DAY TO REFLECT ON WEEK 1!
As I dug into the discussion questions for the week, I was positively surprised at the direction of this bible study over the next year and how it has the potential to leave an incredible imprint on our lives. I really enjoy the mindfulness of the questions. I encourage you to walk your way through the whole study! Let’s get some discussion rolling around this. Let us know what you got out of the study!
Week one down! 51 more to go and we will be through the ENTIRE Bible! Keep on keepin’ on!!!
RADICAL COMMITMENT-Week 1: Thoughts and Questions
GOD WHO CREATES
Think of a time when you began watching a television show or movie in the middle of the plot.
How did the lack of a background affect the way you understood the storyline or ending?
How might a lack of information about the beginning of God’s story affect our understand Scripture?
Let’s look at essential background information for understanding Scripture.
Week 1 Message Review: God is Creator of All Things:
• God is pre-existent and eternal.
• God is the designer of order and purpose.
• God is sovereign.
• God brought all things into existence.
Discussion
• Re-read Genesis 1.
• Looking at Verse 1, who existed before the heavens and the earth?
• If God was the Creator and not part of the creation, He is not a created being. What does this truth indicate about His nature and His character?
GOD WHO CREATES-QUESTIONS:
• What did God created during the six days of creation? What came into being without God’s command? What does this indicate about His authority?
• How is God’s orderly design of creation portrayed in this account of creation? (For example, verses 11, 20, and 30)
• How does God’s complete control over creating the universe demonstrate His sovereignty?
Application:
• When we think about the creation story, are we normally more focused on the Creator or the creation? What does our answer indicate about our view of the purpose of creation?
• Do we tend to think of ourselves as the center of God’s purpose for creation or do we think of God as the center? Why?
• How should we react to the truth that God brought everything into being, including us?
o (Note: God exists completely independent of us; we are completely dependent on Him)
• How does our understanding of God’s role as Creator affect how we live each day?
• How does it affect the way we view our purpose?
• How does God’s sovereignty in creation reveal His sovereignty in our lives?
• What comfort and encouragement do we have in God’s sovereignty?
God’s Authority is revealed as Creator:
• As Creator, God has the authority to create.
o He creates by His will.
o He creates for His purpose.
• As Creator, God has the authority to judge.
o Sin mars God’s design.
• As Creator, God has the authority to redeem.
Discussion
• What phrases or ideas are repeated throughout the creation account of Genesis 1 each time God creates something new?
• How do the words spoken by God and the subsequent events that follow display the power of God’s will to create?
• Re-read Genesis 1:28-30. How does God’s intentionality in creation demonstrate that His creation was not random but designed with purpose?
• In Genesis 1:31, how is God’s creation described?
• Re-read Genesis 2:15-17 and 3:1-7. How is God’s authority acknowledged and rejected in these events?
• Re-read Genesis 3:14-23. How was God’s perfect design marred by the sin of Adam and Eve?
Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?
Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?