Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• We return to the book of Genesis from last summer after completing 1 Corinthians. Skim through Genesis chapters 12-20 to review and prepare for this Sunday.
• Where is Abraham going in verse 1 and why is that significant?
• What sins is Abraham committing in verse 2? Read verse 11 to determine why Abraham sinned in these ways.
• When God intervenes in verses 3-7 with Abimelech what is God doing? How does this relate to promises he has given earlier (Gen 12, 18)? How is God also covering Abraham's sin in regards to Sarah his wife (Gen 1-2)?
• What are the intentions of Abimelech's heart (vv 4-7)? What were Abraham's intentions (v11)?
• What was Abimelech's response in verses 14-16?
• When does God relent of the curse on Abimelech's land?
• The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper. Please review this week's notes to help study this passage. Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

• How do the actions of Abraham and Abimelech reflect faith in God? Who has more faith?
• Why does God not heal Abimelech's people until after Abraham's prayer?
  How do your choices reflect those of Abraham? What motivates your choices (fear, laziness, unbelief, etc.)?
• What can keep God from keeping his promises? Is there any action we can take that will thwart God's plans?
• In what ways does Abraham neglect his responsibilities to protect his wife? Does God always step in to protect someone from another's sinful choices? Why did He step into this situation? What was at stake?