Week 1 Live Now Genesis 8-Week Group Study (By Greg and Kayla Gibson): Week 1 Participant & Leader Guide PDFs Available Now (Free Download) • Weeks 2–8 & Books 2–66 Coming Soon
↓ Free Week 1 Participant PDF (14p) ↓ Free Week 1 Leader Guide PDF (19p)
↓ Week 1 Participant PDF (14p) ↓ Week 1 Leader Guide PDF (19p)
66-Book Small Group Curriculum Library • By Greg and Kayla Gibson • ESV®

Every Book of the Bible, Structured for Deep 8-Week Small Group Fellowship

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • All 66 Books of the Bible in 8 Weeks (ESV®)

Synchronized Participant Study Editions and Leader Guide Editions across three group tracks—General / Mixed Group (for all people & co-ed groups), Men’s Study, and Women’s Study—combining ancient Near Eastern context, plain-English Hebrew & Greek word studies, and Christ-centered theology.

BOOK 01 OF 66 • PENTATEUCH ● WEEK 1 AVAILABLE NOW
GENERAL / MIXED GROUP
בְּרֵאשִׁית • BERESHIT
GENESIS
“In the Beginning” • An 8-Week Study
By Greg and Kayla Gibson
Chapters 1–50 (ESV)
Creation, Cosmos, Fall, Abrahamic Covenant & Sovereign Providence
Anchored by the 10 Hebrew Toledot Dividers
PARTICIPANT STUDY EDITION
Authors: Greg and Kayla Gibson
Active Edition: General / Mixed • Participant Study Edition
Catalog SKU: GEN-8W-GEN-PRT
Translation Compliance: ESV® Exclusively (≤500 Verses)
BOOK 01 OF 66 • GENERAL / MIXED GROUP • PARTICIPANT STUDY EDITION

Genesis: Creation, Covenant & the God Who Provides

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • General / Mixed Group • Participant Study Edition
Week 1 Free
Available Now • Weeks 2–8 Coming Soon
1. Select Group Track (3 Versions) General Live • Men's/Women's Soon
2. Select Edition Role Synchronized Text
Designed for All People — Co-Ed Small Groups, Home Fellowships, Churches & Families (Week 1 Available Now) SKU: GEN-8W-GEN-PRT

Our flagship General / Mixed Group edition of Genesis Week 1 (Genesis 1:1–2:25) is complete and ready for immediate download below! Features 100% unabridged ESV exegesis, ancient Near Eastern context, plain-English Hebrew word studies (bara, toledot, tselem, ezer kenegdo), and Christ-centered application for every believer. (Weeks 2–8 and tailored Men’s & Women’s tracks are Coming Soon.)

Word Count & Length
~43,000 Words (Full 8 Wks)
Week 1: 5,400 words • 14 Pages
8-Week Scope
Genesis 1:1–50:26 (ESV)
10 Toledot Structural Dividers
Session Architecture
6 Repeatable Movements
75–90 Min Group + Write-In Lines
Facilitation Architecture
Synchronized With Leader
Matches Leader Guide Section-by-Section
↓ Download Week 1 PDF Now (Free — Complete Week 1 Study) Participant Study Edition • 14 Pages (Gen 1:1–2:25) • Available Now
COMING SOON Full 8-Week Complete Book PDF Coming Soon (Upon Completion of Weeks 2–8)
COMING SOON Amazon KDP Paperback Workbook Coming Soon (Upon Completion of Weeks 2–8)
✦ Open-Bible Supplemental Guide: Always read your Bible directly first & keep it open alongside this study ✦ Week 1 Bonus Guide: Top 5 Translations Compared + Greg & Kayla’s Favorite Study Bibles (MacArthur ESV & ESV Study Bible)
Synchronized Two-Edition Architecture • By Greg and Kayla Gibson

How the Participant & Leader Editions Work Together

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • Synchronized Participant & Leader Editions Across 3 Group Tracks

Every study is built as a single synchronized script. Leaders never have to flip back and forth between two separate books: the Leader Guide Edition contains 100% of the Participant text word-for-word, plus interleaved [LEADER GUIDE OVERLAY] cards after each movement.

Open Participant Week 1 PDF (14p) Open Leader Guide Week 1 PDF (19p)
Participant Study Edition • Week 1 Available Now (14p Free PDF)

Participant Study Edition: Deep Reading & Group Reflection

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • Genesis Week 1 Available Now (14 Pages)
  • ✦ Complete 6-Section Weekly Study: Session Frame (X.1), Historical & Literary Context (X.2), Guided Scripture Movements 1 & 2 (X.3–X.4), Canonical Horizon to Christ (X.5), and Synthesis & Prayer (X.6).
  • ✦ Plain-English Biblical Scholarship: Spells out “ancient Near Eastern” cultural context in full and defines Hebrew terms like bara, toledot, tselem, and ezer kenegdo right in the flow of reading.
  • ✦ Print-Ready Write-In Reflection Lines: Dedicated lined note blocks beneath every group discussion prompt for personal preparation or live table notes.
Leader Guide Edition • Week 1 Available Now (19p Free PDF)

Leader Guide Edition: 100% Participant Text + Facilitation Overlays

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • Genesis Week 1 Available Now (19 Pages)
  • ◆ Includes Every Word of the Participant Study: Your page, section, and question numbers match your group members’ workbooks 100%.
  • ◆ Minute-by-Minute 80-Minute Pacing Targets: Built-in time budgets (10m Frame • 10m Context • 25m Movement 1 • 25m Movement 2 • 10m Canonical • 10m Prayer) for a 75–90 minute meeting.
  • ◆ Question-by-Question Follow-Up Probes & Pitfalls to Steer Around: Concrete coaching on how to navigate science/chronology tangents or cultural misreadings with grace and textual rigor.
GROUP TRACK 1 • WEEK 1 LIVE NOW

General / Mixed Group Study

By Greg and Kayla Gibson

Designed for all people—co-ed small groups, home fellowships, Sunday classes & families. Genesis Week 1 Participant & Leader PDFs live now.

GROUP TRACK 2 • COMING SOON

Men’s Bible Study Edition

By Greg and Kayla Gibson

Tailored application for men’s small groups, brotherhoods & morning tables (vocation, leadership, fatherhood & integrity). Coming Soon.

GROUP TRACK 3 • COMING SOON

Women’s Bible Study Edition

By Greg and Kayla Gibson

Tailored application for women’s Bible studies, sisterhoods & home groups (calling, covenant community & resilience). Coming Soon.

SMALL GROUP BUNDLE PACK

Small Group Bundle (Leader + Participant)

By Greg and Kayla Gibson

Synchronized Leader Guide (19p) + Participant Study (14p) pack for seamless table facilitation. Week 1 pack free to download now.

✦ Open-Bible Supplemental Notice • By Greg and Kayla Gibson

Read Your Bible Directly First—And Keep It Open Beside You

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • Included in Every 8-Week Study Guide

This study guide is supplemental to Scripture—it is designed to serve the biblical text, never to replace it. Always go to the Bible directly first, read the full passage in context, and keep your own Bible open alongside you throughout every group session.

Greg & Kayla’s Recommended Study Bibles (Featured in Week 1 of Every Book)
Greg’s Favorite Study Bible
The MacArthur Study Bible (ESV)

Contains extensive explanatory notes beneath almost every verse—unpacking historical, grammatical, and theological context for detailed study.

Kayla’s Favorite Study Bible
The ESV Study Bible

Contains over 20,000 study notes, full-color maps, theological articles, and book introductions across all 66 books.

Week 1 Front-Matter Guide • By Greg and Kayla Gibson

Choosing a Bible Translation: Top 5 Translations Compared

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • Featured in Genesis Week 1 Front Matter
Why Greg Loves the ESV: “Growing up as a kid, picking up the family NKJV Bible felt like reading difficult old English poetry—which is why I love the ESV today. It stays faithful to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words while remaining clear, natural, and easy to read.”
1. ESV Word-for-Word • Used Here
English Standard Version
Pros: Preserves exact wording, literary structure, and theological precision in clean modern English; ideal for deep study.
Cons: Closely follows original sentence structure, so phrasing can occasionally feel slightly more formal than everyday speech.
2. NIV Thought-for-Thought / Balance
New International Version
Pros: The most widely read modern translation; strikes a smooth, natural balance between accuracy and everyday readability.
Cons: Smoothing idioms into modern expressions can make a few literal wordplays or technical nuances less visible on the surface.
3. NLT Thought-for-Thought
New Living Translation
Pros: Warm, conversational, and effortless to read aloud over long passages; great for grasping the big picture quickly.
Cons: Prioritizes meaning over literal phrasing, so better as a companion reader than your sole text for close word study.
4. CSB Optimal Equivalence
Christian Standard Bible
Pros: Stays very close to original words whenever possible while smoothing awkward phrasing into crisp, natural modern English.
Cons: Slightly less traditional cadence in well-known verses compared to older word-for-word translations like ESV or NKJV.
5. KJV / NKJV Traditional Word-for-Word
King James / New King James
Pros: Deeply poetic, historic cadence that shaped English literature; NKJV updates archaic pronouns (“thee/thou”).
Cons: Often reads like older English poetry with complex sentence structure and formal vocabulary that is harder for sustained study.
Live Week 1 Excerpt • By Greg and Kayla Gibson

Genesis Week 1: In the Beginning (Genesis 1:1–2:25) — By Greg and Kayla Gibson

GENESIS WEEK 1 • PARTICIPANT STUDY EDITION
By Greg and Kayla Gibson
↓ Full 14p PDF
PARTICIPANT STUDY EDITION • BY GREG AND KAYLA GIBSON PAGE 6 OF 14 • WEEK 1 AVAILABLE NOW

Section 1.2 — Why Genesis Was Written: The Ancient Near Eastern Worldview Collision

Genesis is structured around ten “These are the generations of…” (toledot) headings—the Hebrew structural anchors (meaning “family history” or “the account of what came from…”) that served as the book’s original chapter dividers long before modern chapter numbers were added.

For four centuries in Egypt, Israel breathed the air of ancient Near Eastern mythology. In the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish, creation is born out of cosmic violence (Chaoskampf), and humans are fashioned from the blood of a slain rebel god to serve as forced laborers feeding hungry deities. Against that backdrop, Genesis 1–2 lands as a breathtaking counter-story: Elohim speaks without rival, the sun and moon are merely created lamps, and every human being—male and female alike—is crowned as God’s royal image-bearer (tselem).

1.2 Q1 (Group Discussion): Put yourself in the sandals of a formerly enslaved Israelite at Mount Sinai. How would hearing that you are God’s “royal representative” rather than a slave reshape your identity?
GENESIS WEEK 1 • LEADER GUIDE EDITION
By Greg and Kayla Gibson
↓ Full 19p PDF
LEADER GUIDE EDITION • BY GREG AND KAYLA GIBSON PAGE 8 OF 19 • WEEK 1 AVAILABLE NOW
◆ LEADER GUIDE OVERLAY — SECTION 1.2 & 1.3 PACING: 10 MINS + 25 MINS
• Research Integration Pointer: Have two participants read the Ancient Near Eastern vs. Genesis Worldview Table aloud—one reading the “Ancient Near Eastern Pagan Myths” column and the other reading “Genesis 1–2 (ESV).” Hearing the contrast out loud makes the polemical power of Genesis click immediately.
• Hebrew Word Study Quick-Reference:
— Bara (1:1, 21, 27): Used exclusively with God as subject; effortless sovereign initiation.
— Tselem & Demut (“image and likeness,” 1:26–27): In the ancient Near East, only pharaohs were called the “image” of a god. Genesis democratizes royal dignity to all humanity.
— Ezer Kenegdo (“helper fit for him,” 2:18): Appears 21 times in the OT—16 times of God Himself rescuing Israel in battle (Ps 121:1–2). Never means “junior assistant”; denotes a vital, equal-status ally.
• Pitfall to Steer Around (Age-of-the-Earth Debates): If a participant steers into physics or creation-date debates, affirm their love for Scripture’s authority and gently redirect: “Christians who love the inerrant Word hold different views on timing, but notice what Moses is pressing on Israel here: Genesis 1 is structured as a cosmic temple inauguration. What does that tell us about our purpose?”
Complete 8-Week Curriculum Architecture • By Greg and Kayla Gibson

The 8-Week Genesis Study Map & Its Toledot Backbone

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • Book 01 of 66: Genesis (Chapters 1–50, ESV®)
What Is a Toledot? Long before chapter and verse numbers were added in the Middle Ages, Genesis was organized around ten recurring Hebrew headings: ’elleh toledot (“These are the generations of…” or “This is the family history / account of what came from…”). Each toledot acts as a built-in lens adjustment zooming from the cosmos to a chosen covenant line.
Week Session Title & ESV Scripture Scope Literary / Toledot Structural Anchor Core Theological & Group Focus
Week 1
Available Now — Free Download & Reader
 Creation, Cosmos & Covenant Rest: Cosmic Temple, Royal Image-Bearers & Intimate Sanctuary (Gen 1:1–2:25) Cosmic Prologue (1:1–2:3) + Toledot 1a: Heavens & Earth (2:4–25) Creation as cosmic temple, Imago Dei royal priesthood, Sabbath rest, vocation, and covenant marriage.
Week 2
Coming Soon
 The Fall & Life East of Eden (Gen 3:1–5:32) Coming Soon Toledot 1b (3:1–4:26) + Toledot 2: Adam’s Line (5:1–32) Anatomy of temptation, fractured shalom, the Protoevangelium (3:15), Cain & Abel, and Seth’s line of hope.
Week 3
Coming Soon
 Cosmic De-Creation, Covenant Reboot & Babel (Gen 6:1–11:26) Coming Soon Toledot 3: Noah (6:9–9:29), Toledot 4: Sons of Noah (10:1–11:9) & Toledot 5: Shem Grief of God’s heart, judgment and ark grace, Noahic rainbow covenant, and Babel’s imperial pride vs. God’s scattering.
Week 4
Coming Soon
 The Call of Abram & Covenant of Grace (Gen 11:27–17:27) Coming Soon Toledot 6a: Terah’s Line Through Abram (11:27–17:27) Fivefold blessing to undo the curses (12:1–3), justification by faith (15:6), smoking firepot covenant, and Hagar seen by El Roi.
Week 5
Coming Soon
 Promise Tested: Laughter, Judgment & Moriah (Gen 18:1–25:18) Coming Soon Toledot 6b: Abraham’s Maturity (18:1–25:11) + Toledot 7: Ishmael (25:12–18) Hospitality at Mamre, intercession for Sodom, Isaac’s birth, and the Mount Moriah Aqedah (“The Lord Will Provide,” ch. 22).
Week 6
Coming Soon
 The Heel-Grabber’s Exile: Stairs to Heaven (Gen 25:19–31:55) Coming Soon Toledot 8a: Isaac’s Line Through Jacob (25:19–31:55) Sovereign election, stolen blessing, Bethel’s stairway (ch. 28), and God’s Refining school in Laban’s household.
Week 7
Coming Soon
 Wrestling With God at the Jabbok: Israel Renamed (Gen 32:1–36:43) Coming Soon Toledot 8b: Return to Canaan (32:1–35:29) + Toledot 9: Esau (36:1–43) Limp of grace at Peniel (32:22–32), tearful reconciliation with Esau, Dinah & Shechem, and covenant renewal at Bethel.
Week 8
Coming Soon
 From the Pit to the Palace: Sovereign Providence (Gen 37:1–50:26) Coming Soon Toledot 10: Jacob’s Family Through Joseph & Judah (37:2–50:26) Joseph’s testing, Judah’s transformation and substitution (ch. 38 & 44), royal scepter promise (49:8–12), and providence (50:20).
Complete Canonical Curriculum Roadmap • By Greg and Kayla Gibson

The 66-Book 8-Week Bible Study Library

By Greg and Kayla Gibson • Complete 66-Book Old & New Testament Curriculum

Browse all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. Every book follows our signature 8-week group architecture across 3 Group Tracks (General / Mixed Group, Men’s Study & Women’s Study) and synchronized Participant & Leader Editions. Click any book to view its 8-week scope and edition options.

Showing 66 of 66 Canonical Books