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Cain and Abel

Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. Genesis 4:3-5 My current jail Bible study…
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Out of Death Comes New Life

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” Genesis 4:1 I’m looking at 15-years in prison. It’s not an uncommon statement for me to hear while working in jail. I can’t imagine what it would be like to face…
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I Can’t Fix This

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 3:24 Some people suffer from excessive pessimism, always worrying that the sky is falling. I, on the other hand,…
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Discipline with Love

And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.  Genesis 3:21 Last week, my wife and son conspired to surprise me, flying him home for the week. He’s been gone all summer, counseling at a camp in Virginia, and so, it was fantastic to have him home…
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Why Does a Loving God Allow Evil and Suffering?

Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, “You shall not eat of it,” cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Genesis 3:17 In my addiction, I prayed many…
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The Fall

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 3:24 In my addiction, I had a pretty good idea of how disruptive it was going to be for…
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False Advertising

Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13 I remember, as a kid, being offended by false advertising. I’d see an amazing burger in a commercial – piled high with toppings – but when it arrived…
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The Blame Trap

“Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Genesis 3:11-12 At our Sunday morning jail Bible study, a buddy and I often meet those inmates who say…
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Naked and Afraid

But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:9-10 At one of my workplaces recently, I heard a rumor that someone was getting…
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Running from God

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8 More than nine years after my last relapse, I can still remember my…
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