Name: Genesis 1-11 God Makes a Start
ISBN: 9780829420500

Synopsis

Genesis 1-11: God Makes a Start is an excellent Bible study resource for teens wanting a better understanding of how and why God created the world, and why the earliest events of the Bible should matter to us today. The stories of Adam and Eve, of their sons Cain and Abel, of the people who provoked the flood and those who built the tower of Babel: all of these stories display our human tendency to overstep our limits as creatures, to take control of our lives apart from God, to treat one another unjustly. The Genesis accounts tell us that our unhappiness stems from our failure to trust and obey our creator. Against this background, Jesus' life and death emerge as a deliberate reversal of the deep-rooted human tendency to distrust and disobey God.

Designed as a guided discovery, Six Weeks with the Bible for Catholic Teens introduces high school students to books of the Bible by integrating the biblical text with insightful questions to help youth discern what Scripture means for their lives today. The series provides students with a clear explanation of Biblical text, opportunities for prayer, and a means to enter into conversation with God.

Recommendations

The Bible Tells Me So Uses and Abuses of Holy Scripture

by Jim Hill

Enns takes the same foundational questions Perrotta explores—why these ancient stories matter and how to read them faithfully—but pushes deeper into how modern readers can engage Scripture without flattening its complexity. Where Perrotta guides you through what Genesis means, Enns helps you understand *why* it's structured the way it is and what that tells us about God's relationship with human storytelling.

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Redeeming Love

by Francine Rivers

This is my surprise pick for you: a historical romance set during the California Gold Rush that's fundamentally about redemption and restoration—the same arc you've been studying in Genesis. Rivers weaves biblical themes of grace, trust, and transformation into a narrative that shows rather than tells, letting you experience how faith reshapes a broken life in real time, much like how the Genesis accounts reveal human nature through story.

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The Message of Genesis 12--50

by Joyce G. Baldwin

If Perrotta opened the door, Kidner invites you to linger in each room. His commentary balances scholarly insight with accessibility, exploring the theological patterns Perrotta introduces while adding layers about ancient Near Eastern context and literary structure that will deepen your appreciation for why these particular stories were preserved and shaped the way they were.

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Life Lessons from The Hiding Place Discovering the Heart of Corrie Ten Boom

by Pam Rosewell Moore

Ten Boom's memoir traces how faith in God's sovereignty sustained her through unimaginable suffering—it's Genesis's themes of trust and obedience tested in the crucible of history. Where Perrotta shows you why we struggle to trust God, ten Boom shows you what happens when ordinary people choose to trust Him anyway, making the abstract spiritual struggle you've been studying viscerally real.

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Knowing and Doing the Will of God Daily Devotions for Every Day of the Year

by J. I. Packer

Published in 1973, Packer's classic takes the relational foundation Perrotta establishes—that our unhappiness stems from failing to trust our Creator—and builds a comprehensive exploration of who God actually is and how that knowledge transforms everything. It's contemplative rather than narrative-driven, but it's the natural next step for someone ready to move from *understanding* Genesis to *knowing* the God Genesis reveals.

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