Whose voice are we actually building our lives on, trusted authorities, social media algorithms, or our own experience that so often lets us down? This message goes back to the garden in the opening chapters of Genesis, where another voice was heard and people first decided for themselves what is good and what is evil (Genesis 3). It shows how easily, chasing something more, we miss the moment when there is no way back, and how God nevertheless promised a victor. Listen before you decide who gets to define good and evil in your life.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Genesis 3:14-15 God announces that the woman's offspring will crush the serpent's head, and the serpent will strike his heel. What might this promise have meant to Adam and Eve as they left the garden?
- The serpent told a different version of the story: "You will not surely die" and "you will be like God." Why were his words so convincing, when people were already made in God's image?
- The sermon shows how authorities, social media, and even our own knowledge and experience can let us down. Who or what do you trust most to shape your view of the world, and how does that affect your faith?
- The story of John and Rebecca shows how longing for something more can make us overlook what we already have. In which areas of life are you most prone to the illusion that something is missing?
- The Victor promised in Eden was born in a stable, with no armor or army, and yet he defeated death. What does it tell you about God that he was willing to pay such a high price to restore his relationship with people?
- In what specific matter this week do you want to let God redefine what is good and what is evil, instead of going your own way?
