wide or only in the parts that were inhabited at the time?
• How does this story fit into the pattern of redemption that was discussed above?
• What was the sin that Ham committed in chapter 9?
• What was the sin of the people of Babel?

We did not read chapters 4, 5, 10, or the second half of 11. Feel free to read these chapters on your own if you would like to join us in reading through all of the book of Genesis.

As always, you can join our discussion in person on Sundays, or you can comment below.

Prayer Requests from 7/25/10

These were our prayer requests from this past week. Feel free to comment with your own prayer requests and we will pray for them throughout the week.

T- Praise that work is going well. Pray for more energy.

B- Pray that he gets things done, and doesn't feel like he has a million things to do.

M- Pray that she continues on the right path.

T- Praying for things to work out for a Canada trip, and safety at Wolf River.

A- Strength for the week, she has been working a lot.

A- Continue to pray for her grandma who is in lots of pain. Her cancer is breaking up, but it is irritated and inflamed. Also, prayer for direction in her own life.

D- Pray for work.

Intro to Genesis

Intro to Genesis - the basics:

Who: Genesis tells the story of early human beings and the forefathers of the Israelites, who are the focus of most of the rest of the Bible. It gives us an introduction to Humanity, Israel, and to God. Although no one knows for sure, traditionally it is believed that Moses wrote all of the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible.

What: Genesis is a book of beginnings - the beginning of the earth and humanity, the beginning of human sin, the beginning of the nation of Israel, and the beginning of God's plan to fix the problem of sin. There is much debate as to whether the stories in Genesis should be taken literally or figuratively. I won't go into that too much here, however, because the main points that the stories in Genesis make and the application for our daily lives are the same either way.

When: The stories in Genesis were passed down by oral tradition for many generations and finally written down probably around the time of Moses, while Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness (see Numbers chapter 14). The dates that the actual events took place are hard to determine. The people who wrote these stories down were more concerned with glorifying God and telling a story than with scientific data.

Where: The stories in Genesis take place in the near and middle east - Parts of modern-day Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, etc.

Why: Genesis was written for 2 primary reasons. The first is to document actual events that occurred. The second is to contradict many pagan beliefs that were common among early civilizations. Genesis makes it clear that there is only One God who is sovereign over everything. Many other cultures believed in multiple Gods who were more like humans in their personality and their powers.

How: The stories of Genesis were passed down by oral tradition. Many scholars also believe that God told Moses what to write when he was on Mount Sinai (See Exodus chapter 19).