Take a few moments to review the readings and your own reflections from this week’s study. Use the questions below to deepen the impact of Genesis on your life and your world.
- What one new insight has seemed most important for you this week?
- What one new question has this week’s study raised for you?
- What one new connection have you made this week between Genesis and your life?
Prayer: [Take time to express to God a word of gratitude, of honest struggle, or of delight.]
Focus Passages and Questions (for Small Group Discussion)
Consider reading together these two brief passages and reflecting on their significance for our lives, our church, and our world.
1. Genesis 21:8-21
- How do you respond to different characters in this story (Sarah, Hagar, Abraham, God, Ishmael, Isaac)?
- Discuss this story’s mixture of human scheming and divine grace. Compare it to your own life story.
2. Genesis 23:1-16
- What assumptions do Abraham and the Hittites make about each other in this story? How do they act toward each other?
- Discuss the concept of “alien” in our world today. How does scripture shape our view of them?
