Use these for group work, or to assist your personal reflection.

1. What are the key characteristics of formal agreements that we make today, such as marriage or house purchase, and how do these compare with this story?
2. Discuss the lessons of faith that Abraham has had to learn in his journey of faith up to this point in scripture.
3. Look through the different names of God revealed in the story of Abraham (see above) and discuss their meaning for us today.

Use the programme which can be found on the link ‘discipleship challenges’. The ‘worksheet’ will help you follow through anything you feel is right to take up. The following notes are for your interest and consideration.

Personal comment:

This passage is one which reminds me that those incidents of life which sometimes do not mean much to me at the time, may one day become of much more significance than I thought! When I first read this text, I wondered what Abraham thought about what he was doing. Did he really understand what God was doing through him, do we now see what it is he could not see? We should always remain open to the possibility that the Lord will do far more through what happens to us than we think!

Ideas for discipleship programme

• How honest are you? This appears to be a very presumptuous question, and if a friend asked it of us, we would be surprised. Try asking those who are close to you and discussing their answer with them!
• Over the period of a week, make a note of those things which you do which will have permanent and long term value. This could be a great deal, or it could be very little. Pray about what you discover about what you do!

Hear the words

we speak to You, we pray;

………………………

Listen to our hearts,

and feel our emotions;

………………………

Answer us

when we call on Your name;

………………………

For in You alone, we have confidence.

AMEN