Old Testament

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Being God’s People

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September 2022

WELCOME

OPENING PRAYER

Table Talk

1. God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. What is the difference between loving a person and liking a person?
2. How do we know another person loves us?
3. Can you love someone and still not approve/agree with what they are doing?
4. Can you approve of what a person is saying or doing and not like the person?
5. What is the difference between love and approval?
6. Do you seek God's approval?
7. How do you grow in an understanding of God's love for you?

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Genesis 1: 1 – 27

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters. Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—the first day. Then God said: Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other. God made the dome, and it separated the water below the dome from the water above the dome. And so it happened. God called the dome “sky.” Evening came, and morning followed—the second day. Then God said: Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear. And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. dry land “earth,” and the basin of water he called “sea.” God saw that it was good. Then God said: Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. And so it happened: the earth brought forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw that it was good.

Evening came, and morning followed—the third day. Then God said: Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the seasons, the days and the years, and serve as lights in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth. And so it happened:

Genesis 1: 1 – 27 continue

God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night, and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day. Then God said: Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky. God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good, and God blessed them, saying: Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day. Then God said: Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened: God made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Time to Share

1. What are your favorites of all the things God created for human beings?
2. How can I care for God's gift of creation?
3. What does it mean that we are created in God's image and likeness?
4. Why is it so hard to see God in others?
5. What responsibilities do we have in our dealings with others?
6. Often we take people that we love for granted. How do we take God for granted?
7. How do people try to control God?
8. Brainstorm how we as individuals and as a family could be more conscious of our need to be thankful to God for all that God has given us.

Large or Small Group activity

Summary

Reminder of Playlist

Next Meeting Date

CLOSING PRAYER

FELLOWSHIP