Are you easily distracted? Rather than focusing on the right thing, we turn to other things. Rather than focusing on God, Israel got distracted. Like other nations, they wanted a king. But this was more than a mere distraction. They rejected God. As Samuel crowns king Saul, he urges the nation to return to the Lord. He reminds them that Gods been faithful and urges them to be faithful in return.
Fall 2026 Equip Class: Disciple Making Toolbox
"Well, it's better than a sharp stick in the eye." This old saying isn't actually all that helpful because the trouble we face is still trouble. For Israel's, An enemy threatened to poke out all the right eyes of the men of Jabesh Gilead and bring reproach on Israel. The new king, Saul, hears this and gathers an army to help. But in the story, we see that the help really comes from the Lord.
Fall 2026 Equip Class: Disciple Making Toolbox
Have you ever felt helpless? It feels uncomfortable, but it can lead us to the truth: left to ourselves, we're helpless! Israel realizes their mistake in rejecting God and demanding a king. Even after God reveals their king, they can't find him! At this moment of helplessness, they ask God for help, and He shows faithfulness. When we're helpless, God is faithful even when we don't deserve it.
Have you ever felt inadequate? Do your tasks seem undoable? This can be frustrating when we have clarity from God's Word that this is what He wants us to do, but we feel incapable of doing it. That has to be how Saul felt as Samuel announced to him that he’d be Israel's next king. Yet in 1 Samuel 9 and 10, we see the example of God's Word and God's Spirit fully equipping Saul for the task ahead.
Have you asked God for something and felt like you got no response? The people ask God for a king. God says He will give them a king, and the chapter ends with Samuel telling them, "Go back to your cities." Who's the king? You ask God for something, but instead you are off track, and things are not going your way. 1 Samuel 9 teaches us crucial truths about God's providential care for His people.
Have you ever felt stuck? When we’re there, we feel like there's no way forward, and we feel hopeless — even desperate! The author of Psalm 118 felt that way. In two verses, he repeats four times that his enemies surrounded him. But in that time of distress, he remembered God's steadfast love and cried out for help. As a result, Psalm 118 is a testimony to the saving work of God's steadfast love.
What's most important? How do we spend our limited resources like time and money? Though Psalm 117 is the shortest of all, it reminds us what’s most important of all: Praise the Lord. The universe exists for this purpose. The psalm calls us to praise God for two key attributes: His love and truth. These small words in the littlest psalm represent ideas that touch all people for all time.
Does prayer matter? If God’s sovereign, is there any point to prayer? Psalm 116 answers those questions by confirming that prayer is important and effective. Why? Because when we pray, we call out to a God Who loves us and Who responds to our prayers with what is good for us. We are precious in His eyes, so He deals bountifully with us. Psalm 116 is the psalmist's response to an answered prayer.
What do Buddha, a trillion dollars, and the highest IQ have in common? They’re not God. They didn’t create the universe. They can’t save you and grant life eternal. Psalm 115 calls the reader to give glory and trust to the Lord alone. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory." It is foolish to trust in idols. Our God is entirely superior to every other thing we might worship.
Have you ever been surprised by a "road closed" sign? Part of you wonders, "Is it really closed? Could I get through?" Another part scrambles to find a different destination route. In life, we can feel like we keep hitting "road closed" signs. The obstacles of life leave us feeling frustrated, stuck, and even hopeless. Psalm 114 reminds us that when it comes to God’s plan, He faces no obstacles!
Does God ever feel far away? When we praise Him for His greatness and glory, He can seem so far from us. Why would He ever have anything to do with me and my mess? Psalm 113 corrects our view of God, reminding us that He’s both high and humble. He deserves to be exalted above all because He stoops down to help the needy. Our praise for God is fueled not only by His Highness, but also by His help.
What hobbies impacted you? Maybe sports kept us out of trouble, music helped us through hard times, reading cultivated our imagination, or woodworking reduced stress. We become devoted to things we enjoy, especially when they’ve played an important role in shaping our lives. We give time, effort, and attention to these things. Titus 3 reminds us that the gospel ought to radically change our lives.
What are you afraid of? What we often don't realize is that our fears shape our lives. Our fears affect our sleep, activities, decisions, and relationships. Psalms 112 encourages us to fear the Lord above all. An appropriate awe and reverence for God result in many blessings for the believer. Our lives begin to reflect His character traits, and we find victory over other fears.
Watching an intense sporting event at the professional level, we tend to be amazed by the skills of athletes. Other things in life inspire awe - a beautiful sunrise, a breathtaking view, or an intense storm. Psalm 111 encourages us to praise the Lord for His amazing works. As the psalmist recounts the awesome works of the Lord, he concludes by encouraging us to fear the Lord and obey His commands.
Even if we aren't in charge, we want to know the plan and the timing, and see it go the way we want. But the choice to do what we wanted rather than what God said led to this whole mess from the start (Gen. 3). God plans to set all things right through a perfect human King: Jesus. Many want Jesus to help them with their “kingdom”. But God won’t have it. Here we learn to worship the King of Kings.