Text Study for Sunday, September 20, 2026

Series Theme: People and Promise

Reading: Genesis 9:8-15

CONNECTING QUESTIONS

Who has shown care to you in life? How?

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Loving God, by covenant promise and enduring mercy you have joined us to yourself forever. By your Spirit may we join with all your faithful people in trust and hope, through Jesus Christ, our true King, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

CONTEXT

Our sermon series, People And Promise will focus on the ways God shows up! Throughout history, God’s people have celebrated God’s goodness and trusted in God’s mercy. However, God’s people have also fallen short of what God desires, leaving behind suffering and pain. Scripture reminds us that God still loves and claims us! Just as God met people of the Old Testament where they were and worked through them to fulfill God's promise. A promise to be in relationship, to be life affirming, to defend, especially to remain with us even when we stray. God is with us today, in the joys and struggles, praise be to God!

From Dr Terry Fretheim at EntertheBible.org:

Numerous versions of the flood story circulated in the ancient Near East. The most widely known today occurs as part of the Mesopotamian Gilgamesh Epic. An older, but less complete, version may be found in the Atrahasis Epic. The similarities of the latter with the basic creation-flood structure of Genesis are particularly striking: they include early disruption of humankind; extremely long life spans for early humans; the gods sending a flood to stop the human disruption; and the saving of a hero. At the same time, questions of dependence of the Genesis story on these accounts remain unresolved, though the biblical account is far more like the Mesopotamian accounts than any other known flood accounts.

LOOK AT THE BOOK

How is it with your spirit this week?
Our theme is “People and Promise.” God’s promises are deeply woven in relationships we have with one another. What is one life giving promise you have seen God keep?
Open to Genesis 9:1 Where are we in Noah’s story?
What is the first command that God gives Noah? What is that an echo of earlier in Genesis?
Jump to Genesis 9:8. What does God say will happen?
In your own words, what is a “covenant?”
This is the key biblical word to describe how God is at work building relationships with people. What is one social skill you think our society has lost or is lacking right now?
How many times does the word covenant appear in this passage? Who chooses to make the covenant? Why?
Look at verse 11. What does God promise never to do again? What does it mean that God will not do something again? What might that say about God and God’s character?
What is the symbol God has chosen to demonstrate this commitment to all creation?
What might Easter Lutheran Church choose to do to make sure everyone around can find safe ground, a spiritual home, in the mist of life that can feel like a flood?
How is Jesus good news for us this week?
What would you like to talk about that we have not yet?

TAKING IT HOME

What might you choose “never to do again” for the sake of someone else?

Sending Prayer

O God, you made us in your image and send us into the world you so love by your Spirit’s power. As you have called all people to you, make us one in your name. Through your grace, let us live in community to the glory of your Son, for we pray in Christ’s holy name. Amen.

Grow Guide | Sept 20 2026