Big Idea: Your family sets where you start the race, but not how you finish.

Genesis 26: 1-11

1. Don’t flub the legacy you’ve inherited.

Genesis 26: 1-6

There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar. The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about; stay in this land as an alien, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because Abraham listened to me and kept my mandate, my commands, my statutes, and my instructions.” So Isaac settled in Gerar.

2. Don’t let your family legacy dictate your future. 

Genesis 26: 7-11

When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.” When Isaac had been there for some time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” Then Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” So Abimelech warned all the people, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly be put to death.”

Next Steps:

Believe: I want God to accept me into his family today.
Become: I will make decisions by faith, not fear, this week.
Be Sent: I want others to be drawn to Jesus by how I live this week.


Growth Group Questions: 

Is there a family trait that you’re thankful for?
What advice would you give an adult who is still haunted by their childhood? 
Why do some children fall into the same dreadful habits that they saw in their parents?  How does someone break this cycle in their own family?
If your parents’ faith can’t get you into Heaven, what does it do for you?
Why did God send Isaac to Gerar rather than just provide food for him?
Is God making a new oath with Isaac or inviting him into Abraham’s oath?  Explain your answer.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you make decisions by faith, not fear, this week.