Genesis 6:9-22 Walk With God

9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (NIV)

What does it mean to "walk with God"?

We had a very good discussion this week about what walking with God looks like. While there are really many different answers to this question, our focus was this: Walking with God denotes a lifestyle.

That's a somewhat ambiguous term...how do you measure a lifestyle? I believe someone's lifestyle can be determined by examining choices made by that person. (Now, I'm talking about examining yourself, not someone else!) So, I can really understand my own lifestyle by examining my own choices. However, I believe that people often have in their mind what type of person they are, i.e. what type of father/mother, husband/wife, employee, friend, etc. This self-portrait is based on who we think we are. But, if I seriously examine myself, do my choices match up with that image I have of myself? I should be able to examine my own choices and determine what my lifestyle really is, regardless of the image I have of myself.

So, how is my walk with God? Based on the discussion above, the real question is, "How am I doing in my daily choices?"

This past week I made the choice on a couple of days to get some extra sleep, and I missed my quiet time alone with God early in the morning. What does that say about my walk with Him?
On the flip side, I had to make a hard discipline decision with my 9 year old daughter (one we will both remember for a long time). Since children's viewpoint of their Heavenly Father is often influenced by the relationship with their earthly father, it was an important decision. It was the right decision. What does that say about my walk with Him?

It would be simplistic to say that changing your choices will improve your walk with God....it certainly goes deeper than that. However, choices are a very good way to determine if I'm on the right track!

Could it be said of me, long after I'm gone, that "he walked with God?" I hope so.

Genesis 1-2

Our lesson today centered on the creation story pictured in Genesis 1. The most important verse: Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Why would the first verse in the Bible be the most important one? To roughly paraphrase Charles Colson, whether or not you believe that verse will ultimately determine your worldview. Either God created everything, or there is some other explanation. If you believe that God was the Creator, then the rest of the Bible is valid. If He is not the Creator, the validity of the entire Bible comes into question.

An issue came up in our discussion that I thought was important. We encounter many "skeptics" who question the creation story as too outrageous to be believed. I know I've spent a lot of time discussing this important account of creation, with the result being that the skeptic has remained a skeptic. The problem - I'm focusing on the wrong issue. I don't know many people who have been convinced of the truth of the creation story, and in turn have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. However, I know several that have become believers, and in turn accept the creation story as truth. Why? Because I believe the miracle of salvation is the premiere miracle - greater even than the miracle of creation. If I can KNOW that Jesus died for me, I can KNOW that God created the heavens and the earth!

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." AMEN!!!