Opening Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for this morning. Help us listen to your Word and trust what you say. Amen.

Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

God put Adam in a beautiful garden called Eden. It had every kind of tree you can imagine — fruit trees, shade trees, flowers everywhere. God said to Adam, “You may eat from any tree in the whole garden. Every single one. But there is one tree — the tree of the knowledge of good and evil — that you must not eat from. If you eat from it, you will die.”

Then a sneaky serpent came to the woman, Eve. He asked her, “Did God really say you can’t eat from any tree in the garden?”

Eve answered, “We can eat from the trees, but God said not to eat from that one tree in the middle, or we’ll die.”

The serpent said, “You won’t die. God knows that if you eat it, you’ll become like God.”

Eve looked at the fruit. It looked tasty. It looked beautiful. She wanted to be wise. So she took it and ate it, and she gave some to Adam, who was standing right there. He ate it too.

And then — their eyes were opened. They knew something was wrong. They felt naked and ashamed, and they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves.

What This Means

God gave Adam and Eve everything. A whole garden full of good things. Imagine someone giving you an entire candy store and saying, “It’s all yours! Every shelf, every jar. Just don’t touch that one jar on the top shelf.” That’s a pretty generous deal, right?

But the serpent was tricky. He didn’t start by saying, “Disobey God.” He started with a question: “Did God really say that?” He made Eve wonder if God was holding out on her. Like God was being unfair.

Here’s what really happened: Adam was supposed to be guarding the garden. That was his job — to take care of it and protect it. When the serpent showed up, Adam should have said, “Get out.” But he just stood there. He didn’t say a word.

And when Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they didn’t become like God. They became afraid. They hid. They tried to cover up with leaves, like putting a Band-Aid on a broken arm.

But here’s the thing we need to remember — this isn’t the end of the story. God came looking for them. He didn’t leave them hiding in the bushes. And later, God himself made them real clothes from animal skins, because their fig leaves weren’t enough. God covered their shame. That’s what God does.

Let’s Talk About It

Eberley: The serpent’s first move was to make Eve doubt God’s Word — “Did God really say…?” Where do you hear voices today that try to make you doubt what God has said? Why do you think the serpent started with a question instead of a command?

Sonja: Adam was supposed to guard the garden, but when the serpent came, he just stood there and didn’t say anything. Have you ever seen something wrong happening and stayed quiet instead of speaking up? What happened?

Dahlia & Freddy: God gave Adam and Eve a whole garden full of yummy food. Did the serpent tell the truth or a lie? What happened when Adam and Eve listened to the lie?

Remember This

The serpent’s trick is always the same — he makes us wonder if God’s Word is really true.

Closing Prayer

Lord God, the serpent is sneaky. He tries to make us doubt your Word. Help us to trust what you say, even when it’s hard. Thank you for coming to find us when we hide, and for covering our shame. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Memory Verse

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” — Matthew 4:4