1. And They Walked with God Chapter 3 Cheating God: The Way of Cain Gen. 4:1-17 This Weeks Life Lesson from Above and Beyond Ministries a Living Truth Ministry A Living Truth Ministry All Materials are Copy Right protected. And are written by Dr. Cheryl A. Durham, B.P.Min, M.Min, D.B.S President Living Truth Director, Above & Beyond Discipleship Ministries

2. One of the interesting things about the Bible is that it gives us a picture of man’s heart that transcends time and culture. While God is infinite in His ability to deal with us, we are limited in our range of behavioral choices, even though we often desire more. Our desires, if left unchecked can get us into deep and very hot water. This was the problem with Cain. God sent Adam and Eve away from the Garden covered in animal skins. Contrary to what some may say, this was not because He thought Adam and Eve might get cold outside of the Garden. God’s covering of Adam and Eve was a necessary act because of His just character. It came at the cost of the innocent life of at least one animal. God cannot commune with sin. In order for Him to continue a relationship with His creation, He had to make atonement for their sin. Since there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood, a sacrifice was necessary in order to preserve man. The fact that this occurred is not lost in the story of Cain and Abel. We see right away that both Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God. They were aware that they had a covenantal relationship to the God of their father, and that there were requirements to uphold in that covenant. It is how they honored or dishonored the covenant that resulted in either God’s praise or displeasure towards them. Let us dissect the downward spiral of Cain’s choice. Pg 1 of 4