Team #1

Read Genesis 6 & 7

Find 3 interesting facts that other may not have noticed before.

List 2 things we can learn from this passage.

Name 1 thing you can do this week to apply that principle.

Share your findings with the rest of the group.

Team #2

Read Genesis 8 – 9:17

Find 3 interesting facts that other may not have noticed before.

List 2 things we can learn from this passage.

Name 1 thing you can do this week to apply that principle.

Share your findings with the rest of the group.

Be prepared for them to be finished in 10 minutes, but also be ready in case they take the next 30 minutes.

This is a good exercise for them to start learning to study the Bible for themselves.

Discuss:

Why do you think Cain killed Abel? Jealousy? Venting his anger at God?

Let’s try to figure out Cain’s brain: After each statement, discuss what thoughts may have been going through Cain’s head.

1. The Lord rejects his offering.
2. The Lord tells his that sin is waiting to destroy him, but that he must subdue it.
3. Just after Cain kills Abel.
4. God askes him where his brother is.
5. God tells him that he is to be a homeless fugitive.
6. Cain leaves God’s presence and heads to Nod.

Have any of us ever had those same kind of thoughts?

What’s the difference between us & Cain?

It comes down to what choices we make. God warned Cain that sin was waiting to attack him. Cain choose to give in and let sin destroy him.

Sin can only destroy or harm our lives if we let it. Romans 6:6-7

As Christians, we aren’t slaves to sin, but we can still choose to obey it if we want.

So what kind of choices have you been making? Have you chosen to give in to sin?

Hand out a printout of chapter 4 to each person. (You can find one here.) Have each person circle any sinful actions or statements. Also have them highlight any consequences of sin. After everyone has had a change to do those two things, bring the group back together to discuss their findings.

Here are a few additional topics of interest you may want to discuss:

• Talking Serpents?
• What type of fruit was it? An apple?
• Serpents had legs?
• Had Eve had children yet?
• Did Adam rule over Eve before?
• What happened to the Garden?

Lesson of the Day

There are consequences for our actions.

Have the group come up with a list of sins. Then list the possible consequences for those sins.

The biggest consequence of all is separation from God. Even as Christians, when we sin, that sin keeps us distant from God. We need to quickly confess, repent, and make things right with God.

Discussion Groups

Break everyone into three groups and give them the instructions as listed below:

Group 1

Read Genesis 1:1-8 and discuss the following questions:

• Verse 3 says that God created light on the first day, but later we read in verses 14-16 that God created the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day. What, then, was the “light” that He created on day 1?
• When God separated the light from the dark, calling the light “day” and the dark “night” – thus making up one day, was this the first rotation of the earth or is it talking about something else?
• What water is God separating in verses 6-8? Where is the water above the sky?

Group 2

Read Genesis 1:9-19 and discuss the following questions:

• If God is all-powerful, why did He take six days to create& form the world?
• If God created plants on day 3, but He created the sun on day 4, how did the plants survive without light and heat from the sun?
• Verse 18 says that these lights were created to separate the light from the darkness. How does lights separate light from the darkness?

Group 3

Read Genesis 1:20-31 and discuss the following questions:

• Why did God create birds & fish on one day, but land animals on another day?
• Did God create Ogopogos? (Or Lochness Monsters)
• Did God create dinosaurs?
• In what two ways was man different from the rest of creations (according to these verses)?
• Look at verses 29-30 – Did God create all animals and man to be vegetarians?

Survey Says…

Gather everyone back together and go over their findings.

Read Genesis Chapter 2 as a group.

In pairs, come up with at least one application for us today from this chapter. (Example: Because God planted a wonderful garden for Adam and provided a companion for him, I can know that God will always provide for me.)

Proverbs Six

Activity: What are you like?

Going around your circle or asking random people, have them answer the following three questions:

1. What type of food are you most like?
2. What type of animal is the person on your left most like?
3. What famous person is the person on your right most like?

Read Proverbs chapter 6

vs 1-5 (Finances)
Do these verses say never loan money to a friend? The deeper lesson here is to take good care of what God has given you. How could co-signing a loan be not taking good care of what God has given you? What are some things that God has given us that He expects us to take care of? (Money, clothes, possessions, time, talents) We need to make the best use of them.

If someone gave you a million dollars, would you still spend the same amount per month as you do now or would you spend some of that extra million? God gives us all kinds of things for us to use wisely – money, time, talents, etc… And He expects us to take good care of them.

vs 6-11 (Laziness)
Does that mean we shouldn’t sleep in on weekends? The lesson here it to take responsibility. If you don’t act in a responsible way (doing things that need to be done), then you’re going to end up with nothing.

Is it responsible for someone to sleep in? Would it be responsible for me to work at a job 18 hrs a day, seven days a week? No, I would be neglecting my responsibilities to my family, to my church, and my other responsibilities. So basically it’s saying “You need to do what you need to do”.

vs 12-19 (Things God Hates)
Write out the list of things God hates in ‘today language’.

Does anyone admit to doing anything from this list? What do you guys hate? (Ie. fingernails on the chalkboard, people who ask why, why, why, why) If you have a friend who did all these things – lots – how would that affect your relationship? God hates this stuff – SO DON’T DO IT!

vs 20-23 (Keep the Commands)
We talked about this in an earlier Bible study. What does it mean to “bind them to your heart or fasten them around your neck”?

vs 24-35 (Consequences)
In these verse are some very clear warnings against adultery. Even though you guys aren’t married yet – it’s important for you to know this stuff before you get married. That way you’ve already got it in your head and hopefully your heart. But I also want to point out a theme in this passage that we’ve also seen in the rest of the chapter.

Consquences:
vs 5 – the guy who co-signs the loan will end up like a deer with a hunter after it.
vs 11 – the guy who is lazy will be pounced on by poverty.
vs 15 – the wicked will be suddenly destroyed.
vs 27-29 & 32-34 – lots of bad stuff

There are consequences to every thing you do. That’s why it’s so important to choose wisely. What kind of choices have you been making in your life recently? Have you shown wisdom in how you handle money and everything else God has entrusted to you? Have you shown wisdom avoiding those things God hates and keeping his commands?

Proverbs 5

Read Proverbs 5:1-4

Although the verses are specifically talking about the temptations of an immoral woman, they clearly lay out some basic guidelines in dealing with temptations.But first, a question: Why do people sin? Because it seems like it’s a good thing.

• Cheat on a test and get a better grade.
• Punch someone who’s bothering you and you’ll feel better.
• Lie to your parents and get out of trouble.

Read Proverbs 5:3-5

Sin seems appealing – read verse 3

Humans by nature want what they think is best for them. If I offered you iced tea or used oil to drink – which would you choose? If I offered you a teaspoon of used oil and ten thousand dollars to drink it or iced tea for a nickel – which would you choose? Why? Because you think in the long run, the money is worth it.Sin seems worth it. It seems to benefit them in some way. People don’t lie to try to get INTO trouble – they lie to get OUT of trouble. People don’t steal to LOSE what they have – they steal to GAIN what they don’t. Sin seems appealing.But what’s the truth? Verse 4-5

The lie to get out of trouble brings…

• guilt
• eventual punishment by God
• possibly more trouble than you were originally in

Does anyone have any examples of how sin seemed appealing, but in the end was terrible? [Personal Experience Story Goes Here] The truth about sin is “Although it seems appealing – in the end it’s very unappealing.”So how do we deal with temptation?

Read verse 8 Run away! I’m not talking metaphorically – I really mean to run away!

Read Genesis 39:6-12

Joseph actually RAN AWAY! He physcially fled the scene. If you’re tempted to steal something – don’t hang around whatever it is that you’re tempted to steal! Run away! Leave the room or the building. If you’re tempted to punch out your brother or sister – go away. Don’t just wait there until you give in to the temptation.

The second part of verse 8 says not to even go near her house.

• Don’t put yourself in a position where you are likely to be tempted.
• If you’ve got a problem with swearing – don’t hang around people who swear.
• If you’ve got a problem of cheating on tests – sit at the front of the class where the teacher can see you.
• What are some other examples?

The last point I want to make is in verse 21.

God sees everything CLEARLY.

• The store might never know you stole that item – But God does.
• The teacher might not ever know you cheated – but God does.
• Your parents might not ever know you lied to them – but God does.

God is always right there with you.Application: You’re certain to be tempted this week. How will you deal with it?

Proverbs Four

Game: Popcorn Kernels

Scribble Page

Print out a copy of Proverbs 4 for each person – you can get a copy for free at Biblegateway.com. With each person working individually, have them follow these instructions:

1. Circle any phrases, words, or verses that you don’t really understand what they mean.
2. Underline any benefits of wisdom/knowledge/etc…
3. Put a star beside the verse or phrase that you think is the single most important verse in the passage.
4. Draw a square around the verses/phrases that you need to work on in your life.

Once everyone has completed their scribble page, go through some of their circles and stars. (Go over the things they don’t understand, find out what they think is the most important verse, etc….)

Verse 23 – Guard Your Heart

Think of different guards:

Palace Guards (White House or Buckingham Palace)

They guard so that unwanted people can’t get in. We need to guard our hearts against unwanted evil things. What are some common ones? (Examples: lust, greed, bitterness, envy, lies, etc….)

Prison Guards

They guard so that people can’t get out. We need to guard our hearts so they don’t run after the wrong things. What are some things we might run after? (Examples: money, boyfriend/girlfriend, music/movies/video games, etc…)

How can we guard our hearts?

• Accountability
• Hanging out with the good crowds (Bible study groups, youth groups, church, solid friends)
• Knowing the Bible
• Good relationship with God

Making it ac-count-able

Write up a formal looking contact that states: “I herby declare that I want to be accountable to this group of friends specifically for this next week to avoid these things:” Then leave a blank space and a place at the bottom for them to sign and date it.

Have everyone fill out one of these contracts with the things they intend to guard their heart from this week. Save all of these papers and do a check up on everyone the following week.

Proverbs Three

Discussion Starter: Points to Ponder

Read Proverbs 3:1-12

How to relate to God

1-4: How do we do that? What does it mean to “wear them like a necklace”?

5-8: Fairly self explanatory—Good verses to memorize

9-10: What’s that talking about? Tithe. Not whatever money we have left over – it the first-the best. Just money or time and effort too? Does that mean that if we always give our 10%, God will give us lots of stuff? Does that mean that if the kid in the war-torn country tithes, he won’t get shot but instead he’ll become rich? What kind of tithing do you do? (A set percent? Whatever you feel like? Whenever you feel like?)

11-12: How do you react to discipline by your parents or by God? How would you turn out if you were never disciplined?

Read Proverbs 3:13-26

The Value of Wisdom

Share some real life examples of how wisdom has been precious to you. Or on the flip side, share how the lack of wisdom has not been precious to you.

Read Proverbs 3:27-35

How to relate to Others

27-28: Don’t withhold good… How can we do that in real life?

29-30: Who would do such things? Us? “Love your neighbor as yourself”

31-32: Again, who would do such things? Us. Don’t want to be the ‘loser’, peer pressure.

33-35: The effects of wisdom vs. the effects of the lack there of—which do you want?

Self Evaluation

• How well have I “worn kindness & loyalty around my neck”?
• Have I been trusting God with ALL my heart or have I been leaning on my own understanding?
• Have I been giving God my first and best in money, time, energy, etc…?
• How have I been reacting to discipline?
• Have I been “withholding good” from my neighbor?
• Have I been loving my neighbor as myself?
• Have I been copying wicked people?

Game Plan

In light of my answers above, this week I will set out to: (be specific)

A great opening game for this game is some sort of treasure hunt. Since I originally did this study in my home, I hid a variety of treats all around my house – under cushions, on bookshelves, in cupboards, on windowsills, and anywhere else someone might possibly look. Having kids searching through every nook and cranny in your house may seem intrusive, but it really helps to make them feel at ease and welcome in your home.

When kids feel at home in your home, it’s way easier to build relationships with them and build into their lives. Having said that, you may want to declare certain rooms off limits for privacy sake. (ie. bedrooms)

Proverbs Chapter Two

Opening Game: Treasure Hunt

Review last week’s assignment with your buddy

Read Proverbs 2:1-5

Review of Proverbs 1

• How did we define wisdom? (The ability to consistently make right choices)
• How do we get wisdom? (Fear of the Lord)
• How did we define “Fear of the Lord”? (To honor God and to obey Him)

Have everyone summarize Proverbs 2:1-5 in one sentence:

Break down the verses into these key phrases: (Writing them on a whiteboard is a good idea.)

“Accept my words”

Not just listening, but accepting as true. You can listen to me say “I’m a professional skydiver.” – but you don’t necessarily accept that statement as true.

“Store up my commands”

In other words, Memorize them. Store them away like ants store away food for the winter.

“Turning your ear to wisdom”

Why do you turn your ear in everyday life? To hear better when someone is saying something you want to hear. This indicates a desire to hear.

“Applying your heart to understanding”

To illustrate this, have someone reach as far as they can for some candies. The word for “apply” means “to stretch out”. Your mind is stretching out for understanding like that person stretched for the candies.

“Call out for insight & understanding”

Prayer – asking God for wisdom

“Search for it as hidden treasure”

Which everyone illustrated during the game earlier.

Once the phrases have been explained, have everyone write your own paraphrase of the Proverbs 2:1-5.

Verse one might say “Look kid, if you really believe what I’m telling you and memorize the things I say,…”

Have a few people share a verse or two of their paraphrase.

Application

Of those actions, which do you do the least?
Think of one way that you can change that: Share that with a buddy.

Proverbs Chapter One

Opening Game: Steal the Candies

Read Proverbs 1:1-7

What is wisdom?

It’s not just smarts. It’s not just making right choices.

Wisdom is making the right choices consistently.

Do you have wisdom? (ie. Do you make right choices consistently?)

• What’s the last right decision you made?
• What’s the last poor decision you made?

We clearly need more wisdom.

How do we get wisdom?

Answer: Fear of the Lord

What is the “fear of the Lord”?
It’s not being afraid of God. It’s obeying Him and honoring Him with everything you do.

Can you think of a time in the last week when you didn’t obey & honor God? Why did you do that?

How can we honor & obey God more? How do we “fear the Lord” the way we should?

• Bible reading? (Do you daily do that?)
• Prayer? (Do you daily do that?)
• Memorizing verses? (Do you daily do that?)
• Attending church/Youth group/Some variety of Christian Fellowship? (Do you DAILY do that?)

On the flip side…

• Do you do things that will help you NOT fear the Lord?
• Watch tv shows that don’t honor the Lord?
• Play video games that don’t honor the Lord?
• Listen to music that doesn’t honor the Lord?
• Hang out with people that don’t honor the Lord?

What are you going to do about it?

What is one thing that you can do honor & obey God more this week than you did last week? Choose someone to tell your plan to and have them check up on you next week.