Genesis is the book of beginnings. But it is also a book about God. "In the beginning God" is the opening freeze-frame of the Bible. If we go back in time before the world sprung into being, we find God. If we ask where the world came from, Genesis answers: God. If we wonder why the universe continues to operate in an orderly, timely, predictable fashion, the answer in Genesis is God. And as we ponder how all this ancient information has been preserved and passed down to us, the answer again is God, who gave this book to Moses and had him write it down for the ages.

Kurt Strassner leads readers through Genesis with clarity and application, showing its vital relevance to our modern world.

Although the Bible can seem incomprehensible, the Opening Up the Bible series is designed to provide a basic grounding and introduction to the individual books within it. These simple (but not simplistic) tools will help individuals and small groups understand God’s Word, no matter what background or knowledge they already have.

Each volume takes you section-by-section through the covered book, opening up God's word with wisdom, insight, and practical application. Additionally, the "For Further Study" points at the end of a section provide guidance to other areas of scripture that further illuminate the lesson, and the "To Think About and Discuss" section provides thought-provoking questions that can be used by both individuals and groups to gain understanding and apply the subject matter to life today.

Kurt Strassner is pastor of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Mississippi and attended seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. He is married to Tobey, a homemaker, and together they have three children. Opening up Genesis is his first publication.