Characteristics of God: A Study of Genesis and Exodus is a ten-chapter adult Christian education curriculum. It is designed to take three semesters to complete based on leader-lead exercises in each chapter. The time line will depend on both the ability of the leader to draw out responses from the class participants, and the comfort level the group feels in discussing spiritual beliefs. There are multiple thought-provoking questions in each chapter—some profoundly challenging and others simply reminders of what Christianity means to the living of each day. Each chapter is followed by a guide for the study leader that offers supplemental material for further explanation, and suggestions on how to handle issues that may evoke controversy.

The main focus of this study is on what the first two books of the Bible tell us about the Creator God. It is not a book about how creation occurred, but about Who created—how He related in history to His creation, and what that means for our lives in the modern world. We learn some very reassuring things about God in Genesis and Exodus: He creates, prefers goodness in the cosmos, provides for our needs, and cares about us. God’s judgment is tempered with mercy. God is willing to hear our prayers and grant our requests. His actions are restorative and for the overall good of His creation.

M. Gail Hill is a retired nurse and former missionary to Bangalore, India. In thirty-plus years of university-level teaching, she gained extensive experience in the development of curricula. She has a doctoral degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed required studies for mission work at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Her publications include a textbook on trauma nursing, and articles in various professional journals. She currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama, and is an active member of her church.

Valerie Burton currently serves the Baptist Church of the Covenant in Birmingham, Alabama, as Associate Pastor for Christian Formation. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee, and a Master of Divinity from the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia. During more than twenty-five plus years of ministry, she has written children’s and youth curricula for her own congregations, for Passport Youth Camps, and for Youth Missions with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. She has published devotions for Reflections magazine; and multiple items for D365.org, an online devotional site. Valerie and her husband Allan have two children, Carter and Marshall