Heart Over Hype: Yesterday’s Victory

Use this curriculum to help you further engage with the sermon, the scriptures, and each other. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring things up to encourage and guide you so that you are always growing in your faith. If the Spirit leads you away from these questions and into conversation and prayer that encourages and points you to Jesus, go for it.

scripture

Read the following scriptures together: 1 Samuel 11.

overview

In chapter 10, Saul seems to question and shrink back from God’s call on his life, but here we see how the Holy Spirit comes upon Saul in power and equips him to boldly lead the Israelites into a victorious battle. Where once Saul seemed to care only for his own self-interests, he is now filled with righteous anger to do what is needed to save the weak tribe of Jabesh Gilead. Hebrews 13:20-21 tells us that God equips us with everything good to do his will and he works in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus. This is where our confidence ought to come from – not from ourselves, but from he who calls us to be. 

question 1

Share a time when you didn’t think you were equipped enough, but you knew God was calling you into something. Did you have doubts and insecurities? Were you curious as to how it would all work out? 

discussion

Saul manages to build an army of over 300,000 to unite under the Lord and defeat the evil intentions of the Ammonites. Saul’s tactic of inciting fear in the Israelites may seem questionable to us, but he wanted to make it clear that failure to step up and defend the cause of God at this time was sin and would be punished accordingly. As followers of Jesus, we have the call on our own lives to unite and make a difference in the world. It often seems harder for us to give of our own time than to give of our finances. The Church needs to be a healthy balance of both so it can effectively show the love of God to one another and the hurting world around us. We are not called to sit back and be passive.

question 2

Which type of giving seems harder for you in this season? Are there any steps you could take to find a balance in the ways you serve the church?

On Saturday, Andrew pointed out that “yesterday’s victory isn’t today’s faithfulness”. It’s easy to rest on our past moments of devotion, but we don’t want to be “one and done” followers of Jesus. Some might use their age as an excuse – I’m too young or I’m too old – however, as we read the Scriptures, God called and used men and women of all ages to accomplish his will. This takes intentionality on our part, to stay in it with God until the very end and to not count ourselves out. Remember, God equips the called and we are all called to something!

question 3

How can we stop letting age and stage of life keep us from serving God? What steps might be needed to figure out where you are currently called to serve?

weekly application

Continue in prayer asking God what he is calling you into in this season. Consider praying about serving with one of our local Mission Partners or one of our weekend ministries. If God is calling you into something bigger, invite others to pray with you for boldness to step into it, trusting that he will equip you. Ask any of our Mission Partner leaders how they got where they are today and be encouraged by their stories!