Connect Who can you encourage in their Christian faith this week?
Warm-Up
1. What parts of the Bible do you think many people find most difficult? How about you?
2. Are you ever tempted to skip, scrap, or soften parts of the Bible? What helps you so ‘sit’ in parts of the
Bible that you find difficult to understand or uncomfortable?
Read Genesis 18:16-33
3. Who were the three visitors? What had they just told Abraham was about to come to fruition?
4. What does the word ‘outcry’ mean? What is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorroah about? (cf.
Ezekiel 16:49-50) How bad was the situation?
5. How is the description of Sodom (and Gomorrah) a window into the evil in the world? How do you
see examples of that still today? Are we also part of the problem of evil?
6. How is it comforting that God hears the cries of the oppressed?
7. What does Abraham ask God? Was Abraham bargaining with God? How might have Abraham been
surprised by the extent of God’s mercy?
8. Do you ever pray for the salvation of our city? What do you think our role as Christians (and as a
church) is to help point people to the saving mercy of God?
Read Genesis 19:1-13
9. Why does God send two messengers to go down to visit Sodom? How does this portray God as a just
judge who doesn’t make judgement hastily?
10. How do these events show the disturbing wickedness of Sodom? Has that long been the case?
11. How is it clear that Lot knew this? Why did Lot stay in Sodom even though he knew what it was really like?
12. Do you think it is possible for evil things to take a grip on us? What helps us flee from those things?
13. How do the angels intervene in order to protect Lot and his family?
14. How do all of these events point to the desperate need for a just judge? What does God do?
15. Upon hearing the news of impending judgement, what different responses do we witness?
16. How should we respond to the warning of judgement? How can we have confidence because of Jesus?
17. Read verses 27-29. In what way is Abraham’s prayer answered? Why was Abraham considered righteous?
18. How does Jesus’ death and resurrection show how God’s mercy and justice come rushing together?
19. How are we made righteous through Jesus? How can we be sure that God has rescued us?

Apply Does anything ever cause you to look away from the Lord? What helps you to anchor your life to him?

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On Your Front Line this Week
How can you demonstrate generosity this week to someone on your frontline?
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For Families
• Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org
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Listen, Watch, and Read
• Listen: “Called to be a Blessing” by Hugh Palmer:
https://bit.ly/4cMGwZb
• Listen: “Genesis 11:27-12:20” by Andrew Sach:
https://www.st-helens.org.uk/resources/talk/53633/
• Listen: “The Patriarch (Abraham and Christ)” by John Stott:
https://bit.ly/3U9T4CY
• Listen: “The Cost of Mission” by Tim Keller:
https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/the-cost-of-mission/
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Series Resources
• Website: All of the resources from our earlier series on Genesis Part I: The Beginnings of Grace:
https://www.stbarts.com.au/sermon-series/genesis
• Watch: “Genesis 12-50” by the Bible Project:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/genesis-12-50/
• Watch: “How should we read the Old Testament? with Chris Wright” by Questioning Christianity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJtba-JyPVg
• Read: “Genesis - Kidner Classic Commentary Series” by Derek Kidner:
https://koorong.com/product/genesis-kidner-classic-commentaries-series--derek-kidner_9781789741001