New Year: Abram & Sarai
Genesis 12 and Selected Scriptures
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out – what God did in and through you (Phil. 2:13) Celebrate and thank God for those together and pray with those who experienced some “Lows” this week, for God’s encouragement for them.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
This New Year’s Eve, we looked at the story of the life of Abram and his wife Sarai, and how their lives and lessons can help us be better equipped for the joys and challenges a New Year brings.
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Read Genesis 12:1-4 together.
Reflect:
It sounds so simple, “So Abram departed as the Lord had directed him.”
Brainstorm:
What would have been the challenges that Abram and Sarai would have faced in that choice to “depart”— what would that have involved, what would they have lost?
Read Hebrews 11:8. What would it take for you to do the same under the same circumstances?
Mark talked about the conection between “obedience and discernment”.
What is that connection— explain it in your own words. How does the discipline of obeying help us to better discern God’s voice?
Read Hebrews 5:12,14, James 3:13. Discuss the context of those passages— what was the context of those verses, who were they speaking to, How do those passages help us to unpack the connection between obedience and discernment?
Read Genesis 12:11-13. Discuss the following:
Our solutions often lead to new problems. Discuss Abram’s decision process here— if you were with him at this time, how would you have counselled him in this space? How do you think he might respond to that?
Why does suffering interfere with our understanding of calling? Think of other characters in the Bible who followed their calling faithfully still faced tremendous suffering? How does that inform our understanding of “calling”?
EVERY calling will be tested. Read the following passages, discuss the context of the verses, and unpack together how these verses bring hope even when we sometimes fail the testing of our calling: James 1:2-4, Romans 11:29, Colossians 4:1, 2 Timothy 2:13.
Read Genesis 16:1-4. Discuss this chapter in Sarai’s life:
Decades after the promise of being a mother, she was still barren. How would that make you feel? Describe it.
The point was, “Look to the God of the promise, not just the promise of God”. Discuss how that worked itself out in the lives of Sarai, Hagar and Abram. (Genesis 16-18)
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.
Paul is giving final instructions to this church (that was under sustained an heavy persecution). How do these instructions equip them to survive?
Paul ends with the encouragement, “He Who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” What is He talking about here? Where is responsibility located— who is going to do what in this passage? Look at both God’s role and ours.
Respond:
“When you know enough to obey, do it”. That is one of the most simple, challenging parts of the Christian life! We don’t often have all the facts and plans we want, but when obedience is clear, taking that first step is gong to require the grace of God, the confirmation of His Spirit in our hearts, and the willingness to obey. Take some time to pray God would continue to forge those character traits into our lives as He continues to make us more like Jesus!
…and a very Happy New Year!
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