“In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad” (Genesis 2:9 – GN).

This earth is a “spectacle for the whole world of angels…” (1 Corinthians 4:9 - GN)

“God revealed to these prophets that their work was not for their own benefit, but for yours, as they spoke about those things which you have now heard from the messengers who announced the Good News by the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things which even the angels would like to understand” (1 Peter 1:12 – GN).

“Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven…” (Colossians 1:20-22 - GN)

“For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.” (Ephesians 6:12 – GN)

What is sin?Lies believed about the character of GodBroken love and trustRebellion/lawlessness

“Now the ruler of this world will be overthrown” (John 12:31 – GN)

“The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done” (1 John 3:8 - GN).

“Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil…” (Hebrews 2:4 - GN).

“He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.” (Colossians 2:15 – The Message)

Jesus came as “the light of the world” (John 8:12), “because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4 - GN).

“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.’” (Genesis 4:6-7 – GN)“For this is the message which you have

heard from the first, that we should love one another, [And] not be like Cain who [took his nature and got his motivation] from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds were wicked and malicious and his brother's were righteous.” (1 John 3:11,12 – Amplified)

“GOD saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil--evil, evil, evil from morning to night. GOD was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart.” (Genesis 6:5-6 – The Message)“Whenever I cover the sky with clouds

and the rainbow appears, I will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings.” (Genesis 9:14,15 – GN)

“Noah had no faults and was the only good man of his time. He lived in fellowship with God, but everyone else was evil in God’s sight, and violence had spread everywhere.” (Genesis 6:9-11 – GN)

“The LORD said to Noah, ‘Go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the world who does what is right.” (Genesis 7:1 – GN)

Why wait thousands of years to come?Church attendanceTithe payersMission and outreachLaw keepersBible studentsSabbath keepers

What is sin?Lies believed about the character of GodBroken love and trustRebellion/lawlessness

“Joshua said to all the people, ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Long ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and served other gods. But I took your ancestor Abraham from the other side of the Euphrates River. I led him through all of Canaan and gave him many descendants. I also gave him Isaac.” (Joshua 24:2-3 – GODS WORD)

“The LORD took him outside and said, ‘Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.’ Abram put his trust in the LORD, and because of this the LORD was pleased with him and accepted him. Then the LORD said to him, ‘I am the LORD, who led you out of Ur in Babylonia, to give you this land as your own.’ But Abram asked, ‘Sovereign LORD, how can I know that it will be mine?’” (Genesis 15:5-8 – GN)

“He answered, ‘Bring me a cow, a goat, and a ram, each of them three years old, and a dove and a pigeon.’ Abram brought the animals to God, cut them in half, and placed the halves opposite each other in two rows…” (Genesis 15:9-10 – GN)

“May all this and more happen to me if I do not fulfill my promise”

“When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch suddenly appeared and passed between the pieces of the animals.” (Genesis 15:13-17 – GN)

“Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own. The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death--- his death on the cross.” (Philippians 2:3-9 – GN)

“And the scripture came true that said, ‘Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.’ And so Abraham was called God’s friend.” (James 2:23 – GN)

“Surely You wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, You would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely You wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25 – NLT)

“Then Moses turned to the LORD again and said, ‘Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!’” (Exodus 5:22-23 – GN)

“God said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you.’” (Genesis 22:2 – GN)

God the iconoclast1 : one who destroys religious images 2 : one who attacks settled beliefs or

institutions“He (God) is the great iconoclast.”

(C.S. Lewis)

“When the king of Moab realized that he was losing the battle, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him and tried to force his way through the enemy lines and escape to the king of Syria, but he failed. So he took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country” (2 Kings 3:26,27).

“They have built altars to Baal in Hinnom Valley, to sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. I did not command them to do this, and it did not even enter my mind that they would do such a thing and make the people of Judah sin.” (Jeremiah 32:25 – GN)

“What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? Will the LORD be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? No, the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.” (Micah 6:6-8 – GN)

Jesus and the Canaanite woman“But Jesus did not say a word to her. His

disciples came to him and begged him, ‘Send her away! She is following us and making all this noise!’ Then Jesus replied,

‘I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the people of Israel’” (Matthew 15:23, 24).

“At this the woman came and fell at his feet. ‘Help me, sir!’ she said. Jesus answered,

‘It isn’t right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs’” (Matthew 15:25, 26).

‘That’s true, sir,’ she answered, ‘but even the dogs eat the leftovers that fall from their masters’ table.’ So Jesus answered her, ‘You are a woman of great faith! What you want will be done for you.’ And at that very moment her daughter was healed” (Matthew 15:27, 28).

“Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” (Romans 4:9 – GN)

“Abram put his trust in the LORD, and because of this the LORD was pleased with him and accepted him.” (Genesis 15:6 - GN)

“Thus Abraham believed in and adhered to and trusted in and relied on God, and it was reckoned and placed to his account and credited as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6 – Amplified)

False definitions:- “Faith is believing what you want to believe, yet cannot prove." - “Faith is believing what you know ain't so.”- “Faith is a leap in the dark.”

Faith“Now faith means that we are

confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 – Moffatt)

“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.” (Hebrews 11:1 – The Message)