Lessons in Faith & Faithfulness

Message 1 -- A Leadership Faith Crisis (Gen 16:1-18:15)

Sermon Title: A Leadership Faith Crisis

Sermon Passage: Gen 16:1-18:15

Sermon Big Idea: 

God is faithful, powerful, and you can and should trust him. Taking matters into our own hands results in pain, sorrow, and missed opportunity.  Even when we fail, God’s ultimate purpose is not thwarted.  God is present and gracious and transforms hardship into hope.

Sermon Points:

  1. God is faithful and worthy of complete trust and obedience (Gen 16:1-18:15).
    • Sinning to “do the right thing” is always a bad thing (Gen 16:1-6)
    • Failing to exercise spiritual leadership brings disaster (Gen 16:2)
  1. God is present and gracious and transforms hardship into hope (Gen 16:7-18:12).
    • God loves Hagar (Gen 16:7-16)
    • God loves Abraham (Gen 17:1-18:8)
      • God blesses Ishmael (Gen 17:20-25)
      • God chooses Isaac (Gen 17:21)
    • God loves Sarah (Gen 17:15-16, 21, 18:9-15)
  1. God is the God of the impossible (Gen 18:13-15)

Questions: (Use, modify, be selective according to the needs of your group)

      1. What stood out to you from the message or passage (Gen 16:1-18:15)?
      2. What causes you to take matters into your own hands rather than trusting God? How do we do that in the various areas of our lives?
      3. In this situation, Abraham failed in his leadership. Why is leadership so hard and how do we exercise and encourage godly leadership (Eph 5:25-27)?
      4. How do leaders know when to take help and listen (Ex 4:24-26; 1 Sam 25:31; Prov 31:11-12, 26; Matt 27:19) and when not to (Gen 3:17; 16:2; Job 2:9-10)?
      5. How does this passage put the struggle in the middle east into perspective (Gen 17:20-21; Deut 7:6-9; 9:6; 28:1, 7, 15, 20, 25)?
      6. Consider Hagar’s response to God in Gen 16:13. What are ways you have felt God’s love and care in the midst of struggles whether you caused them or not?

Sermon Title: A Contrast in Testimonies: Abraham & Lot

Sermon Passage: Gen 18:16-19:38

Sermon Big Idea: 

Abraham had a heart for the Lord and while he had spiritual ups and downs, his life demonstrated his faith before a watching world.  Lot on the other hand, was a believer, but didn’t put his faith into action. God intends us to be lights in the world like Abraham rather than hiding our light under a basket like Lot (Matt 5:13-17).

Sermon Points:

  1. Understanding this passage is essential for discipleship (Gen 18:16-19)
    • God judges sin (2 Peter 2:4-6).
    • God rescues the righteous (2 Peter 2:7-9).
    • To disregard spiritual privilege is worse that the sinfulness of Sodom & Gomorrah (Matt 10:15; 11:20-24)
  1. Consider Abraham’s intercession
    • He has a sense of spiritual urgency (Gen 18:20-33)
    • Abraham worships (Gen 12:7; 8 13:4, 8-11, 18)
    • Abraham displays God’s greatness before the king of Sodom (Gen 14:17-24; 19:9, 7-8, 14)
  1. Consider how Lot was affected by Sodom (Gen 19:1-38)
    • Corrupted reverence (Gen 19:1-11).
    • Corrupted evangelism (Gen 19:12-25).
    • Corrupted family (Gen 19:26-38).

Questions: (Use, modify, be selective according to the needs of your group)

  1. What stood out to you from the message or passage (Gen 18-19)?
  2. How does Abraham’s prayer demonstrate his sense of spiritual urgency. Is there anything significant that he does not pray for the destruction of the wicked and preservation of the righteous but rather the salvation of everyone? (see Matthew 9:35-38)
  3. Lot had no influence on Sodom. What do the following passages teach us about our responsibilities and God’s responsibilities in salvation? (Ezekiel 33:1-6; 1 Cor 1:18-25, 2:1-5)
  4. What are the lessons that Jesus intends us to learn from this story (Matt 11:20-24; Luke 17:28-33)? What is the application for those lessons in your life?
  5. What is the significance of Lot having son-in-law’s? Why was this such a problem and why is it significant for believers today (2 Cor 6:14-18)?
  6. Read Romans 12:1-2; 1 Tim 4:16. The world we live in is “bad company.” How do we live in it without being corrupted by it or conformed to it?

Sermon Title: God keeps his promises

Sermon Passage: Genesis 20-21

Sermon Big Idea: 

We must live and act in faith rather than fear. God is always working perfectly and powerfully in and through a broken and messy world. We can and should trust God even when his plan is hard or impossible to see.

Sermon Points:

  1. Don’t let moments of fear stop you from being a person of faith (Gen 20:1-18)
  2. Trust God to keep every promise (Gen 21:1-7)
  3. Trust God to work in and through messy people in a messy world (Gen 21:8-21)

Questions: (Use, modify, be selective according to the needs of your group)

  1. What qualities encourage or inspire you either in your mom or in the moms you know?
  2. What stood out to you from the Sunday’s message or passage (Gen 20:1-21:21)?
  3. In Gen 20, Abraham and Sarah are overcome with fear instead of faith. What fears can drive us to disobey God? Or in what ways is it hard to trust God?
  4. What do you think motivated Sarah to tell Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away? How does God’s reaction to Sarah’s request help us understand this situation?
  5. What helps you live in faith rather than fear? How do you strengthen yourself when you are struggling to live with faith? (Matt 7:11; Heb 10:23; 11:1-6)

Sermon Title: A Test of Reverence

Sermon Passage: Genesis 22:1-24

Sermon Big Idea: 

Faith is the core element in a Christian’s life. It is recognizing and trusting God for who he is. Obedience flows naturally from faith and is rewarded by God. Like Abraham, we are saved through faith. While Abraham had many failures, he repented, grew, and the genuineness of his faith was proven by his actions. He serves as an inspiring example of faith, repentance, and growth for all of us to follow.

Sermon Points:

  1. God tests (Gen 22:1-12)
  2. God provides (Gen 22:13-14)
  3. God rewards (Gen 22:15-19)

Questions: (Use, modify, be selective according to the needs of your group)

  1. What stood out most from the sermon or passage Genesis 22:1-24.
  2. What in your life competes with your love for God? What is something God could ask you to do or sacrifice that would result in your responding with a “no”?
  3. Can you share a time when you think God was testing you?  How did you respond and what did it teach you about God or about yourself?
  4. How does this story about Abraham’s life help us understand Jesus’ words in Luke 14:25-27?
  5. Consider the following passages: Romans 4:1-5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5. What is the significance of salvation by faith apart from works?
  6. Read the following passages: John 14:15; James 2:14-26, *18; Romans 1:1-5; 16:26. What is the difference between works demonstrating faith rather than causing salvation?
  7. Read Matt 28:19-20. What are the specific ways you purposefully work this out in your life?

Sermon Title: A Marriage Made in Heaven

Sermon Passage: Genesis 24:1-67

Sermon Big Idea: 

God is sovereign[1] and he is always working out his plan for humanity. He is not limited by any circumstance and he works in and through his people to bring salvation and blessing to all who acknowledge and worship him. Marriage is a primary place we can demonstrate our commitment to God and receive his good blessings.

Sermon Points:

  1. God’s priorities should be our priorities (Gen 24:1-12)
  2. God’s will should guide our decisions (Gen 24:12-34)
  3. We should pursue God’s will with integrity (Gen 24:36-61)
  4. Enjoy God’s provision with spiritual faithfulness (Gen 24:62-67)

Questions: (Use, modify, be selective according to the needs of your group)

  1. What stood out most from the sermon or passage Genesis 24:1-67.
  2. How was Abraham’s servant an example of spiritual faithfulness (Gen 24:10-14, 21).
  3. How does Rebekah’s immediate willingness to serve the servant and his camels speak to her character? What are the qualities that are displayed?
  4. What can we learn from the servant’s specific prayer for guidance? How does it relate to our need for guidance today?
  5. Share a time in your life you wanted to do something God said not to do. Discuss the lesson you learned either from the choice to sin or the choice to be faithful despite your desires.
  6. How do you see God’s providence at work in this narrative?

[1] Sovereign – The king who has the right and ability to do whatever he wants, and who always exercises that right in every situation, at all times.

Sermon Title: Jacob & Esau: Sibling Rivalry

Sermon Passage: Genesis 26:34-27:46

Sermon Big Idea: 

God is always good to us all of the time. When we fail to trust his character and words and chose to sin because it seems best to us, we can miss out on the blessings God had planned for us. On the other hand, when we trust and obey even when it seems like we might suffer for it, we receive all God has for us. We also become excellent help to those around us who are struggling both with our example and our ability to convince them to obey.

Sermon Points:

  1. Don’t try to oppose God’s plan, it won’t work (Gen 27:1-4)
  2. Don’t encourage others to sin because it seems best, it never is (Gen 27: 5-17)
  3. Don’t sin to get what you want, it never ultimately works out (Gen 27: 18-29)
  4. Don’t just be sorry, repent (Gen 27:30-40)
  5. Don’t be deceived, we reap what we sow (Gen 27:41-46)

Questions: (Use, modify, be selective according to the needs of your group)

 

  1. What stood out most from the sermon or passage (Genesis 27:1-46)?
  2. When Isaac was shaking in Gen 27:33, do you think that was from anger, frustration, or a realization of God’s hand in the situation? Is there anything in his response that would lead you to an answer?
  3. There is a ton of deception in this story. How is honesty/dishonesty a measure of a person’s spiritual condition (John 8:44; Psalm 34:13; 1 Peter 3:10)?
  4. What are the reasons lying can be such a powerful temptation?
  5. What are ways sinful choices rob us of the good God intends for us?
  6. How do we recognize the difference between worldly sorrow and sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Cor 7:8-10)?
  7. How does genuine repentance help us receive blessing despite our past sinful choices (Psalm 51:1-19)?