1 Samuel Study - Week 1

We will tackle Lesson 1 this week in the Friday 1 Samuel Study. For those of you who do not have the book, the assignment is to read the entire book of 1 Samuel (that's read, not study) in four sittings. The study guide suggests Chapters 1-7, 8-15, 16-20, 21-31. This about the following questions for thought and discussion:

• Are there any elements in the book that you have difficulty understanding or accepting? What are they and why?
• How is the type of history you find in 1 Samuel different from what you find in modern history books?
• What would you say as a whole, 1 Samuel is all about? What are the major themes and what is the main message the author wishes to convey?
• Based on this first reading, were there any truths that are relevant in your life?

Principles for Interpreting Narratives

For those studying 1 Samuel, the following principles are reproduced from "How to read the Bible for all it is worth" by Gordon Fee

1. An Old Testament narrative usually does not directly teach a doctrine.
2. An Old Testament narrative usually illustrates a doctrine or doctrines taught propositionally elsewhere.
3. Narratives record what happened – not necessarily what should have happened or what ought to happen every time. Therefore, not every narrative has an individual identifiable moral of the story.
4. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us. Frequently, it is just the opposite.
5. Most of the characters in OT narratives are far from perfect and their actions are, too.
6. We are not always told at the end of a narrative whether what happened was good or bad. We are expected to be able to judge that on the basis of what God has taught us directly and categorically elsewhere in Scripture
7. All narratives are selective and incomplete. Not all the relevant details are always given. What does appear in the narrative is everything that the inspired author thought important for us to know.
8. Narratives are not written to answer all our theological questions. They have particular, specific limited purposes and deal with certain issues, leaving others to be dealt with elsewhere, in other ways.
9. Narratives may teach either explicitly (by clearly stating something) or implicitly (by clearly implying something without actually stating it).
10. In the final analysis, God is the hero of all biblical narratives.

Bible Studies Forming this Week

The Tuesday group will meet at 7am and study the Gospel of John. Thanks to John Sawyer for leading this group. The Friday group will meet at 6:30am and study 1 Samuel. Study guides will be available this week for purchase. I believe in both cases they are less than $10. No specific assignment this week, just be praying about what God will do through the study and review perhaps the introduction pages to the books (if you have a study bible), so you can understand more about the context and authorship.

JRC Men's Breakfast

The JRC Men's Breakfast is Friday, July 19th at Bob's Evans. Please join us to celebrate the completion of our Search for Significance study and the start of our new studies of the Gospel of John and 1 Samuel. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Paul

Week 13 – July 8th Reading Assignment & Questions

Please read the last chapter - Chapter 13 – “The Trip In” If you have extra time, complete Step 13 in the Workbook. This week’s step is particularly impactful and you could probably spend the next couple weeks on it. Key points in this Chapter include:

• For you to correct your thought process is hopeless unless you cooperate with God to release His power in your mind. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
• To renew your mind, you must: (1) agree with God that we have been deceived, (2) agree with God that we have been believing a lie and we need to repent for doing so, (3) allow God to show us how destructive this lie has been in our lives.
• It is common to believe that situations cause emotions, the fact is that we perceive situations through the grid of our beliefs.
• The first step to freedom is recognizing that life is distorted by our expectations of what we are going to experience.
• Often God allows us to undergo troubling circumstances so that we can see what is inside of us (e.g. the tube of toothpaste).
• It is important to identify, confess, reject and then replace the false beliefs in your life.

Questions that we will discuss this week at Tuesday at 7am and Friday at 6:30am include:

• What does it mean to you to renew your mind? Has bringing to light the false beliefs in this book heightened your awareness of the need to renew your thinking?
• Do you have trouble understanding how you feel inside or why you feel a certain way? Sharing those feelings with others? Your spouse?
• The author contrasts the thought that “situations cause emotions” with the concept that we perceive situations through the grid of our beliefs. Do you agree with that statement? If yes, how should it affect the way your respond in difficult situations?
• How do you feel your expectations of what you are going to experience in a situation influence your responses?
• The author provides a visual example of a tube of toothpaste in parallel to the statement that God allows us to undergo troubling circumstances so that we can see what is inside of us. How have you seen that play out in your life?
• Let’s discuss any victories over these false beliefs we have had since the beginning of this study?

Week 12 – July 1st Reading Assignment & Questions

Please read Chapter 12 – “Guilt versus Conviction” If you have extra time, complete Step 12 in the Workbook. Key points in this Chapter include:

• Romans 8:1 tell us “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Despite this, we often feel we deserve condemnation and we fail to realize that Christ has freed us from the guilt and condemnation our sins deserve.
• Guilt is a strong motivator, but it plays on our fears of failure and rejection; therefore it can never ultimately build, encourage or inspire us in our desire to live for Christ.
• Guilt brings depression and despair, but conviction enables us to realize the beauty of God’s forgiveness and to experience His love and power.

Questions that we will discuss this week at Tuesday at 7am and Friday at 6:30am include:

• What is the different between guilt and conviction?
• Can you think of an example where the Holy Spirit convicted you of sin in your life? How did you become aware of it? What was the process for repentance?
• What emotions do you most associate with guilt? How does that affect you personally?
• How can we bring hope to those who are enslaved by guilt and hopelessness?