What in the message most stood out to you? What do you think God is telling you through this message?
Describe the most beautiful landscape you’ve ever seen.
Did you grow up with strict or lenient parents? Give an example that illustrates your answer.
WORD
Genesis 1:1 — In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Why are we here? That’s a question asked by thousands of people and answered thousands of different ways. Knowing the “how” isn’t enough for us. We want to know the “why.” Through the Bible, God has provided an answer to this question. By focusing on three major themes in Genesis—themes that continue throughout the Bible, we begin to glimpse the answer to this question. We also get an explanation for the state the world is in.
1. Good “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.Genesis” 1:31a
It might be hard to believe when we watch the news, but the world that God created was good. It wasn’t just certain aspects of creation that were good either. Everything that God made was good. Light and dark were good. The ocean and land were good. Vegetation and food… good. Seasons… good. Animals… good. People… good. There was no evil or suffering in all creation. People walked with God, enjoyed his creation, and worked to cultivate and protect it. All of life was good.
What do you see in the world that makes it difficult for you to believe creation was originally good?
2. Sin He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” -Genesis 3:11
The good life didn’t last long. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and through their disobedience, sin spread to all humanity. As the author of life, God’s desire for all humanity was goodness, but humanity’s disobedience opened the door to everything in life that isn’t good—violence, disaster, and death. Sin didn’t only corrupt nature. It also corrupted the human heart and made it rebellious toward God. The Bible points to sin as the core problem that prevents humans from participating in all the good that God intended for creation.
Give an example of an evil in society. What human heart issue can that evil be traced back to?
3. Salvation “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” -Isaiah 53:5
Our plight seemed hopeless. We couldn’t undo what Adam and Eve had done, and our hearts were corrupt to the point of no return. But God had a plan to rescue us. Jesus Christ came to earth as our substitute. He died on the cross to pay the price for our sin, even though he was sinless. He then rose from the dead, breaking the power of death over humanity, offering us a new heart and a way back into relationship with God. In this extraordinary act of power, mercy, and grace, Jesus Christ became the centerpiece of salvation—God’s plan to restore the goodness we thought was lost.
APPLICATION
What’s one aspect of creation to which you really want to see goodness restored?
What is one thing about sin and its consequences that surprised you while studying Scripture this week?
PRAYER
Pray for someone you know who is getting to know God or committing their life to Christ, that he or she would have a transformative experience of God’s salvation.
Pray that the gospel would continue to be preached and more disciples would be made through the church. Intercede for your family members and friends who have not received Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pray for opportunities to present the gospel to them, even this week.
