God Destroys an Evil Humanity

1 Based on what has happened with you since the last time we met, what is something you are thankful for?

2 What has stressed you out this week, and what do you need for things to be better?

3 What are the needs of the people in your community, and how can we help each other meet the needs we’ve expressed?

4 What was the story last time we met? What did we learn about God and people?

5 In our last meeting, you decided to apply what you learned. What did you do, and how did it go?

6 Who did you share something with from the last story? How did they respond?

7 We identified several needs last time we met and planned to meet those needs. How did it go?

8 Now, let's read today's story from God...

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.

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.

¹⁷ For forty days the floodwaters grew deeper, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth. ¹⁸ As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface. ¹⁹ Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth, ²⁰ rising more than twenty-two feet above the highest peaks. ²¹ All the living things on earth died—birds, domestic animals, wild animals, small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people. ²² Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. ²³ God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat. ²⁴ And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days.

1 Now, let’s have someone retell this passage in their own words, as though they were telling a friend who has never heard it. Let's help them if they leave anything out or add anything by mistake. If that happens we can ask, "Where do you find that in the story?"

2 What does this story teach us about God, his character, and what he does?

3 What do we learn about people, including ourselves, from this story?

4 How will you apply God's truth from this story in your life this week? What is a specific action or thing you will do?

5 Who will you share a truth from this story with before we meet again? Do you know others who would also like to discover God's word in this app like we are?

6 As our meeting comes to a close, let's decide when we will meet again and who will facilitate our next meeting.

7 We encourage you to make note of what you said you will do, and to re-read this story in the days before we meet again. The facilitator can share the story text or audio if anyone doesn't have it. As we go, let's ask the Lord to help us.