Message Notes and Group Study Guide
Date: December 28-29, 2024
Speaker: Jonathan Thiede
Series: -
Message: True Happiness
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Scripture
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” —Genesis 3:1-13 (NIV)
Notes
Study Guide
Step One: Icebreaker (Optional)
What was the happiest moment of this past year? Or, what is one thing you can turn to that always brings you happiness?
Step Two: Prayer and Scripture Reading
Ask someone in your group to pray to open your time together.
Ask another person to read Genesis 3:1-13a
Step Three: Discuss
- Weekend Message: What was most challenging, encouraging, confusing, or stood out most to you?
- Understanding Happiness: In Genesis 3:1-13a, the serpent tempts Eve by questioning God’s command. How do you think the temptation to doubt God’s goodness affects our understanding of true happiness?
- Consequences of Choices: After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve experience shame and fear (verses 10-11). What do you think this suggests about the relationship between our choices and our sense of happiness?
- Persuit of Happiness: Many people search for happiness through various means (e.g., career, relationships, possessions). How do you see this reflected in Adam and Eve? What lessons can we learn about where true fulfillment might come from?
- Dealing with Shame: Adam and Eve hid from God after their disobedience. How does shame impact our ability to experience joy and connection with others? How can we move past that shame to find true joy and happiness?
- Restoration & Hope: Despite their disobedience, God still seeks out Adam and Eve (verse 9). What does this reveal about God’s character? How does understanding this aspect of God contribute toward our journey of true happiness?
Step Four: Close in Prayer
Ask someone in your group to close in prayer, focusing on specific requests for people to find and follow Jesus.