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Learning to Listen to God: 1 Samuel 1-4;7-8

Look For...

• Hannah's persistent prayer pays off                                                 
• The emergence of Samuel the prophet                                              
• The ark captured by the Philistines, with disastrous results                 
• Israel rejects God by asking for a king

Activity

        Observe the way living things around you grow and mature: children, pets, plants and so on. What parallels can you make between their growth - with fits and starts, beauty and bewilderment--and spiritual progress? What most frustrates you about the growth process? What is rewarding?

This weeks prayer...

Pray this prayer throughout the week: "Heavenly Father, use the history of your people 'growing up' as a nation to teach me how to grow up as your child"

First Reading | 1 Samuel 1-2; Psalm 113

• What principles of prayer can you glean from Hannah's prayer life in 1 Samuel 1:10-20, 27-28?
• First Samuel 2:5 says "seven children" though Hannah had only Samuel at that time (and eventually only six total, 1 Samuel 2:21); What does that indicate about biblical use of the number seven ( see Genesis 4:15; Psalm 12:6; Revelation 4:5)?
• How does 1 Samuel 2:26 compare with Luke 2:52?
• What is a modern-day parallel to 1 Samuel 2:17?

Second Reading | 1 Samuel 3-4; Psalm 99

• In what way can you cultivate attitudes similar to those expressed in 1 Samuel 3:10 and 19?
• What common parenting mistake is seen in 1 Samuel 3:13?
• How does 1 Samuel  4:1-11 illustrate that it is more important to take God's side than to try to make Him take yours?

Third Reading | 1 Samuel  7-8; Psalm 64

• Samuel, like Eli before him, had disobedient children (1 Samuel 8:3) -- a possibility even for godly parents.
• What insight does 1 Samuel  8:20 give us as to why wanting a king was a rejection of God(see also 1 Samuel  8:7)?

We are now diving into the books of Samuel, I pray that God has been blessing you through this journey and that you will continue to make this class a priority in your walk with God. We are changing teachers for the month of May. Pat Lang will begin teaching this lesson on May 4th and continue through the month.  Please continue to pray for the class and that God will bring more of his children in to study His word.

Here is the reading assignment for next weeks lesson. Sorry I have not kept up with this. I will do better in the coming weeks :)

Identifying Spiritual Entropy Judges 2-8

Look for...

Cycles of rebellion and deliverance                                                     Deborah, prophetess and judge                                                    Gideon's daring exploits

Activity

Observe the way living things around you grow and mature; children, pets, plants and so on. What parallels can you make between their growth - with fits and starts, beauty and bewilderment- and spiritual progress? What most frustrates you about the growth process? What is rewarding?

This week's prayer

Pray this prayer throughout the week: "Heavenly Father, use the history of your people 'growing up' as a nation to teach me how to grow up as your child"

First Reading: Judges 2-4; Psalm 75

Judges 2:10-23 is a brief summary of the whole book

Repeated testing (Judges 2:22) was God's way, then and now; How does the new testament bear that out in James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 4:12-13?

How is the Spirit's being behind Othniel's abilities in Judges 3:10 parallel to Acts 1:8?     How is the Spirit's similarly active in your life these days?

Second Reading: Judges 5-6; Psalm 59

Though Deborah's leadership was rare in a patriarchal society, how do women also play an important leadership role in Exodus 15:20 and 2 Kings 22:14?    What might these God-ordained exceptions be telling us about His view of women (Acts 2:17-18 & Galatians 3:28)?

The song in Judges 5 - like the book of Psalms- fills out God's Word, which not only includes "left-brained" history but also "right-brained" poetry. Why do you think God includes both kinds of teaching in Scripture?

Do you think Gideon's "putting out a fleece" in Judges 6:35-39 is warranted in light of Judges 6:20-22?

Third Reading: Judges 7-8; Psalm 86

What lesson might God have been trying to teach Gideon by reducing the troops in Judges 7:2-7?

Even good things, when worshiped, become snares (Judges 8:27; Also 2 Kings 18:4; Deuteronomy 5:8-10).  What good things in your life can take on such a inflated - and harmful - role?

We are in the 12th week of this study which goes 40 weeks. Please pray about who to invite to this class as we watch what God did in the old testament in His people. Shaun will be teaching for two more weeks, then Pat will do a month followed by Michael Romero and then Tom Ledbetter. I pray you are learning much about God and His character thru this study and are able to see that His principles are still viable to us today. May God bless you mightily this week.

In Christ. Gil

Hello everyone, sorry for the late posting. I pray you will be able to catch up on these. Cathy and I are traveling this weekend so pray for us. May God bless you in your faithfulness to study His word. in Christ, ~Gil

Hello all,

I pray you are seeing God's work in the work of the Israelites.. WE can learn from our history and have joy in this life. God bless you as you continue this journey.

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~Gil

I hope you have been able to read some of these and prepare your heart for Sunday. As we saw today, it is important for us to prepare ourselves to meet God and prepare our hearts to what HE wants to tell us. May  your heart be open and your ears hear what God wants from you. God bless