Grow Guide | October 3

God Is - We Are

Genesis 12:1-5a, 10-20

Connecting Questions 

• Have you ever had to move far away? What were some of the emotions you experienced when you had to leave one place and move to the new place? 

• List some of the reasons that some people might find entering a new place to be a stressful experience. Can you relate to any of these reasons? Why? 

Context 

We continue our series God is...We Are this week by looking at the story of Abraham, Sarah, and the Pharoah of Egypt. God makes a huge promise to Abram and Sarai’s family and asks them to uproot their entire lives. They move and immediately encounter a famine. Abram freaks out, makes bad choices, and bad things happen. Thus the cycle of fear and shame continues in the human story (remember Genesis 3). Yet, God is faithful. 

Be warned! The ancient world, in which Abram and Sarai lived, was a patriarchy. Men controlled the world and women were often treated as property or status symbols. That doesn’t mean it was correct or good (remember, we are dealing with the fear, blame and shame of humanity). It just is how it was and we must deal with the story within its own context. 

Look at the Book 

• Read Genesis 12:1-5. 

  • What does God (the LORD) ask Abram to do in verse 1? 

  • What promise does God make to Abram in verses 2-3? List out the separate parts of the promise. 

  • How did Abram’s family respond to God’s instructions? 

• Read Genesis 12:10-20  

  • What circumstances prompted Abram and Sarai to move to Egypt? 

  • What was Abram of afraid of when they entered Egypt? Why? 

  • How did Abram deal with his fear? Why do you think he did this? 

  • How did God deal with Pharoah? Why do you think God was so harsh? How might God’s actions connect to God’s promise? 

Taking it Home 

• This is a difficult passage. Abram doubts God's protection and gives away his wife to save his own skin! In what ways have you found yourself doubting God’s promises? 

• Many times we make bad choices based on fear. Yet, God remains faithful to God’s promise even in the midst of our confusion and poor life choices. In what ways has this lesson comforted you? In what ways has this lesson raised more questions or concerns? 

• Based on this story, how would you fill in the blanks “God is _______, We are __________.”