INTRODUCTION

The Ripple Effect

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve experienced a level of intimacy and quality of access to God that no other human being has known. They walked with God, talked with God, and spent uninterrupted time in God’s presence. Their relationship with God was direct— uninfluenced and unmediated by anyone else.

But once sin entered the world, that dynamic changed. Isaiah 59:2 tells us, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you.” The closeness once shared was fractured. Important to note, it’s not that sin makes God move away from us; the imagery in Isaiah illustrates that our selfish actions and thoughts can cause us to neglect God.

Instead of personal proximity like Adam and Eve had, our understanding and relationship with God became deeply influenced by others. That truth carries weight. It reminds us that our influence matters. The way we live out our faith matters.

This lesson explores how relationships and trust continue to bring people to Christ or turn them away.

Read: JOHN 1:35-42