Settling Strife and Deciphering God Purposed Relationships

Icebreaker: Tell of a time when a sibling or your children had a disagreement over an item?

Text: Genesis Chapter 13

Looking back to the end of the last chapter

1) After God told Abram which land belonged to him, he traveled there to find that the land was occupied and then there was a famine.

2) Abram went to Egypt (even farther from his “Promised Land”) with his family to escape the famine.

3) Abram became very rich there.

4) Abram returned to the place where he celebrated God’s goodness…to the altar where he acknowledged what God had done in his life. Genesis 13:4 Q: What kind of “place” can we return to after hardship, and circumstance make things look as though God’s promise will not come through?

5) Abram sought to end the strife between Lot’s workers and Abram’s workers. In his desire to put an end to the strife, he offered Lot his choice of land. When seeking to end strife, it is important to keep the other person’s best interest in mind. Q: What kind of strife do you find yourself in? How can this be resolved?

6) So Lot chose the best for himself. From the beginning, Lot has not been a blessing to Abram. Perhaps this is because Abram was told to leave his family, and Lot came along. Now he chooses not to honor Abram with the kindness of giving him the best of the land. He also chose the cities and the cultures that were existing rather than the plains. This choice plays into Lot’s life later, because he seems to never have left the culture of his past. He moved as close as he could to the most evil city around, and according to verse 13 surrounded himself by sinners. Q: What happens when we surround ourselves by an evil culture and sinners?

7) Dr. Robb Thompson says, “If God wants to bless you, He brings a person into your life, if Satan wants to curse you, he brings a person into your life.” Q: Tell of a time when either of these things has happened in your own life.

8) The Lord reaffirms His promise to Abram after the strife, and Lot are away from his life. It is possible that Lot was keeping Abram from all God had for him in some way. Q: What are some circumstances that you’ve witnessed either in your own life or the lives of others where a person has held someone back?

9) Dr. Robb Thompson also says, “There are rules both to enter into and remain in relationship.” Q: How does the story of Abram and Lot exemplify this? Q: What does this story teach us about changing the proximity of a relationship?

10) The people we allow access into our lives make a difference. This week, inventory your relationships and decide which relationships are there as a blessing, which are there for you to be a blessing, and which are there to distract you from His purposes.