Bible Study

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1 Samuel: Lesson 9 — King Me

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 9 (King Me)
1 Samuel 8:1 – 22

The Text:

  1. What was Samuel’s plan for leadership in Israel as he grew old?  How did his sons live?
     
  2. What did the elders of Israel want Samuel to do?  What was their reasoning?
     
  3. How did Samuel take the request from Israel’s elders?  What bothered Samuel out of their conversation?  Do you think this should have been his main concern?
     
  4. What is God’s response to Samuel?  Who does God say the request of the elders is against? 
     
  5. What things does God tell Samuel to tell the people regarding their request?  Do these sound like encouraging or good things?  How do the people respond?

   

The Application:

  1. What legacy do you hope to leave?  Do you have, have you had, plans for your children?  How easy/hard is it to see our children as others see them? 
     
  2. What do you do when you don’t like the leaders who are over you?  How tempting is it to criticize rather than acknowledge God’s placing them where they are?  In what ways do Christians today often want leadership to look like it does everywhere else?   
     
  3. How personally do you take it when people reject what you stand for?  Does their rejection cause you to miss the reasons they may be sharing?  Are you more concerned about your position or about listening and doing right?   
     
  4. When you are living your life for God and people reject what you stand for, who are they really rejecting?  How hard is it to still listen to their concerns and warn them of the consequences of rejecting God?
     
  5. What are some of the consequences today of rejecting God as your King and serving something/someone else?  Even when we know the costs of serving something/someone else, why do we do that?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 9:1 -10:8
The Search Is On

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1 Samuel: Lesson 8 — For Crying Out Loud

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 8 (For Crying Out Loud)
1 Samuel 7:2 – 17

The Text:

  1. How long did the ark stay at Kiriath Jearim?  What was the attitude of the people toward God during this time?
     
  2. What did Samuel tell the people they must do if they really wanted to return to God?  How did the people respond?
     
  3. Why did the Israelites gather at Mizpah?  What did the Philistines do when they heard this? How did the Israelites feel about this?
     
  4. What did the Israelites ask Samuel to do?  What did he do?  What did God do? 
     
  5. After the battle, what did Samuel do?  Why?  What happened during the rest of Samuel’s lifetime?

   

The Application:

  1. How often do you recognize God’s presence in your life?  Are there times/places it is more noticeable than others?  What does the recognition of God’s presence do to your attitude toward Him?
     
  2. How easy/hard is it to have your desire for God match your actions toward God?  Are there things He may be calling you to get rid of, stop doing, etc, that currently hold part of your heart?  
       
  3. Does it ever seem like Satan’s attacks are more bold at times when you are most focused on doing what is right?  What is your reaction when you are under attack or it appears like you might come under attack?  
       
  4. Do you have someone who will cry out to God with you for deliverance at the times the enemy gathers against you?  How easy/hard is it to worship in the midst of an impending attack?
     
  5. When God wins the battles you face, what do you do?  How committed are you to serving the Lord God all the days of your life?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 8:1 -22
King Me!

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1 Samuel: Lesson 7 — Follow The Cows

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 6 (Follow The Cows)
1 Samuel 6:1 – 7:1

The Text:

  1. How long did the Philistines have the ark?  Who did they go to for advice on what to do with it?  What was their concern?
      
  2. Why was a guilt offering recommended?  What was it to consist of?  What comparison is made?
      
  3. By what means is it proposed that the ark be sent back to Israel? What do they surmise would be proof that God was behind the disaster the Philistines were in?  Would it have been unusual to expect these events to happen as they proposed without God being involved?  Why or why not?
      
  4. What happened when the ark was sent on its way?  What did the Philistine rulers do?  Where did it end up?  What did the people there do with the ark and the cows? 
      
  5. What happened to some of the men of Beth Shemesh?  Why?  How did the rest of the people respond?  What did they end up doing with the ark?

   

The Application:

  1. How easy/hard is it to admit something is not good for you or bringing you harm?  Who would you go to for advice on how to remove it from your life?
      
  2. What do you think the purpose of a guilt offering was/is?  What might be some benefits of that today?  Can  our refusal to admit guilt at times be a sign we may have hardened our hearts?   
      
  3. Do you ever test God?  At times people say we “should try something so big that if God isn’t in it, it will fail”.  Is that Biblical?  What do you think of it?  What does God think about us testing Him? 
      
  4. What is your response to God’s presence in your life?
      
  5. Are there times our disobedience to God might cause us to question our standing with God?  How fearful of God are you . . . Should you be?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 7:2 -7:17
For Crying Out Loud

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1 Samuel: Lesson 6 — The Right Thing In The Wrong Place

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 6 (The Right Thing In The Wrong Place)
1 Samuel 5:1-12

The Text:

  1. What did the Philistines capture?  How significant was this?  What did they do with it?
      
  2. What did the Philistine people discover when they went to the temple of Dagon in the morning?  What did they do?  What did they find the next morning?
      
  3. What was happening to the people of Ashdod?  What was the cause?  What did they decide to do?
      
  4. What happened when the Philistines moved the ark to Gath?  What was their solution?
        
  5. How did the people of Ekron feel about the ark coming to their city?  Why did they feel this way?  What was happening to them?  What did they decide needed done?

 

The Application:

  1. What are some sacred items in your life?  What makes them sacred?  How would you feel if someone took them?
      
  2. Thinking of those sacred items, where do they rate in relation to God?  Are there things/symbols/practices that you rely on that God has/would expose as powerless?   
      
  3. How often do you consider the possibility of God’s judgment when things don’t go well?  How hard is it to consider God’s anger directed toward others?  . . . Toward yourself?
        
  4. How common is it to simply pass along misfortune to someone else?  Why do we do that?
      
  5. What makes it so hard to recognize God’s hand in the midst of hardship?  What is the proper response when we realize bad things are happening as a result of our sin or disrespect of God?  Why is that so hard to do?
     

Next week: 1 Samuel 6:1-7:1
Follow The Cows

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1 Samuel: Lesson 5 — What’s In Your Box?

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 5 (What’s In Your Box)
1 Samuel 4:1-21

The Text:

  1. As chapter 4 opens, what do the Israelites set out to do?  Why would they do this?  How does it go for them?
      
  2. How did the elders of Israel take the news of what had happened?  What was their solution to getting the outcome they wanted?  Who are a part of that solution?
      
  3. What reaction do the Israelites have?  What is the reaction of the Philistines?  What was the result this time around?  Why do you think it didn’t’ go as expected?
      
  4. When the messenger returns from the battle line, where is Eli?  Why?  How did Eli respond to the news he received? 
      
  5. What do we learn about Eli’s daughter-in-law?  How did the news of the day affect her?  What does she do?  What is the name given her son?  Why?

The Application:

  1. How do you decide what “battles” to take on?  How do you approach your enemies?  How does that typically work out for you?
     
  2. Who do you go to when you are defeated in your “battles”?  What is their response?  What “Arks” might be suggested as the secret weapon in winning?
         
  3. How do people respond to the symbols of God’s presence that you may carry?  Does having a symbol of God’s presence mean that you have God’s presence?
     
  4. How valuable are the things of God to you?  Are there things of God that would cause you to “fall apart” if they were taken from you?  How can you avoid that?
     
  5. As you think about the boy Ichabod, how accurate was his name, “no glory” at that time in Israel?  Are there times you look around and feel the glory has left?  When there is no glory, what is really the reason?

Next week: 1 Samuel 5:1-12
The Right Thing In The Wrong Place 

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1 Samuel: Lesson 4 — Hearing Voices

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 4 (Hearing Voices)
1 Samuel 3:1-21

The Text:

  1. How does the Bible describe the frequency of God’s communication with His people?  Why do you think this was?
     
  2. Where was Samuel?  What was he doing?  Why was he there?
     
  3. Who did Samuel think was calling him?  Why do you think it took so long for Eli to realize who was really calling Samuel?  What instruction did Eli finally give Samuel about the voice?
     
  4. What message did God have for Samuel?  What was his reaction?  How did Eli respond to the message of God? 
     
  5. How is Samuel’s growing up years described?  Has the frequency of the Lord’s communication changed from the beginning of chapter 3 to the end of the chapter?  Why might that be?

The Application:

  1. Are there times in your life when it appears, or feels, like the Lord is silent?  What might be some reasons for that?
     
  2. When it comes to serving God, what has He called you to do to honor Him?   How easy/hard is it to stay in God’s presence when He seems silent?
     
  3. How do you distinguish between God’s voice and the voice of someone else?  Do you try harder to get people to listen to you or to God?
     
  4. Are there times that God still gives bad or negative messages?  How do you react to news that is not positive?
     
  5. What changes can you make that would increase your connection with God?  What importance is there to you about the way the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel? 

 

Next week: 1 Samuel 4:1-22
What Is In Your Box? 

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1 Samuel: Lesson 3 — Bad Boys

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 3 (Bad Boys)
1 Samuel 2:12-36

The Text:

  1. How does the Bible describe Eli’s sons?  Why was this?
     
  2. What were the priests doing when people would come to sacrifice?  What was God’s view of their actions?  Why?
     
  3. What blessing would Eli tell Elkanah and Hannah each year when they would travel to Shiloh for the yearly sacrifice?  How did God fulfill that blessing?
     
  4. What reports came back to Eli about his sons?  What did he do about it?  How did they respond? 
     
  5. What message did God send to Eli?  What did God want Eli to remember?  Did God lay all of the blame on the sons?  How was God going to make known His displeasure with Eli’s sons?  In the midst of this rebuke, what promise does God give for the future?

 

The Application:

  1. On a practical level, what does it look like in your life to “have regard for the LORD?
     
  2. How might the sinful actions of the priests look today?  What would it look like to “treat the LORD’s offering with contempt”?
         
  3. What do you think it means that “the LORD was gracious to Hannah?  How hard is it to give up something of great value not knowing if it will ever be replaced?  Is faithfulness always rewarded in this manner?
     
  4. How do you respond when you hear bad reports of people close to you?  Is there anything that can be done other than confront them?  How does it feel when they choose not to respond or change?
     
  5. How easy is it to forget God’s calling of you to Himself?  Are there times that your silence or cooperation may aid another person’s misconduct?  Who is the faithful priest God has raised up for Himself?

 

Next week: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Hearing Voices 

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1 Samuel: Lesson 2 — Returning The Gift

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 2 (Returning The Gift)
1 Samuel 1:21-2:11

The Text:

  1. After Samuel is born, what does Elkanah do?  What did Hannah do?  Why do you think she made the decision she did?
     
  2. What does Hannah do when she finally returns to Shiloh?
     
  3. What attitude seems to stand out in Hannah’s prayer?  What is her view of God?
     
  4. In Hannah’s prayer, how does she acknowledge God changing the circumstances of people?  What seems to determine a negative change versus a positive one? 
     
  5. Who makes the trip home?  Where is Samuel and what is he now doing?  How do you think Hannah felt about that?  

The Application:

  1. How hard is it to keep your promises to God?  What things make it easier or harder?  How do you prepare for the fulfillment of your promises to God?
     
  2. When the “Lord confirms His word”, how tempting is it to put off what you know needs done?  How is your worship and the keeping of your promises to God connected?   
     
  3. How do you think Hannah can “rejoice in the Lord” at a time when she is “giving up” the answer to her prayers?  How hard is it to rejoice when you have to give something up to keep a promise?
     
  4. What does Hannah’s prayer say to you about pride and arrogance?  Do you typically find yourself feeling crushed by God or lifted up by God?  Does this say more about God or more about you?
     
  5. In keeping your promises to God, particularly in giving something to God, how hard is it to just let go?  When you know that things you have given up are being used by God, how does that make you feel about following through with what you promised?

     

 

Next week: 1 Samuel 2:12-36
Bad Boys