Grow In Faith

Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at creation, the nature of man and the Fall. Most recently, we saw Cain and Abel, noting how graciously God treated Cain after he murdered his brother, but focusing on Cain’s rejection of that grace and the steep downward spiral that resulted. We saw that emergence of two lines – the one following Cain, which got progressively dark, and a second line – through...

In our last devotional, we started looking at Genesis 5, a chapter that’s taken up completely by a genealogy, and we saw that one thing we can glean from it is that the bad are not all bad and the good are not perfect. Today, we’ll see that small differences become big differences over time.

Yesterday, we looked at God’s continued grace to Cain even in his punishment and what became of Cain’s line. That leads us into Genesis 5, which is a genealogy, a list of names.  It takes some work to unpack the genealogies and appreciate why they are here. But they are here. God included them. And if you are willing to do the work there is plenty to glean.  Allow me to make a few observations fro...

Yesterday we looked at God’s merciful response to Cain after his murder. Today we’ll continue with Cain’s response.

We looked at the story of Cain and Abel and the danger of sin that is left undealt with. Now let’s look at God’s response to Cain’s murder and the generations that follow.

We’ve been looking at Genesis 4, the story of Cain and Abel. We’ve been looking at what makes for an acceptable sacrifice to God and Genesis 4 shows us that it has to be the kind of sacrifice God requires and it has to be the best of what we have. Today, we’ll look at the third issue.

In our last devotion we looked at the first part of Genesis chapter 4, the story of Cain and Abel. Today, we continue.

Yesterday we finished up our look at Genesis 3, the Bible’s definitive chapter on sin. Today we roll ahead into chapter 4. Into a section famous for its firsts – first birth, first baby and first murder. And among the many things we find here is the example of a Father offering really good advice to a son.

Last week we looked at Genesis 3, the definitive chapter on sin in the Bible. We saw how the serpent tempted the man and woman and we saw the curses that were placed on the serpent and the woman as a result. Today we’ll finish up the chapter by looking at the curses placed on the man.

This week, we’re looking at Genesis 3 – a chapter about sin. We’ve been walking through God’s response to sin and yesterday we saw his response to the serpent. Today, we’ll start with his response to the woman.

This week we’ve been looking at Genesis 3, a chapter all about sin. Yesterday we ended with the last part of the curse on the serpent. We’ve looked at the second part of this verse – the first telling of the Gospel – the proto-evangelium – before.

We’re looking at Genesis 3 this week, which is all about sin’s entry into the story. Today, we are focusing on God’s response to sin – which means we pick up in vs. 14, where the text is indented because we move out of straight narrative into poetry. God is apparently making his comments here a bit easier to memorize since, as we saw last week, everyone in the story so far has gotten God’s command...

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve looked at the first two chapters of Genesis and seen how the accounts of creation are foundational to the story of the Bible. Today, we will look at the definitive chapter on sin – Genesis 3.

We’ve been looking at Genesis 1 and we’ve seen quite a bit from this opening chapter. There is a lot here. A lot of ways to turn. But what I want you to understand is that you chart a course right here in Genesis 1: God or No God. And the implications are profound.

We are looking at Genesis 1. Yesterday we saw that God is the all-powerful Creator and everything is ultimately his. As we move through the rest of the passage, we could spend time focused on the five next stages of creation – From formless and void – tohu wabohu in verse 2, where the Spirit of God is hovering over the deep – through the creation of light and the separation of water and land leadi...

We started our look at Genesis 1 and noted that Genesis begins with the assumption that there is a God and that he is powerful enough to speak the world into existence. That is the starting point. And that leads to point two. This God is The Creator.

Last week, I said that you should take another look at the Bible and explained that over the coming weeks, we’ll be looking at the first eleven chapters of Genesis, the first book in the Bible and the foundation of the Old Testament. Let me note a couple of things as we begin: First--These are among the most famous words of all time. Second--These are among the most controversial words of all time...

This week we’ve been looking at the reasons you need to take another look at the Bible. I’ve said the Bible is not just a book, it is the book, We’ve seen that the Bible also makes outrageous claims we need to engage with. I’ve talked about the fact that you may not have understood the point it is trying to make. And finally, the Bible helps you answer the question of where we go for answers to li...

Yesterday, I said that you need to take another look at the Bible. There are a couple of reasons for this: for one, the Bible is not a book, it is the book. The second reason you need to read the Bible is because it makes shocking and scandalous claims – some of which are so outrageous that if the Book were human, he or she would either be celebrated as the greatest person to ever live or dismisse...

This week, we’ve been looking at reasons that you need to take another look at the Bible. The fourth reason you need to take another look at the Bible involves a bit of philosophy. As you know, everyone has a particular cultural and philosophical perspective that shapes their understanding of the world. I’m referring to the intellectual grid we develop to help us process information and make sense...

Over the next several months we are going to be looking at the first eleven chapters of Genesis—which are the first eleven chapters of the Bible. Right out of the gate, I want to encourage you to take another look at the Bible. I say another look because I am pretty sure you’ve seen one before. With five billion in print, it’s a hard book to avoid.