The Mayfield Class

Genesis 21 | Laughter is Born & Ishmael Laughs

Reflection Questions 1. Where in your life are you tempted to laugh with doubt rather than laugh with joy? How does the quiet, matter‑of‑fact fulfillment of God’s promise in verses 1–2 challenge the way you expect God to work? 2. Where do you see yourself tempted to “walk toward Egypt” when life gets hard? Why do we so easily forget past encounters with God when the next crisis hits? 3. What does Hagar’s story teach us about the difference between experiencing grace and embracing grace? Where do you need God to “open your eyes” to a well that is already in front of you? 4. How does Paul’s interpretation in Romans 9 and Galatians 4 help you understand the spiritual meaning of this chapter? What does this story reveal about the danger of assuming that proximity to God’s people equals belonging to God? 5. Why is Abimelech’s statement “God is with you in all that you do” so significant in light of Abraham’s failures? Where do you see God polishing you through friction, waiting, or adversity?

Genesis 20 | Abraham & Abimelech, When Old Sins Come Back

Reflection Questions 1. Where do you see your own “default sins” resurfacing the way Abraham’s fear-driven deception resurfaced in Gerar? Why do certain sins feel “natural” or “reasonable” to us even when we know they are wrong? 2. Abraham knew God’s promise, yet acted as if he didn’t. Where do you see that same gap in your life? What does this chapter teach us about the difference between knowing truth and trusting truth? 3. How does God’s intervention in Abimelech’s life challenge our assumptions about who is “righteous” in a given moment? What encouragement do you draw from the fact that God protects His covenant even when His people fail? 4. Why is it easier to explain our sin than to repent of it? What does Abimelech’s confrontation reveal about the role of others in exposing our blind spots? 5. How does Genesis 20 help us understand the difference between grace that forgives and grace that enables change? What does this chapter teach us about the real consequences of sin, even forgiven sin?

Genesis 19 | Near Sodom, In Sodom, Shaped by Sodom

Reflection Questions: 1. Why do you think worldliness is almost always gradual rather than sudden? What makes slow drift so spiritually dangerous? Where are you tempted to trade gospel witness for cultural acceptance or a “seat at the table”? 2. Lot calls the mob “brothers” and offers his daughters. What does this reveal about a believer who has lived too long in a corrupt culture? Where do you see this same confusion in the modern church? 3. The men are struck blind, yet still grope for the door.  What does this teach us about the blinding power of sin? Where have you seen this in your own life or in others? 4. Why do you think Lot “lingered” even after believing the angels and warning his family?  What does lingering look like in your life? 5. The angels seize Lot “because the LORD was merciful to him.” How does this verse shape your understanding of salvation and grace? 6. Lot’s daughters carry Sodom into the cave. How does this challenge us as parents, leaders, and disciplers? Where might we be allowing “Sodom” into our homes? 7. How does the parallel between Noah’s drunkenness (Genesis 9) and Lot’s drunkenness (Genesis 19) reinforce the message that judgment alone cannot change the human heart?

Genesis 17-18 | Circumcision & Unexpected Visitors

Reflection Questions 1. Why do you think God began with His name “El‑Shaddai” after 13 years of silence? What does this reveal about how God restores discouraged believers? 2. What does it mean to “walk before Me and be blameless”? How does the idea of wholeness or integrity help you understand this command? 3. Abraham receives a new name as a daily reminder of God’s promise. What “names” or reminders has God placed in your life to keep His promises before you? 4. Why do you think God chose circumcision, a permanent, embodied sign, and the very spot where he tried to take a shortcut, as the covenant marker? What does this teach us about surrender? 5. Where have you quietly stopped hoping, the way Sarah had?  What would it look like to bring that area back before God? How does the question “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” confront your current fears or doubts? 6. Abraham intercedes not only for Lot but for the entire city. How does Abraham’s prayer challenge your own prayer life? Where do you need to grow in boldness, persistence, or compassion?

Genesis 15-16 | The God Who Saves and Sees

Reflection Questions 1. Where do you see yourself in Abram’s fear in verse 1? Why do you think God begins with “Fear not… I am your shield”? What does this reveal about God’s heart toward His people when they are anxious or discouraged? 2. Verse 6 says Abram “believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” How would you explain the difference between faith and righteousness? Why is this distinction essential for understanding the gospel? 3. Sarai’s plan was culturally acceptable but spiritually disastrous. What are some “culturally acceptable shortcuts” Christians are tempted to take today? 4. Why do you think Abram, who had just shown courage in chapter 14, becomes passive in chapter 16? Where are you tempted to be passive when God calls you to lead? 5. Hagar is the first person in Scripture the Lord pursues in the wilderness. What does this reveal about God’s character? 6. How does God’s pursuit of Hagar foreshadow the gospel and the ministry of Jesus?