In this series we're talking about how to be thankful and what to be thankful for. Jesus tells a story in Luke 18 to help His listeners understand that it's not your presentation before others, but your posture before God that matters - He calls it humility and it sets us up to release the power of the thanksgiving.

We wrap up the series with the story of the flood and find out once again that God isn't angrily destroying humanity, He's actually carefully preserving humanity. Humanity has grieved Him, but He hasn't given up on them.

One again, now in Cain's story, we're going to see God acting in love toward humanity even though they continue to act like beasts. But there's also an underlying story... Even in the pain of Cain's consequence we see God's greater purpose develop. Cain ends up accomplishing, at least part of, what God commissioned all of humanity to do. Fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over all the beasts. Here that purpose actually begins.

We've made it to Genesis 4 and typically we'd continue the conversation about how bad and evil humanity is because God has to kick them out of the garden then sends Cain even further away. But this story is not what it appears to be. It's a story about who God really is and He is NOT like the gods of Egypt or Cannan. This God is different. He doesn't demand offerings and He still loves even when we disappoint Him.

We typically think that the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden made God so mad that He cursed humanity and kicked them out. But that's not the whole story, it's not eve the right story. Nowhere in the story does God appear mad and He never curses humanity even though there are consequences. Sin didn't separate Adam and Eve from God, their shame did. God never stopped loving them, even though they left the garden. That same love extends to you.

The story of Genesis 3 and the curse of humanity and our exit from the garden has created some pretty distinct and fearful views of an angry God kicking humanity out of His presence and protection. But is that the real story? We know they were naked, but did they have any reason to be afraid?

One again, now in Cain's story, we're going to see God acting in love toward humanity even though they continue to act like beasts. But there's also an underlying story... Even in the pain of Cain's consequence we see God's greater purpose develop. Cain ends up accomplishing, at least part of, what God commissioned all of humanity to do. Fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over all the beasts. Here that purpose actually begins.

Most of us believe that because of Adam and Eve’s sin we are now bad and God is angry with us. After all, that’s why he kicked us out of the garden. Only… it’s not. Every act of God in Genesis 3 is kind and loving and shows great care, not anger or a desire to punish. We’ve got to know how God feels about us if we’re going to navigate sin effectively.

Terry Deaver wraps up his Living Stones series.

Part 1 of a message series by our friend, Terry Deaver.