Lesson One—1 Samuel . . . Entering the Narrative

When You Want Something in the Worst Way . . .

The time of the judges in Israel was dark. The people had a form of worship, but for the most part, their hearts had turned away from God. Even in the midst of national godlessness, though, God preserved a remnant who followed Him and He raised up a righteous judge—Samuel, a man dedicated to the LORD by his mother before he was even born.

Still, while God had established judges to administrate Israel's theocracy, the people craved a human king. They wanted a king in the worst way and in the end that is exactly what they got—Saul, a king just like they wanted! We'll talk more about Saul next week! In the meantime, let's get to our discussion questions!

• What is your name and where are you from?

• Which section of this week's text most impacted you: Samuel (1–3), the Ark (4–7), or Saul (8-12) and what did you learn?

• Is there someone you should bring along on this adventure? If so, who?

Remember, you don't have to answer every question and you don't have to write complex answers. (This goes out especially to my college-aged friends!) We're simply discussing what we've learned. Often, less is more!

Looking forward to hearing from you all soon!

Blessings,

pam :)