DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
If you could change anything about how we, as a society, are led (by government and leaders), but for “better,” what would that look like?
How is Jesus a good king of your heart and life? What are some examples from your own life?
How would you help others to come into the good Kingdom of Christ?
What did you find most helpful/challenging/encouraging from the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What was the main cause to the contrasting results between what happened to David and Saul in Chapters 30 and 31? (1 Sam 28:18-19; 1 Sam 30:7-8) What does it mean to be faithful to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ?
What happened to Saul after his death? (1 Sam 31:8-13) Do you believe in life after death and the judgment of God? If you do, how does that belief affect your life now?
What kind of the life legacy or message that you would like to leave behind your life? How are you doing with following Christ?
What did you find most helpful/challenging/encouraging from the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ME: We seldom have to make life/death decisions; but what is the most difficult issue for you to consider (abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, etc.)? Why?
BIBLE: How does God express the value of life in His creation? What scriptural passage(s) made the most impact, whether from the sermon or other part(s) of the Bible?
OTHERS: How can we do better in valuing and affirming the lives of others? How would you apply it in practical ways for the real people around you?
What did you find most helpful/challenging/encouraging from the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What stood out to you about the ways David escapes Saul’s attempts on his life? What ways do you see the people/institutions you are involved in resisting the reign of David’s greatest son, Jesus Christ?
As you look at the text, which verses highlight the evil nature of Saul’s opposition to David? How did you oppose Jesus before becoming a Christian? In what areas do you sometimes find yourself still resisting his rule?
What stands out to you from the text (both this one
and the beginning of chapter 18) about Jonathan’s relationship with David? What do you learn from Jonathan’s life about how to resist the urge to follow self- rule rather than Jesus’s rule?
What did you find most helpful/challenging/encouraging from the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ME: Have you ever been in a difficult situation where you were forced to choose a side? What were the guiding principles in that decision?
BIBLE: What is the expected response from the world when we are united to God in Christ according to [1Sam.18 & Matt.10:22; James 4:4]? But who gives us favor and strength to endure to the end? Have you experienced such divine help?
OTHERS: Can you recall the meaning of “innocence” according to the sermon? How is that status established “covenantally”?
What did you find most helpful/challenging/encouraging from the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Which of your Goliath’s (i.e. the world, the flesh and the devil) are you most tempted to try to overcome on your own? What has been the result when you have fought in your own strength?
Why is it important to see David as a Christ figure instead of trying to merely imitate him? Which of the eight ways that David foreshadows the life and ministry of Jesus was most impactful for you and why?
Share one way where you have seen Christ working on your behalf and in you to enable you to make significant progress in battling the world, the flesh or the devil?
What did you find most helpful/challenging/encouraging from the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have you ever wallowed and lingered, perhaps much longer than you should have, in “what could have been” situations? Do these occasions happen more frequently than they ought? How does dwelling in regrets betray the gospel?
Does God’s omniscience comfort you or scare/threaten you? Why?
How does David’s service/ministry to Saul inform us about how we may serve and comfort the world?
What did you find most helpful/challenging/encouraging from the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have you ever had to deal with bad leadership? Why is it difficult to submit to bad leadership?
How did Saul fail to care for his people, win blessing for them, and provide them with peace?
How does King Jesus give you direction and purpose in life? How does Jesus provide us with what Saul failed to provide Israel?
What are the areas of our lives that need to be transformed to reflect Christ’s character, not Saul’s?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you struggle with any doubt, fear or insecurity?
From 1 Samuel 10, what are the confirmatory signs that God provided to Saul that he is the chosen king of Israel?
What are the sources of assurance in Christian salvation? How can we strengthen our assurance in Jesus?
What was the most helpful thing to you in the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have you ever felt powerless against a negative force? Or, have you ever felt empowered by supportive force from someone/somewhere? Please share.
According to the message, what can we expect from earthly powers over us?
How do we benefit from the Lordship (or Kingship) of Jesus?
What was the most helpful thing to you in the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Read Samuel’s calling (3:1-11). How did God call you? Are you still able to say, with all honesty, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears’” (1Sa 3:9)?
What would your faith be like if the Word was as scarce now as it was in Samuel’s day? Reflect on what a blessing it is to have and hold and read God’s word right now.
What would you like the Lord to change in your life to live more in line with God’s word? Are you convinced that God can accomplish this? (You may want to reflect on Isaiah 55:11, Heb 4:11.
What was the most helpful thing to you in the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
YOU: Can you recall a time when you were most broken- hearted, or most devastated? Who did you turn to for help and comfort? No one? Family, friend, relative... God? What was that like? What came of it? (You can or don’t have to share any portion. Only as you feel safe and lead to share.)
BIBLE: What was it about Hannah’s “brokenness” that moved God’s heart? [see 1Sam.1&2] How did Hannah’s brokenness transition to godly transformation?
OTHERS: How should we comfort others—with what kind of comfort, or Who’s comfort? [see 2Cor.1:3-4] Where does our comfort come from?
What was the most helpful thing to you in the text or the sermon on the text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you think that Rahab acts in true faith in the Lord or out of fear for her life? Why?
Rahab moved from knowledge of the Lord to trust in the Lord. How did she express this?
How have you moved from knowledge of the Lord to trust in the Lord? How do you express this?
How does the story of Rahab encourage you in your relationship with Christ?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ME: Of the two ways to live—that of (A) living according to the ways you see fit, and (B) living for God’s glory; which would you say more resembles your life? Share why.
BIBLE: See [2Tim.1:9 and Titus 1:2]. What do these passages tell us about the timing of God’s plan of salvation? How can we best understand or appreciate this?
OTHERS: How do you share the mystery of Christ with those around you? Do you pray for the salvation of specific individuals?
What was most helpful/challenging to you in this text and/or the sermon on this text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What are the main characteristics of the false teachers described by Paul in verses 17-18? What are some of the false teachings of our generation and how shall we respond to them?
How can we ‘be wise as to what is good? (19) How are you doing with obeying the message of the gospel and living to promote the goodness of the gospel?
What is the promise that we should ultimately rely upon in our spiritual warfare? (20) How are you doing with the fight against any sins or evil?
What was most helpful/challenging to you in this text and/or the sermon on this text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ME: Have you ever considered yourself a “church planter/builder”? In what sense can you (or can’t you) relate with those characters as described in the passage [Rom.16:1-16] and the sermon?
BIBLE: Glean from [Acts 18:2-3, 18, 26]. What more can you discover about Aquila & Priscilla? How did they contribute to the gospel going forward?
OTHERS: How can you serve to build up fellow believers and the spreading of the gospel locally and globally? How would you practically practice “holy kisses”?
What was most helpful/challenging to you in this text and/or the sermon on this text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How did John use the issue of baptism and the illustration of the bridegroom to teach that Jesus must increase, I must decrease?
What can we be thinking, saying and doing that will be conducive to us decreasing and Jesus increasing?
What is essential for this decreasing & increasing to happen? How does this originate? How can it be enhanced?
What was most helpful/challenging to you in this text and/or the sermon on this text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
YOU: Of the various ministries outlined in the sermon, which do you identify with the most? In which do you lack the most?
BIBLE: What did Paul want/expect from the church in Rome regarding his pending journey to Spain [vv.28-32]?
WORLD: What role(s) can you play in helping the Lord raise up workers for the mission field?
What was most helpful/challenging to you in this text and/or the sermon on this text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
In what ways in our passage do we see the priority of
Paul in reaching unreached peoples? How much has this priority been in your mind as you have followed Christ? What has contributed either to its absence or emphasis in your life?
What are the greatest challenges to you either being a committed sender or goer? What about the character/ ways of God and/or the promises of God in this text can give you strength to overcome those challenges?
What do you think we can do as a church and individual Christians to keep the priority of taking the gospel to the unreached always before us? In what specific way is God calling you to shape your life so that you can be a faithful sender or goer?
What was most helpful/challenging to you in this text and/or the sermon on this text?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What would be a picture of Christian church that is “full of goodness”? (14) How can a Christian life be “acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit”? (16) How is your spiritual walk of being sanctified by the Holy Spirit? What are
the things we can do to make our church be “full of goodness”?
What are some false teachings that you have faced in your previous church experience, if there is any? What would be a picture of Christian church that is “filled
with all knowledge”? (14) How is your comprehensive understanding of the Christian faith? What are some ways that you can improve this?
What was the main reason that Paul was proud of his work for God? (17-18) What was his main ambition? (20) What would be a picture of Christian church that is “able to instruct one another”? (14) How are your doing with evangelism and discipleship?
What was most helpful/challenging to you in this text and/or the sermon on this text?