26/10 - Journey to the Promised Land: The Testing of Abraham

Questions:

1)      Who have you most admired in your life and why?

2)      What impressions have you formed so far about Abraham? Why do you think he is such an important figure in the Bible story?

Read Genesis 22:1-19 and Hebrews 11:17-19

3)      What struck you from the sermon on Sunday? What strikes you from these passages?

4)      What did Abraham understand about God and his purposes for him, at the beginning of this story? What did he not understand?

5)     How did Abraham reconcile these apparently contradictory commands/promises? What light do his words in Genesis 22:8 shed on his faith? What do later verses like Leviticus 18:21 and 20:2–5, Deut 18:10 and Ezekiel 16:20-21 tell us about God’s views on child sacrifice?

6)      What experiences have you had of faith when you can’t see a way through a situation? In what ways can you see God’s hand was upon the situation, as you look back now?

7)      What did you think is the role of sacrifice in being a Christian? (see Mk 8:34 and Rom 12:1-2). What are the rewards of living this way?

8)      What impact does the truth of the Resurrection have on your life? How can it strengthen our faith?

9)      What do we most need to learn from Abraham in this story?

10)  Share the challenges you face in your life right now. Pray into these things.