Sermon Single: “In the Beginning, God: A Beginning for You” | Genesis 1:1
In Genesis 1:1, the Bible opens with a single sentence: & the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.& Ten words. A child can…
Life Group study
Discussion questions
Key thoughts
- Simple words carry the whole story. Genesis 1:1 is one sentence a child can memorize, but every word in it points to something true about God. Slowing down on "beginning," "God," "created," and "the heavens and the earth" is where this study starts.
- The beginning was not empty. John 1:1 opens with the same words as Genesis 1:1 and tells us who was already there: the Word, with God, and God. Before anything was made, God already was.
- God creates by speaking. In Genesis 1:3-5 God says "Let there be light," and there is light. He sees it and calls it good, He divides it, and He names it. His word does the work.
- God is above everything and owns everything. Psalm 97:9 sets the LORD most high above all the earth, exalted far above all gods. Psalm 89:11 says the heavens and the earth are His because He founded them. There is no rival and no competing claim.
- Believing these words demands a next step. If Genesis 1:1 is true, it cannot stay a fact you agree with. It becomes a beginning: of faith for some, and of a deeper understanding of who He is and what He has done for others.
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Read Genesis 1:1 slowly, one word at a time. Which word do you usually skip past, and what does that word claim about God when you stop on it?
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John 1:1 opens with the same words as Genesis 1:1, then tells us the Word was with God and was God. What changes about how you read Genesis 1:1 once you know the Word was already there?
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In Genesis 1:3-5, God speaks and light exists, then He sees it, calls it good, divides it, and names it. What does each of those actions show you about who God is?
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Psalm 97:9 calls the LORD most high above all the earth, exalted far above all gods. What competes for that place in your life right now, and how would you know?
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Psalm 89:11 says the heavens and the earth are His because He founded them. If God owns everything, what does that change about how you hold your own time, plans, and possessions?
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Personal: If you believe these simple words, or think you might, what is your next step? Name it out loud to the group: a beginning of faith, or a deeper understanding of who He is and what He has done for you.
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Applications
- Read the first verse every day this week. Each morning read Genesis 1:1 out loud, pick one word, and follow it to one of this week's texts (John 1:1; Genesis 1:3-5; Psalm 97:9; Psalm 89:11). Write down one thing that word shows you about God.
- Take your next step, and tell someone. If this is a beginning of faith for you, tell an elder or your Life Group leader this week. If it is a call to know Him more deeply, choose one concrete way (a reading plan, a Life Group, a study partner) and start it within seven days.
- Give Him His place. Psalm 97:9 sets the LORD above everything. Name one thing that has been sitting above Him in your week, and move it, in your schedule or your attention, before next Sunday.
Closing prayer
Father, in the beginning You created the heavens and the earth, and before there was anything, You already were. Thank You that the Word was with You and was You, and that You have made Yourself known to us. You spoke, and there was light. You are most high above all the earth, exalted far above all gods, and the heavens and the earth are Yours because You founded them. Forgive us for reading Your first words without stopping, and for letting lesser things sit in the place that belongs to You alone. For anyone here who is only beginning to believe, make this the beginning of faith. For those of us who already believe, make this the beginning of a deeper understanding of who You are and what You have done for us. Show us our next step, and give us the courage to take it. In Jesus' name, amen.