"The Saul In All... Of Us"
Connect
Share one thing you find surprisingly hard to wait for.
Take It In
What does this reveal about who God is?
- Read 1 Samuel 13:5-9. What does Saul's decision reveal about the importance God places on obedience, even when circumstances make obedience difficult, uncomfortable, or costly?
- Read 1 Samuel 13:11-12. What circumstances was Saul paying attention to, and how did they affect his trust in God's instructions?
- Read 1 Samuel 15:9. Saul obeyed partially. He did the part that made sense to him and held back what appealed to him. Where in your own life have you been practicing selective obedience and calling it enough?
Talk About It
How do we practically apply this?
- Saul's pattern moved from "I felt compelled" to "I kept what I wanted" to "I built a monument to myself" to “I’m playing religious games to make up for it all.” That's a slow drift. Do you see yourself in that progression at all and how did you get there?
- God saw our saul-like-ness long before we even knew his name, but we are fully known and fully covered in Christ. God sees every bit of Saulishness in us all and sent His Son anyway. How does that reality make genuine, no-excuses confession possible for you in a way it wasn't before?
- Name one compulsion, like an emotionally urgent feeling that has been masquerading as a conviction in your life. What boundary or accountability will you put in place to interrupt that pattern?
Take It Home
What are we doing this week?
- Is there an area of partial obedience in your life or something God said do fully that you've been doing halfway? What will complete obedience actually require from you, and what is your next step?
Prayer Time