Portraits of God--Lesson 5--There Are No Other God--I Samuel 5

Discussion Questions:

1. What kinds of things has God done in your life, or in the lives of those around you, that have enabled you to see beyond your limited worldly perspective?

2. Discuss how you have seen your perception of God’s ways change as you moved further back from the initial experience you had. Why do we have such a difficult time with being patient and maintaining hope when we encounter difficulties?

3. In what ways have you been guilty of trying to put God in a box? How has He surprised you and acted different from what you expected?

4. How much of our suffering today is due to God attacking our idols?

5. How “scientific” has your research into the things of God been? What kind of evidence have you found that supports surrender to God and His ways?

Portraits of God--Lesson 4--You Can't Manipulate God--I Samuel 4

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen well-intentioned things get turned around into something harmful or detrimental to others and us?

2. What is the difference in praying according to God’s promises versus trying to force Him to do what we want? Have you had times you have fallen into trying to manipulate God or His ways?

3. Most days have battles! What lessons or warnings do you see about how to face those battles from the strategy of Hophni and Phineas and the rest of the account in I Samuel 4?

4. Why is it so tempting to try to accept Jesus as Savior and to seek His presence without also recognizing Him as LORD? What problems do you have with Him truly being your LORD?

5. How do you see the beauty of what God did for us through Jesus portrayed in the account of God allowing His ark to be taken by the Philistines?

6. Have you had times when you felt like your life was “Ichabod” (Where is the glory?) How does inviting the presence of Jesus into your life restore the glory? Can you give some specific examples?

Portraits of God--Lesson 3--Seeking Those Who Will Listen--I Samuel 3

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen God produce flowers in the strangest places in your life or in the world around you?

2. How amazed are you that the God of the universe would choose to speak His words to us? What happens when we lose our sense of amazement or awe?

3. How did proximity to the presence of God play a role in the outcome of this story? What kind of battle do you have with desiring your own place versus drawing near to the ark of God?

4. Samuel demonstrates that light can grow even when all around us is darkness. What does this show you about the influence your life can have on this world?

5. How much of bible illiteracy today is due to lack of appetite versus lack of food? What kinds of things hinder your appetite for the word of God?