Throughout the early chapters of the book of Genesis, we have seen God's intentions to bless the world. From Creation to Noah to Babel, God has been working to overcome the obstacle of evil and allow his blessing to flow to the world. As we wrap up the series, we look ahead to the introduction of Abram to discover the next stage of God's plan to bless the world. We will find out that this plan involves us!

As Genesis 1-11 nears its climax, we are given one final story: the dispersion of the people at Babel. This story serves as both a warning and a promise and helps us live well in relation to ourselves, God, the diverse people of God, and all the nations.

Our lives are governed by agreements we make with each other. After God saves Noah and his family from the devastation of the flood, God makes such an arrangement with Noah. As we observe the dynamic and interactive relationship Noah has with the living God, we will be invited to deepen our own faith in response. Will you accept and live by the arrangement God has made with you?

Isaiah tells us that “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,” that their spiritual strength is renewed not when the Lord acts but as they wait for the Lord to act (Isaiah 40:27-31). How do you respond to this?

Message from Kaloma Smith on June 2, 2024

We’re all control freaks, aren’t we? However, because there’s so little that we can control and so much that is out of our control, we live anxiously. Would it help us if we got into an ark?

From the first act of rebellion against God in Genesis 3, sin spreads quickly throughout creation. In Genesis 6, evil reaches a head, and God steps in. Through a surprising act of salvation, we learn that the judgment and mercy of God are both necessary for God to stop evil in it's tracks—in the past, the present, and the future.

The Bible has several examples of genealogies: lists of family generations. The one in Genesis 5 is meant to help us notice how the blessing of God will eventually overcome the curse of sin. We see the overall faithfulness of God over time, but we also see a few notable examples of out-of-the-ordinary blessing. How can those stories encourage us and inform our life today?

God created humans to be creative. Although Genesis 4:17-26 mostly exposes the dark side of human creativity, in the end it shows us how we can be creators who have been created in the image and likeness of God.

As we dive into the first story told from life outside the garden, we see how deep and fast humanity can fall into sin and God’s loving responses amidst our sin. We see how both sin and God’s healing start and grow from the inside out.