From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is an interconnected story of Jesus past, present, and future. Like the best-designed games, the Bible teaches its world, lore, and gameplay through mechanics built into the text. **Good games and good stories are both well-designed, and learning to recognize intentional design in games can help us spot God’s intentional design in Scripture. Last time, we looked at the design principles in the first screen of _Super Mario 1-1_. The order was intentional: empty space and safe ground let you learn movement, then the first Goomba teaches jumping. Blocks above it add a second layer—jumping hits blocks, revealing their functions and power-ups. The level is structured to teach mechanics gradually and safely. **Did any of you go back and replay the level or watch the video I shared?** ### Genesis 1 Patterns, Motifs & Phrases Recap - **Repeated Phrases** - “And God said…” → introduction of each creative act. - “Let there be…” → command initiating creation. - “God saw that it was good” → affirmation of creation’s goodness (except Day 2). - **Pairings** - heaven and earth, day and night, male and female, according to their kind. - **Temple Structure** - Creation as God’s temple; humans as His image bearers with purpose, authority, and relational capacity. Humans are made last but given first responsibility. - **Order of Creation** - Days 1–3: forming spaces (light/dark, sky/waters, land/vegetation). - Days 4–6: filling spaces (sun/moon/stars, birds/fish, animals/humans). - Day 7: rest and completion. - **Motifs** - God brings order from chaos, often associated with water. - Seven as a pattern of holiness (days, goodness, Hebrew words). - **“Let us make man in our image”** # **Versatile Verbs in Games** Today: focus on _versatile verbs_ in games. A **versatile verb** is a single core action that can be used in many different ways depending on context. It’s not just pressing a button or doing one simple thing. Instead, it’s a move that: - changes with the environment or interaction around it. - Provides depth without needing endless separate actions. - Reduces the number of buttons needed. Designer Chris Crawford was the first to popularize the term “verb” in game design. You can also check out _A Game Design Vocabulary: Exploring the Foundational Principles Behind Good Game Design_ by Anna Anthropy and Naomi Clark for more on the concept. In the original _Kirby Air Ride_ (2003), the entire game was controlled with **one button**. If you **hold A while racing**, Kirby slows down and charges energy. When you **release A**, he bursts forward in a boost. That same charge-and-release also controls drifting—while turning, you hold A to slide through the corner and then release to rocket out. The verb changes even further when you encounter an enemy. Pressing A makes Kirby inhale them. Keep holding A, and he swallows the enemy to copy its ability. Once you have a power, pressing the same A button activates it. In other words, this one verb—pressing A—transforms into multiple types of attacks based on context. The A button in _Kirby Air Ride_ is a **versatile verb**: one simple action that adapts to what Kirby is doing. Boost, drift, inhale, attack, interact—it all comes from the same input. This simplicity was Sakurai’s design choice, making the game approachable for newcomers but deep once players mastered the timing. In **Kirby Air Riders (2025)**, the controls expand to **two main buttons**, while keeping the same philosophy. One button is still dedicated to acceleration/charge and general interactions (B), while the second button (Y) now handles “Special Move” triggers. Once full, pressing Y unleashes a unique, powerful ability—like Kirby’s Ultra Sword or King Dedede’s Jet Hammer—that can heavily influence the race. Compare this to _Mario Kart_. In _Mario Kart_, each button usually maps to a **single, narrow verb**: A for accelerate, B for brake, R for drift, L for items. Each action does exactly one thing and doesn’t adapt to context, its verbs aren’t very versatile. Throwing an item is just throwing an item; braking is just braking. They don’t change function or expand into multiple roles depending on the situation. **Question to audience**: _What other versatile verbs from games can you think of?_ # **Versatile Verbs in the Bible** One action in a game can do many things; similarly, one core reality in Scripture—God’s Word—shows up in many ways. It’s not a one-to-one comparison, but it’s helpful. Just like a single action in a game can branch into many uses, a single idea in Scripture can show up in different ways across the Bible. I think it would be in the idea of a single core theme/concept that is used in many different ways depending on the context, but always rooted back to how it was introduced. Lets take a look back to Genesis 1 and see if we can find ourselves a good core move or theme. Genesis 1 is full of these "versatile verbs” or core themes, some of these include: - Creation - Temple / Dwelling - Order from Chaos - God’s Word - Blessing (Life & Fruitfulness) - Rest / Sabbath / Seven - Life from Death - Rights & Roles Each of these shows up in multiple ways throughout the Bible, and just like a versatile verb in a game, each leads to multiple outcomes yet always traces back to its original introduction. Before I go into the main theme, or biblical "verb" of the study: *Can you think about things in the Bible that comes back to how it's used in Genesis?* ## **A. God’s Word as a Verb **Core Verb Concept:** _Speak / Order / Live by Wisdom_ I want us to take a look at something we noted last time in our study: God's Speech or God's Word. God’s Word isn’t just talking — it **actively shapes reality**. When He speaks: - Light appears and separates from darkness. - Sky and waters are divided and land is formed. - Plants, animals, and humans are brought into being. God’s Word in Genesis is a **core action or theme** that will be though even to the last page of the bible. It sets the world in motion, brings order out of chaos, and fills creation with life. Later, we’ll see how this “verb” shows up again in other parts of Scripture (Psalm 29:3–9,Isaiah 55:10–11), such as the Miracles of Jesus (Mark 1:41,2:5,4:39,5:41; John 11:43;Luke 7:14–15;Matthew 8:8, 13) In Genesis, God **speaks** and things happen. His Word creates light, separates waters, forms land, and fills the world with life. His word is the very fabric of reality itself! > [!bible]+ [Psalm 33:6 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/19/33/) > ^**6**By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. %% #Psalm #Psalm33 %% > [!bible]+ [Jeremiah 10:12 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/24/10/) > ^**12**[It is] He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. %% #Jeremiah #Jeremiah10 %% > [!bible]+ [Psalm 104:24 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/19/104/) > ^**24**O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions. %% #Psalm #Psalm104 %% > [!bible]+ [Isaiah 55:10-11 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/23/55/) > ^**10**'For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; ^**11**So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding [in the matter] for which I sent it. %% #Isaiah #Isaiah55 %% Question: *What are some different ways God's Word shows up across the Bible?* ### **A1 Mario's Expanded Verbs** Mario's jump is a prime example of a **versatile verb** because a single action can lead to a massive number of different outcomes. In his first appearance in _Donkey Kong_, Mario's jump was basic. He had one jump standing and one while running. There was no mid-air control or other animations. In theory, it could have been mapped to three buttons, left right and center jump. In modern Mario games like Super Mario 3D World, players can influence the **length, height, angle, and landing zone** of the jump. Players can also **move in mid-air**, perform different jumps by starting with a **spin or an abrupt turn**, Mario can transition in and out of different moves, spring off walls and bounce on Koopa shells and triple jump, wall jump. Question *What’s a move in a game that looked basic at first but surprised you with how many ways it could be used?* ### **A2 God's Word is Wisdom!** But just like Mario’s jump, which starts simple but expands in depth, **God’s Word begins in Genesis as speech that creates, and then expands across the Old Testament in new and richer ways.** One of the biggest expansions comes in the book of **Proverbs**. The book of **Proverbs** (written in poetry) introduces us to **Wisdom**—often personified as a woman. In Hebrew, the word for wisdom (_ḥokmāh_) is feminine - like how a ship in Spanish is feminine. Proverbs 3:15 describes her as _“more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her.”_ Wisdom is portrayed not just as valuable advice, but as a **living presence woven into creation itself**. > [!bible]+ [Proverbs 3:13-22 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/20/3/) > ^**13**How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. ^**14**For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. ^**15**She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. ^**16**Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. ^**17**Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. ^**18**She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. ^**19**The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. ^**20**By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. ^**21**My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, ^**22**So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. %% #Proverbs #Proverbs3 %% Proverbs is famous for teaching that _“the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”_ Reverence for God is the starting point, but wisdom is also tied to **humility and discipline**, guiding everyday life—relationships, money, work, speech, and emotions. To pursue wisdom is to walk in the way of life (Prov 4:10–20; 19:8). This mirrors the teaching of Moses in the Torah, where God gives laws, instructions, and boundaries for how Israel is to live in a covenant relationship with Him. Like I foreshadowed earlier when we read the earlier verses God’s Word, Proverbs shows that Wisdom is directly connected to how God created the heavens and the earth when He spoke. It’s not just advice for daily living—**Wisdom is woven into the very fabric of creation itself.** > [!bible]+ [Proverbs 8:22-31 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/20/8/) > %% #Proverbs #Proverbs8 %% Here Wisdom speaks as if present at creation, delighting in God’s work. This echoes Genesis 1:3–31, where God spoke light, sky, land, and seas into being. **God’s Word and Wisdom are two sides of the same act of creation: His Word brings reality into existence, and Wisdom is the structure and order of that reality.** While Proverbs is mainly poetry, this does not make its teaching about Wisdom any less real or authoritative. As we’ve already seen in Jeremiah and the Psalms, Wisdom is firmly connected to God’s act of creation in Genesis. Proverbs continues this theme, showing that Wisdom is present at the foundation of the world, guiding God’s ordering of reality. **Wisdom and God’s Word are inseparable, and both are integral to how God brings life and order into creation.** Question *How do you see Wisdom as part of creation, not just good advice?* To live in Wisdom is to align yourself with God’s creation; to reject Wisdom is to slip back into chaos, disorder, and death. Moses consistently described obedience to God and His Word as a path that leads to life, order, and blessing. This principle is illustrated in **Numbers 21:4–9**: when Israel grumbled and rejected God’s way, the LORD sent venomous serpents among them as an act of judgment. Their rebellion against His Word provoked His wrath, and death and disorder spread through the camp. #### **B. Chaos To Life** **Core Verb Concept:** _Shape / Bring Order / Establish Habitable Space_ God takes chaos and darkness, evil itself, and shapes it into something good (Gen 1:2, 6–10). - **Israel in Exodus / Red Sea (Exodus 14):** God parts chaotic waters and delivers His people from slavery, turning danger into freedom and new life. - **Wilderness and Land Renewal (Exodus 16–17; Numbers 20; Isaiah 35; Ezekiel 36:33–36):** God provides food and water in the desert, restores barren land, and transforms desolation into a fertile, life-giving environment. Question: *Where else in the Bible does this concept show up?* ### Combing Versatile Verbs In games, simple verbs can combine to create new, more complex actions. Going back to Mario for a moment, we can see how one verb—his jump—can be combined with other verbs to produce advanced moves: - **B (Run) + A (Jump) → Long Jump** - **Z (Crouch) + A (Jump) → Backflip** - **Z (Crouch) + A (Jump) in midair → Ground Pound**, which can even spring into another jump. These combinations feel natural because they arise logically from the original actions. It’s not just pressing two unrelated buttons like A + START. Instead of focusing on which buttons to press, it helps to think in terms of **combining verbs**—what move would intuitively emerge from the interaction of existing actions. Games like _Super Smash Bros_ also use this principle. The core controls—A for attack, B for special, Z for shield, plus jump and movement—combine with directional inputs to create a wide variety of outcomes. The same buttons produce different results depending on timing, context, and direction, teaching players **how and when to execute moves within the game’s rules**. #### Combining Verbs in Scripture: Just as in games where combining simple verbs creates new moves, Scripture shows that God’s Word and actions can combine in different ways to reveal deeper truths. When we were discussing Mario's advanced moves, you may have noticed you almost never need to do any of these to get to the end of a Mario game. They're just extra skills for pro players who want to express themselves, collect certain secrets, or reduce their completion time. This can be applied to Scripture as well. You don't have to do these larger studies to understand the basic Gospel message. When we take core biblical “verbs” like God’s Word, Wisdom, Blessing, and Creation, and allow them to interact in our lives, we discover patterns, principles, and insights that would remain hidden if we only considered them in isolation. For example, God’s Word shapes creation, His Wisdom orders life, and His Blessing brings fruitfulness—together, they guide us in navigating life with purpose and understanding. However, ignoring God’s Word and His prescribed way of life can lead to **chaos, brokenness, and even death**. The Bible repeatedly shows that rejecting His commands results in harm, but as the natural consequence of going against the design and order God has built into reality. Think back to the story of Israel in **Numbers 21:4–9**, where Israel’s rebellion brings venomous serpents into the camp. But the story did not end there. When we combine **A (Wisdom / God’s Word)** and **B (Life From Death)**, we see a pattern. During the rebellion, the people suffer greatly and many die, but Moses lifts up a bronze serpent on a pole. Those who listens to Gods word and look at the repent are healed and restored to life. The serpent becomes both a warning and a means of salvation—a tangible way to experience God’s Word bringing life from danger and death. God’s restorative power demonstrates that even when we fail to follow His Word and Wisdom, He can bring life from death. Just as a well-designed game allows a player to learn from mistakes and try again, Scripture shows that God can take brokenness, sin, and chaos and transform it into new life. - **Israel in Exile / Return (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Ezra, Nehemiah):** God rebuilds Jerusalem and the covenant community from destruction and displacement. The Biggest example of this is found is the larger story of Israel. Over many years, Israel failed to be the covenant people and were forced into exile. The people wonders if God had left them in chaos, would He send his Word to save them? This ultimate fulfillment is found in **Jesus Christ**, who embodies the perfect combination of God’s Word, Wisdom, and Life from Death. Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus brings order to sin, wisdom to the broken, and eternal life from death. Looking to Him is seeing God’s Word fully enacted, bringing restoration and salvation to all who believe. > [!bible]+ [John 1:1-4 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/43/1/) > ^**1**In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ^**2**He was in the beginning with God. ^**3**All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. ^**4**In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. %% #John #John1 %% > [!bible]+ [John 1:14 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/43/1/) > ^**14**And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. %% #John #John1 %% > [!bible]+ [John 3:14-15 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/43/3/) > ^**14**'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; ^**15**so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. %% #John #John3 %% > [!bible]+ [John 1:12 - NASB](https://bolls.life/NASB/43/1/) > ^**12**But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, [even] to those who believe in His name, %% #John #John1 %%