TAKEAWAY: We are created co-creators - God invites us to live not just as created beings, but as creative beings partnering with Him.

HEAD CHANGE: Faith includes responsibility - Our greatest resource to God's kingdom is our lives and what we do with what He's given us.

HEART CHANGE:  Cultivation requires intention - We're called to "rule" (rada) and "subdue" our environments, bringing life and beauty forth.

LIFE CHANGE: Seasons matter - Not every season is harvest; some are for sowing, pruning, and preparation.

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In this sermon, we are invited to reimagine what it truly means to be image-bearers of God.

Drawing from Genesis 1:26–28, we discovered that being made in God’s image isn’t just about identity—it’s about activity. The Hebrew word selem reveals that we are God’s living statues—royal representatives declaring His reign in every space we inhabit. This realization transforms how we see our Monday mornings, our workplaces, our marriages, and even the mundane moments like doing laundry. Faith, then, isn’t merely about eternal security—it’s about embracing our present responsibility as co-creators with God.

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The invitation isn’t passive; it’s participatory. We’re called to rule (rada) and subdue our environments, bringing order, beauty, and life to the spaces entrusted to us. Whether we’re building spreadsheets, teaching students, raising children, or working construction, we’re cultivating gardens.

So the question remains: Where are we actively partnering with God to transform our world?
Are we simply existing as created beings, or are we living as creative beings?

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This shift in perspective transforms every blank-canvas moment—every conversation, every workday, every relationship—into an opportunity to paint something beautiful with God.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. The pastor asked, "What's God's perspective on the plans and goals you're currently working on?" How often do you bring your goals to God before pursuing them?

2. Which "napkin moments" in your life have you been discarding as ordinary that God might be inviting you to cultivate?

3. The sermon mentioned that Jesus was a carpenter before becoming a rabbi. How does knowing Jesus worked with His hands change your view of "secular" work?

4. Discuss this quote: "In Genesis we find not the beginning of creation, but the beginning of responsibility." How does this challenge or encourage you?

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PRAYER:  Pray for each person by name, asking God to:

• Give fresh vision for cultivation in their specific areas

• Provide creativity and energy for the work ahead

• Help them see every moment as an opportunity to partner with Him

• Grant grace for whatever season they're walking through

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"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, our likeness. Andqlet them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26

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