Sermons - Calvary Community Church

1 – Giants? Really? Read Dt 9:12; Nu 13:22,33; Josh 11:22, 15:13-14; 1 Sam 17:4. 2 – In verse 8 and following, what is representative combat? Why would anyone agree to fight Goliath? What is the essence of the challenge? Why is it shameful that Saul is "dismayed and afraid?" (verse 11) 3 – In verses 12-20, why was David at the battle line? What had been promised to anyone would fight Goliath? Why...

1 – In verse 13, what does it mean, "the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David?" Cross reference Judges 14:6, 19, 15:14. 1 Samuel10:10, 11:6. How is David's experience in the Spirit different? (1 Sam 16:13) 2 – In verse 14, the Spirit departed from Saul. How would seeing this later affect David? Why? (see Psalm 51:11) How does the Holy Spirit come on us? Why? Can we lose it? What does Jesus mean in...

1 – In verse 1, why was Samuel grieving for Saul? How is this not God's will? 2 – In verse 2, why would Samuel fear Saul? In verse 4, why were the elders in Bethlehem alarmed? Did they have cause? 3 – In verse 6, how is God's choice to not choose any of Jesse's seven sons an example of divine election? Why was David not invited by his family to join in the sacrifice, feast, and encounter with Samu...

The New and Living Way, Hebrews 10:19-23In this passage the author of the book of Hebrews begins to pivot toward the "so what" of everything he's been teaching in the letter thus far. He addresses the question: "Since all these things about the Lord Jesus are true, how should we then live?" Keep this context in mind as you discuss these questions. 1. This passage begins with the word "Therefore."...

1 – Verses 1-3 – What authority did Samuel have to send Saul on a mission against the Amalekites? What authority does God have to extinguish a people? Why not do it himself like at Sodom and Gomorrah? Why are non-combatants included in the annihilation? 2 – Verses 4-9 – What reasons does Saul have for not obeying the annihilation command? What does he do instead of obeying? Why? 3 – Verses 10-11 –...

1 – Verses 15-20 - As the passage opens, what is happening in the Philistine camp? Why? What action prompted God to intervene? 2 – Verse 24 – Why would Saul mandate that his army not eat until evening? Verse 27 – What does Jonathan mean when he said he ate the honey and his eyes brightened? Verse 29 – What is Jonathan's assessment of his father's edict regarding fasting? 3 – Verse 32 – Saul's men...

1 – 13:15 – In 1 Samuel 10:7-8, Samuel tells Saul to attack the Philistines then go down to Gilgal and wait for him to give further directions. A year later, Jonathan attacks and Saul goes to Gilgal. Impatient, Saul offers the sacrifice himself. Does he get direction from Samuel? 2 – Why do the Philistines send out raiding parties? Why doesn't Saul try to stop them? 3 – How does the blacksmith sit...

1 - In verses 1-4, why did Philistia have garrisons within Israel? Why did Jonathon attack the Philistine garrison? Who was supposed to? When? 2 – In verse 5, What was the Philistine response to having their outpost sacked? Why was the Philistine army so large? 3 – In verses 6-7, How did the Israelite army, both standing and volunteer, respond to the arrival of the Philistines? Why? 4 – In verse 8...

1 – In verses 1-5, Samuel places himself on trial. What are the conclusions? 2a – What is the point of the history lesson in verses 6-13? How is it similar to the people Samuel is addressing? How is it essentially unlike them? 2b – When the people needed help in the past, who did they turn to? Who are they turning to now for help? What kind of help? 2c – If Israel's problems were not caused by bad...

1a – In verse 17, Samuel calls all Israel together at Mizpah. Why there? (1 Sam 7) 1b – In verse 18, Samuel reviews what God as their king has done for them. Why? 1c – In verse 19, according to Samuel, why has Israel asked for a king? 2 – In verse 24, What characterizes the king the people want? Why? 3 – In verse 11:1, Why does Nahash want to gouge out everyone's right eye when they already want t...

1- What advantages, abilities, giftedness did Saul have? 2 – How does God lead Saul to meet Samuel? What "coincidences" are seen here? How are these "coincidences" used by God? 3 – Saul does not know Samuel or even about him. How is this possible since 3:20 says all Israel knew Samuel was a prophet? 4a – In verses 9:16 – 10:1, Samuel anoints Saul as "prince." Why not king? 4b – What is Saul's appo...

1 – Verse 1 says Samuel is old. How old is he? Samuel is old with two sons who are not walking with the Lord. How is this like Eli and his two sons in Chapter 2? How is it different? What type of work are Samuel's sons doing? (religious or secular)Why would Samuel appoint them? 2 – What reason do the elders give Samuel in verse 5 for their desire for a king? Is this the real reason? Why does this...

"Post Tenebras Lux" / Matthew 28:1-10 Jim Rosenquist Download

1 – What makes us think that the events of Palm Sunday were not spontaneous, but carefully planned? 2 – What does Jesus expect of this day? (Matt 20:18-19) 3 – What is the crowd expecting and hoping for? Is Jesus really the Messiah they are looking for? 4 – In verse 10, the people are asking, "who is this guy?" What was the answer? How are they right? How are they wrong? 5 – In Matt 27:15-23, the...

In this passage the author of the book of Hebrews concludes his teaching on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself being the final, once-for-all sacrifice for sin which therefore abrogates the old covenant sacrificial system. Whereas animal sacrifice could do not more than remind of sin, Christ Jesus beings lasting forgiveness. Keep this context in mind as you discuss these questions. 1. In what sense was...

1 – In verse 2, why did the Israelites, "mourn and seek the lord?" In verses 3 and 4, what action does Samuel say should accompany returning to the Lord? Why would this action be difficult? What did they do? What idols do we need to put away to, "serve the Lord only?" 2 – In verse 6, what does fasting have to do with repentance? Why did they fast? Should we? Why or why not? If we should fast, then...

1 – In the last chapter, the Philistines looked to their political leaders for advice about what to do with the ark of the covenant. See verses 5, 8 and 11. This time they ask the religious leaders, why? See verse 6:2. What advice do the religious leaders suggest? Why a guilt offering? What do the offerings represent? Why? 2 – How does the ark narrative compare with the Exodus? What do the religio...

Verses 1-5 1 – Why did the Philistines set the ark in Dagon's temple? What power did they think it had? How could they use it? 2 – Why does Yahweh, the almighty creator of the universe, bother with a statue of a fake God? What is He trying to communicate to the Philistines? To us? 3 – Why do humans worship idols? What idols do we worship today? 4 – How does Dagon falling a second time and breaking...

1 – In verse 12, how do we know the runner has bad news? Why is he running? What's so urgent? 2 – In verses 13-15, what is Eli doing? Why? Why doesn't he recognize that the runner has bad news? What is he expecting? 3 – In verses 16-18, The runner has four increasingly terrible news announcements. What were they? 4 – In verse 19, Phinehas' wife responds to the same news in inverse order. What is i...

1 – Ultimately, why were the Philistines a problem for Israel? 2 – In verse 3, what reason did the elders give for Israel's defeat in battle? What solution did they invent? What assurance did it provide? How was their solution and action the practice of magic? 3 – In verse 4, how is the ark described? Why? 4 – In verses 5-8, both the Israelites and Philistines view the ark as powerful magic. What...

In this passage the author of the book of Hebrews shows that since the Old Covenant copies needed to be purified by blood, then the greater New Covenant "true things" required a greater sacrifice. He then demonstrates how Christ's sacrifice of Himself was God's final way dealing with sin and this was demonstrated when Christ Jesus said, "It is finished" (Jn. 19) from the cross. Keep this context i...

1 – In verse 1, why was the word of the Lord rare in those days? With no shortage of churches, preachers, and media, why might what we hear not actually be from the Lord? 2 – In verse 3, in what ways was, "the lamp of the Lord," about to go out? 3 – In verse 4, Why does Samuel not recognize the Lord calling him? 4 – In verse 11 and following: A – How is the message God gives Samuel terrifying? Why...

1 – In verses 1-26, what was going on with Eli's sons? Why was Eli's rebuke too weak? What should he have done? Why didn't he? Why is it terrifying to treat God's sacrifices with contempt? How is this done today? With what consequence? 2 – In verses 27-29, the unnamed prophet confronts Eli. He reminds Eli of three acts of God: I revealed, I chose, I gave. What is his point? What did God do in each...

"Sons of Belial" / 1 Samuel 2:12-26 Jim Rosenquist Download

In this passage, the author of the book of Hebrews explains how the Lord Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant, established the New Covenant by His death and that just like a will, the first and second covenants were inaugurated with blood. Bear this context in mind as you discuss the questions below. 1. How does Christ's death redeem those who are called "from the transgressions committed under...