Sermon Notes:
How broken did we become in the fall of Genesis 3?
1. We became bent toward evil (Genesis 6:5)
2. The fallen heart became swollen with pride (Proverbs 16:5; James 4:6)
3. The fallen heart became prone to deceit. (Jeremiah 17:9)
4. The fallen heart became hardened. (Psalm 95:8; Mark 6:52)
5. The fallen heart became stubborn. (Jeremiah 3:17)
6. The fallen heart became foolish and is prone to turn away from God. (Romans 1:20-21)
In Jesus:
7. We receive healing and peace with God.
8. We receive healing and peace with ourselves.
9. We receive power and wisdom to have healthier relationships with others.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Beginning questions:
What was the best thing that happened to you this summer?
What do you need most from this growth group during this next semester?
Digging Deeper:
1. When you read over the sermon notes of 1-6 and see how the Bible describes how destructive our fall as humans really was in Genesis 3, what goes through your mind?
2. How do you see these character flaws playing out in history/people today?
3. How have you seen these play out in your life?
4. Which one of these do you think is the most destructive to our human relationships?
5. What does Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, and Romans 5:1 have to say about our relationship with God in Jesus? How do you think this should affect our lives?
6. What does 1 Peter 2:9-10 say to who we are now in Jesus?
7. Pastor Frank said in his message on Sunday, “A Christian is not simply a person who receives forgiveness, who gets to go to heaven, who receives the Holy Spirit and a new nature. A Christian, in terms of his deepest identity, is a saint, a born-again child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. Being a Christian is not just getting something, it is being someone.” How do you think this should affect our lives? How have they affected yours?
8. Because we have peace with God and peace with ourselves “in Jesus” how should this affect our relationships with others according to Matthew 5:9 and Romans 12:18? How has Jesus affected your relationships with others lately?
Pray for each other this week in your groups
Taking it Home:
Meditate on this truth about who you are this week and see if you can memorize it. “A Christian is not simply a person who receives forgiveness, who gets to go to heaven, who receives the Holy Spirit and a new nature. A Christian, in terms of his deepest identity, is a saint, a born-again child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, and a citizen of heaven. Being a Christian is not just getting something, it is being someone.”