Community Group Discussion Guide

A Thrill of Hope: God our VictorWeekend of December 1st and 2nd, 2018

I. Starter Question:

Easy question: Why is it so hard to recognize that God is omnipresent and knows the temptations that we endure? Do you really think he didn’t know where Adam and Eve were?

Vulnerable question: What in your life do you feel like you are in control of and are unwilling to submit to the Lord? Kids? Job? Finances? Relationships? Why is it hard?

II. Discussion of Scripture: Genesis 3:1-15

The Fall

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool[c] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”[d] 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[e] and her offspring;he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Wow! The most impactful scenes in all of the Bible prior to the cross. The low point of all humanity. The complicating incident that introduces sin into our world. The introduction to the enemy in our story and the beginning of the end of a perfect relationship between God and his highest creation in the garden. Temptation and acceptance of the lie. Eve’s response to temptation opens the door for generations of struggle and strife.

1. Do you believe that this event actually occurred? Did a serpent actually come up to Eve and strike up a conversation? Yes, indeed it did occur as it is described as referenced in various other scriptures as an account of fact, not a story or symbolic analogy.

2. What do you think it was like to live in the Garden with Adam and all of God’s creation? 3. What did Eve have to gain from the acceptance of the serpent’s urging? 4. Was her sin actually eating of the tree or in the process to get her to that point? 5. What did she have to question in order to break the barrier? (the nature of God and his Word). 6. Hard question alert. Why did Satan target his question to Eve? If Satan, the fallen angel, the

king of lies had two potential targets, why Eve first? The Bible tells us that in God’s perfect design, Adam was formed to protect and to cover and Eve was designed to nurture and to feel more sensitivity. Why ask the very first question in the Bible to somebody who feels more and is more sensitive? Why not ask them together? The king of lies chose Eve as his primary target because he knew both of their weaknesses, as he knows our weaknesses today. Recognition of our design and purpose can help us protect each other from the power of sin and lies.

7. What was Satan’s primary purpose for this event? 8. Why after Adam and Eve had eaten, did they hide from the Lord? How does that relate to us

and our sin even today? Does the Lord know where we are physically and spiritually? 9. What is God’s purpose for this event? Does God, the sovereign Lord, know how this event will

culminate the rest of the story? In verse 15, of whom does this foretell? (Jesus) The first of the Golden Thread has begun.

10. Does knowledge of how sin started simplify our journey or make it harder? Why or why not?

III. For Application1. Simple truth – God tells the truth; Satan lies. 2. Obedience to the truth of God’s word can enhance our lives and refine our focus. If we know

his word and can identify the enemy and his lies then we can more effectively navigate the temptations of this world. We will fail along the way but God’s grace through the savior will redeem us. Our focus must be on the bigger picture. Eternal perspective.

3. Satan’s lies were intertwined with God’s word and his knowledge of the truth was used to deceive Eve. How well do we know the word? Can we even see when truth is just a bit off? It

is much easier for Satan to use nuances than bold lies. He started that way and continues today in the same way.

4. When we are alone we are most vulnerable. God created man and woman to be in union with one another and has given them each different, yet important, roles to play. When we understand how He has made us and what roles we are designed for, we can be more effective for what we were designed for, to glorify Him.

IV. Responding in Prayer:

1. Pray that God allows us all to see the lies that Satan began with Eve and still tries to deceive us today with an assault on God’s character and his words

2. Pray that the world will not creep into our understanding of the Truth and that we will invest our time and energy in knowing the Truth.

3. Pray that as we enter into the Christmas season that we will focus on what is most eternally significant and that lives can be changed through the preaching and teaching of His word.

4. Pray that it is made abundantly clear that although sin came through the temptation and fall of man that He also made a way through his Son to be made right with the one true and Holy God.