Genesis Series, Scripture Guide 5
Over the next three summers, as we work our way through the scroll of Genesis, we will dive into the practice of Scripture in our Communities. Because Jesus was immersed in, lived by, and ultimately lived out Scripture, we engage in this formational practice to learn how to recognize God's voice, understand His character, and find ourselves in the story of His world and mission to make all things new.
Take communion (2 minutes)
Leader Note: Begin this time by taking communion together, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read through the Psalm below.
Psalm 104v1–3, 33–34
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved…
I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.
Review the Last Practice (5 minutes)
Let’s take some time to check in with one another about how the practice of Scripture is going.
How have you chosen to practice Scripture this summer, and what was your experience engaging with it this week? (e.g., rich, dry, surprising, challenging, refreshing)
What do you want God to do in you, through your Scripture practice this summer?
Leader Note: Set a timer for 5 minutes. When the timer is up, call everyone back together before reading the next section.
Read this Overview (5 minutes)
After the flood, humanity spread across the earth, yet their hearts were still bent in the same direction, away from God. At Babel (Genesis 11), the people came together to “make a name for ourselves,” building a tower to the heavens in defiance of God’s command to fill the earth. Their unity was rooted in pride, not trust. In both mercy and judgment, God confused their language and scattered them, bringing their self-made kingdom to an end.
Centuries later, at Pentecost (Acts 2), we see a stunning reversal. The Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak in many languages so that people from every nation could hear the gospel in their own tongue. What was scattered at Babel began to be gathered in Christ, not by human achievement, but by the Spirit’s power.
At Babel, language is divided. At Pentecost, language is united. God’s vision is not uniformity, but a beautifully diverse family made One in Jesus.
This summer, we’ve taken time to explore a number of different ways to engage the Scriptures, any of which can be applied to any passage of Scripture. For example—considering the passages we just discussed (Genesis 11v1–9 & Acts 2v1–13)—if we were to read Scripture aloud or study Scripture, we might read them back to back, listening for the contrast between scattering and gathering. Or if we were to meditate on Scripture, we could spend time with Genesis 11v4 (“Let us make a name for ourselves”), asking the Spirit to reveal where we might be building “towers” in our own lives. Or if we were to memorize Scripture, we might commit to memory the first few verses of Acts 2, holding in our heart the story of Pentecost.
Practice for the Night (20 minutes)
For tonight’s practice we will spend time reflecting on how we were formed by God’s Word these past months as we engaged Scripture through the Genesis teaching series .
We began this summer series with a simple question: What might happen if we gave ourselves more fully to the Scriptures? We’ve explored ways of reading, meditating on, memorizing, and praying Scripture, allowing it to shape our understanding of God and our life with Him. Over these last several weeks, each of us has likely had a range of experiences, from moments of deep connection to times of distraction or struggle.
As we look ahead, we want to pause and name what God has done in us through this practice, and to consider what we want to carry forward into the rest of the year. This is an opportunity to thank Him for the ways He has met us, to be honest about what’s been challenging, and to make intentional commitments for the future.
With that in mind, let’s take the next fifteen minutes to talk through these questions together:
What did we set out to do when we began this series and how did that goal go?
How did I experience God deeper or more fully through this practice?
Let's now pair off and talk about how we will each continue to engage Scripture after this series. It could be helpful to consider things like what it might look like to give God more quality time as opposed to simply more quantity, or how we might rearrange our days so Scripture has space to speak in moments that matter most.
How could I continue engaging in Scripture after this series is over?
Practice for the Week Ahead (5 minutes)
As we step into this week, let’s not leave our commitments here in the room. Go and do the thing we committed to doing and watch for how God shows up.
End in Prayer (1 minute)
Leader: Pray to close your time, asking the Spirit to guide each person in their practice of Scripture.
