Awkward Family Photos: Cain and Abel
No family is perfect. All families are “awkward” in one way or another. All of us have some kind of “crazy” going on. But most of them wouldn’t even come close to the families in the Bible. In this series leading up to Thanksgiving, we’ll look at some of the “awkward families” found in the scriptures. This week, we explore the story of Cain and Abel.
Sermon Reflections:
- How does the story of Cain and Abel challenge our understanding of what true worship is? What does it mean to offer God our “best” rather than our “leftovers”?
- How does the Cain and Abel story relate to family dynamics and conflict? What can we learn from this story about resolving conflict and forgiveness?
- In what ways do you see yourself in the story of Cain or Abel? Are there areas of your life where you need to give God your “best”?
- How does the curse of Cain continue to manifest in the world today? What can we do as individuals and as a community to break the cycle of violence and hatred?
- How does God’s grace and mercy extend even to those who have sinned? What does this teach us about the nature of God and our relationship with Him?
- How can we live as citizens of God’s kingdom in the midst of a broken world? What does it mean to love our neighbors as ourselves, even our enemies?