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

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 10 (What’s It Worth?)
1 Kings 10
   May 22, 2013

The Text:

1. What had the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon?  What was the purpose of her visit to Solomon?  What did she bring with her?
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2. What did she talk with Solomon about?  How did Solomon respond to her questions?  What did she feel about Solomon’s wisdom, possessions, and relationship with God?  What did she come to believe about Solomon’s reputation?  Why?
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3. What did the queen of Sheba conclude that the attitude of the people of Israel must be?  Who does she credit for all that Solomon has become?  What does she and Solomon give each other?
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4. How much gold did Solomon receive each year?  What other revenue sources did he have?  What were some unique things he made?  How much was made out of silver?  Why?
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5. How did Solomon’s wealth and wisdom compare with his contemporaries?  How popular was he?  What did the people do who came to see him?  What did Solomon do with all his wealth?

The Application:

1. What do you think people hear about you?  How much is your relationship with God known?  How would it be known?  Do people try to put your relationship with God to the test?  Do you tend to “test” people who seem too good to be true?  In what ways do you try to impress people?  Does it work?
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2. Who are you most open with in your conversations?  Why?  Do you like people who have all the answers?  Why or why not?  How do you respond when your attempt to impress someone comes up short?
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3. Do people look at your relationship with God and conclude that the people around you ought to be happy?  Does every good thing in your life noticeably come from God?
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4. What is your primary source of income?  Do you have other means of revenue?  What do you do with what you have?  What things of value have lost their value to you because they are so plentiful?
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5. Do you live like you are in possession of the great riches of God’s grace?  What would need to change so that people would want to hear the wisdom God has given you?  Are you a hoarder, a spender, or a giver?

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

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 9 (A Special Guest)
1 Kings 9
   May 15, 2013

The Text:

1. What happened after Solomon finished building the temple and the palace?  In what manner did this take place?  What did this “visitor” say about the temple?
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2. What message was given to Solomon regarding the way to keep a descendant on the throne in Israel?  What would happen if Solomon or his descendants were to no longer observe God’s commands and turn to serve other gods?  What would people say then?
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3. After the temple and palace were built, what did Solomon give to Hiram?  Why?  What did Hiram think when he inspected this gift?
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4. What things did Solomon have built?  Where did he get the work force necessary for all of this construction?  Who were exempted from the slave labor force?  What work were they given instead?
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5. How often did Solomon offer sacrifices on the altar at the temple?  Why?  After Solomon built a fleet of ships, who served on them with Solomon’s men?  Why?

The Application:

1. How much do you think about God inspecting your work?  What does He look for?  How has God revealed himself to us?  What does He say to you about His temple?
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2. Does God still ask/expect the same things of us as he did of Solomon?  Do you place the same value on obedience of God as He does?  Does the condition of God’s “temple” today reflect our level of obedience?
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3. How do you thank/reward people who have helped you?  Is doing so important to you?  Are you more concerned with the quality/value of a gift of the thought that went into it?  Why?
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4. What is God in the process of building?  Is there a difference in expectation and responsibility between those of the world and those who belong to God’s kingdom?
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5. How important is it to you to do what God expects?  What do you feel are obligations you have to God?  What is the difference between offering/sacrificing to God out of obligation and out of love/desire to?  Which do you do most often?  What do you think pleases God most?

Next Week: What’s It Worth?
1 Kings 10

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

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 8 (Building Dedication)
1 Kings 8
  May 8, 2013

The Text:

1. Who does Solomon call together.  What do they do when everyone arrives?  How much did they sacrifice to God?  What was in the ark of the Lord?  What happened once the ark was put into its place?  How did this affect the priests?
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2. How did Solomon respond?  What had God not chosen?  What had he chosen instead?  What had David wanted to do?  What was God’s response to that?  How did Solomon view the promises of God?
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3. How does Solomon address God?  What does he ask for?  What does Solomon believe about God actually dwelling in the temple?  What purpose does he expect the temple to have?
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4. What does Solomon want to happen when someone wrongs his neighbor?  . . . When Israel is defeated because of sin?  . . . When calamity comes because of sin?  . . . When any sort of affliction happens?  How does Solomon want the foreigner to be treated by God?
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5. What does Solomon say about the possibility of the people sinning against God?  What does Solomon ask God to do if the people reject their sin and turn whole-heartedly back to God?  How plentiful were the fellowship offerings sacrificed to God?  Where were they offered?  Why?

The Application:

1. Who would you invite to an important event?  How obvious would you want God’s presence to be?  How important is it to you to remember God’s decrees and commands?
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2. How do you respond to God’s presence?  How do you think God feels about the things you do for Him?  What does He really want?  Do you believe God keeps His promises to you?
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3. How important is it to you that God keeps His promises?  Have you ever tried to contain God?  Can you?  If God can’t be contained, what purpose are church buildings, etc.?
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4. Is God at the center of every aspect of your life?  Do you find it easier to look to God during good times or bad?  Do you act like God really wants all people to know His name and fear Him?
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5. Do you ever forget there is “no one who does not sin”?  How can you encourage others to reject sin and turn to God?  How much do you think is enough to give to God?

Next Week: A Special Guest
1 Kings 9

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

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 7 (Building Project 2)
1 Kings 7
  May 1, 2013

The Text:

1. How long did construction of Solomon’s palace take?  What does the “however” in verse one refer to?  What was the palace called?  Why?   
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2. What were the dimensions of the palace?  How did that compare to the temple?    
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3. What was the throne hall known as?  Why?  What was it, and the living quarters built out of?  How substantial was the building material?
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4. Who was Huram?  What was his specialty skill?  What did Solomon have him do?  How was the quantity of his work measured?
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5. What “furnishings” did Solomon have made for the temple?  What were they made out of?  What else did Solomon add to the temple once the work was finished?

The Application:

1. What things might make one project take longer than another?  Does the time spent on something correspond to its value?  Why or why not?  What is the main quality/material that God has used to make you who you are?
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2. What things do people tend to compare?  Are most comparisons we make fair evaluations of something’s worth or value?  If we insist on comparing, what should be our standard?  Does that change your desire to compare?   
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3. How do you define justice?  What areas of injustice concern you?  Are you more concerned about justice in the sense of punishing wrongs or righting wrongs? 
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4. What skills do you have?  What skills would your best friend say you have?  How are you using them?  What ways would God want you to use them for His kingdom?  What are some dangers of keeping track of how much you do, or give, for God?    
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5. What most reminds you of God’s eternal presence?  How valuable are those things to you?  Do you intentionally give the things you value most to God?  How do you honor the Godly contributions of those who have lived before you?

Next Week: Building Dedication
1 Kings 8

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

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 6 (Building Project 1)
1 Kings 6
April 24, 2013

The Text:

1. When Solomon began building the temple of the Lord, how long had it been since God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt?  How long had Solomon been king?
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2. What were the dimensions of the temple?  How was it constructed?
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3. What did God say to Solomon about the temple he was building?
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4. How big was the inner sanctuary?  How was it decorated?  What was its purpose?
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5. How much time was spent building the temple?  How much attention was paid to the process of building it?

The Application:

1. What would  you consider to be a long time to wait for something?  What are some things that might change your answer?  How does knowing you will be doing something affect your ability or willingness to wait?
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2. How much “living space” does God want in your life?  Does He get it?  How concerned are you about distractions as you prepare your temple for God?
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3. What does God look for in the place that He lives?  Are God’s promises conditional or unconditional?  In what ways?
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4. What things or places remind you most of God’s presence?  How much value do you give to those?  What things would cause you to more fully recognize the value of God’s presence?  Do you consider it important to be reminded of God’s promises and presence?  How are those reminders given?
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5. Do you ever feel like it is taking to long for someone to become the temple of God they are supposed to be?  Do you ever feel like it is taking you too long?  Why does it take so long?  How thorough is God in His work?

Next Week: Building Project 2
1 Kings 7

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

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 5 (Building Preparation)
1 Kings 5
April 17, 2013

The Text:

1. Who was Hiram?  What did he do when he heard Solomon had been anointed king?  Why?
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2. What reason does Solomon give for David not being able to build a temple?  How is Solomon’s life different from David’s?  What does Solomon intend to do about it?
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3. What is Solomon’s request of Hiram?  What does Solomon offer?  Why?  How does Hiram feel when he hears Solomon’s offer?
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4. What response does Hiram send back to Solomon?  What did Solomon get from Hiram?  What does Solomon give to Hiram?  How long did this go on?  Did it go well?
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5. How did Solomon get the help needed from Israel?  How many men were sent to Lebanon to work?  How was that structured?  How many men did Solomon have working on the stone needed for the temple project?

The Application:

1. How do you feel when a change is made in important leadership positions?  Why?  Do you ever reach out to a new person who is in a position that their predecessor was a friend of yours?  Should you?
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2. When starting something new, how important is it to remember why it hadn’t been done yet?  Who benefits from that reminder?  Should we consider how our circumstances are different from those of our predecessors when evaluating doing something they couldn’t?
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3. If you needed specific work done, who would you want to do it?  Why?  When requesting work to be done, what would it take for you to offer to pay whatever is asked?  What effect does genuine trust and praise have on a relationship?
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4. How does the tone of a request influence your willingness to provide that which is requested?  How does mutual respect, or lack of it, impact your relationships?  What are some keys to a business-type relationship lasting over time?
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5. Have you ever been forced to do something you didn’t want to do, or at least didn’t get to choose to do?  How did you feel?  Why?  Are there things we can learn from Solomon’s treatment of the conscripted laborers?  What are they?

Next Week: Building Project 1
1 Kings 6

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

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 4 (Collecting Taxes!)
1 Kings 4
April 10, 2013

The Text:

1. Who are the people listed in the first six verses of 1 Kings 4?  What were some of their responsibilities?  What things stand out to you about these people and their jobs?
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2. How many district governors did Solomon have?  What was expected of them?  What things stand out about their territories?  
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3. How many people lived in Judah and Israel?  What significance does that description have?  How was their life under Solomon’s reign? 
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4. What did Solomon require for provisions each day?  Where did these come from?  Were Judah and Israel good places to live during the lifetime of Solomon?
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5. How is Solomon’s wisdom described?  Where did it come from?  What did he do with it  How attractive was this wisdom to others?

The Application:

1. Are you good at delegating?  How important to you are people who help strengthen your relationship with God?  What are some advantages/disadvantages of shared responsibility?
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2. Do you attempt tasks that might seem overwhelming to others?  How can they be accomplished?  What do you look for in a person when you need to delegate a task or need help accomplishing something?  Are you the type of person you would look for?   
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3. How has God been faithful in fulfilling His promises in your life?  Are there promises He has fulfilled that might be easy to overlook?  What is needed in your life so that you could “eat, drink, and be happy”?  Is that a realistic goal?  Why/why not? 
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4. Who are you responsible to provide for?  Does that task seem overwhelming at times?  What things make it seem easier/harder?  Do you believe that God wants to supply your every need?  What things make that seem more believable or less believable?  What influence does contentment have on your willingness to give?       
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5. How would you describe your wisdom?  How would others describe your wisdom?  Where does the wisdom you have come from?  If you feel it is lacking, how would you increase it?  What do you do with the wisdom that you have?  In what areas do people look to you for wisdom and instruction?

Next Week: Building Preparation
1 Kings 5