Genesis 6:5-9 (ESV) What did you hear? DAY 1 NOAH. How does this passage impact your life today?

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1 DAY 1 NOAH 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. 7 So the Lord said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them. 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:5-9 (ESV) During Noah s day, God surveyed humanity and saw great wickedness. As He viewed human wickedness, God s heart was filled with pain. His response to human sin moved Him to take a new course of action. God essentially wiped the slate clean and started again with Noah. Whereas the rest of the world s inhabitants caught God s attention because of their wickedness, God eyed Noah with favor. God looked graciously on Noah as a good and righteous man in an exceedingly wicked world. He chose Noah to be His instrument of preserving human and animal life during the flood. The Bible describes Noah s faithfulness in three ways: First, Noah was a righteous man. Righteousness involves doing what is right for the right reasons. Being righteous includes being faithful to God. Second, Noah was blameless among the people of his time. No one in human flesh has ever been sinless except Jesus, but Noah was morally superior to the others of his day. Noah was a great example of integrity and truth in a society made dark with sin. Third, Noah walked with God, which indicates a close, intimate relationship between him and God. Noah chose to walk with God and had found favor in God s sight, being faithful and obedient to Him. Today, our faith in God is rooted in our relationship with Him and the favor He has shown us through Jesus Christ. Read 2 Corinthians 5: What do you find most striking in the realization that, because of Christ, you are the righteousness of God? How does this impact your relationship with Him? 18 19

2 DAY 2 NOAH 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him. Genesis 6:12-14,22 (ESV) Although God chose to destroy the world because of its corruption and violence, He also determined to use Noah to preserve life during the flood. God announced to Noah His intentions as well as the role Noah would play. God instructed Noah to build an ark, or a giant boat, and God gave Noah specific directions for the dimensions and design. Noah needed a boat, because God was going to send a flood to destroy all living creatures on earth with the exception of Noah s family and the animals he took with him onto the ark. By this means, God would repopulate the earth after the flood. Verse 22 reveals that Noah did everything just as God commanded him. Peter later described Noah as a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5). This description suggests that Noah tried to warn his neighbors about the divine judgment that was coming. As Noah obeyed God s instructions to build the ark, his faith was being tested. The Bible indicates that Noah willingly did what God commanded him to do. Noah s example of faith teaches us that faith involves listening to God s voice. Many Christians are selective in their obedience. Most of us find it easier to be faithful in certain areas of life, but God expects total obedience of His people. When we exhibit this kind of faith, we come to understand that hearing from God and responding in obedience to Him has great benefits not the least of which being an ever-growing faith and a life that brings Him glory. Read John 15:1-5. What is one change that needs to happen in your life in order to ensure that you are listening to God and doing what He says? What could be the result of that change? 20 21

3 DAY 3 NOAH 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 8:13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in His heart, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. Genesis 7:11-12; 8:13, (ESV) God fulfilled the plan to extend judgment upon the world just as He had dictated to Noah. For Noah, every moment was a continued decision of trusting God as he waited for the receding of the waters. Noah and his family faithfully obeyed God, and God faithfully protected them from His judgment. God remembered Noah and all with him on the ark. When the earth was dry again, God commanded Noah and his family to emerge from the ark and to bring all the living creatures out with them. Noah then built an altar and sacrificed burnt offerings (8:20). The Lord promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood. Through Noah s obedience, a remnant of humans and animals survived the flood (Gen. 7:1-8:14), and life on the earth had a new beginning. The regular cycle of the seasons would continue as long as the earth remained. Although God judged sinful humanity through the flood, He preserved Noah and his family. We find in this account a foreshadowing of the person of Christ. Through Christ, the only perfectly righteous One, there is deliverance from the deserved judgment of our sin for all who place their faith in Him. Read Romans 3: In what way is Jesus the true and better Noah? What does this reveal about God s faithfulness? How should it impact the faith we place in Him? 22 23

4 DAY 4 NOAH 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the sign of the covenant that I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Genesis 9:8-13 (ESV) God not only planned to save Noah and his family He also promised to establish His covenant with Noah as a result of His own faithfulness to His people and Noah s faithfulness to Him. Noah already lived in a close, personal relationship with God, and their relationship formed the basis of the covenant. Even in a broken world God had just wiped clean, He still planned to continually renew His people, even though He knew they would choose to sin again. But the covenant with Noah would ultimately be fulfilled in the new covenant through Christ. God has been writing His story of redeeming His creation from the beginning of time, continually pointing to the coming of Christ the completion of that work. God did not promise Noah that He would never again judge sin, but that He would never destroy all the earth again with a flood. God did promise to forever preserve the life He had created and to provide a way to be in relationship with Him through Jesus. God placed a rainbow in the sky so that we would have a visual reminder of the covenant He set with Noah. We can trust that God will always fulfill His promises. His promise to provide a way for forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ is the completion of His redemptive work in creation. Our faith is in a God who is always faithful to us. Read 1 John 1:9. What does this verse teach you about God and about the benefits of faithful obedience to Him? What does it look like to seek obedience for these benefits, rather than out of an attempt to earn our own salvation? 24 25

5 DAY 5 ABRAM 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. Hebrews 11:8-10,17-19 (ESV) The next hero of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 is Abraham, who demonstrated his faith in God through daily obedience. As the result of his trust in and commitment to God, Abraham set out for an unseen destination. He did not know where he was going. His confidence in God and His promises directed Abraham s life. Today, we please God when our actions demonstrate that we are trusting in Him alone. He desires our prompt obedience to His leading for our own good. Verses focus on God s testing of Abraham by telling him to offer up his son Isaac, as well as Abraham s faithful obedience in doing so (Gen. 22:1-14). God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, but Abraham s willingness to obey is what demonstrated his faith. Abraham s example of faith teaches us that true faith leads to obedience of God daily. As we read through Abraham s story, we will be challenged to demonstrate our understanding of the difference between occasional and daily obedience by explaining how daily obedience enabled Abraham to reach the promised land. Read Luke 6: What do you learn from this passage about faith as obeying God daily? Is it possible to have one without the other? 26 27

6 call), call them back to where you are and then tell them the instructions again with not covering of ears or humming. SHARE: Take a few moments and ask your child to respond to the first time they looked for the items and the second time. Younger Family Recipe Card Week Two // Noah // By Kevin Phillips MAIN POINT: Faith is listening to God s voice LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Family members will demonstrate understanding the importance of listening to God s voice by explaining the benefits that come from hearing God. BEST USE: After a family meal NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Learning to listen to God will help younger children understand the importance of knowing what God says and then doing it sets them up to be heroes of the faith. ADVANCED PREPARATION: Hide two items around your home. These could be everyday items or treats for your children as a prize. SERVE IT UP: As you begin to wind down for the day, let your children know that they will be going on a treasure hunt. SAY: I have hidden (name the items you have hidden) somewhere in the house. In order for you to find these items you will need to listen to my instructions. Before I give you the instructions place your hands over your ears and start humming a song. ASK: How were you able to find the items? Why did you not find them the first time? SAY: When you heard where the items were located you were able to get them. Listening is so important when it comes to following directions. This week s hero, Noah, had to listen to God so that he could obey him and save his family from the rain. READ: Genesis 6: ASK: What did God tell Noah to do? READ: Genesis 6:22 ASK: What did Noah do with God s instructions? SAY: To be a hero like Noah, the Bible tells us that we need to listen to what God tells us to do and then do that. We can hear from God when we read the Bible and when we are taught from our parents and leaders at church. Just like our treasure hunt, lets try to listen to God and do what he says! PRAY TOGETHER: Finish your HomeLife Moment by praying for your children to develop the kind of faith that listens to God through the Bible, Church, and Prayer. Pray for you, as parents, to learn to listen to God as well as you lead your children along their spiritual journey. SAY: While your child has their ears covered and are humming, give the directions to where the items are. Once you are done, tell your children to go find the items. Encourage them to go and look, based on what they heard. Obviously they will not have heard you, but encourage them to go and look anyway. After a few minutes (timeframe will be based on your child s attention and frustration you make the

7 you were not listening to your child. After a while come back to the starting room and have your child tell you the instructions again, now you listen carefully and then go get the items. DISCUSS: Why was it hard for me to find the items after your first set of instructions? Why was I able to find them so quickly the second time? Older Family Recipe Card Week Two // Noah // By Kevin Phillips MAIN POINT: Faith is listening to God s voice. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Family members will demonstrate understanding the importance of listening to God s voice by explaining the benefits that come from hearing God. BEST USE: After a family meal NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Learning to listen to God will help your children understand the importance of knowing what God says and then doing it sets them up to be heroes of the faith. ADVANCED PREPARATION: Have two prized possessions that your children know you like (the remote, a trophy, your Bible, etc) ready for your child to hide. SERVE IT UP: As your family winds down for the day, bring out your two items. SAY: When I heard where the items were located I was able to get them. Listening is so important when it comes to following directions. This week s hero, Noah, had to listen to God so that he could obey him and save his family from the rain. READ: Genesis 6: ASK: What did God tell Noah to do? READ: Genesis 6:22 ASK: What did Noah do with God s instructions? SAY: To be a hero like Noah, the Bible tells us that we need to listen to what God tells us to do and then do that. We can hear from God when we read the Bible, prayer, and when we are taught from our parents and leaders at church. Just like our treasure hunt, lets try to listen to God and do what he says! PRAY TOGETHER: Finish your HomeLife Moment by praying for your children to develop the kind of faith that listens to God through the Bible, Church, and Prayer. Pray for you, as parents, to learn to listen to God as well as you lead your children along their spiritual journey. SAY: I want you to hide these two items somewhere in the house and not in this room. I will wait here. When you get back you will give me specific instructions on where to find the items. The object of this game is for me to be able to get to the items in the shortest amount of time. Let them hide the items and the tell them to give you instructions on how to find the items. While they give you the instructions cover your ears with your hands or pillows and hum a song. Tell your child to keep telling you the instructions. When they are done set out to find the items. You obviously will not know where to look because