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Day 3: What Went Wrong?
Sin is an unavoidable part of the human experience. And like a flash flood or wildfire, sin destroys everything, leaving anyone in its path worse off than before. But where did sin come from? In today’s devotional, Francis explores how after a perfect beginning, things went terribly wrong for humanity. And he explains what draws us to sin rather than to God.
Day 3 Question and Answer
What Went Wrong?
Instead of trusting that God had their good in mind, the first humans trusted their own judgment and disobeyed God, bringing pain, destruction, and death into the human experience. We, their children, carry on their sinful legacy with our own rebellion against God, bringing suffering to ourselves and others and separating us from unity with God.
Reflect
As life shows us, the beautiful world of Eden did not last. Francis mentioned just a few of the unpredictable tragedies, illnesses, and sufferings we could endure at any time. Where do you see evidence that the world is not as it should be?
No one escapes the curse of sin—we hurt others and we are hurt by them. We’re all guilty, according to Romans 3:23. How do you tend to respond when you are faced with the reality of your sinfulness?
The Bible—God’s Word—forces us to face our sinful nature. But it also gives us hope and the ability to resist temptation. In what ways does the Bible help you resist temptation or refute lies you’ve believed?
Respond
Exploring what went wrong isn’t easy. We do not like thinking about our rebellious hearts toward God, or the way we’ve hurt or been hurt by others. Sin has permeated our world so that we see it as normal. But God’s plan for us is so much better. Instead of living separated from Him, we have a way to come near to Him. He intended us for relationship with Him and has made it possible through Christ.
To accept God’s grace and forgiveness, we must be aware of our sin and how it separates us from Him. Spend time in self-reflection and be honest with yourself about the ways you’ve rebelled against God. Consider how you’ve hurt others. If it helps, ask a trusted friend to talk through it with you.
About this Plan
Ask any group what it means to be a Christian, and we will hear different answers. But what unifies us? What are the basic characteristics of our faith that every Christian affirms? In this six-day devotional study, Francis Chan will lead us in an exploration of key concepts common to all Christians through the centuries. No matter what divides us, we are united by these truths about the God we worship and our relationship with him.
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We would like to thank RightNow Media for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/
