"The Reason for Repetition" - Genesis 20; 21:22-34 (May 24, 2015)

1. Have someone read the passage aloud.
2. What are the hard places (relationally, emotionally, spiritually, etc) that you find yourselves in?
3. How do you respond to these hard places?
4. How do we see in this passage Abraham's heart patterns in response to his hard place?
5. What do you see your own heart patterns coming out in the midst of hard places?
6. How is God using the repetitions in Abraham's life to work in his life?
7. How do you see God working in your life in the midst of these hard places?

Sermon outline:
1. Hard Places

2. Heart Patterns

3. Difficult People

4. Ironic Prayers

5. Strange Provision

"Sodom's Last Night" - Genesis 19:1-29 (May 17, 2015)

1. Have someone read the passage aloud.
2. How does our culture generally respond to the idea of God's judgment?
3. Why is it important that God is both loving and just?
4. Where in this passage do we see God's justice as well as his love?
5. What are the different responses in this passage to God's judgment? How do we respond when our sin is made known?
6. Where is God's rescue made known in this passage and how does it point us to God's rescue of us?

Sermon Outline:

1. Our recognition of God's judgment

2. Our response to God's judgment
   a. Anger
   b. Laughter
   c. Linger

3. Our rescue from God's judgment
   a. What we've been rescued from
   b. How we've been rescued

"Pray with your eyes open!" - Genesis 18:16-33 (May 10, 2015)

1. Have someone read the passage aloud
2. What was the role and what responsibilities did the priest have in the Old Testament?
3. How is Abraham functioning like a priest in this passage?
4. How does Abraham's intercession for the city challenge our initial thoughts about what a priest did or for whom they did it?
5. Who are the people in your life who are in need of a priest? How can you be a "priest" on their behalf?
6. Take some time to pray, asking God to give you eyes to see, hearts that are broken, and the ability to be a priest for others.

Sermon Outline:
1: A Greater Awareness
   a. God opens our eyes
   b. God breaks our hearts

2. A Greater Intercession
   a. Appeal to God's justice
   b. Appeal to God's mercy

"Is Anything Too Hard for God?" - Genesis 18:1-15 (May 3, 2015)

1. Have someone read the passage aloud.
2. Take some time and think of a situation where you thought, "is God able to help me in this?"
3. What are the circumstances that Abraham and Sarah are confronted with that would cause them to ask the same question?
4. What are the ways that Abraham responds to God's appearing to him? What is the motivation for these responses?
5. What are some practical ways you can live out these same responses?
6. What caused Sarah to laugh and why do you think she then lied to God about it?
7. How does God show us that nothing is too hard for him?
8. Take some time and pray that you would believe God can work in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Sermon Outline:
1. God as mysterious traveler
   A. Humble
   B. Urgent
   C. Extravagant

2. God as miracle worker
   A. Why we laugh at God
   B. Why we lie to God