The Birth of Civilization

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 4:17-26

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The Birth of Civilization -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 4:17-26
01 July 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Questions
1.  In what ways does God extend grace to Cain and his descendants? How should this impact our view of God and culture?
2.  What is common grace, and how does it point us to saving grace?
3.  How would you characterize Lamech? Why do you think Moses included this brief account of him?
4.  What does Eve’s response to the birth of Seth tell us about his significance? How does his birth anticipate Christ?
5.  What does it mean in v. 26 that at the time of Enosh “people began to call upon the name of the LORD”? What does it look like for us to call upon his name?

References: Matthew 5:45; Genesis 2:24; 3:16; Romans 1:29-32; Genesis 3:15.

The Godless Man

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 4:9-16

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The Godless Man -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 4:9-16
24 June 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Questions
1.  Why does the Holy Spirit want us to take a close look at Cain? Why is this like looking at a mirror for the unbeliever or an old photo and the enemy within for the believer?
2.  How is Cain’s response to God’s call to confess different from that of Adam? Why is it so important that we maintain an attitude of confession towards God?
3.  How does God’s curse on Cain serve as both a comfort and a warning?
4.  What does Cain’s complaint tell us about his heart/thinking? In what ways have you seen the same attitudes or qualities in yourself?
5.  Why does God put a mark on Cain?
6.  What does Cain’s departure from God’s presence communicate about his overall attitude towards God?
7.  How do Cain’s curse and Abel’s blood point us to Christ?

References: Genesis 3:9, 12; Psalm 51:17; Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 9:7-12; Romans 12:19; Ecclesiastes 12:14; 1 John 3:12; Isaiah 24:20; Revelation 16:8-11; Matthew 5:45; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 12:24.

Evil After Expulsion

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 4:1-8

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Evil After Expulsion -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 4:1-8
10 June 2018

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  Where do we continue to see God’s grace in this passage? What do these verses invite us to do?
2.  What was wrong with Cain’s offering, and what are some implications for our worship?
3.  Why was Cain “very angry,” and what does that tell us about his heart?
4.  What is God’s message to Cain in vv. 6-7, and how does he respond?
5.  What are some of the effects of anger that you have witnessed in your life?
6.  What does the story of Cain and Abel tell us about life after the Fall?

References: Isaiah 55:6-7; Genesis 1:28; 3:20; 2 Samuel 24:24; Hebrews 11:4; Proverbs 21:27; James 1:20; 4:7-10; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Ephesians 4:26; 1 John 3:12; Jude 11.

Expelled With Grace

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 3:20-24

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Expelled With Grace -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 3:20-24
03 June 2018

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  How would you describe the relationship between Adam and Eve and the entire human race?  What does it mean to say that the story of sin runs through every biography?
2.  In what specific ways does the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden serve as punishment?
3.  How does Adam’s naming of Eve demonstrate faith?|
4.  How does God’s act of covering them with animal skins point to Christ?  What does it mean to say that the covering of guilt and shame is God’s work?
5.  How is God’s expulsion of Adam and Eve a means of protection?  How does God protect us from ultimately being lost?

References: Genesis 4:8, 23; 6:5; Romans 3:23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:3; Hebrews 11:1, 4.

The Divine Judgment

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 3:16-19

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The Divine Judgment -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 3:16-19
27 May 2018

Deep Sheet:  Sermon Study Notes
1.  What comes to your mind when you think of a “fallen world”?
2.  How do we see the hope of grace, relationship, victory, and reversal leading into God’s words of judgment?
3.  What would it look like to be more serious about sin in your daily life?
4.  In what ways does “painful toil” affect men and women? How have you seen the outworking of this in your own life?
5.  How does this passage help us to understand the cause of strife in marriage? What is God’s remedy in this life?
6.  What does it mean to say that Christ died so that death will die forever?

References: Proverbs 8:13; Genesis 4:7; 5:29; Ephesians 5:18, 22, 25; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1, 7; Genesis 2:7; Job 14:1; Romans 8:22; 1 Corinthians 15:47-49.

The Defeated Devil

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 3:14-15

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The Defeated Devil -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 3:14-15
20 May 2018

Deep Sheet:  Sermon Study Notes
1.  What does it mean to be “sober-minded” and “watchful” concerning Satan (1 Peter 5:8)?
2.  In what ways do we see God’s sovereignty in this passage? Why should that increase our confidence in him?
3.  What is the relationship between the serpent and Satan? What curse is placed on Satan?
4.  Why has v. 15 been called the “first gospel”? How does this verse impact the way we read the Bible from beginning to end?
5.  Why should Christians not be afraid of the devil?

References: John 17:5; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9; Romans 3:19; Job 1:6-12; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Genesis 9:5; Exodus 21:28; Leviticus 20:15, 16; Genesis 5:28-29; 49:10; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Galatians 4:4-5; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 16:20.

The Divine Interrogation

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 3:9-13

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The Divine Interrogation -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 3:9-13
13 May 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Questions
1.  How does this text present God as a loving Father who seeks the lost?
2. What is God doing by addressing Adam and Eve with questions, and with these questions in particular?
3. What are some evangelistic and parental implications of God’s address to Adam and Eve?
4.  What does it mean to say that they are “missing”?
5.  How would you characterize the attitude of the first humans towards their sin? How have you seen the same attitude in your own life?
6.  In what ways do we tend to blame our sin on our circumstances? How does this subtly shift the blame to God?

References: Romans 5:12; Luke 19:10; Psalm 139:7; Jonah 1:3; Ephesians 2:1-3; Titus 3:3.

The Deadly Deed

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 3:6-8

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The Deadly Deed -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 3:6-8
6 May 2018

Sermon Study Questions
1.  How does the Fall begin with doubting God’s Word and goodness?
2.  Does the Devil make us sin? How would you describe what is going on in Eve’s heart according to v. 6?
3.  How have you seen the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life at work in your own life?
4.  What does it mean in Proverbs 9:10 that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”?
5.  Where do we see unbelief, pride, and idolatry in the Fall?
6.  In what ways do we have the breakdown of both horizontal and vertical relationships in this passage?
7.  How does Christ restore the peace lost in Eden?

References: 1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Corinthians 11:3; James 1:14-15; Deuteronomy 5:21; Genesis 2:9; 1 John 2:16; Proverbs 9:10; Genesis 2:16-17; 1 John 3:4; Genesis 2:25; 3:17; John 14:27.

The Deadly Dialogue

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 3:1-5

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The Deadly Dialogue -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 3:1-5
29 April 2018

Sermon Study Questions
1.  Why must we keep Christ’s righteousness and obedience in view as we consider the Fall?
2.  Who is Satan, and why should we take him seriously?
3.  How does Satan subtly undermine God’s Word and character with his initial question, and what are the implications for us?
4.  In what ways does Eve alter God’s Word? What does this suggest about what is going on in her heart?
5.  How does Satan tempt people into thinking there are no consequences for disobedience?
6.   By the time we reach v. 5, how would you describe Satan’s portrayal of himself and of God?

References: Romans 5:18-19; Genesis 2:16-17; Revelation 12:9; John 8:44; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 4:4, 10.

The Man With His Wife

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 2:18-25

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The Man With His Wife -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 2:18-25
22 April 2018

Sermon Study Questions
1.  How is God presented as a loving Father in Genesis 2?
2.  Why is isolation not God’s will for human beings? In what ways do you see a tendency towards isolation in yourself?
3.  How does God prepare the man to recognize the immense value of his wife?
4.  How does this account of creation run contrary to Evolution?
5.  In what ways does this passage instruct us about the nature and dignity of marriage? What are some practical ways that we can respond in our own marriages?
6.  How does this passage ultimately point us to the gospel?

References: Genesis 1:26-28; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Proverbs 31:11-12, 27-28; Proverbs 18:22; 1 Timothy 2:13; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:7; Matthew 19:5.

The Man In His Home

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 2:8-17

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The Man In His Home -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 2:8-17
15 April 2018

Sermon Study Questions
1.  In what ways does God provide abundantly for man in the garden?
2.  What is the significance of the fact that God is the author/originator of human pleasure and delight?
3.  How does the description of the garden give us hope?
4.  How does v. 15 show us that rest is not to be equated with aimless idleness?
5.  What do the verbs “work” and “keep” in v. 15 tell us about the nature of Adam’s work?
6.  What does this passage teach us about authority? What does it mean to say that all sin is an issue of authority?
7.  How does the manner in which God’s command is given demonstrate his love, goodness, and care towards human beings?

References: Acts 17:26; Genesis 12:3; Matthew 28:19; Revelation 7:9-10; 1 Timothy 6:16; Genesis 13:10; Revelation 21-22; John 14:3; Genesis 19:16; Deuteronomy 26:10; Numbers 18:5-6; Colossians 3:23.

The Origin of Man

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 2:4-7

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The Origin of Man -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 2:4-7
8 April 2018

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  Why is it so essential that we as human beings understand who we are and where we come from?
     What happens when we don’t?
2.  Why should we treat Genesis 2 as a historical account?
3.  How should the fact that we come from dust affect how we view ourselves?
4.  What makes the creation of human beings unique? How does this show God’s love and sovereignty?
5.  Why is the biblical account of human origins incompatible with evolution?

References: 1 Chronicles 1:1; Luke 3:38; Acts 17:26; 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 5; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; Matthew 19:4-5; Genesis 7:22; Isaiah 64:8.

The Seventh Day Applied

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 2:1-3

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The Seventh Day Applied -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 2:1-3
25 March 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How have you thought about Sabbath, Lord’s Day, and Sunday up to this point?
2.  How does Genesis 2:1-3 give us a healthy rhythm for work and rest?
3.  Why do we struggle to follow this pattern of work and rest? What negative effects does this have on human flourishing?
4.  How is being a Christian a realized Sabbath? What does it look like to rest in Jesus?
5.  Does the New Testament teach that Christians are obligated to observe a particular day in a particular way?
6.  Why do Christians gather on Sunday? What happens when a person neglects regular attendance at church?
7.  What is the Sabbath rest that remains for us? How does this comfort the Christian and warn the faithless participant?

References: Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:3; Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 14:5; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10; Hebrews 10:25; 4:10.

The Seventh Day

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 2:1-3

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The Seventh Day -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 2:1-3
18 March 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How does your own attitude towards creation compare with that of the psalmist in Psalm 104:24?
2.    How does Genesis 2:1-3 show us that God always accomplishes what he sets out to do? Why should this bring immense comfort and joy to the Christian?
3.    How does God’s completed work in creation point us forward to the age to come?
4.    Did God need to rest? How should we understand God’s rest in these verses?
5.    What does it mean that God is holy? How does this passage anticipate the sanctifying work of God throughout the Bible?
6.    As we’ve looked at the creation week, what characteristics of God have most struck you?

References: Exodus 20:8-11; Hebrews 4:8-11; Romans 14:5; Colossians 2:16-17; Psalm 104:24; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:21; Psalm 104:29; Matthew 10:29-30; Hebrews 1:3; Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 121:4; Exodus 31:17; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.

Days 4-6: Fullness Towards Dominion, Part 3

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 1:26-31

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Days 4-6: Fullness Towards Dominion, Part 3 -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series: Genesis
Genesis 1:26-31
25 February 2018

Deep Sheet:  Sermon Study Questions
1.  Whom do you tend to exclude from the category of image-bearer?
2.  Where have you witnessed negativity and ingratitude regarding reproduction and children? How have you seen these attitudes in your own heart?
3.  What does Genesis 1:26-31 tell us about human sexuality? In what ways does it confront our culture?
4.  What does it mean to say that human reproduction is not animalistic in nature?
5.  In what ways does this passage explode with implications for parenting?
6.  What does this passage communicate about God’s goodness? How does it encourage us to hope in Christ?

References: Genesis 9:6; James 3:9; Psalm 127:3-5; Romans 1:26-27; Matthew 6:25-34; Matthew 6:11; 1 Timothy 6:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Days 4-6: Fullness Towards Dominion, Part 2

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 1:26-31

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Days 4-6: Fullness Towards Dominion, Part 2 -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series:  Genesis
Genesis 1:26-31
18 February 2018

Deep Sheet:  Sermon Study Questions
1.  What are some textual clues that vv. 26-31 are a climax to the creation account?
2.  What role has the doctrine that man is made in God’s image played in your everyday life?  In what obvious ways do we see our culture ignoring or rejecting this truth?
3.  How are we like God in our nature, and how do we represent him in our role?  How do these truths call us to education, science and technology, and care for the environment?
4.  What do these verses tell us about the relationship between God and man?  How do they affect the way we perceive and relate to other human beings?
5.  What does it mean that human beings are both the greatest pointer and the greatest temptation?
6.  How does this passage direct us to Christ?

References: Genesis 5:3; John 4:24; Genesis 2:15, 17, 19; Psalm 24:1; 8:5-6; Genesis 5:1-2; Luke 10:27; Acts 17:26; James 3:9; Genesis 9:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:27; John 14:31; Ephesians 5:25.

God's Six Days of Work: The Big Picture

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 1:3-11

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God's Six Days of Work: The Big Picture -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series:  Genesis
Genesis 1:3-31
28 January 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Questions.
1.  What have we learned so far about God from Genesis 1? Has anything about his nature and character been new for you?
2.  How would you describe your view of the dignity and value of work? How is it impacted by the fact that God works?
3.  How does Genesis 1 show us that God’s Word is both effectual and authoritative? How should its efficacy influence our relation to Scripture?
4.  Where do we see God’s order in Genesis 1? Why should this encourage us to trust him in every area of our lives?
5.  How can we emulate God’s order in the way we work?
6.  What does it look like to have a healthy delight in our work? How do we avoid idolizing it?
References: Genesis 2:1-3; Hebrews 11:3; John 1:1-3, 14; 2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 104:31. 

Not Yet Ready

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 1:2

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Not Yet Ready -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series:  Genesis
Genesis 1:2
21 January 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Questions.
1.  How is the world described in Genesis 1:2? How does this verse contribute to our understanding of God as a potter?
2.  How aware are you of God’s forming, filling, and illuminating that is evident all around us? Why should we never be bored?
3.  What do God’s preparations in Genesis 1 tell us about the purpose, dignity, and value of human beings?
4.  How does the latter part of v. 2, read in light of Deuteronomy 32:11, show us God’s intimate involvement with his creation?
5.  What does it mean that God is both Creator and Sustainer?
6.  How does the mention of the Spirit in v. 2 both challenge the self-sufficient and comfort those who feel desolate?
References: Genesis 1:31; 2:1; Jeremiah 4:23ff; Isaiah 45:18; Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:21; Deuteronomy 32:10-11; Hebrews 1:3; Genesis 2:7.

Starting With God

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

Genesis 1:1

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Starting With God -- Lonnie Bell
Sermon Series:  Genesis
Genesis 1:1
14 January 2018

Deep Sheet: Sermon Study Qustons
1.  What has been your experience with and interest in the book of Genesis? In what ways is it foundational?
2.  How does Genesis encourage us to “start with God,” and how does that play out in our everyday lives?
3.  What does it mean that God is eternal, and where do we see this in Genesis 1:1? How does God’s eternality point us to the fact that the Bible is a matter of life and death?
4.  How should the truth that God is the creator of everything practically impact our lives?
5.  What does it mean that God is distinct, and in what ways do you lose sight of this?
6.  Where do we see the Trinity in Genesis 1:1-3? How does this point us to Jesus and to God’s love?
References: Psalm 90:2; Exodus 3:14; Revelation 22:13; Colossians 1:16; Romans 1:20-25; Psalm 96:5; John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:2; Luke 24:44; John 5:46.