Archive for category: LivingEd – Youth

Featured Passage: 1 Samuel 3-4, 7

Samuel served in the temple from childhood. Under the guidance of Eli, Samuel began to learn about all the things of God. God was preparing Samuel for big responsibilities. One night, when he was still a young boy, Samuel heard someone call his name. Thinking it was Eli, he jumped out of bed and said to Eli “Here I am!” Eli hadn’t called him, but Samuel was about to find out Who wanted his attention.  And that was only the beginning of the story of how Samuel came to be a prophet and a judge over Israel.

Discuss:

• Samuel had a special calling to be a prophet to Israel at a very young age. What was Samuel’s reaction when God spoke to him the first time?
• Samuel’s first prophetic message was about Eli and his family. Why were Eli and his sons punished? 
• What are the duties of a prophet? Why does God have prophets?
• What are the duties of a judge?

Memory Challenge:

1 Samuel 3:10 

Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

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Featured Passage: Amos 1 – 9

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Amos was a sheep breeder when God sent him to prophesy to Israel. He was a prophet during the reigns of Uzziah king of Judah and Jeroboam II king of Israel (2 Kings 15). This Jeroboam is not to be confused with Jeroboam I, the first king of Israel who caused Israel to sin. Jeroboam II was an evil king who continued the false religion of his ancestors. Yet, God allowed Israel to prosper during this time. It is in this context that Amos was sent to prophesy against Israel and the surrounding nations.  

Discuss:

• Why does God warn people through prophecy? Remember that transgression of God’s law is sin (1 John 3:4 KJV) and sin causes suffering.
• How were things going in the land while Amos prophesied of bad things to come? Do you think this changed how the people heard his message?
• Did the people listen to Amos? 
• Was Amos thought of as a traitor? What should we do if we experience ill feelings from others because of our faith?
• What were Israel’s sins that Amos pointed out in chapter 2? Covetousness was a major source of their sins. Today, our society is filled with covetousness. How can we avoid being covetous? 
• Did the people change? 
• What nation took Israel captive not long after Amos’ warnings? 

Memory Challenge:

Amos 3:7 

Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

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Featured Passage: 1 Samuel 9-12

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The people wanted a king, so God had a particular man in mind for the job. This young man’s name was Saul, and he was from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul was the tallest and most handsome man in all the land! God told Samuel that he wanted Saul to be king. Little did Saul know about what was in store for him! 

One day, Saul’s father told him to take a servant with him to look for his two missing donkeys. Saul and his servant searched and searched but they could not find them. They were about to give up when they remembered Samuel and decided that the man of God would be able to help them. He was, of course, able to help them, but not in the way that Saul expected. How could Saul know that the two missing donkeys were part of God’s plan to anoint a king over Israel? 

Discuss:

• Saul was tall and handsome. Do you think this was part of the reason God chose him to be the first king? 
• When Samuel first told Saul about God’s plan to make him king, how did Saul react? How do we react when someone tells us something surprising? 
• Why do you think Saul kept it a secret that he had been anointed by Samuel to be the king? 
• When Samuel went to proclaim to the people who would be king, where was Saul? Why do you think he was hiding? 
• Later, God said that Saul was “small in his own eyes” at this time. This is another way of saying that he was “humble”. What exactly does it mean to be “humble” or “small in your own eyes?”  

Memory Challenge: 

1 Samuel 10:24

 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”

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Featured Passage: Numbers 20

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The Israelites rebelled against God when they were supposed to go into the land God promised them, so as a punishment God made them wander in the desert for forty years. They were now getting close to the end of that time, but it seemed the people had not changed very much – they still complained and complained. One day, the congregation was made to camp in a place where there was no water. Instead of asking God for help, they were angry and complained to Moses and Aaron. God told Moses to gather the people together to witness a special miracle that God was going to perform to bring water from a rock. God had done this miracle before, only this time He wanted Moses to speak to the rock instead of hitting it with his staff as he had before. Moses was so angry with the people for all their complaining that he made a hasty mistake – a mistake which would change the course of his life. 

Discuss: 

1. Why do you think the people were the people complaining about not having water? What would it be like to be in the desert without water? 
2. Why do you suppose the people didn’t ask God for help when they were in trouble? Why is it important that we ask God to help us when we are in trouble?
3. What were God’s instructions to Moses and Aaron? What did Moses and Aaron actually do? 
4. Why was God so angry with Moses? Have a look at Numbers 20:10. Was Moses giving God the credit for causing the miracle? What should have Moses said?
5. What was Moses’ punishment for his mistake? What lessons can we learn from this story? 

Memory Challenge: 

Numbers 20:12

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

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Featured Passage: Deuteronomy 31-34, Joshua 1

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The Children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years and it was finally time to go into the land God promised them. Moses was now one hundred and twenty years old! He had lived a long and very exciting life, but God would not allow him to enter the Promised Land. It was time for Moses to sleep and await the resurrection. God gave Joshua the charge to lead Israel, but before Joshua could take on his new role, God had a few things to say to him.

Discuss:

• God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). What did God tell Moses to do to ensure an orderly transition of leadership? (Numbers 27 gives some more details about this as well)
• What jobs did Joshua have over the forty-year period which trained him for leading Israel? 
• What was one of the last things Moses told Joshua before he died?
• What is courage? Does being courageous mean we are never afraid? What does it mean to be strong and courageous? From where do we ultimately get our strength?

Memory Challenge: 

Deuteronomy 31:7 

Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.”

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