Genesis Bible Study

Genesis 12

By Amy Gentry

 

 “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 13:1-3

 How much time do you suppose passed between the time God told Abram to go from his land and gave him a blessing and the time when Abram went to Egypt?

“Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.” Genesis 12:10

After receiving the blessing, Abram’s faith is tested. 

The famine tested Abrams faith--

·       Didn’t he think God could provide for him even in the midst of a famine, when he lived in the land where God told him to go in first place

·       Did Abram trust God with the big picture but not the details?

“Faith is not a mushroom that grows overnight in damp soil; it is an oak tree that grows for a thousand years under the blast of the wind and rain.” (Barnhouse)

As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” Genesis 12:11-13

Sin of Omission—

·       I find it so flattering that Abram thought Sarai was so beautiful, even in her advanced age, she would be a target of unwanted male attention.  I guess the Egyptian Pharaoh sought true inner beauty rather than fleeting youth.

·       Telling Sarai to claim to be his half-sister was a half- truth, but a half-truth and a whole lie are the same thing.  He must not have trusted the Lord to protect them, therefore he took matters into his own hands. 

·       Since Sarai’s line would one day produce the Messiah, why wouldn’t God protect her?

“So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?” Genesis 12:18

·       Scolded in morality by a pagan king, he led Abram to the truth of the matter- If you would have trusted your God and told the truth everything would have been okay.

“Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.” Genesis 12:20

·       God did not take back the promise He made to Abram because Abram had taken matters into his own hands, by not trusting God with the details.  Abram still goes on to become Abraham, the father of many generations.

·       Even in Abrams disobedience, God still protected him and Sarai.  There is still a consequence of their sin, the acquiring of Hagar in Egypt, which would become a thorn in their flesh.  Maybe if they would have trusted God and stayed in the land where God told them to go, then they never would have met Hagar and Ishmael never would have been conceived.

 

 

Sharing Sister Sites

Sharing Sister Sites - Women of Faith
by Carri Pratt

Exciting News! This week the Women of Faith site is offering a free download How does God see me?:


Click Here for Free Download






The Women of Faith Community page is full of excellent links to meet many needs:

Click Here to visit the Women of Faith Community Page

 This year the Women of Faith tour is titled From Survival to Revival and will include many of today's top Christian Authors (see below).

Click here to see when they will visit your area

You Look So Good In Love

 

You Look So Good In Love

Ladies, let go of all past disappointments, unmet expectations, and bitterness to joyfully embrace your role as wife. When you do (I promise this works!!), a veil of lies will lift from your eyes and all the beauty of your marriage and your darling husband will shine through. BONUS: This makes you irresistibly attractive to him as well.

It’s most definitely a win-win!

 “Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” Philippians 2:15

www.titus2women.org

Family Matters

Family Matters: From the Heart

By Amy Gentry

 

“… do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.” Colossians 3:22-25 The Message

“…Don’t just do the minimum… Do your best… Work from the Heart…”

As parents, we want our children to work hard in school and at home on their chores, but what is their motivation?  The Message version of Colossians 3:23 says they should work from the heart.  For who?  For God.  We can scold and ground them but ultimately our children have to choose for themselves to work hard, choose to do their best, and choose to put their heart into their work. 

We should look at working hard as an opportunity:

The opportunity to serve the Lord through working hard.

ASHTON KUTCHER: “I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work. I've never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a steppingstone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job.  And so opportunities look a lot like work.”

 

 

T2W Favorite Things

T2W's Favorite Things

By Amy Gentry

 

GrooveBook App

 

I love an infomercial as much as the next gal, but this one came to me courtesy of the TV show "Shark Tank."  The GrooveBook App was featured a couple of months ago and I have been excited about its creation ever since. 

This is an app service through your iPhone or iPad device.  For $2.99 a month upload 100 pictures and in about a week receive your pictures back in a perforated bound book.

Choose which photos and how many of each you would like.  And you can even order additional books that can automatically be mailed to family or friends. 

www.groovebook.com

Genesis - In the Beginning

Genesis – In the Beginning

Chapter 11

By Carri Pratt

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves. . .” Genesis 11:4a

The Tower of Babel was being built to honor man. The builders had a blind ambition to make a name for themselves. Their desire was to remove God’s greatness and replace it with their own.

This is the same thing, we as a culture, still do today. After all, why do we still need God if we have technology?

The issue they were (and we are) facing was pride.

To erect a citadel was not in itself so great a crime; but to raise an eternal monument to themselves, which might endure throughout all ages, was a proof of headstrong pride, joined with contempt of God.

–John Calvin

The Bible is pretty clear regarding how God feels about pride:

“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;

in all this thoughts there is no room for God.”

Psalm 10:4

“Where there is strife, there is pride,

but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Proverbs 13:10

“For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father

but from the world.”

 1 John 2:16

“We may build monuments to ourselves (expensive clothes, big house, fancy cars) to call attention to our achievements. These may not be wrong in themselves, but when we use them to give ourselves identity and self-worth, they take God’s place in our lives.” 

Life Application Study Bible

Let us then consider our own lives, our own pride,

and anything taking God’s place in my own life:

What is my Tower of Babel?

This week read Genesis Chapter 12: The Call of Abram

Read online at www.Biblegateway.com

Sharing Sister Sites

Sharing Sister Sites – Joyce Meyer Ministries

by Carri Pratt

Joyce Meyer Ministries is currently challenging us to a 30 Day - 30 Minutes per day Bible Study. This is a great way to spend the last 30 days of the Lent Season. A Sacrifice of thirty minutes a day spending time with God in His word. 

The word of God is truly the only thing that will bring us spiritual transformation, love, joy and peace. It hardly seems like a sacrifice when we recognize all of the benefits we receive in return.

Are you up for the 3030 Challenge? Then click here!

 

Who is Joyce Meyer?

According to her site:
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.

Joyce hosts a TV and radio show, Enjoying Everyday Life®, which broadcasts worldwide to a potential audience of 4.5 billion people. She has authored 100 books, which have been translated into more than 100 languages. More than 12 million of her books have been distributed free of charge around the world, and each year millions of copies are sold.