Community Group Questions

“What Happens When We Take Matters Into Our Own Hands” 5/26/19

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Scripture: Read- Genesis 16

Series: Genesis 13-50- God’s Dysfunctional Family Tree 

1). How far into this passage does it take for them to be stepping away from God’s design and going off the rails?  Which decisions were contrary to God’s stated design in His Word?

2). In what way did Abram and Sarai believe that they were “helping God along” by the decision they made?

3). Have you ever been in a place where God seemed to be moving “slower than you expected” so you decided to “help God along” and created a mess?

4). What was the mess that Abram and Sarai created?  In what ways are we still dealing with the consequences today?

5). How does the language in 16:3 echo the language of the fall in the Garden?

6). Though Abram and Sarai are cruel in their treatment of this now abandoned woman and demonstrated how NOT to treat a woman, how do we see God having regard for Hagar?  What does this show us about the heart of God?

7). Abram and Sarai clearly see Hagar as a “means to an end”.  Why must we as Christians be careful of seeing people (God’s image bearers) as a means to an end?

8). Heart question for the your community group- why can it be so difficult to wait on the Lord and to move ahead of the Lord?  How can we grow from the Scriptures, God’s Spirit and past mistakes to avoid duplicating those mistakes again?