Genesis 22 | Abraham & Isaac, God the Tester & Provider

Genesis 22 | Abraham & Isaac, God the Tester & Provider

Reflection Questions 1. Why does Moses tell us upfront that this is a test? How does that shape the way we read the passage and understand God’s character? 2. In Genesis 12, Abraham surrendered his past. In Genesis 22, he is asked to surrender his future. Where is God asking you to surrender something you’ve been holding tightly? 3. What is the emotional and theological weight of the phrase: “your son… your only son… Isaac… whom you love”? 4. Abraham rises early and obeys immediately. What does this teach us about faith as movement, not merely emotion? How might three days of walking with Isaac have tested Abraham’s resolve? What does this teach us about long obedience? 5. In verses 6-10, Isaac willingly carries the wood and submits to being bound. What does this reveal about his faith and Abraham’s discipleship? 6. God will provide. Abraham’s answer to Isaac is both confident and open‑ended. How can we learn to trust God’s character even when we don’t know His method? 7. How does the ram “in the place of his son” prepare us for the gospel? How does substitution deepen your understanding of Christ’s work? 8. Jehovah‑Jireh. What does it mean that “on the mount of the LORD it shall be provided”? Where have you seen God “see to it” in your own life? 9. Why does Moses introduce Rebekah in verse 23, immediately after Moriah? What does this teach us about God preparing the future before we even know we need it?

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?