HOPE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH

Wrestling: The God Who Sees and the God Who Can

Genesis 16-17
1. When We Take Matters Into Our Own Hands (Genesis 16:1–6)
 
2. When No One Sees Your Pain (Genesis 16:7–14)
3. When God Renames Your Story (Genesis 17:1–14)
 
4. When We Laugh at God’s Promises (Genesis 17:15–27)
 
Reflection Questions
Where do you see people in this story trying to control their own future instead of trusting God? Where have you seen your own impatience and scheming causing harm to yourself and others? 
What does it mean to you that God calls Hagar by name? Why do you think this moment mattered so deeply to Hagar?
Do you tend to relate more to Sarai (trying to control), Hagar (feeling unseen), or Abraham (struggling to believe)? Why?
What is the significance of the names changed and revealed in this passage? Look up the names and their meanings: El Roi, El Shaddai, Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac. 
What would it look like this week to trust God’s timing instead of trying to force your own solution?
Where do you struggle to believe that God not only sees your situation but can actually change it?

Wrestling: Between Faith and Promise

Introduction
1. The Waiting Room of Faith (Genesis 15:1–5)
 
2. The Breakthrough of Faith (Genesis 15:6)
 
3. The Covenant that Secures the Promise (Genesis 15:7–21)
Reflection Questions
The sermon described the “waiting room of faith.” What does that phrase mean to you personally right now? Recall the story of Adonirum Judson in relation to this topic and his quote, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” 
What is the difference between wrestling with God in faith and walking away from God in unbelief?
Genesis 15:6 says Abram’s faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” Why is it important that righteousness was credited, not earned?
Read Romans 4:1–5 and 16–25. How does Paul use Abraham’s story to explain justification by faith? What do these verses teach us about the difference between earning righteousness through works and receiving righteousness through faith in God’s promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ?
“Sometimes the greatest work God is doing is not the mission field you’re running toward, but the waiting room where He teaches you to trust Him.” How might God be shaping you in a season of waiting?

Wrestling: Salem & Sodom

MESSAGE | Pastor Jordan Moody   Genesis 13-14
Introduction/Recap
Bethel vs. Ai (Genesis 12)
Adversity (anxiety/fear) vs. Faith (Gen. 12)
 
Abundance (apathy/pride) vs. Humility (Gen. 13)
Two Kings: Sodom vs. Salem (Gen. 14)
Reflection Questions
In Genesis 13, abundance (wealth, livestock) becomes a new test for Abram and Lot, shifting from adversity/fear to apathy/pride. How does abundance sometimes test our faith differently than hardship does? Can you think of examples where "having it all" leads to drift? 
The sermon warns about being "Sodom-adjacent"—close to sin or worldly patterns without fully diving in, yet still at risk. Where might you (or people you know) be "Sodom-adjacent" in life, media, relationships, or habits? What’s the danger of pitching your tent too close? Is there a danger of isolating and separating too far? 
After rescuing Lot, Abram faces two kings in the King's Valley: Melchizedek (king of Salem/peace, priest of God Most High) and the king of Sodom. How do these two figures/voices represent contrasting invitations or kingdoms in our lives?
The passage ultimately points to Jesus as the greater Rescuer who delivers us from the domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13). How does reflecting on Christ's rescue mission change how you face your own wrestlings or temptations?
Melchizedek brings bread and wine, blesses Abram, and reminds him that God is the source of victory. How does this point forward to Jesus (as the sermon notes, with bread/wine at the Last Supper and His role as Priest-King)? What does it mean that Abram gives a tenth in response?

Wrestling: With Faith And Fear

MESSAGE | Pastor Jordan Moody   Gen. 12:1-20
Introduction: From Beginnings to WrestlingI. Wrestling with Faith (Genesis 12:1–9)II. Wrestling with Fear (Genesis 12:10–20)
 
Reflection Questions
How can the concept of 'wrestling with faith/fear' help us understand our struggles in our spiritual journeys? How might this wrestling challenge some traditional notions of “faith”? 
Why is it significant to recognize that Abraham was not perfect, yet still held a pivotal role in God's plan?
What are some 'Egypts' in your life where you tend to run for security instead of seeking God?
Think about the importance of building an altar between Bethel and Ai (Gen. 12:8). Look up what those two places mean and reflect on the deeper significance of putting an altar right in the middle. 
How can you apply the principle of building altars instead of towers (Babel) in your own life?

Beginnings: Scattered to Gathered

MESSAGE | Pastor Jordan Moody   Scattered to GatheredGen. 9:18-11:9
Introduction: 
I. Clean Slate, Crooked Hearts (Genesis 9:18–28)
 
II. One Family, Many Nations (Genesis 10)
 
III. One Language, One Rebellion (Genesis 11:1–9)
 
IV. From Scattering to Gathering: The Babel Reversal (Acts 2:1-11)
 
V. From Every Nation to One People: The Final Gathering (Revelation 7:9–10)
 
Reflection Questions
What does Genesis 9:18-11:9 reveal about the nature of the human heart and its inclination towards sin?
How can the story of the Tower of Babel relate to what we see in today's society regarding unity and rebellion? 
What steps can individuals take to ensure they are building altars for God, rather than towers for their own glory?
What is the significance of Pentecost in reversing the division caused by Babel?
How can the Church act as an 'anti-Babel' in our modern world, promoting unity of the spirit despite the divisions we see in our country and world?

The Boiler Room

MESSAGE | Pastor Jordan Moody   2 Corinthians 1:8-11
I. When You Hit Rock Bottom (vv. 8–9)
 
II. Who You Trust When You’re Empty (vv. 9–10)
 
III. How God Chooses to Work: Through the Prayers of His People (v. 11)
 
IV. What Runs Our Church?
Reflection Questions
What does it mean when Paul states that God allows us to experience weakness so we learn to rely on Him?
Reflecting on a time you hit rock bottom, how did it shape your understanding of God and reliance on prayer?
When life gets heavy, what do you instinctively run to for relief or control? (Distraction, entertainment, food, work, isolation, people, prayer, etc.) What does that say about what “fuels” you right now?
Paul tells the church, “You also must help us by prayer.” How does this change the way you view prayer—not as passive support, but as real participation in God’s work
Becoming the Boiler Room: As a group, let’s name three main things our church needs God’s help with right now. Would you commit to praying for this regularly this year?

Beginnings: After the Storm

Genesis 8-9
After the Storm (Genesis 8:20-22)
God Speaks (Genesis 8:21-22; 9:8-11)
 
The Sign in the Sky (Genesis 9:12-17)
 
The Greater Rainbow
 
Life Under the Covenant
 
Reflection Questions
What does it mean to live under the covenant of grace as described in the sermon?
How does the concept of covenant in the Bible differ from a contract?
What does it mean for God to 'remember' us according to the sermon?
In what ways can the promise of God remembering His covenant bring peace to your life?
What does it mean to you that God's promises do not depend on human actions or memory?
In what ways can you share the message of God's grace and promise with your friends?

Beginnings: From Flood to Fragrance

Gensesis 7-8
Flood
Ark 
Dove 
Altar 
Aroma
Cross
Reflection Questions
1. Noah obeyed God before he could see rain or results. Where might God be asking you to trust and obey Him right now, even when it feels costly, confusing, or misunderstood?
2. What similarities do you notice between the creation story and the sending of the dove? Why do you think Scripture wants us to see the flood as a kind of “new creation”?
3. Read Ephesians 5:1–2 and Genesis 8:21 together. How does Christ’s sacrifice fulfill what Noah’s offering only pointed toward? What does it mean that Jesus is called a “fragrant offering” to God?
4. Read Titus 3:3–7 slowly as a group. What words or phrases stand out to you? How does this passage echo the movements of the flood story—judgment, rescue, renewal, and promise? (flood, ark, dove, altar, aroma, cross) 
5. Scripture says we are now “the aroma of Christ” to the world (2 Corinthians 2:14–15). What kind of “fragrance” do you think your life is currently giving off to others, and how might God be inviting you to more intentionally reflect Christ this week?

Beginnings: The Flood - Seeing What God Sees

Gen. 6:5-8 / 6:9-7:24
Introduction: 
I. God’s Eyes — “The LORD Saw” 
 
II. God’s Heart — “He Was Grieved”
 
III. God’s Hand — Judgment and Reckoning
 
IV. God’s Grace — “But Noah Found Favor”
 
Small Group Discussion Questions
Paul David Tripp says in the realm of faith, imagination helps us perceive what is real but unseen. How has your imagination or spiritual vision been shaped by life for the better or for the worse? What role does the Holy Spirit play in our sight?  
How does the Flood force us to hold together God’s holiness, humanity’s sinful rebellion, and God’s right to judge—without losing sight of His mercy/grace?
Genesis says God was “grieved to His heart.” How does it change your view of God to know that sin grieves Him?
Genesis 6:8 begins with the word “But”—“But Noah found favor.” Why is that word so important in the story of salvation? 
The ark points forward to Christ. How so? And what does it mean practically to be “in Christ” rather than trusting your own goodness, effort, or religious activity?

Beginnings: Angels, Giants, and Floods, Oh my!

Pastor Jordan Moody   Genesis 6:1–10
Introduction: Strange, but Sacred 
CLASSROOM: THE TWO VIEWS 
Sethite View:  
 
Fallen Angel View: 
 
Conclusion and Exhortation: 
Small Group Discussion Questions
 
Facing the Strange: What do you usually do when you come across a “strange” or confusing passage in Scripture? How can trusting that “all Scripture is God-breathed” change your approach to those moments?
Boundaries and Rebellion: Whether you hold to the Sethite or the fallen angel view, what does this story teach us about the danger of crossing God’s boundaries—spiritually, morally, or relationally?
The Depth of Sin: Genesis 6:5 describes humanity’s heart as “only evil continually.” How does that verse challenge our modern assumptions about human nature and our need for grace?
God’s Preserving Grace: In a world filled with corruption, Noah “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” and “walked with God.” What does walking faithfully with God look like for you when the world around you seems to reject Him? How can we walk like Noah today? 
The God Who Is For Us: The sermon ends with the reminder that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” What difference does that truth make when we face our own “giants”—whether fears, temptations, or spiritual battles?