Small Group Study Notes: Origins Week 1 – God

In the first of our series on Origins in the Bible we look at the opening line of the Bible in Genesis and the corresponding emphasis in Psalm 8. In Andrew Ollerton’s book, this talk aligns with the first two chapters of the Origins section, but it would also be helpful to read the introductory section which precedes the Origins section, as this deals with some of the common stumbling blocks people find when approaching the Bible, particularly a text like Genesis.

The first verse of Genesis is clearly focused on the person and work of God, however by implication this affects how we view ourselves, as is made explicit in Psalm 8:3-4, thus considering the first two typical Discovery Bible Study questions is pertinent: What does the passage say about God? What does the passage say about people?

When it comes to the promise to trust/example to follow/command to obey it may help to read the rest of the creation narrative to recognise the full impact of the text.