Days 1-3: Formation Towards Production

Genesis 1:3-13
[3] And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [4] And God saw that the lightwas good. And God separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

[6] And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” [7] And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8] AndGod called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, thesecond day.

[9] And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. [10] God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

[11] And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. [12] The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds,and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13] And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

DEEP SHEET:  Sermon Study Guide
1.   How would you summarize God’s creative work in the first three days? Where do we see his activity of separating, dividing, and/or distinguishing, and how might this lead you to worship him?
2.   What are some implications of the fact that God gives definitions and sets boundaries? What are some areas in which our culture’s definitions and boundaries differ dramatically from God’s?
3.   How does the earth bring forth plant life? What does it mean to say that the inanimate cannot animate?
4.   How does God’s control over the waters remind us of his judgment and grace? How does Day 3 prepare the reader for the Fall?
5.   How does Genesis debunk alternative deities and origin stories, whether ancient or modern?