Sunday, October 3, 2021
Siblings often fight and compete as children and even adults. It may be over something as innocent as who gets the last cookie or as serious as who inherits their parents’ prized heirloom.
The competition Cain felt toward Abel—the world’s first siblings—reminds us that these family tensions can cause great damage to our relationships with one another, with parents, and even with God.
In the story of Cain and Abel, we find a progressing pattern of jealousy, which leads to hatred, which leads to murder. The result is not one but two lost sons for Adam and Eve.
God’s disregard of Cain’s offering stirred an intense jealousy and anger within Cain. Cain raged not only because his offering was rejected by God, but also because his brother’s offering was accepted by the Lord. Cain’s jealousy led him into a pit of misdirected hatred of Abel, ultimately leading him to murder his brother. The consequence of sin—death—that God had warned Adam and Eve about had come to fruition.
Jealousy never produces anything godly in us. And why is that? It’s primarily because jealousy is nothing more than proof that we have staked our identity on what we have done or can do, rather than on what God has done for us through Christ.
When you are tempted to compare yourself to others, let that trigger a reminder of who you are in Christ.
Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” As a child of God, our identity is not dependent upon what we do, but instead upon what Christ has done to save us through His life, death, and resurrection. Rather than living in the comparison between ourselves and others, let’s live in the confidence that we have been made new. In Christ, we are fully loved and accepted.
Fight the temptation to compare. Fight the urge to compete with others before God. And trust in the finished work of Christ. For you are not your own; you were bought with a price. And that price is one you could never repay.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
- Babies & Toddlers: God promised to send Jesus.
- Younger Preschool: Everyone in Adam and Eve’s family sinned too. God promised to send His Son, Jesus, to save sinners.
- Older Preschool: Adam and Eve’s sin spread to their family. But God did not forget His promise to send a Rescuer. At just the right time, God would send His Son to save sinners.
- Kids: Adam and Eve’s sin and its consequences spread to all of their descendants. But God did not forget His promise to send a Rescuer. At just the right time, God would send His Son to save sinners.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
- Younger Preschool: What does it mean to sin? We sin when we disobey God.
- Older Preschool: What does it mean to sin? To sin is to go against God and His commands.
- Kids: What does it mean to sin? To sin is to think, speak, or behave in any way that goes against God and His commands.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
- Babies & Toddlers: We all make wrong choices. — Romans 3:23
- Younger Preschool: Everyone makes wrong choices. — Romans 3:23
- Older Preschool: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. — Romans 3:23
- Kids: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. — Romans 3:23
** Next week: God Spared Noah (Genesis 6–10)