Hope Brokers: Recent Episodes
Teacher Tony
Our mission is to coach and train indigenous Christian leaders to start gospel movements among their own people through the power of the Holy Spirit.
应许万族因亚伯兰得福
12 耶和华对亚伯兰说:“你要离开本地、本族、父家，往我所要指示你的地去。 2 我必叫你成为大国，我必赐 福给你，叫你的名为大，你也要叫别人得福。 3 为你祝福的，我必赐福于他;那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他。地上的 万族都要因你得福。” 4 亚伯兰就照着耶和华的吩咐去了，罗得也和他同去。亚伯兰出哈兰的时候年七十五岁。 5 亚伯兰将他妻子撒莱和侄儿罗得，连他们在哈兰所积蓄的财物、所得的人口，都带往迦南地去。他们就到了迦 南地。 6 亚伯兰经过那地，到了示剑地方，摩利橡树那里。那时，迦南人住在那地。 7 耶和华向亚伯兰显现， 说:“我要把这地赐给你的后裔。”亚伯兰就在那里为向他显现的耶和华筑了一座坛。 8 从那里他又迁到伯特利东 边的山，支搭帐篷。⻄边是伯特利，东边是艾。他在那里又为耶和华筑了一座坛，求告耶和华的名。
神应许亚伯兰之后裔多如众星
15 这事以后，耶和华在异象中有话对亚伯兰说:“亚伯兰，你不要惧怕!我是你的盾牌，必大大地赏赐你。” 2 亚伯兰说:“主耶和华啊，我既无子，你还赐我什么呢?并且要承受我家业的是大⻢士革人以利以谢。” 3 亚伯 兰又说:“你没有给我儿子，那生在我家中的人就是我的后嗣。” 4 耶和华又有话对他说:“这人必不成为你的后 嗣，你本身所生的才成为你的后嗣。” 5 于是领他走到外边，说:“你向天观看，数算众星，能数得过来吗?”又 对他说:“你的后裔将要如此。” 6 亚伯兰信耶和华，耶和华就以此为他的义。
创世记 6:1-9:17
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
6 当人在世上多起来，又生女儿的时候， 2 神的儿子们 看⻅人的女子美貌，就随意挑选，娶来为妻。 3 耶和华 说:“人既属乎血气，我的灵就不永远住在他里面，然而 他的日子还可到一百二十年。” 4 那时候有伟人在地上， 后来神的儿子们和人的女子们交合生子，那就是上古英武 有名的人。
5 耶和华⻅人在地上罪恶很大，终日所思想的尽都是恶。 6 耶和华就后悔造人在地上，心中忧伤。 7 耶和华说:“我 要将所造的人和走兽并昆虫，以及空中的⻜⻦，都从地上 除灭，因为我造他们后悔了。” 8 唯有挪亚在耶和华眼前 蒙恩。
9 挪亚的后代记在下面。挪亚是个义人，在当时的世代是 个完全人。挪亚与神同行。 10 挪亚生了三个儿子，就是 闪、含、雅弗。 11 世界在神面前败坏，地上满了强暴。 12 神观看世界，⻅是败坏了，凡有血气的人，在地上都败 坏了行为。
13 神就对挪亚说:“凡有血气的人，他的尽头已经来到我 面前，因为地上满了他们的强暴。我要把他们和地一并毁 灭。 14 你要用歌斐木造一只方舟，分一间一间地造，里 外抹上松香。 15 方舟的造法乃是这样:要⻓三百肘，宽 五十肘，高三十肘。 16 方舟上边要留透光处，高一肘。 方舟的⻔要开在旁边。方舟要分上、中、下三层。 17 看 哪，我要使洪水泛滥在地上，毁灭天下，凡地上有血肉、 有气息的活物，无一不死。 18 我却要与你立约，你同你 的妻，与儿子、儿妇，都要进入方舟。 19 凡有血肉的活 物，每样两个，一公一母，你要带进方舟，好在你那里保 全生命。 20 ⻜⻦各从其类，牲畜各从其类，地上的昆虫 各从其类，每样两个，要到你那里，好保全生命。 21 你 要拿各样⻝物积蓄起来，好做你和它们的⻝物。” 22 挪亚 就这样行。凡神所吩咐的，他都照样行了。
7 耶和华对挪亚说:“你和你的全家都要进入方舟，因为 在这世代中，我⻅你在我面前是义人。 2 凡洁净的畜类， 你要带七公七母，不洁净的畜类，你要带一公一母， 3 空 中的⻜⻦也要带七公七母，可以留种，活在全地上。 4 因 为再过七天，我要降雨在地上四十昼夜，把我所造的各种 活物都从地上除灭。” 5 挪亚就遵着耶和华所吩咐的行 了。
6 当洪水泛滥在地上的时候，挪亚整六百岁。 7 挪亚就同 他的妻和儿子、儿妇，都进入方舟，躲避洪水。 8 洁净的 畜类和不洁净的畜类，⻜⻦并地上一切的昆虫， 9 都是一 对一对的，有公有母，到挪亚那里进入方舟，正如神所吩 咐挪亚的。 10 过了那七天，洪水泛滥在地上。 11 当挪亚 六百岁，二月十七日那一天，大渊的泉源都裂开了，天上 的窗户也敞开了， 12 四十昼夜降大雨在地上。
13 正当那日，挪亚和他三个儿子闪、含、雅弗，并挪亚的 妻子和三个儿妇，都进入方舟。 14 他们和百兽各从其 类，一切牲畜各从其类，爬在地上的昆虫各从其类，一切 禽⻦各从其类，都进入方舟。 15 凡有血肉、有气息的活 物，都一对一对地到挪亚那里，进入方舟。 16 凡有血肉 进入方舟的，都是有公有母，正如神所吩咐挪亚的。耶和 华就把他关在方舟里头。
17 洪水泛滥在地上四十天，水往上涨，把方舟从地上漂 起。 18 水势浩大，在地上大大地往上涨，方舟在水面上 漂来漂去。 19 水势在地上极其浩大，天下的高山都淹没 了。 20 水势比山高过十五肘，山岭都淹没了。 21 凡在地 上有血肉的动物，就是⻜⻦、牲畜、走兽和爬在地上的昆 虫，以及所有的人都死了。 22 凡在旱地上，鼻孔有气息 的生灵都死了。 23 凡地上各类的活物，连人带牲畜、昆 虫，以及空中的⻜⻦，都从地上除灭了，只留下挪亚和那 些与他同在方舟里的。 24 水势浩大，在地上共一百五十 天。
8 神记念挪亚和挪亚方舟里的一切走兽牲畜。神叫⻛吹 地，水势渐落。 2 渊源和天上的窗户都闭塞了，天上的大 雨也止住了。 3 水从地上渐退，过了一百五十天，水就渐 消。 4 七月十七日，方舟停在亚拉腊山上。 5 水又渐消， 到十月初一日，山顶都现出来了。
6 过了四十天，挪亚开了方舟的窗户， 7 放出一只乌鸦 去。那乌鸦⻜来⻜去，直到地上的水都干了。 8 他又放出 一只鸽子去，要看看水从地上退了没有。 9 但遍地上都是 水，鸽子找不着落脚之地，就回到方舟挪亚那里，挪亚伸 手把鸽子接进方舟来。 10 他又等了七天，再把鸽子从方 舟放出去。 11 到了晚上，鸽子回到他那里，嘴里叼着一个 新拧下来的橄榄叶子，挪亚就知道地上的水退了。 12 他 又等了七天，放出鸽子去，鸽子就不再回来了。
13 到挪亚六百零一岁，正月初一日，地上的水都干了。挪 亚撤去方舟的盖观看，便⻅地面上干了。 14 到了二月二 十七日，地就都干了。
15 神对挪亚说: 16 “你和你的妻子、儿子、儿妇都可以出 方舟。 17 在你那里凡有血肉的活物，就是⻜⻦、牲畜和 一切爬在地上的昆虫，都要带出来，叫它在地上多多滋 生，大大兴旺。” 18 于是挪亚和他的妻子、儿子、儿妇都 出来了。 19 一切走兽、昆虫、⻜⻦和地上所有的动物， 各从其类，也都出了方舟。
20 挪亚为耶和华筑了一座坛，拿各类洁净的牲畜、⻜⻦ 献在坛上为燔祭。 21 耶和华闻那馨香之气，就心里说: “我不再因人的缘故咒诅地(人从小时心里怀着恶念)， 也不再按着我才行的灭各种的活物了。 22 地还存留的时 候，稼穑、寒暑、冬夏、昼夜就永不停息了。”
9 神赐福给挪亚和他的儿子，对他们说:“你们要生养众 多，遍满了地。 2 凡地上的走兽和空中的⻜⻦，都必惊 恐，惧怕你们，连地上一切的昆虫并海里一切的⻥，都交 付你们的手。 3 凡活着的动物，都可以做你们的⻝物，这 一切我都赐给你们，如同菜蔬一样。 4 唯独肉带着血，那 就是它的生命，你们不可吃。 5 流你们血，害你们命的， 无论是兽是人，我必讨他的罪，就是向各人的弟兄也是如 此。 6 凡流人血的，他的血也必被人所流，因为神造人是 照自己的形象造的。 7 你们要生养众多，在地上昌盛繁 茂。”
8 神晓谕挪亚和他的儿子说: 9 “我与你们和你们的后裔立 约， 10 并与你们这里的一切活物，就是⻜⻦、牲畜、走 兽，凡从方舟里出来的活物立约。 11 我与你们立约:凡有 血肉的，不再被洪水灭绝，也不再有洪水毁坏地了。”
12 神说:“我与你们并你们这里的各样活物所立的永约， 是有记号的。 13 我把虹放在云彩中，这就可做我与地立 约的记号了。 14 我使云彩盖地的时候，必有虹现在云彩 中， 15 我便记念我与你们和各样有血肉的活物所立的 约，水就再不泛滥，毁坏一切有血肉的物了。 16 虹必现 在云彩中，我看⻅，就要记念我与地上各样有血肉的活物 所立的永约。” 17 神对挪亚说:“这就是我与地上一切有血 肉之物立约的记号了。”
3 耶 和 华 神 所 造 的 ， 惟 有 蛇 比 田 野 一 切 的 活 物 更 狡 猾 。 蛇 对 女 人 说 ： 神 岂 是 真 说 不 许 你 们 吃 园 中 所 有 树 上 的 果 子 麽 ？
2 女 人 对 蛇 说 ： 园 中 树 上 的 果 子 ， 我 们 可 以 吃 ，
3 惟 有 园 当 中 那 棵 树 上 的 果 子 ， 神 曾 说 ： 你 们 不 可 吃 ， 也 不 可 摸 ， 免 得 你 们 死 。
4 蛇 对 女 人 说 ： 你 们 不 一 定 死 ；
5 因 为 神 知 道 ， 你 们 吃 的 日 子 眼 睛 就 明 亮 了 ， 你 们 便 如 神 能 知 道 善 恶 。
6 於 是 女 人 见 那 棵 树 的 果 子 好 作 食 物 ， 也 悦 人 的 眼 目 ， 且 是 可 喜 爱 的 ， 能 使 人 有 智 慧 ， 就 摘 下 果 子 来 吃 了 ， 又 给 他 丈 夫 ， 他 丈 夫 也 吃 了 。
7 他 们 二 人 的 眼 睛 就 明 亮 了 ， 才 知 道 自 己 是 赤 身 露 体 ， 便 拿 无 花 果 树 的 叶 子 为 自 己 编 作 裙 子 。
8 天 起 了 凉 风 ， 耶 和 华 神 在 园 中 行 走 。 那 人 和 他 妻 子 听 见 神 的 声 音 ， 就 藏 在 园 里 的 树 木 中 ， 躲 避 耶 和 华 神 的 面 。
9 耶 和 华 神 呼 唤 那 人 ， 对 他 说 ： 你 在 那 里 ？
10 他 说 ： 我 在 园 中 听 见 你 的 声 音 ， 我 就 害 怕 ； 因 为 我 赤 身 露 体 ， 我 便 藏 了 。
11 耶 和 华 说 ： 谁 告 诉 你 赤 身 露 体 呢 ？ 莫 非 你 吃 了 我 吩 咐 你 不 可 吃 的 那 树 上 的 果 子 吗 ？
12 那 人 说 ： 你 所 赐 给 我 与 我 同 居 的 女 人 ， 他 把 那 树 上 的 果 子 给 我 ， 我 就 吃 了 。
13 耶 和 华 神 对 女 人 说 ： 你 作 的 是 甚 麽 事 呢 ？ 女 人 说 ： 那 蛇 引 诱 我 ， 我 就 吃 了 。
14 耶 和 华 神 对 蛇 说 ： 你 既 作 了 这 事 ， 就 必 受 咒 诅 ， 比 一 切 的 牲 畜 野 兽 更 甚 。 你 必 用 肚 子 行 走 ， 终 身 吃 土 。
15 我 又 要 叫 你 和 女 人 彼 此 为 仇 ； 你 的 後 裔 和 女 人 的 後 裔 也 彼 此 为 仇 。 女 人 的 後 裔 要 伤 你 的 头 ； 你 要 伤 他 的 脚 跟 。
16 又 对 女 人 说 ： 我 必 多 多 加 增 你 怀 胎 的 苦 楚 ； 你 生 产 儿 女 必 多 受 苦 楚 。 你 必 恋 慕 你 丈 夫 ； 你 丈 夫 必 管 辖 你 。
17 又 对 亚 当 说 ： 你 既 听 从 妻 子 的 话 ， 吃 了 我 所 吩 咐 你 不 可 吃 的 那 树 上 的 果 子 ， 地 必 为 你 的 缘 故 受 咒 诅 ； 你 必 终 身 劳 苦 才 能 从 地 里 得 吃 的 。
18 地 必 给 你 长 出 荆 棘 和 蒺 藜 来 ； 你 也 要 吃 田 间 的 菜 蔬 。
19 你 必 汗 流 满 面 才 得 糊 口 ， 直 到 你 归 了 土 ， 因 为 你 是 从 土 而 出 的 。 你 本 是 尘 土 ， 仍 要 归 於 尘 土 。
20 亚 当 给 他 妻 子 起 名 叫 夏 娃 ， 因 为 他 是 众 生 之 母 。
21 耶 和 华 神 为 亚 当 和 他 妻 子 用 皮 子 作 衣 服 给 他 们 穿 。
22 耶 和 华 神 说 ： 那 人 已 经 与 我 们 相 似 ， 能 知 道 善 恶 ； 现 在 恐 怕 他 伸 手 又 摘 生 命 树 的 果 子 吃 ， 就 永 远 活 着 。
23 耶 和 华 神 便 打 发 他 出 伊 甸 园 去 ， 耕 种 他 所 自 出 之 土 。
24 於 是 把 他 赶 出 去 了 ； 又 在 伊 甸 园 的 东 边 安 设 基 路 伯 和 四 面 转 动 发 火 焰 的 剑 ， 要 把 守 生 命 树 的 道 路 。
Translators: Tom and Lily Bogle. More info about their ministry at https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/tlalb (https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/tlalb).
Our goal on this podcast is to equip and train disciple-makers to start gospel movements through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, I wanted to give you a sample of an excellent devotional tool that will help you discover God’s truth and apply it to your life. Mary Skelton started developing prayers for each chapter in the New Testament nearly a year ago and then launched http://PraythrutheBible.com (Pray Thru the Bible.com) to share these prayers with those who wish to follow Jesus. http://PraythrutheBible.com (Pray Thru the Bible.com) takes the reader through the Bible using the https://www.navigators.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/navtool-5x5x5.pdf (Navigator’s New Testament Reading Plan). Stay tuned for announcements on the 2022 reading plan. For today, I will be reading her blog post for https://praythruthebible.com/2021/11/05/john-15/ (John Chapter 15). First, I will read the chapter and then read Mary’s reflection, prayer, and suggested actions. Remember, the goal is to hear God speak through His Word and then take action to respond in faith according to His will. Let’s get started!
https://aimtrainers.org/documents/evtools/The%20Gospel%20on%20the%20Hand%20%20(English).pdf (Download The Gospel on the Hand training aid )
Genesis 6:1-9:17 (New Living Translation)6 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.” 4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. 5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord. 9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 10 Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! 14 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper. 17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” 22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. 7 When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. 2 Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. 3 Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. 4 Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.” 5 So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him. 6 Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the earth. 7 He went on board the boat to escape the flood—he and his wife and his sons and their...
Genesis 3:1-24 (New Living Translation)1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” 14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. 15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” 16 Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” 17 And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. 18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. 19 By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” 20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the LordGod stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the...
Genesis 2:4-24 (NLT)4 This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. 6 Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land. 7 Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. 9 The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches. 11 The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. 12 The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. 13 The second branch, called the Gihon, flowed around the entire land of Cush. 14 The third branch, called the Tigris, flowed east of the land of Asshur. The fourth branch is called the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. 20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. 23 “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. HOPE QsH – Hear from God What does the passage say? Read it twice out loud or write it out. What does the passage mean? Have each person retell or paraphrase the story in his/her own words (be careful not to skip ahead). O – Observe what He said What stands out to you? What does the passage teach us about God’s character or personality? What does the passage teach us about human nature/ourselves? P – Put it into practice How can you apply these lessons to your life? What are you going to do about it? Have each person create an I-will statement that expresses his/her commitment to change this week. E – Encourage someone Who can you share this with so that they can be encouraged?
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7 And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8 God called the space “sky.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12 The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day. 14 Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened.16 God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day. 20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. 25 God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. H – Hear from God What does the passage say? Read it twice out loud or write it out. What does the passage mean? Have each person retell or paraphrase the story in his/her own words (be careful not to skip ahead). O – Observe what He said What stands out to you? What does the passage teach us about God’s character or personality? What does the passage teach us about human nature/ourselves? P – Put it into practice How can you apply these lessons to your life? What are you going to do about it? Have each person create an I-will statement that expresses his/her commitment to change this week. E – Encourage someone Who can you share this with so that they can be encouraged?