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1 Samuel: Lesson 14 — The Cost Of Impatience

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 14 (The Cost Of Impatience)
1 Samuel 13:1 – 55

The Text:

  1. How old was Saul when he became king?  How long did he serve as king?  Why might that information be included at this point in the story?
     
  2. How many men does Saul select to serve with him?  How does he assign them?  What does he do with the rest of the men that are present?
       
  3. Who is Jonathan?  What does he do?  How does Saul react to this?  How does Saul convey the news?  Is it good news or bad news?
     
  4. What do the Philistines do?  How many of them?  What is the response of the Israelite people?  . . .  Of the Israelite army?   
     
  5. How long does Saul wait for Samuel?  What does Saul do?  Why?  When did Samuel arrive?  What message does Samuel have for Saul?  What did all of this do to the number of men who stayed with Saul?

  

The Application:

  1. When is the best time in life to start something significant?  Is longevity a good measure of something’s success?  Why or why not?
     
  2. Why is it important to have people who will stand with you?  How easy/hard is it for you to share your resources of any kind with someone else?  Are some things easier to share than others?  
         
  3. How likely are you to take the lead in confronting wrong?  What are the possible outcomes of confronting wrong?  What seems to be most common in your experience?  How does knowing that help in future circumstances?    
     
  4. Have you ever taken a public stand for what is right according to God only to have it seem like the world rises up against you because of it?  What has been, or would be, your reaction?  What can be done to remain courageous in the face of opposition?
     
  5. How hard is it for you to wait?  How often do you tend to live by the motto, “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission”?  Why is that dangerous?  How important is obedience to you?  . . . To God?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 13:16-14:23
Mighty To Save

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1 Samuel: Lesson 13 — Famous Last Words

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 13 (Famous Last Words)
1 Samuel 12:1 – 25

The Text:

  1. As Samuel finishes up his time of leadership, what does he state he has done?  What questions does he ask of the people?  Why?  What is their response?
     
  2. What history does Samuel relay to the people?  What is his point?  What is he confronting them with evidence of? 
     
  3. What action/reaction was behind the Israelites wanting a king?  How was this different from their response to previous troubles?
     
  4. What conditions do Samuel give to the people in order for things to go well for the nation under their new king?  What is the consequence of not following these conditions?   
     
  5. What did Samuel want the people to realize by God sending thunder and rain?  What was the response of the people?  What is Samuel’s response to them?

  

The Application:

  1. What makes “last words” important?  What does it mean to live a life of integrity today?  How do people view you?
     
  2. What evidence do you have in your life of “all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you”?  How has God rescued you when you have turned to him in genuine need?   
        
  3. How tempting is it to want a “world’s solution” to a problem that needs a “God solution”?  Why do we do that even when we know the effectiveness of God’s solutions in the past?    
     
  4. How important is fearing the LORD and serving and obeying him?  Can doing that help counteract bad requests and decisions?  What is the purpose of God’s hand against a person that chooses to rebel against him?
     
  5. What does it take for God to get your attention?  Do you ever feel you need someone else to go to God for you because you are not sure of your standing with him?  What does verse 22 mean to you?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 13:1-15
The Cost Of Impatience

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1 Samuel: Lesson 12 — Rescue The Perishing

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 12 (Rescuing The Perishing)
1 Samuel 11:1 – 15

The Text:

  1. What problem is face by the city of Jabesh Gilead?  What do the men of Jabesh propose to solve this problem?  What condition is given?
     
  2. What response do the elders of Jabesh give to the conditions of surrender?  What is the reaction of the people of Gibeah when the terms are reported?  What is Saul doing when messengers arrive in Gibeah with the news from Jabesh? 
     
  3. How does Saul respond?  With what power or authority does he respond?  Who does Saul include in his request sent throughout Israel?  How do the people of Israel respond to the request sent out by Saul?
     
  4. What message was sent back to the people of Jabesh Gilead?  What did they tell the Ammonites?  What effect might this have had?  What was the outcome of this conflict?   
     
  5. What did the people of Israel want done with those who had questioned Saul being king over them?  What was Saul’s response?  What did Samuel do?

  

The Application:

  1. When are you most likely to feel “besieged”?  Are there areas in which you have given up — accepted the possibility of being subject to something/someone that you know is not in your best interest?  What “conditions” of that subjection would make you think twice?
     
  2. Who would you turn to for help to overcome that which would enslave you?  How do you respond to the news of someone needing help that seems beyond what can be done?     
     
  3. What role does anger have in helping rescue a person from potential captivity?  How do you distinguish between “righteous anger” and “sinful anger”?    
     
  4. How can you encourage someone who is ready to give up?  How thorough are you in getting rid of that which tries to take you captive?
     
  5. How forgiving are you of people who question you?  What can you do to reaffirm God as King of your life?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 12:1-25
Famous Last Words

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1 Samuel: Lesson 11 — Presenting A King

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 11 (Presenting A King)
1 Samuel 10:9 – 27

The Text:

  1. What did God do for Saul?  How was this visible to the Israelites — what did Saul do?
     
  2. What did the people think of Saul’s activity?  What was Saul’s uncle concerned about?  How did Saul respond to him?  Why?
     
  3. How does Samuel begin the meeting of the people at Mizpah?  Why do you think these words were important?  Where did his speech come from?
     
  4. What process is used to present Saul to the people as King?  Why do you think Samuel did not just announce what he had already told Saul?  Where is Saul when the selection is determined? 
        
  5. How was Saul compared to the rest of the people?  What was the response of the people to Saul being selected?  How did Samuel finish the meeting?  Was everyone impressed with the new king?

  

The Application:

  1. How has your heart been changed by God?  How is that change visible to others — what are you doing as a result of God changing you?
     
  2. How do people respond to God working in and through you?  Are there people in your life who are more concerned about where you’ve been than about what you’re doing?  How do you respond to people who don’t understand the work God is doing in you?   
     
  3. How important are reminders of what God has already done?  How about reminders of how our disobedience or rejection of God’s plan has brought us to where we are?  What would be the point?  
        
  4. Are there times that it is better to let God reveal to others His purpose for you?  When might that be a benefit?  How hard is that?  Are there times you feel like hiding when faced with actually doing what God is calling you to do?
     
  5. How important is it that the details of the tasks God calls people to do are known by the person doing it and the people around them?  How do you respond when people aren’t impressed with you as the person God calls to do a specific task?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 11:1-15
Rescue The Perishing

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1 Samuel: Lesson 10 — The Search Is On

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 10 (The Search Is On)
1 Samuel 9:1 – 10:8

The Text:

  1. How is Saul described?  What task was Saul given to do?  How thorough was he in this task?  What was his initial conclusion?
     
  2. What does Saul’s servant suggest they do before they head back home empty-handed?  What concern does Saul have about doing that?  How does the servant resolve that concern?
     
  3. What had God revealed to Samuel before Saul came looking for him?  What instructions and news does Samuel give to Saul?  What response does Saul give?
     
  4. Where does Samuel take Saul?  What does he set before Saul?  What information does Samuel give about this action?   
     
  5. What does Samuel do to Saul the day after the meal?  Why?  What three groups of people does Samuel tell Saul he will meet as he goes his way?  What is he to do?
     

The Application:

  1. How do people describe you?  How does their view of you influence your life?  How diligent are you in completing menial-sounding tasks that are asked of you?
     
  2. How quickly do you give up on things/people?  Do you often give up before thinking to involve God?  Does it concern you to go to God empty-handed?  Should it?  How important is it for you to help provide for those in vocational ministry?   
     
  3. How does it feel when it seems like someone knows something about you that you don’t even know?  Have you ever had a concern answered only to have a larger question raised?  How do you respond to praise?    
     
  4. How would it feel to unexpectedly find yourself as the guest of honor at an important event?  How easy/hard is it on a daily basis to realize that God has plans for you and that there are specific good works that He created in advance for you?
     
  5. Are you set-apart for a specific purpose?  How do you know?  How has God provided for your immediate tasks, your specific needs, and your credibility in the work He has called you to?

   

Next week: 1 Samuel 10:9 -27
Presenting A King

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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