The word “genesis” means “beginnings” and the Book of Genesis is just that, a book of beginnings. Under the direction of God, Moses records in this book the beginning of many things that are still around today.

Read Genesis 2:4-25 and note the “beginning” of:

Ø  Free will or choice (v. 16-17)

Ø  Woman (v. 22)

Ø  Marriage (v. 23-24)

Everything was going great in this utopia known as “Eden” until God’s arch enemy, Satan, entered the picture.

Before we read about how Satan tried to ruin the paradise that God had created, let’s take a quick look at who Satan is and what else was created because of him.

Long before God created the world and mankind, God created other beings that we know as angels. Just like mankind, they were created for fellowship with and service to God. And, just like mankind, they were given a free will. One of those angels, Lucifer, led a rebellion against God and was cast from Heaven along with those angels that chose to follow him (Isaiah 14:12-15).

With Satan’s rebellion came the “birth” of evil (sin), the “creation” of the Devil and Demons, and the need for one more creation by God – a very literal and horrible place known as Hell (Matthew 25:41).

Now, let’s see the work of the Evil One.

Read Genesis 3:1-24

Would the world have been better if God had not given man the choice to sin?

Do you think such a huge punishment is appropriate just because of one mistake?

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. Henry Ford

Maybe since we’re young we can sit back and appreciate oldness. First, we will scold the elderly for not appreciating what they have. Limitless time to nap and remember is combined with the ability to only recall the things that bring you joy. Then we will brag about how good they have it in comparision to our own woes. afterwards will we not so subtly remind them that they owe us for the care and housing we provide both through our tax dollars and personal contributions.

Tables turned? It’s not as cute the other way around is it?

Forgive many things in others; nothing in yourself. Ausonius

It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.  Lewis Carroll

The Bible is comprised of 66 books; 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. It was written over a span of between 1,500 and 2,000 years by approximately 40 authors.

In our first lesson, we established that the Bible has been proven reliable through archeological, historical and prophetical evidence and is, therefore, worthy of our utmost attention and devotion. Because it has been proven to be 100% accurate in its historical references, we will now take a look at what it has to say about the history of the world and mankind.

 Sometime, we don’t know when, God decided to create the heavens (atmosphere) and the earth. The earth had no form to it – just a mass of mud and water waiting to be shaped by God. Then, God set His creation plan in action.

Read Genesis 1:1-2:3

The Days of Creation

Ø  Day 1 – God created light (Genesis 1:3-5)

Ø  Day 2 – God created sky (Genesis 1:6-8)

Ø  Day 3 – God created dry ground and vegetation (Genesis 1:9-13)

Ø  Day 4 – God created the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 1:14-19)

Ø  Day 5 – God created sea life and birds (Genesis 1:20-23)

Ø  Day 6 – God created wild animals, domestic animals, and one man, Adam (Genesis 1:24-31)

Ø  Day 7 – God rested (Genesis 2:1-3)

 What questions does the account of creation raise in your mind? Is there anything about the account of creation that strengthens your faith in the Bible?

 Why, since the earliest historical records, has a week always been seven days long?

Everything that God created was perfect until Adam chose to disobey God and take what was specifically forbidden. This was the darkest moment in the history of mankind because of the far reaching effects of Adam’s sin.

Read Romans 5:12-14

The Bible makes it perfectly clear that every man and woman since Adam has inherited the consequences of the original sin – death both physically and spiritually. This is a difficult concept for many to grasp – being held responsible for crimes that they did not commit. It just doesn’t seem fair!

There is another concept that is hard to grasp but that must be understood in order to realize this is not a matter of fairness. That concept is the holiness of God.

As young children, we are taught that there is nothing that God cannot do. After all, three of the most important and most taught attributes of God are His:

v  Omniscience – God is all knowing

v  Omnipresence – God is all present

v  Omnipotence – God is all powerful

But, we must be careful not to mistakenly conclude that, just because God is all powerful, He can do anything.  God can do anything provided that it does not conflict with His very nature. If God could do something contrary to His nature, He would cease to be God (and where would that leave us?).

God, by His nature, is a holy God. To be holy means to be completely set apart from sin. God, because He is God, cannot allow sin in His presence and, therefore, cannot allow sin-tainted mankind in His presence either.

Romans 6:23a – “For the wages of sin is death…”

Hebrews 12:14b – “…without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

Unless…

 Was there a time in your life that you believed that God could do anything?

If so, did that belief raise questions for you about God’s plan?

What does the concept that God is a holy God mean to you?

I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness. Mother Teresa

I’m always taking personality tests in the hope that I will learn something new that will solve every life problem I have ever had. Article: http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mmdi/questionnaire/%20%20/  Alas, it seems we all know ourselves as well as we possibly can.

Do you ever analyze your personality to figure out why you do what you do? It seems, most of the time that knowing doesn’t help with the doing.

What did you score on this one?

We believe that God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God’s witness to Himself.

Holy Scripture, being God’s own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it affirms; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises.

The Holy Spirit, Scripture’s divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture, in the original manuscripts, is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God’s acts of creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace in individual lives.

Kind of hard to say outloud.

Below is a fascinating little experimental poll about profile pics. Blog: http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/02/01/we-asked-a-real-guy-whats-the-best-online-dating-profile-pic?icid=main|main|dl9|link7|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lemondrop.com%2F2010%2F02%2F01%2Fwe-asked-a-real-guy-whats-the-best-online-dating-profile-pic There were several different choices with several suprising conclusions. Personally, I tend to be lazy and simply crop photos that other people post of me and then make them my profile photo. 

 I have only one main preference when viewing other’s photos, clearly mark yourself in group photos. I am guilty of this myself. Profile photos of multiple people (especially of the same gender as yourself) make identifying the actual user difficult. It really only bothers me when I receive a friend request because if I don’t know the name, there is no face to aid the memory. Girls tend to do this more than guys… not sure if that means anything.

How do you choose your profile photo?