Breaking Ground
Think about a major crossroads from your life where you made a decision that positively changed the direction of your career, relational world, personal development, etc. What led to this decision? What decision did you make? How has that shaped you today?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Covenantal by exploring God’s Covenant with Abraham. Recall last week in the story of God’s Covenant with Noah that, despite humanity’s faithlessness & rebellion, God committed to never give up on us & Creation. This promise to restore Creation & humanity back to our original goodness ultimately sets the course for God’s cosmic rescue plan, which plays out across the rest of the Bible & that God seeks to accomplish through successive Covenants.
With this mind, read Genesis 12:1-7, 15:1-21, & 17:1-16. Here, we find the key moments in God’s next Covenant, which is with Abraham & Sarah. Begin by exploring these texts through the three components of Ancient Covenants that we’ve repeated throughout the series (promise, commitment, sign).
What promise does God make to Abraham? What does Abraham do to earn it? What does this reveal about God & His relationship with Abraham?
What commitment does Abraham make in response to God’s promise? What does God ask of Abraham in return? Why do you think that is?
What sign(s) does God use to seal this Covenant? What do these reveal about the nature of this Covenant & God’s character? NOTE: consider both the sign of circumcision & God alone walking through the sacrificed animal (a common sign from the Ancient World that symbolized the consequences of breaking the covenant for anyone who walked through it, which usually included both parties of the agreement).
What does God state is the purpose of this Covenant? How does this reveal God’s purposes for every Covenant that follows? HINT: re-read the final statement of Genesis 12:7 (“blessed to be a blessing”) & consider how God’s seeking to transform one human family back into what He originally intended all humanity to be.
Where do you see the Church responding to God’s grace by becoming a conduit of God’s character & restored blessing within a broken world? How is that impacting others & the world around them? Where do you see the church falling short in this calling?
Where are YOU responding to God’s grace by becoming a conduit of His character & blessing in a broken world? Where are you falling short of this calling? Where do you need to take another step forward in embodying this divine calling in this season?
Getting Out of the Hole
Take time each week to reflect upon the Covenant explored in the Sunday sermon.
- Read Genesis 12:1-7, 15:1-21, & 17:1-16. What stands out to you about God’s Covenant with Abraham & Sarah in terms of God, humanity, & Creation?
- What does God ask of Abraham & Sarah before making His promise to Him? How does this inform the foundation of God’s Covenant with Abraham & Sarah? What does it reveal about the nature of God?
- Ultimately, God’s stated purpose for Covenanting with Abraham & Sarah is to transform them into a conduit of divine blessing to the world. How does this Covenant seek to achieve that purpose? What does it reveal about God’s purposes across the entire Bible?
- How can this story challenge & encourage us as we seek to live like Jesus in our world today? What lessons can we take from it as we seek to respond to God’s blessings by becoming a conduit of it to a broken world?
Journal about how this prayer practice makes you feel this week. Share your experience with your group next week.
Additional Resources*
Centered Set Church by Mark D. Baker
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
TheBibleProject.com
Coming Up This Week:*
October 5th: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Covenantal!* Please see mye3.org for details.