The Gathering Clouds: Great Wickedness

Connection

Make sure to spend some time catching up with one another and share your highs and lows of the week.

Worship

Song suggestion: Tremble

Bible

This week we began our series on Noah by exploring the depth of sin in the world, which ultimately leads to God’s decision to send the flood. We focused on how sin makes us spiritually vulnerable to forces of evil — forces that seek to prevent us from encountering Jesus, the only mediator who offers life rather than destruction. Humanity’s turn toward ungodly spiritualities or self-reliance leads to God’s grief, His judgment, and ultimately His grace — a grace that brings life out of death.

Read Genesis 6:1–8

Counterfeit Spirituality

In verses 1–2, we see spiritual forces taking advantage of human vulnerability, offering a counterfeit spirituality — one that may promise power or insight but ultimately leads to destruction.

  • Where do we see this kind of counterfeit spirituality in our culture today — in media, friendship circles, or the university environment?

  • In what ways are we ourselves tempted to rely on spirituality apart from Jesus — or even on ourselves — for security, peace, or meaning?

The Danger of Spiritualised Ambition

The Nephilim represent a distorted picture of greatness — impressive, powerful, but spiritually bankrupt.

  • Where do you see the temptation to equate success with God’s blessing?

  • How can we guard against spiritualising ambition and instead root our value in our relationship with Jesus?

  • What is one practical way you can fix your trust on Jesus this week rather than on worldly success or recognition?

God’s Grief and Grace

In verses 5–6, we see God’s deep grief over human sin. Yet even in judgment, God extends grace. This pattern — God suffers, God grieves, God gives grace — ultimately points to the cross.

  • How does understanding God’s grief over sin affect your view of Him?

  • What does it mean that God still chooses to work through people who grieve His heart?

  • How can we reflect this pattern of grace in our own lives and communities?

Prayer

  • Pray that God would reveal any areas where you're trusting in something other than Jesus — whether it's worldly success, spiritual experiences, or your own efforts — for salvation, safety, or identity.

  • Ask God to sharpen your spiritual discernment and to help you, your group, and your church community to lead others away from false light and toward the true light of Christ.