Unseen: The Man Willing To Kill His Son

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19; Genesis 12:1-3; Gen 22:1-14

• Without a doubt, Abraham is one of the Bible's great heroes of faith. As you read his story, what about his faith stands out to you?
• In what ways do you see Abraham's faithfulness and obedience to God having an eternal impact? (How does his story tie into the rest of the story the Bible tells?)
• As we look at Abraham's story, which comes first: faith or obedience?

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• Nathan talked about how Abraham's faith had to overcome his past, present, and future.
  • Past - What are some things in your life that have kept you from moving forward in obedience? (Struggles or sins in your life you have a hard time walking away from as you try to grow in your relationship with Christ.) 
  • Present - Even though we are Christians, our lives are not exempt from dealing with struggles, hard times, trials, and the brokenness of the world and people around us. But in the midst of that brokenness, God still calls for our radical obedience. 
  • Do you find it easier or harder to follow and obey him in the midst of these time of struggle. Why?
  • Future - Sometimes obedience to God doesn't just mean giving up bad things or things that aren't good for us. Sometimes God is calling us to give our hearts completely to him rather than the good things in our lives. Many times these things are gifts that He has given us. We might see them as our future, our prized possession, things that we wrap our hopes and dreams up in. 
    • What is something or someone in your life that, if God were to take it from you, you'd feel like you've lost everything?
  • What is God trying to reveal in your heart: Is God really and truly enough for you, or is God only enough if you also have ______________?  

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• We will never be able to demonstrate obedience to God if we do not have complete faith in Him. It's from our lack of faith that so much of our obedience falls short. God knows that we can always trust in Him no matter what, and He knows a truth that our hearts have a hard time believing: if we give our hearts fully to him, if we wrap up our hopes and dreams in Him, we will ultimately find that He is enough and He will never let us down. 
• However, we can never come to that conclusion on our own. He can't just suck it up and have more faith. We need God's help.
  • How does God sacrificing his own son for you help increase your faith in Him?  

 Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

• How has God's faithfulness to us in the past and all He promises us for our future help us to move forward in obedience? 
• When we give our hearts fully to God, when He is enough for us, how can we better enjoy the good gifts he has given us? 

Unseen: The Man That Built A Boat

Sermon Summary: Noah’s life gives us a blueprint for extent of faith that God has called us to, and what great length we can go to in order to live out that faith. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Hebrews 11:7

• The author of Hebrews recognizes Noah’s faith as something that should always be remembered. It says that he had great faith about things not yet seen (NIV). What was so remarkable about this faith? 
• The author says that Noah did all that he did in holy fear or reverent fear. What does it mean to have holy or reverent fear in our faith? 
• The rest of vs. 7 says that Noah’s faith "condemned the world and he became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."
  • Why does a person of faith show the condemnation of the world? (Hint: Like the law, it shows how the world has fallen short of all that God has called us to. Alongside Noah’s faith, the world’s sinfulness stuck out like a sore thumb.) 
  • Was Noah counted “righteous” because of his faith or because of what he did? (Hint: Faith!) 
    • Why is it good news that our own “righteousness” before God comes as a result of our faith and not the things that we do? (Hint: Because our works will never result in our own righteousness. Even Noah's was filled with deep flaws. Inevitably we will fail to step out in faith and fail to do what God has called us to do. That is sin. Or sometimes we do the things that God has called us to do, and we get prideful thinking we did it on our own. That too is sin. We can never be counted righteous on our own. We need faith in God that he will do and help us do everything that we need for salvation and righteousness.) 

 Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

• Give us an example of someone in your life who stepped out to do something crazy or difficult through faith in God? How did God respond? 
• Give us an example of someone in your life who stepped out to do something in the small, mundane things of life through faith in God? How did God respond?
• As you’ve reflected on the sermon, what kind of “arks” do you think God is calling you to “build”? 
• What are the small things that you think God is inviting you to be more faithful in, so that faith can become part of your character when he big things come? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• Whenever we read the story of Noah, rarely are we going to be able to put ourselves in Noah’s shoes (if we’re completely honest with ourselves). We’re more likely to identify as "the world.” We would have been the ones who scoffed at Noah, or were too afraid or proud to demonstrate faith like Noah’s. 
  • What are some of the things in your heart that keep you from having faith like Noah’s or living out that faith? 
  • Do these things ultimately point to faithfulness in God or unfaithfulness towards God?
  • Through God’s perspective, should you have been the person on the ark when the floods came, or out in the waters of God’s wrath? 

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• Like the author of Hebrews says, Noah’s faith stands to condemn the world. When we pair ourselves up to Noah, we see what we too stand condemned and are desperately in need of help again the wrath of God that we deserve. That is why Jesus came. He wants to help you. If anyone ever deserved to be on the ark, it would have been Jesus. But he traded places with us. Metaphorically, he gave us his spot on the ark, and he endured the wrath of God in our place. Because of this, we know that our only hope is Jesus. This gospel, the good news, is the foundation of our faith, and changes the way that we live our lives. 
  • How does the gospel overcome all of the things that keep us from having faith in God or help us to live out our faith? 
  • What hope do you have when you (inevitably) fail to live out your faith? 
  • How can your rGroup help you in this area of your life?  

UNSEEN: The Man That Gave

Summary: Any giving that is truly meaningful will be rooted and given in faith. 

Understanding God’s Word: Know and Understand the Truth

READ Genesis 4:1-7

• As we read in Scripture, what was the ultimate difference difference between the two kinds of offerings that Abel gave and Cain gave? (Type/quality of the giving, and the heart behind the giving) 
• Why is God more pleased with the gift that Abel gave more than the gift that Cain gave? 
• What can we learn from this passage about how God approaches those who fall short of what they should be doing? 

 Living and Applying God’s Word: Give a Vision of Life With God. 

READ Genesis 4:1-5

• Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd. God gave them both giftings vocationally that they could use to honor Him. We too have different gifting vocationally (business-minded, artistic, leadership, teachers, etc.). How can we those gifts of where God has placed us vocationally to give to God? To his church?
• What might a Cain look like with your giftings vs. what might an Abel look like with your giftings?

READ Hebrews 11:4

• Giving in this way may be difficult for you, and it may shift the entire way you've viewed giving. However, the author of Hebrews says that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice. It was far and away better than any other kind of giving. But it also says that this kind of giving was set apart because he had faith. How is this kind of giving in your life going to require faith? 

Assessing the Heart: Identify and Address Sin. 

• In what kind of ways are we like Cain in our giving?
• How are we giving God our leftovers instead of our best? 
• In what ways do you see Cain’s heart in yourself, rather than Abel's as you do give? 
• In what ways can we look like Cain when the Holy Spirit prompts us to be sacrificially giving? (vs. 5 = Cain was very angry, and his face fell) (Hint: angry, grumpy, entitled, selfish, bitter, resentful, etc.) 
• How is this kind of response harmful to your relationship with God, with others, and to yourself? 

Turn to God: Confess and Renew Belief in God

• From the story of Cain and Abel, what do you believe God’s is extending to you when you are confronted with all the ways you have fallen short in your giving? 
• Most of the time, the ways that we do give are not going to bring us all the glamor and honor that we desire. In many ways our giving is just a small part of the bigger picture. Abel had only a small role in the grand scheme of things, but the author of Hebrews included him as a great hero of faith. How might God use our small supporting role of giving in greater, eternal ways if we are obedient?