GENESIS 1 (Part 3)

1. Mission Spot: Bringing Faith into Everyday Conversation

Preparing for Alpha

As we move towards Alpha and our 'go week', we are thinking about simple ways to create opportunities to speak with friends and family about Jesus.

Everyday faith

Talking about faith does not always require suddenly turning a conversation into a gospel presentation or mini-sermon. We can let people see that following Jesus is a normal part of our lives. We might mention something we heard at church, explain that we have been praying about a situation, or share how our faith shapes a decision, or enables us to process harship or difficulty

Our lives are filled with oppurtunities to natually mention our faith, but often in these moments we stay quiet.

Read Colossians 4:2–6

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Discuss

  1. What does Paul ask Christians to pray for? What does he ask them to do?

  2. Why might we hesitate to mention church, prayer or faith in everyday conversation?

  3. What are some natural ways you could make your faith more visible in conversation without making it feel forced?

  4. How does trusting God to open doors take some of the pressure off us?

This week’s challenge

Choose one simple step:

  • Mention something encouraging or challenging from church.

  • Tell someone that you have been praying about something.

  • Offer to pray for someone.

  • Ask someone whether faith has ever been part of their life.

Pray that God would open doors and help us speak with wisdom, courage and grace.

2. Our Purpose — Genesis 1 and Matthew 28

Opening question

How would most people today answer the question, “What is the purpose of human life?” How would you answer?

Read Genesis 1:26–31

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 God blessedthem and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw allthat he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Discuss

  1. What responsibilities does God give humanity? What do these verses suggest about why we were created?

  2. What is the difference between ruling creation as God’s representatives and using it for our own selfish purposes?

  3. Genesis begins with God’s people, living in God’s place, under God’s rule. What would life have been like if humanity had continued to trust God and fulfil its purpose?

  4. Where do you see people still fulfilling this original calling today? Where do you see it being distorted?

Read Matthew 28:16–20

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”


Discuss

  1. What authority does Jesus claim, and what mission does he give his followers?

  2. Compare the two commissions:

    • In Genesis, humanity is told to fill the earth and cultivate God’s world.

    • In Matthew, Jesus’ followers are told to go to all nations and make disciples.

    What similarities and differences do you notice?

  3. How does making disciples help restore God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s rule?

  4. Jesus promises to be with his disciples as they carry out this mission. Why is that important?

Apply

  1. Where has God given you responsibility or influence? How could you help that part of his world flourish?

  2. Who could you help take one step towards becoming a disciple of Jesus?

  3. What is one practical way you could participate in God’s mission this week?

Pray

Thank God for giving our lives purpose. Ask him to help us care for his world, live under Jesus’ rule and help others become his disciples.