"Good News for Hagar" - Genesis 16 (February 1, 2015)

1. Have someone in the group read the passage.
2. Where in the passage do we see rejection and the response to rejection?
3. Think for a moment about the times when you've been rejected, why do these times in our life stand out so much?
4. Where in the passage do we see acceptance and who is the one providing the acceptance?
5. Ryan talked about how God hears the afflicted. Why is this hard for us to believe and why is this comforting?
6. Which voice had more power in this passage, the voice of rejection or the voice of gospel acceptance? How does this change how we move into the hard places of our life?

Sermon outline:
1. The Pain of Rejection
   a. Arrogance
   b. Abuse
   c. Abandonment
2. The Power of Acceptance
   a. God wants the discarded
   b. God hears the afflicted
   c. God sees the unnoticed

"Outlandish Promises for Ordinary People" - Genesis 15 (January 25, 2015)

1. Have someone read the passage.
2. What are the promises that God makes to Abram in this passage?
3. What are some of the hinderances Abram was confronted with that would prevent him from believing?
4. How do we see God drawing towards Abram?
5. The passage details the covenant ceremony, what is occurring in this ceremony?
6. Where are the places in your life that you're needing God to be your shield (where you're feeling vulnerable)?
7. How does this passage assure us that God will be our help?


Outline:
1. Why our faith languishes
   a. Contradicting Circumstances
   b. Deferred fulfillment
2. Where our faith leads
   a. God moves towards us
   b. God is beyond us
   c. God is with us

"God's Persistent Grace" - Genesis 12:10-13:18 (January 11, 2015)

1. Have someone read the passage.
2. What are some of your impressions of Abraham because of this passage?
3. How do we see Abraham "messing up" and "missing opportunities"?
4. Where is God's grace evident to Abraham in this passage?
5. Where are the places in your life that you live with "what if?"
6. How does God's grace help us to be free from the "what ifs?"
7. Spend sometime praying together that you would find motivation to repent, trust, and follow God by his grace.

Outline:
God's persistent grace
1. When we mess up
2. When we miss opportunities

"Joy to the Weary" - Genesis 11:10-12:3 (December 21, 2014)

1. Have someone read the passage.
2. Where do we see weariness in this passage?
3. What makes you feel weary? What is wearying about the world?
4. How is weariness dealt with in this passage?
5. What brings you joy? Think about your day to day life, your actions, your words, etc. and consider what they say about where you're looking to find joy.
6. Where does this passage tell us ultimate joy is found?
7. How can we seek this joy on a daily basis?


Sermon Outline:
MP 1: Walk with the weary
   A: The childless
   B: The fatherless
   C: The homeless
   D: The Godless
MP 2: Welcome Joy
   A: God supplies joy
   B: God multiplies joy
   C: God spreads joy

"Christ Came to Save Builders" - Genesis 10:1-11:9 (December 14, 2014)

1. Have someone read the passage.
2. What are some of the ways that we build walls between others? Think culturally, relationally, etc.
3. Read Ephesians 2:11-22. How does Paul speak of Jesus' work regarding the dividing walls between Jew and Gentile?
4. How can we cultivate a community, personally and corporately, that reflects this breaking down?
5. How were God's people seeking to promote and protect themselves in this passage (Genesis 10-11)?
6. What are the ways that we promote and protect?
7. How does Jesus do both these things for us?

Sermon Outline:
1. Building Walls
   a. Between our neighbors
   b. Between our enemies
2. Building Towers
   a. To promote ourselves
   b. To protect ourselves

"Christ Came to Save Failures" - Genesis 9:18-29 (December 7, 2014)

1. Have someone read the passage
2. How do we see things falling apart in Noah's life?
3. Where do we see in our lives things falling apart?
4. In the passage, we see Noah abusing God's gifts and then abdicating his responsibility, what are the gifts God has given that we're prone to abuse? Are there places where you're abdicating your responsibility? Why?
5. What is the significance of what Ham did?
6. Why do we take pleasure in the shame of others?
7. How does God deal with our shame and our curse?

Sermon Outline:
1. Jesus covers our shame
   a. Abuse of God-given resources
   b. Abdication of God-given responsibilities
2. Jesus carries our curse
   a. Neglect
   b. Disrespect

"What Now?" - Genesis 8:20-9:17 (November 30, 2014)

1. Have someone read the passage.

2. The very first verse of this passage indicate God’s loving response to Noah’s sacrifice.  What does this tell you about God’s character and his disposition toward you?

3. God established a vision before Noah of a world re-cultivated with life.  In what ways do you see this vision continuing to take shape?  What are elements in our world that give us reason to doubt this is even possible?

4. Where are some places in the passage we see evidence of God’s heart toward man?  Does this encourage you?  If not, why not?

5. How does the hope of Christ secure the vision of the world established in this passage?

6. What are some things we can do to participate in God’s desire to establish a world full of life and divine relationship?