Gospel Foundations: Session 4

God Tests Abraham

· Think about what you love most in the world. Now consider how you would respond if it or they were taken away from you. What would your response be?

· Our response in times of loss reveals a lot about our relationship with God. We know how we should respond but how do we respond? In these situations we have the opportunity to experience God deepening and refining our faith

· So after years of promising to provide Abraham with a son he does. Then when the son grew up, probably a teenager, God told Abraham to sacrifice his son.

· Would you recognize the voice of God if he told you what he wanted you to do? And if it got hard, would you assume that it must not have been God’s voice?

· How would you define faith based on this test from the Lord?

· Hebrews 11:17-19 Abraham had been promised that Isaac, his only son, would continue his family. But when Abraham was tested, he had faith and was willing to sacrifice Isaac, because he was sure that God could raise people to life. This was just like getting Isaac back from death.

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One thing we can learn from Abraham is that even when we make bad decisions, mess up, act carelessly, God remained faithful to Abraham. Despite Abraham’s mistakes God protected him.

The picture of sacrifice, of a father’s willingness to sacrifice his only son and God’s provision for a substitute, the ram, is the heart of the Christian faith. Just as God provided a ram as the substitute for Isaac, he provided the substitute for our sins as well, Jesus.

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Discussion

1. What are some ways that you outwardly demonstrate your love for God by loving others?

a. What could you be doing in love for others that you aren’t doing?

2. Why do you think God tested Abraham?

3. When have you sensed God testing you? What did you learn about him from that experience? What did you learn about yourself from that experience?

4. How do you react under pressure?

5. How are you struggling to trust God right now?

6. The story of Abraham reminds us that God’s kindness and grace comes to us in his perfect timing. How have you experienced God’s kindness and grace when you were doubtful or disobedient?

7. Do you ever have a hard time trusting in God to provide a way for you when the situation seems hopeless?

8. Memorize Hebrews 11:1 Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.