Are you up against a wall today, longing to start all over again? This sermon sets side by side two biblical stories of new beginnings: the builders of the tower of Babel, who took matters into their own hands, and Abraham, who trusted God’s invitation (Genesis 11 and 12). It turns out that what we build our sense of security and significance on decides whether our life will stand or collapse. Listen and see whose idea of a new beginning you are following in your own life.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The builders of Babel wanted to build a city and a tower reaching to the heavens, make a name for themselves, and avoid being scattered over the earth. What were they really looking for in the city walls and the height of the tower?
- Compare the promises God gives Abram in Genesis 12:1-3 with the plans of the builders of Babel. What does God give Abram that the people of Babel tried to gain on their own?
- The sermon said that confusing the languages was not only judgment but an act of God's kindness. How do you understand that, and when has the collapse of your own plans turned out to be good for you?
- Where do you most often look for security and significance today: money, a house, other people's approval, photos on social media? What does that reveal about who is the architect of your life?
- Abram had to leave Haran, a developed and secure city, to go to a land he had never seen. What does accepting God's invitation with trust and obedience look like for you today?
- In which specific area of life (relationships, weaknesses, priorities) do you need a new beginning this week, and what step of obedience to God can you take there?
