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.
"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.
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 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.
Words are powerful, and they can really hurt. In Psalm 109, David has been hurt by false accusations. But rather than using his own words to return the attack to his accusers, David turns to the Lord in prayer. In a raw lament, David entrusts his emotions and desires to the Lord and asks Him to judge his enemy and deliver him. When we face false accusations, we should turn to the Lord in prayer.
Have you ever been weighed down by trouble or felt defeated? Maybe someone mistreated you, and it's looking like justice won't prevail. Maybe you feel defeated by a persistent struggle with sin. Maybe it's just the pervasive evil in the world that seems to have the upper hand. Is there any hope or victory? In Psalm 108, David looks to the Lord. David had learned to trust God alone for victory.
Have you had news you just had to share? Maybe you called a friend or told the next person you saw! Often, news we share has to do with something we really wanted, something we were hoping for, or something really good that happened. But how often is our salvation from sin the focus of our exciting news? In Psalm 107, the psalmist calls the reader to give thanks to the Lord for His steadfast love.
When God warns His people, they don't listen. What could lead to this kind of blatant stubborn rebellion? A slow drift. Samuel's old, his sons are corrupt. Change is needed. So naturally, the people look at the nations around them to see what they're missing - a king! But their look elsewhere has set them on a course - a subtle drift away from the Lord. Has this subtle drift crept into your life?
I fixed the problem; why don't I feel better? We've been in scenarios like this. For Israel, the problem was that the ark had been captured. But God fixed that problem - it's back! And yet, "the house of Israel lamented after the Lord..." Something still wasn't right. Samuel leads the people to understand that the key wasn't getting the Ark back - the key was that God wanted their hearts back.
Spring 2026 Equip Class: Living as Lights in the Darkness