View source for The Flood - Fact or Fiction Handout (For Teens)

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=The Flood=
==Introduction==
Today we are going to talk about the flood.  Before we get into what the Bible says let's play a little advocate.  

*What scientific reasons might someone have for rejecting the idea of a global flood?
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*What philosophical/religious reasons might someone have for rejecting the idea of a global flood?
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==The Need==
*How does God describe the pre-flood earth in Genesis 6:12?
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*According to Genesis 6:13, 17, what was God's purpose in the flood?
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*According to Genesis 6:18, what was God going to do?
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*What responsibility did God give Noah in Genesis 6:19-21?
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==The Flood==
*According to Genesis 7:10, what area was effected by the flood?
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*According to Genesis 7:19,20, what area was spared from the flood?
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*According to Genesis 7:21-23, what was the extent of death from the flood?
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*According to Genesis 7:24, how long did the flood waters rise?
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==The Restoration==
*According to Genesis 8:1-3, what occurred after the waters finished rising in 7:24?
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Once you account for Genesis 7:1-8:16 we see that Noah and his family were in the ark for a total of 378 days.
*According to Genesis 9:12-17, what promise did God make?
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=Some Challenges=
==Global or Local==
Some argue that the Genesis flood was not a global flood but a local flood.
*What evidence do we have for a global flood?

==The Engineering Problem==
Building a ship is not an easy task and the engineering involves far more than taking some boards and nails.  Some suggest that Noah did not have the mathematical knowledge required to build a ship the size of the ark.
*According to the Bible, who designed the ark?

==The Animals==
In addition to criticizing the building of the ark, critics also attack the Noah's capacity to care for and provide for all the animals of the Earth.
*According to Genesis 6:15,16, how big was the ark?

=The Role of Faith=
Notice that in all of the explanations we give for a global flood we require one thing in common.  The God of the universe, the God of creation, must have supernaturally intervened to both allow the flood and protect creation during the flood.  The flood is historical truth and as such, any empirical attempt to prove the flood will be met with opposition.  In fact, there is really only one testable hypothesis of the entire account, that is God said he would never do it again.  In reality the only way to empirically prove or disprove the flood would be to disprove God's promise by having another global flood.
*According to Hebrews 11:6, what does God require from each of us?
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*Why do you suppose God has not allowed us to discover irrefutable evidence of Noah's ark?
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