As we’ve experienced the past few weeks, God had some grand plans. After Adam and Eve did not follow through on what God asked of them, he began working to restore his relationship with humanity. He called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be the forefathers of a new nation through which God would forge the relationship he desired to have with humanity.

However, as we will see this week, God isn’t always in a hurry. At least by our standards, it seems like he takes a while to get things done. Our story continues with the life of one of the sons of Jacob — Joseph. It is a longer story, but one with much for us to learn from. Find some time to read through Genesis 37-50, whether this is a story you are keenly familiar with or not. Things don’t always look good for Joseph, yet he trusts that God will be faithful to him. God comes through and uses the difficulties of Joesph’s life to continue his greater story.

There are many questions that need to be asked as we respond to the story of Joseph, but here are a few practical ones to get us going:

• How are you able to continue to trust in God even when things don’t seem to be working out the way you expect that they should?
• How has God corrected your path in times when you have been unfaithful?
• What is an example of a time that you can look back on and see how God was at work even when it didn’t seem like it at the time?

Sometimes kids from your Youth Ministry days grow up to make you proud. Justin and Erin & Adam and Tara are now in their mid-twenties, but they have a growing passion for injustices of the African poor. They are not just talking about it, they are doing something about it. The four of them just returned from a trip to Ethiopia. They went simply because they felt that they had to experience it for themselves in order to wrestle with the issues and what suburban America can do about it. I am sure that this is only the beginning for them.

Justin’s blog talks about a term he calls, “satisficing”. I thought it was a spelling error at first, but it makes a lot of sense. I’d encourage you to read his words for yourself.

As we looked last week, mankind and creation broke — and things haven’t quite been right since. However, God did not throw up his hands and walk away from it all. As we will see this week, God called a faithful few to follow him in order to initiate a much larger plan to restore his connection to creation.

In Genesis 12:1-9, we read that God called Abram to uproot his life and follow him. As far as we know, Abram knew very little of God before this, and yet in a step of reckless faith, Abram stepped out and followed.

Spend some time reading through and mulling over these verses. Consider some of the questions below as you read, and share your thoughts with the rest of us.

• How do you think you would have responded had you been in Abram’s position?
• Abram’s faith in God could almost seen as reckless to those who didn’t understand it. Can there be such a thing as safe faith?
• As you reflect on your own life, can you identify with the reckless faith of Abram?
• What is the line between reckless faith and irresponsibility?
• What kind of “permission” do you need from God to take a “reckless” step of faith?
• Who are some people that you admire who you have seen take a strong step of faith?

How painful is that first scratch on a new car? Or that mysterious ding on a new piece of furniture? Or the wailing that accompanies a broken bone of your precious child? Or the pain that comes with the betrayal by one close to you? The feelings that accompany any of these is perhaps only a fragment of what God felt as the disobedience of humanity shattered his beautiful new creation.

Take a look at Genesis 2:4-3:24 as we trek through the fall of man this week. As you read this text, there are plenty of questions that come to mind…whether you are comfortable with the answers or not:

• Why would God plant the tree of the knowledge of good and evil right in the center of the garden, where Adam and Eve could hardly avoid it?
• Where was God as Eve was shooting the breeze with that slimy serpent?
• For that matter, where was Adam?
• Why did a loving God pronounce a curse whose effects we are still trying to escape?

We can wrestle with the answers to these questions, but they are just a few for starters. What others come to your mind? (I offer answer amnesty — you aren’t required to answer a question just because you asked it!)

We cannot journey through the story of God without beginning in creation. We are a part of, and we live within, God’s creation. Each day we interact with this creation which is an expression of God’s creative self. Spend some time reading through Genesis 1:1-2:3 and revisit the creation as God originally saw it.

The ever quotable G.K. Chesterton once wrote: “the whole difference between construction and creation is … that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.” The creation is an act of pure love. We can not properly view the creation without seeing the love of God himself. He created it, placed humanity in it, and called it very good.

Much of today’s Christianity seems focused on getting out of this world, but doesn’t that seem inconsistent with the fact that God labeled it ‘very good’? What do you think God had in mind for life in this creation to look like?

The Intimate Mystery Marriage Conference is February 10-11 at The New Life Center in Everett. It is less than $70 per person and is lead by Dr Dan Allender, who is an author, practicing counselor, and the president of Mars Hill Graduate School. This is a great opportunity that is close by and affordable, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up and let you know about it. I think it would be worth your while.

There is obviously quite a bit of irresponsibility represented in this article, yet at the same time, I can’t help but admire someone who is willing to act on his moral conscience. Make sure to read the exerpts from Hassan’s article in the right hand column.

This week, we begin a new series together. All of history is His story. How can we see God at work as we look back at the unfolding events of time? And if God has been at work, what is it that he has been working toward?

But we won’t begin at the beginning…that will come next week. Instead, we will begin with now. Just because the Bible was ‘finished’ centuries ago, that doesn’t mean that God’s story is finished. How is he still at work? How do we fit in his story?

To get things going, here’s a quote to ponder:

I don’t believe God is so concerned that we build ministries–or companies, families, or any other human legacy–to his glory. His glory is grown when we simply live out the calling he has given us. We give him much greater glory when we are aware of our calling, live intentionally, and live with passion. That’s how we coauthor our own story. - Dan Allender in To Be Told

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
For those of you who have been involved in a church for a while, how does this statement compare with the general beliefs that are spoken about in church?
What do you think it means to coauthor our story with God?