Week 3: You Have Been Chosen
June 13, 2021
Primary Text: 1 Samuel 15:34–16:13
Supplementary Texts: Psalm 20; 2 Corinthians 5:6–10, 14–17; Mark 4:26–34
Topic(s): Kingship, Choice, Discernment
Big Idea of the Message: God rejects Saul and chooses David, with seemingly no respect for human categories.
Application Point: Know that God has chosen you and follow his guidance.
It is easy to believe that our logic is sound and yet come to absolutely the wrong conclusion. The website http://www.iusedtobelieve.com is a collection of people’s recounting of things that they used to believe as children, beliefs based on their limited knowledge then. An example from the “Nature” section: “I used to think an earthquake was an ‘earth cake’ and I would picture a big cake made of dirt. So, when my parents were watching the news about the earthquake that happened in our town on TV, I would think the ground would shake a lot and make a cake shaped thing. I never knew how it was possible.”
We weirdly believe that based on our traditions and discernment, we can figure out what God is going to do and whom God is going to choose. But even with all that knowledge, we still get ahead of the game when it comes to God and his work. His choices seem weird to us because they’re inconsistent with our understanding. But his understanding is deeper than ours, and we can trust that he knows what is best.
Discussion Questions:
Primary Text: 1 Samuel 15:34–16:13
Supplementary Texts: Psalm 20; 2 Corinthians 5:6–10, 14–17; Mark 4:26–34
Topic(s): Kingship, Choice, Discernment
Big Idea of the Message: God rejects Saul and chooses David, with seemingly no respect for human categories.
Application Point: Know that God has chosen you and follow his guidance.
It is easy to believe that our logic is sound and yet come to absolutely the wrong conclusion. The website http://www.iusedtobelieve.com is a collection of people’s recounting of things that they used to believe as children, beliefs based on their limited knowledge then. An example from the “Nature” section: “I used to think an earthquake was an ‘earth cake’ and I would picture a big cake made of dirt. So, when my parents were watching the news about the earthquake that happened in our town on TV, I would think the ground would shake a lot and make a cake shaped thing. I never knew how it was possible.”
We weirdly believe that based on our traditions and discernment, we can figure out what God is going to do and whom God is going to choose. But even with all that knowledge, we still get ahead of the game when it comes to God and his work. His choices seem weird to us because they’re inconsistent with our understanding. But his understanding is deeper than ours, and we can trust that he knows what is best.
Discussion Questions:
- What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
- Is there something that you have been able to do in the past that you can’t do anymore? Why?
- Have you ever been the last one chosen on the school playground? What categories do humans use to choose people?
- How are God’s categories different?
- Have you ever been chosen for something, and it made absolutely no sense to you? How did you feel about that?
- Close your time together in prayer.