Greetings! Below you will find questions which reference the sermon preached on Sunday, March 29th, 2015 at The Park. This week we studied Chapter 22 of Genesis. Have someone in your group read this section of scripture.
Each week new questions are posted to track along with the sermons. Work hard to facilitate discussion. Listen to the hearts around the room and close with prayer.
Intro to Tent & Altar:
Abraham was a man called and sent by God. He is revered in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity today. Abraham’s name was originally “Abram”, which means ‘the father is exalted’. His name was changed to “Abraham”, which means ‘father of a multitude’, when God initiated His covenant with him (Genesis 17). God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many people. As we study his life and journey of faith in Genesis, we believe we will be challenged and encouraged by what we see and hear. Simply put, Abraham trusted God and believed God could accomplish all that He had promised.
Questions for this week:
- Why do you believe God tested Abraham by asking him to offer Isaac? What passages in the New Testament speak to God testing our faith?
- Read verses 15-18. What redemptive thread is present in these verses? Why does God say that all the offspring of Abraham will be a blessed?
- What do you think was going through Abraham’s mind when he was told to offer his son, who was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham in Chapter 12, from which a great nation was to come?
- Having likely heard stories of God’s faithfulness from his father, what might have been going through Isaac’s mind as he and Abraham climbed the mountain?
- What elements of this passage foreshadow the narrative of the cross?
- Why do you think God tested Abraham (and Job) when Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation”?
- If one of the goals of this story is to help aim our hearts at keeping nothing back from the Lord, what is something that you are holding onto that you feel God is asking you to render your control of?
- How easy is it to obey God? How easy was obedience for Paul (Romans 7:15-20)? Think of times in your life or the life of someone you know when choosing to obey God was heart wrenching, not just difficult, but truly sacrificial and costly. Read Mark 13:13, John 15:18 and Matthew 10:22. If obedience isn’t easy, widely understood or profitable, what is our motivation to obey God? Fear? Discuss how our motivations/conflicts to obedience are similar and different to Paul or Abraham.
- We aren’t asked to sacrifice our children (Jesus paid it all!), but there are other times when God’s commands test our limits. We are asked to forgive our brothers/sisters who ask for it. We are asked to love our neighbors as ourselves. Discuss the hardest person you’ve ever had to love/forgive. Discuss times when you failed. Be encouraged through the stories of other people’s struggles to love and obey God through difficult circumstances.