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Summit Church
Not Good Pt 1 | Created for Connection | Jim Ladd
Locations & Times
Summit Church
7200 S Clinton St, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Before we address conflict, betrayal, wounds, and restoration, we must establish this Truth: Relationships are not a problem to be solved but a design to be stewarded.
Genesis 2:1-9, 15-18
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.””
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.””
The First “Not Good”
“Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’”
“Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’”
Genesis 2:18 is pre-Fall. This matters profoundly.
* Every other “not good” in Scripture flows from sin.
* This “not good” exists before sin, shame, or fracture.
* Therefore, aloneness is not a moral failure but a creational deficiency.
* Every other “not good” in Scripture flows from sin.
* This “not good” exists before sin, shame, or fracture.
* Therefore, aloneness is not a moral failure but a creational deficiency.
God Himself names the lack. Adam does not complain.
It is God who names aloneness as a problem to resolve.
Loneliness is revealed not as rebellion, but as incompleteness by design.
It is God who names aloneness as a problem to resolve.
Loneliness is revealed not as rebellion, but as incompleteness by design.
The Big Idea: God created us relational and called it good.
The need for relationships is not a human weakness - it is a Divine Design.
The Meaning of “Alone”
The term does not merely mean “physically solitary.”
It implies separated, isolated, or without a relational counterpart or an answering presence. (without someone to look in the face)
The Meaning of “Alone”
The term does not merely mean “physically solitary.”
It implies separated, isolated, or without a relational counterpart or an answering presence. (without someone to look in the face)
This teaches us a critical and guiding Truth:
* intimacy with God does not replace connection with others.
* intimacy with God does not replace connection with others.
“Helper Fit for Him” (ezer kenegdo)
This phrase has been historically misunderstood.
* Ezer is most often used of God Himself as helper (e.g., Psalm 121).
* Kenegdo means “corresponding to,” “face-to-face,” or “equal and opposite.”
This is not hierarchy—it is mutuality.
Not sameness, but complementary presence.
And it is most powerfully demonstrated and experienced in a Marriage.
The human is incomplete alone—not because he is insufficient, but because humanity itself is plural.
This phrase has been historically misunderstood.
* Ezer is most often used of God Himself as helper (e.g., Psalm 121).
* Kenegdo means “corresponding to,” “face-to-face,” or “equal and opposite.”
This is not hierarchy—it is mutuality.
Not sameness, but complementary presence.
And it is most powerfully demonstrated and experienced in a Marriage.
The human is incomplete alone—not because he is insufficient, but because humanity itself is plural.
Three Passages That Reinforce God's Design:
Psalm 68:4-6
“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”
Psalm 68:4-6
“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”
1. God is the builder of, not a replacement for, community
* “Sets” implies intentional placement, not accidental belonging.
* “Families” (bayit) refers not only to households but to relational belonging and identity.
God is not solving loneliness with Himself. He fills the gaps while He continues His creative work.
Community is not a social program; it is a divine act.
* “Sets” implies intentional placement, not accidental belonging.
* “Families” (bayit) refers not only to households but to relational belonging and identity.
God is not solving loneliness with Himself. He fills the gaps while He continues His creative work.
Community is not a social program; it is a divine act.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
2. Wisdom Confirms our need for mutual dependence is by Design
Vulnerability is Inevitable
Human strength is not independence.
Human strength is shared resilience.
This passage is often used pragmatically, but it is ontological at heart.
* “Better” (tov) echoes the Genesis creation language.
* The text assumes vulnerability is inevitable, not exceptional.
Isolation is not neutral—it is fragile.
God’s design assumes mutual dependence as the context for flourishing.
Vulnerability is Inevitable
Human strength is not independence.
Human strength is shared resilience.
This passage is often used pragmatically, but it is ontological at heart.
* “Better” (tov) echoes the Genesis creation language.
* The text assumes vulnerability is inevitable, not exceptional.
Isolation is not neutral—it is fragile.
God’s design assumes mutual dependence as the context for flourishing.
John 17:20–23
““My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
““My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
3. Community is God's Image Fulfilled
Jesus does not merely pray for unity—He roots it in Trinitarian reality.
"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." - Genesis 1:26
* Human community reflects divine communion.
* Relationship is not merely functional—it is theological.
* The image of God is not fully expressed in isolation.
* The church does not invent community; it embodies what humanity was always meant to be.
Jesus does not merely pray for unity—He roots it in Trinitarian reality.
"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." - Genesis 1:26
* Human community reflects divine communion.
* Relationship is not merely functional—it is theological.
* The image of God is not fully expressed in isolation.
* The church does not invent community; it embodies what humanity was always meant to be.
So, again, before we address conflict, betrayal, wounds, and restoration, we must embrace this Truth: Relationships are not a problem to be solved but a design to be stewarded.
Loneliness is not failure.
Need is not weakness.
Community is not optional.
Need is not weakness.
Community is not optional.
God did not create us complete and later add community. He created us relational and called it good. And where there was only one, He said—not because of sin, but because of love—this is not good.
Response:
I commit myself to be a healthy person who offers healthy relationships to others.
I commit myself to be a healthy person who offers healthy relationships to others.
Discussion Guide
Series: Not Good
Week 1: Created for Connection
Icebreaker Questions
1. When do you feel most alive or most full of joy—and who are you usually with when that happens?
2. Growing up, what did “community” look like for you—tight-knit, distant, complicated, or something else?
3. Are you more energized by being with people or by being alone? How has that shaped how you approach relationships?
Discussion Questions
1. Genesis 2:18 says “it is not good for the man to be alone”—before sin enters the story. Why is that significant? How does this challenge the idea that loneliness is a personal or spiritual failure?
2. Adam is surrounded by beauty, abundance, and even God’s presence—yet something is still missing and God is the One who called it out. What does this tell us about the limits of spiritual experiences apart from human connection?
3. God did not create us complete and later add community. How does that reframe the way you see your need for others?
4. Have you viewed your loneliness as a moral or spiritual problem rather than a gift from God? Talk about that.
5. Where do you personally feel tension between valuing independence and embracing interdependence?
6. The phrase ezer kenegdo describes a “face-to-face, opposing forces presence.” What does “relational safety” look like to you in real life?
7. Why do you think mutuality—not hierarchy—was God’s original relational vision? How does this shape friendships, marriages, and church life?
8. What makes it difficult to let others truly “see” us face-to-face rather than staying guarded or self-sufficient?
9. Psalm 68 says God “sets the lonely in families.” Where have you experienced intentional belonging—or longed for it?
10. Jesus roots unity in the Trinity itself. How does seeing community as theological—not just practical—change its importance?
11. If the image of God is not fully expressed in isolation, what might your relationships reveal about God to others?
12. The response commitment says: “I commit myself to be a healthy person who offers healthy relationships.” What is one step you could take this week toward health—not perfection—in community?
Invite each person to hold their heart rock and quietly reflect on this question:
“Where is God inviting me to move toward connection rather than self-protection?”
Week 1: Created for Connection
Icebreaker Questions
1. When do you feel most alive or most full of joy—and who are you usually with when that happens?
2. Growing up, what did “community” look like for you—tight-knit, distant, complicated, or something else?
3. Are you more energized by being with people or by being alone? How has that shaped how you approach relationships?
Discussion Questions
1. Genesis 2:18 says “it is not good for the man to be alone”—before sin enters the story. Why is that significant? How does this challenge the idea that loneliness is a personal or spiritual failure?
2. Adam is surrounded by beauty, abundance, and even God’s presence—yet something is still missing and God is the One who called it out. What does this tell us about the limits of spiritual experiences apart from human connection?
3. God did not create us complete and later add community. How does that reframe the way you see your need for others?
4. Have you viewed your loneliness as a moral or spiritual problem rather than a gift from God? Talk about that.
5. Where do you personally feel tension between valuing independence and embracing interdependence?
6. The phrase ezer kenegdo describes a “face-to-face, opposing forces presence.” What does “relational safety” look like to you in real life?
7. Why do you think mutuality—not hierarchy—was God’s original relational vision? How does this shape friendships, marriages, and church life?
8. What makes it difficult to let others truly “see” us face-to-face rather than staying guarded or self-sufficient?
9. Psalm 68 says God “sets the lonely in families.” Where have you experienced intentional belonging—or longed for it?
10. Jesus roots unity in the Trinity itself. How does seeing community as theological—not just practical—change its importance?
11. If the image of God is not fully expressed in isolation, what might your relationships reveal about God to others?
12. The response commitment says: “I commit myself to be a healthy person who offers healthy relationships.” What is one step you could take this week toward health—not perfection—in community?
Invite each person to hold their heart rock and quietly reflect on this question:
“Where is God inviting me to move toward connection rather than self-protection?”