Episode Overview

Theme:
This episode, titled "ALREADY GOOD," explores the opening chapters of Genesis—particularly the creation story—as told in Genesis 1–2, Moses 2–3, and Abraham 4–5. Hosts Emily Freeman (“Grace”) and David (“Dave”) Butler guide listeners through a thoughtful scripture study that reframes the creation narrative as a deeply personal story about God’s character, intentions, and grace, rather than a scientific account of how the Earth was made. The discussion emphasizes seeing goodness in progress, the lessons to be learned from each day of creation, and the assurance that both creation and people are “already good,” even in their unfinished state.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: What’s Unique about Old Testament Beginnings

• The Book of Moses vs. Genesis (01:08–02:41):

  • Dave explains that Moses 1 is a unique Joseph Smith translation and doesn’t exist in Genesis; Moses 2 matches Genesis 1.
  • He encourages comparing different accounts (Genesis, Moses, Abraham) for added insights.

• Importance of Beginnings (05:10–06:00):

  • The way something starts matters; Genesis puts God at the center from the very beginning.
  • Quote: “In the beginning, God. And I like that it starts like that and puts God at the beginning of the story.” — Dave (06:00)

2. Reading Genesis as a “Who” Story

• Genesis is about God’s Character (06:00–08:27):
  • The creation narrative isn’t a manual for “how” or “when” but a story pointing to “who” God is and why He creates.
  • Emily emphasizes: “From the very beginning of this book, that is what is the most important is him. This is his story.” — Grace (08:14)

3. Lessons from the Days of Creation

Day 1: God Brings Light Into Darkness

• “He can speak light into any situation.” — Dave (09:22)
  • No matter how empty or dark, God’s first action is to bring light.

Day 2: God is Stronger Than Chaos

• Grace highlights the symbolism of water as chaos and God’s power over it.
  • “God is stronger than chaos. God is in control of chaotic situations. God can do what no one else can do.” — Grace (12:09)
• Dave connects this to Jesus calming the storm, reinforcing God’s control over chaos (13:34).

Day 3: The Day of Double Blessings

• Noted as the only day called “good” twice—a Jewish tradition calls Tuesday the “day of double blessings.”
• Creation is gradual: God plants seeds, illustrating that good things grow slowly and imperceptibly.
  • “God understands that all good things start small, that he’s not expecting us to be full oak trees today.” — Dave (16:54)

Day 4: Rhythm, Signs, and the God Who Gives Night Lights

• Creation of sun, moon, stars—God gives light even in darkness.
  • “What I love…is that we believe in a God that gave us a night light. And he said, oh, don’t worry, when things get dark…and you feel like all light is gone, I will give you a lesser one and I will give you stars so that in all of the darkness, you can remember that you are not alone.” — Grace (21:52)
• God is in control of seasons and new beginnings.
• The rhythm and pattern of creation reflect God’s way of working in all life (25:24).

Day 5 & 6: Abundance, Variety, and Being “Image Bearers”

• God’s creation is abundant and diverse; all creatures are uniquely valued (28:29).
• The creation of humankind (“in His image”) is God’s invitation for us to experience every good thing He has—a sign of his generous parental love.
  • “We have heavenly parents who said, I want you to have every good thing, even all of the good that we have.” — Grace (31:41)
• Every person reflects God’s image; we are called to multiply, replenish, and co-create good.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Being “Already Good” (Reflecting the Episode Title):
  • “It is not complete, but it is good. It’s not finished, but it is good... I think that if God could look at each of his kids, he would say the same thing after one day, he would look and he’d say, oh, you are so good... On day one, you are already good... The full goodness that we get to experience is because there was good along the way.” — Grace (40:56–43:57)
• The Sabbath as a Gift (Rest & Rejuvenation):
  • “When you’re invited into a day of rest, you’re actually invited to spend a day in the presence of God, go into the throne room for a day, be rejuvenated, remember who He is, remember who you are, and then go out and face the week after you’ve been filled up with the grace of His presence.” — Dave (46:17)
• On Relationships and the “Ezer”:
  • The term “help meet” (ezer) is explained as essential help—used primarily for God’s own help in scripture, emphasizing the sacred strength and partnership between people.
  • “The word [‘ezer’] is used 21 times in the Old Testament, and 16 of those times are when it’s describing God... You will be the image of the necessary strength and help of God in this world.” — Dave (51:40)
• On God’s Generosity:
  • “He has spent all the first days of creation giving gifts of grace to Adam and Eve. He is a generous... God is a generous gift giver. He is a God of grace, gives us things we do not deserve. That is the first lesson we learn. And then we’re invited to enter into covenant relationship with him. But first we learn who he is before we’re ever invited.” — Dave (33:44)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |:-------------: |:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:08 | Unique intro to the Old Testament and Moses 1 | | 06:00 | Framing Genesis as a “who” story | | 09:22 | Day 1 creation—God speaks light into darkness | | 12:09 | Day 2—God greater than chaos | | 13:34 | Jesus calming the storm; chaos theme | | 16:54 | Day 3—Double blessings, gradual growth | | 21:52 | Day 4—God gives a “night light” | | 25:24 | Creation’s rhythms reflect divine patterns | | 28:29–31:41 | Lessons from days 5 and 6; variety, God's intention for humankind | | 40:56–43:57 | The main message: already good, goodness along the way | | 46:17 | Meaning of Sabbath rest—rest as God on His throne, gift of rejuvenation | | 51:40 | “Help meet” (ezer)—true strength and partnership | | 54:13 | Hebrew definition of “good”—in the widest sense, seeing the good God sees in creation and in us |

Additional Insights

• The episode encourages listeners to see God’s creative acts and their own lives as a work in progress—already good, even as they move toward completion.
• The creation story is teaching foundational truths about God’s grace, intention, and invitation to us, rather than being a textbook account of origins.
• Creation is both cosmic and personal: we are co-creators with God, called to replenish and multiply goodness in our own circles.
• Sabbath rest is reemphasized as a weekly divine retreat, a time to trust God’s control, and to be refilled with His peace.

Episode Takeaways

• God’s character is at the center of the creation story; everything else revolves around knowing and trusting Him.
• Each day’s creation, even unfinished, is good—mirroring the goodness present in us at every stage.
• Variety, abundance, and relational strength are woven into creation, inviting us to see our unique place and embrace the call to co-create and replenish good.
• True rest comes from trusting a good, present, and strong God, and taking time to be rejuvenated in His presence.
• “Already good” is both a theological truth and a comforting reminder for daily living.

For further study, listeners are encouraged to compare the different scriptural accounts and to note what each teaches about God’s heart and intentions.

Find hosts Emily (thisweeksgrace) and Dave (mrdavebutler) on Instagram, or access further resources through don’tmissthisstudy.com.