The Way of Cain “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4) Broken Mirrors Series We are starting a new series this week called, Broken Mirrors as we look through the characters mentioned in the Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews 11. In this chapter, we find an array of (sometimes) unlikely characters from the Old Testament that somehow model a life of faith for us. Each week will be like jumping into a new portal to another story we will explore and we'll also see how these stories connect to the five core values for us at Lifepoint: Gospel Identity Reaching Priority Authentic Community Spiritual Intimacy Personal Ministry Reading Genesis and the Pentateuch The first five books of the Old Testament,the Pentateuach, are to be read as one single story with interconnected and interlocking elements. The story of Cain and Abel follows the Fall of Adam and Eve as they are expelled from their land and now experience life under the curse of sin. Cain and Abel show us the first glimpse of life under the curse and we are confronted with the first murder; Cain taking the life of his brother Abel. But all is not as it first seems in the story. The narrative is dripping with irony and literary clues that let us know something far more profound is being communicated than just mere sibling rivalry. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.(Genesis 2:15) “Therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.(Genesis 3:23–24) The Story of Cain and Abel Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. (Genesis 4:13) Questions for Reflection Imagine again you’re having that same kind of confession conversation with God that Cain had in v. 13. Go through that exercise. How do you imagine God in that moment? Are you responding to others the way your Heavenly Father responds to you? What are you doing in your life to grow in your relationship with God? Is there some practice in the new year you need to make a conscious decision to embrace? Resources for Growth this Year Spiritual Diagnostic Bible Reading Plans How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People Take the Next Step of Baptism