In the sermon, Bobbi discusses the leadership transition in ancient Israel, focusing on Samuel's story in 1 Samuel 1-4. We get the highlights of the contrasting characters: bad boy Samson from Judges and good boy Samuel, tracing how the latter becomes a prophet. We also explore themes of faithfulness, human agency, and divine intervention, using Hannah's story of barrenness. Hannah's faith and strength point us to the broader themes of perseverance and hearing God's call during times of change.

Community is shaped by the conversations we share. These questions and reflections are a tool to help you meaningfully engage with the themes of this week's teaching.

Summer Discussion Guide 2024

If your group is meeting this summer and wants to talk about the sermons, here are a few questions that you could use to engage with our teaching.

What specific part of the message resonated with you the most? Why do you think that particular part, or idea, or story caught your attention?
Did the sermon speak into a particular struggle or question in your life or your faith journey right now?
What did the message challenge or encourage you personally?  And what do you think the application could be for our church community? Was there anything that could strengthen or stretch us as a church?
How did the exposition of the scriptures used in the sermon provide you with a new perspective of deeper understanding?

It is good to remember that the conversation experience in the group is shaped by the personal stories of those who participate in it and how willing the people are to be open and vulnerable in the group.

So if you’re leading the discussion, feel free to model and encourage person-centred and story-centred sharing by reflecting on how some parts of the sermon resonate with you personally.

Additionally, what contributes to a more authentic group discussion is when people can share not about the abstract and theoretical applications but one or two practical things they are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion.

So, you can end your time together with this question:

What is one thing you are taking away from either the sermon or the discussion we’ve just had?

Prayer from the sermon:
Loving God,

We take a moment to reflect on Hannah, Eli, and Samuel’s story.

There’s conflict, failure, desperation,

Sacred silence and the inbreaking of your word.

I love the opportunity to step into other times and places and wonder together what we can learn.

Where there is need, let us work for provision.

Where there is desperation, let us work to relieve pain.

Where there are new voices for us to listen to and learn from – soften our stubborn little hearts to take in something new.

Spirit of the living God, present with us now.
Enter the places of our pain and longing, and heal us of all that harms us. Amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 32

MUSIC Curated by Curt Muller
Phil Wickham - Creator
Hillsong Worship - The Passion
Passion -I've Witnessed It
Hillsong Worship - Behold

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Written by Yelena Pakhomova

As part of our worship this morning, we will take a moment for a prayer of confession.
The beauty of this prayer practice is that it welcomes us into a safe space where we can be both — honest and hopeful. Because at its core, confession is a prayer for transformation, where we can look at the hidden and broken places in our lives and then walk the path of grace toward more clarity, healing and integration.

Our companion for the practice of confession today is the Jesus Prayer.
It goes like this - Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
This prayer builds on one of the most common prayers in the Psalms, “Lord, have mercy,” and invites us to attend to God’s deep work within our own hearts.

Our prayer today will have three parts - you are welcome to say the Jesus Prayer with me at the end of each section. The words will stay on the screen for you.

Let us pray:

Jesus, you know and love us as we are,
We take a moment now to quiet our minds,
and to listen to the movement of the spirit within our hearts.
We confess that we haven't been great
at listening to or trusting our feelings.
We have struggled to name and feel our sadness, anger, pain.
We have hidden from what disturbs us,
forgetting that this is where you meet us too.
And so we pray: Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, you meet us in relationships,
We confess that we have not loved
those you've entrusted to us
in the way they should be loved.
In the fragmented and hurried pace of our lives,
harm was done, and good was left undone.
So, for the times we have reacted
with harshness instead of patience,
with detachment instead of curiosity,
with withholding our true selves instead of offering our generous presence,
We pray: Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, we trust that your love can heal the world,
but we confess that we struggle with how to play our part in that healing,
how to maintain hope and
stay attentive to the cries of those who are hurting.
So, for the times we have ignored injustice around us,
have been slow to align our actions with our values,
have pushed the violence and suffering of the world
away from our sight and mind.
We pray: Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

———
And now receive this affirmation:

May God, whose love for you never fails,
Renew your spirit,
Strengthen you in all goodness,
And give you hope to begin again.

Amen

The Rise of Samuel

Summary

Discussion

Prayer

Liturgy

Philistine Raiders of the Lost Ark

Downfall of Samson