3/13 1st Samuel 10 - The Fearful King
Key Chapters of the Bible
God calls all of us to trust Him and step out in faith. Today we read the account of when Saul was chosen to be king. We’ll build upon the principles yesterday (regarding Saul’s reluctance) and see that his reluctance was really about a lack of faith and trust in the Lord. Join us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. What were the circumstances from 1st Samuel 9 that led to the events of 1st Samuel 10? 2. What did Samuel do to Saul in verse 1? What did this signify? 3. In verses 2-7, what were the signs that Saul would see? What were...
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3/12 1st Samuel 9 - The Reluctant King
Key Chapters of the Bible
Life has a way of not going exactly has we planned. Today we'll look at 1st Samuel 9 and see that a simple search for some farm animals brought Saul to a divine appointment, and it ended up completely changing his life. Join us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. In verse 1, what tribe was Saul from? What tribe did the Lord say would produce the kings back in Genesis 49:10? 2. What was Saul’s father like, according to verses 1 & 2? How might this have influenced the people to want Saul to be their king? 3. In verses 3 to 17, how did the Lord prepare...
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3/11 1st Samuel 8 - Trying to Copy the World
Key Chapters of the Bible
There are times when the world seems to have all the glitz & glamor and we can be tempted to follow their ways. Today we’ll see that this attitude motivated the Israelites to seek a king. Although the Lord gave them their request, it was not without stern warning. DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. The podcast opens with the social context of this chapter. How might the Philistine’s success have tempted the Israelites to copy the ways of the nations? 2. How old was Samuel at this point? What was his plan for the succession of authority after him?...
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3/10 1st Samuel 4 - Rabbit's Foot Theology
Key Chapters of the Bible
Sometimes people try to manufacture good luck through some kind of “rabbit’s foot” thinking. It might be through an actual item or perhaps some ritual or deed. Today we’ll see that when the Israelites treated God like a “rabbit’s foot”, it didn’t go so well. Join us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. Who were the Israelites battling in verse 1? How did their battle go in verse 2? How is that different from their previous battles that we’ve looked at over the past several months? 2. What did the people decide to do in verse 3? What did this...
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3/9 1st Samuel 3 - The Call of God
Key Chapters of the Bible
What kind of heart is God’s servant supposed to have? Today as we study 1st Samuel 3, we’ll read about God’s call of Samuel and we’ll look at how Samuel responds. Join us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. What did we learn yesterday in our study of 1st Samuel 2, about Eli and his sons? How do you think that contributed to the spiritual condition of Israel during this time? 2. What was Samuel doing in verses 2 & 3? Why was he doing that? 3. Who spoke to Samuel in verse 4? Was this an audible voice? Why didn’t Samuel recognize...
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3/8 1st Samuel 2 - Praying or Playing
Key Chapters of the Bible
One of the most common accusations against Christians is that they’re “hypocrites”. While this accusation is often not justified, sometimes it is. Today we will look at 1st Samuel 2, which is a study in contrasts. We’ll see the contrasts between a godly woman, hypocritical leaders, and a godly young man. Join us for another practical study in God’s Word. DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. In our study, yesterday, of 1st Samuel 1, what did Hannah pray? What did she do with Samuel when the Lord answered her prayer? 2. Verses 1 to 11 contains one of the longest...
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3/7 1st Samuel 1 - Broken-Hearted Faith
Key Chapters of the Bible
There are times in life when God answers our prayers in ways that are slower than we’d like. Today, we’ll look at 1st Samuel 1, and see how Hannah trusted the Lord as she waited for Him to answer her prayers. Join us! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. What did the podcast say about the religious stability of the people of 1st Samuel during these opening chapters? What led to this condition? 2. In verse 2, Elkanah has two wives. Although this was technically permissible in the Old Testament, what kinds of problems did the podcast explain that these...
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3/6 Judges 2 - Struggling to be Faithful
Key Chapters of the Bible
Sometimes we struggle in our faith, and today in our study of Judges 2, we will see that the people wavered in their faith and struggled in fellowship with God, and suffered the consequences for it. We’ll also see that their struggles lay out key principles for living a life of faith today. Join us for another key study in God’s Word! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. Who is addressing the people in verse 1? What in verse 1 helps us decode who this is? Why is this important to understand? 2. What did the people fail to do in verse 3? What was the Lord’s...
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3/5 Joshua 6 - Walking in God's Promises
Key Chapters of the Bible
As we continue to walk with the Children of Israel, today we turn to Joshua 6 and the Fall of Jericho. While the events of this chapter are straightforward, the spiritual and practical gems of this chapter are rich and numerous. Join us as we mine out key principles of God’s Word! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. Jericho was a well-fortified city on a hill. In normal conditions, it was safe and secure. However, what does verse 1 tell us about the state of the city? What does this show us about their perspective of the threat of the Jews? 2. What did the Lord...
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3/4 Joshua 3 - Taking a Step of Faith
Key Chapters of the Bible
Today in our study of Joshua 3, we’ll look at how the Children of Israel literally stepped out in faith and watched God do a wonderful miracle of necessity and confirmation. We’ll glean several principles for faith and obedience. Join us in another faith-strengthening study in God’s Word! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. Where are the Children of Israel in verse 1? Practically speaking, what kinds of things do you think were necessary to move two million people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land? What does verse 15 tell us about the banks of the river? Was this...
info_outlineOn the surface, the account of God calling Abraham to offer Isaac is one of the most difficult passages in the Bible. We can't imagine God actually calling any of His people to do such a thing. But we'll see in today's episode, that when we understand the context of this passage, and what Abraham knew to be true, we'll see that it was an amazing step of faith that actually shows us the kind of faith that God calls us all to. Please join us in this important study in God's Word!
DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS:
Genesis 22 1. Using a Bible atlas or online atlas, locate Beersheba on the map to the right. Also, locate the Wilderness of Moriah on the map. What importance does each of these locations have in Genesis 22?
2. This chapter contains God’s command to Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering. While we know how the story ends, this would be an unsettling command for anyone to hear. How does the miraculous origin of Isaac’s conception help us understand why Abraham was so calm in his obedience to the Lord? How do the words “we” and “return” in verse 5 give us a window into Abraham’s mindset as he obeyed the Lord?
3. In verse 8, Abraham assures Isaac that the Lord will provide a sacrifice. How has Abraham seen the provision of the Lord in his life before this? How have you seen the Lord provide in your life? How might dwelling upon God’s prior provision give us strength in times of present distress?
4. Think about Isaac’s age in this passage. Do you think a 120-year-old man could have physically put Isaac on the altar? What would have had to happen in order for Isaac to get on it? How does this likelihood help us understand Isaac’s role in this event?
5. Isaac was Abraham’s only link to something and someone. What and Who was Isaac the link to? What kind of faith did Abraham demonstrate by being willing to break this link, if that was to be the Lord’s will?
6. This passage also gives us a picture of the substitutionary death of Christ. How? What did God’s substitute mean for Isaac? What does Christ’s substitute mean for us?
7. Verses 16 to 18 contain one of the most important promises in the Old Testament regarding who the offspring of Abraham are. Who are the “four seeds” suggested in the lesson? Which ones will be in God’s Eternal Kingdom? Why? Are you among the believing seed spoken of in these verses?
8. Genesis 22 shows the kind of faith that this new nation would be founded upon. How would you summarize Abraham’s faith and obedience from this event? Where does this kind of faith come from?
9. Are there any situations in your life where you simply need to trust and obey God as Abraham did here? Are you able to trust and obey Him? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever sung the children’s song, “Father Abraham”? It says that he had many sons. In light of what the lesson has taught about this passage, who are those sons? When the song says, “I am one of them, and so are you,” what does that mean? Is that true of you? Why or why not?
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