This week the sermon discussed God’s involvement with the fall of man. The questions of “Where is God in all the suffering” is a question that has troubled Christians for centuries. The following is a list of OIA questions in the attempt to bring consensus to this difficult question. (Note that several passages of scripture were used in this sermon, so several verses should be included in answering the following questions.)

(See sermon page emmauscf.org/sermons/ for a complete list of scriptures used)

Observation

1. Are there any cultural or background issues that are important in understanding any of the listed passage?
2. What key word(s)/phrase(s) really stand(s) out to you in these passage of scripture? Why are/is they/it important?
3. Which scripture passage did you find most intriguing or interesting? Why?

Interpretation

1. Compare at least 3 of the used passages with at least 3 other Bible versions (NIV, ESV, NASB, NKJV, Ect.) What similarities/differences do you observe? Share with your group.
2. Are there any verbs, commands, prepositions, or conjunctions, that seemed to stand out? What? Why? Share.
3. Read through at least 2-3 commentaries on your chosen 3 passages and share what your learned with your group. Here are some free online resources. (http://net.bible.org) (http://www.blueletterbible.org/) (http://biblia.com)

Application

1. How does/should the truth that God is completely Omniscient affect/effect how you live every day? How should this truth affect the amount of how much you worry or have anxiety? Why? Explain.
2.Why is the truth that nothing in life is meaningless or without purpose important in the every day life of believer? How would you minister to a hurting Christian, who perhaps recently experienced the death of a loved one, if they asked the question “why would God allow this to happen?” (I know this is a difficult question to address, but you should discuss this question in your groups as it is very likely someone will ask you this question in the near future.)
3. Ponder (really ponder) on the truth that Nothing, Nothing, Nothing is outside of Gods control. What thoughts, feelings, or ideas come to mind? Share.
4. The Bible teaches that God works all things to good for those who love him (Rom 8:28) Though we cannot always see this truth in everything, we can often see how God has worked seemingly “bad things” into “good things” in our lives. Share with your group some experiences in which God worked something bad into good.

This week the sermon covered Genesis 3:7-24. Genesis 3:7-24 gives the first glimpse of what life on earth was like once sin was introduced. The following is a list of OIA questions for discussion in your Gospel Community Groups. The Bible text follows the questions.

Observation

1. Who is the intended audience in this passage?
2. Are there any cultural or background issues that are important in understanding this passage?
3. When was this scripture written?
4. What key word(s)/phrase(s) really stand(s) out to you in this passage of scripture? Why are/is they/it important?
5. If you had to sum up all five of theses passages of scripture in one sentence, what would it be?

Interpretation

1. Compare this passage with at least 3 other Bible versions (NIV, ESV, NASB, NKJV, Ect.) What similarities/differences do you observe? Share with your group.
2. Are there any verbs, commands, prepositions, or conjunctions, that seemed to stand out? What? Why? Share.
3. Read through at least 2-3 commentaries on this passage and share what your learned with your group. Here are some free online resources. (http://net.bible.org) (http://www.blueletterbible.org/) (http://biblia.com)
4. This portion of scripture uses an Anthropomorphism in describing God. What is an Anthropomorphism and why is it important in interpreting this passage? (vs.8)

Application

1. As Joe pointed out in his sermon, some of the initial, direct, and immediate effects of sin were fear, shame, and hiding. What other direct affects do you see as stemming from the first sin? Share with your group.
2. In the world of counseling, nearly 90{e0b72a53c242df1424785628340537005f8b2ebeecfbb0205a95286f7b4c8fc9} of psychological psychosis is linked directly to the areas of shame and doubt. Give some real life and practical examples of how shame and doubt affects daily living and other areas of life.
3. What are some areas in your life where shame and doubt have hindered your relationship with God? With others? Share.
4. How could Genesis 3 be useful in evangelizing to a non-believer? Explain and share with your group.

Genesis 3:7-24 Bible Text Only
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And
they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard
the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the
man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the
trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where
are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid,
because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were
naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The
man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the
tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you
have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord
God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all
livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust
you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your
pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be foryour husband, and he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you
have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I
commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in
pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said,
“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest
he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”
therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground
from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of
Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to
guard the way to the tree of life.

This week the sermon covered Genesis chapter 3:1-6. The beginning of Genesis 3 gives the first glimpse of a world that has been tainted by sin. Satan is already active in his deception with mankind and the sin initiated struggle of man’s heart is revealed. The following is a list of OIA questions for discussion in your Gospel Community Groups. The Bible text follows the questions .

Observation
1. Who is the intended audience in this passage?
2. Are there any cultural or background issues that are important in understanding this passage?
3. When was this scripture written?
4. What key word(s)/phrase(s) really stand(s) out to you in this passage of scripture? Why are/is they/it important?
5. If you had to sum up all five of theses passages of scripture in one sentence, what would it be?

Interpretation
1. Compare this passage with at least 3 other Bible versions (NIV, ESV, NASB, NKJV, Ect.) What similarities/differences do you observe? Share with your group.
2. Were there any verbs, commands, prepositions, or conjunctions, that seemed to stand out? What? Why? Share.
3. Read through at least 2-3 commentaries on this passage and share what your learned with your group.

Application
1. The first recored words spoken from the mouth of Satan were a direct lie and contradiction to God’s command. Since the world is now the domain and realm of satan (Eph 6:12), what are some examples of worldly systems that try to “lie” to people in direct opposition of God’s word?
2. Have you ever “bought” into the lies of the devil, only to find out later that you had been deceived by the enemy? What was your experience? How did you feel? What did you do? Share.
3. Where has satan currently been “attacking” or “deceiving” you? Share with your group and pray for one another. Remember, our battle is not against flesh and blood…….

Genesis 3:1-6 Bible Text Only
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord
God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat
of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of
the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that
it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one
wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who
was with her, and he ate.