Most of our life we are concerned and consumed with the three dimensional world we can see. We wake up, drink coffee, eat food, go to work, eat more food, connect with people we love, and sleep. We think that paying the bills, mowing the lawn, and grocery shopping are requirements of the week. What if the world is more than three dimensional? For those who believe in God that means we believe the world is at least four dimensions. The Bible teaches us about spiritual things but we don’t always focus on our spiritual growth; that is what “The Battle” is all about In this series we’ll lean in to God’s word and examine what is taking place in the spiritual realm. For this sermon Chase Feindel wrote the small group questions. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.
Small Group Questions | Giant Slayer | 1 Samuel 17
The epic battle found in 1st Samuel 14 between David and Goliath help set the tone for the war bound leadership reign David would have as he stabilized the nation of Israel. The story is of Hollywood portion but tucked into the details of the battle are principles that are helpful to everybody in the family of God. The great giant of mankind has been slayed through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Yet as we wait for the full promise of heaven, the enemy is consistently at work to steal, kill and destroy. In order to have the promised life to the full, we will need the principles for the battles that lay ahead of us as we fight for the faith.
1) It’s easy to miscast yourself in this story. We all want to be the hero but the main idea was that David is a Jesus-type figure and we are represented by the Israelites in the story who are overwhelmed by the giant. How does that change our application of the text?
2) Matthew 1:1 starts our by saying “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the word of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew is establishing Jesus kingship in the first sentence of his gospel. Why is the connection between David and Jesus so important?
3) Read Psalm 139:13-14 about David’s confidence in his identity in Christ. One of the more interesting parts of the battle was David did not fit in Saul’s army. Saul fought with the sword but David was trained on the hills with the sheep. Do you ever get caught comparing your faith to somebody else’s? How does it impact you when you do?
4) The Jews built altars to remember God’s faithfulness. Jesus established communion to help us remember his sacrifice. The phrase “The Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt” is mentioned 22 times through the scriptures. How does remembering what God brought you out of help you in the battle that is before you?
5) One thing David didn’t lack is confidence. He was anointed and the battle belonged to the Lord. What steps have you taken that helped build your confidence in the faith?
6) The Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees, Lakers vs Celtics, L.A. Chargers and Oakland Raider are all bitter rivals. The Jews most consistent old testament foe was the Philistines. We all have rivals but the new covenant has a different challenge for us when it comes to our enemies. Read Matthew 5:44 and discuss.
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