Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
Ice-Breaker:
- What’s a conspiracy theory or random topic you’ve stayed up way too late researching?
Scripture
1 Samuel 4:12-22
The Death of Eli
12 A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief. 13 Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town.
14 “What is all the noise about?” Eli asked.
The messenger rushed over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and blind. 16 He said to Eli, “I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day.”
“What happened, my son?” Eli demanded.
17 “Israel has been defeated by the Philistines,” the messenger replied. “The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured.”
18 When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years.
19 Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. 20 She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy!” But she did not answer or pay attention to them.
21 She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead. 22 Then she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
The Death of Eli
12 A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief. 13 Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town.
14 “What is all the noise about?” Eli asked.
The messenger rushed over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and blind. 16 He said to Eli, “I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day.”
“What happened, my son?” Eli demanded.
17 “Israel has been defeated by the Philistines,” the messenger replied. “The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured.”
18 When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years.
19 Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. 20 She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy!” But she did not answer or pay attention to them.
21 She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead. 22 Then she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
Discussion Questions:
Brandon emphasized that God’s glory is not simply brightness or beauty; it carries weight, significance, and authority. Isaiah’s response to God was not a casual one, he was filled with awe and wonder when he encountered God's glory.
Brandon pointed out that “the weight of our sin blinds us to the weight of His glory.” Eli and his sons had become so accustomed to dishonoring God that they could treat His sacrifices with contempt and still remain in positions of spiritual authority.
There is a strong connection between Eli sitting on his “throne” at the beginning of his story and falling from that throne at the end. Eli had honored his sons above God, and Israel had attempted to use God’s presence for their own purposes.
1 Samuel 4 ends with Ichabod, “the glory has departed”, but scripture points us forward to John 1:14: “The Word became flesh… We have seen His glory.” The glory that Israel could not control and that Moses could not fully behold came near to us in Jesus. The cross shows us both how seriously God takes our sin and how far He was willing to go to redeem us.
Brandon ended the message by connecting God’s glory to our calling: Jesus is the light of the world, and those who follow Him are called to reflect that light so that others ultimately give glory to the Father. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
- What tends to make God feel small or ordinary to us, even though we know He is infinitely holy and glorious?
- How can familiarity with church, Scripture, worship, or Christian language sometimes make it easier to lose our sense of awe?
Brandon pointed out that “the weight of our sin blinds us to the weight of His glory.” Eli and his sons had become so accustomed to dishonoring God that they could treat His sacrifices with contempt and still remain in positions of spiritual authority.
- Why is persistent, tolerated sin so spiritually dangerous?
- Where do you think Christians are most tempted to become comfortable with sin because it has been present in their lives for so long?
- What makes repentance harder when sin has become familiar?
There is a strong connection between Eli sitting on his “throne” at the beginning of his story and falling from that throne at the end. Eli had honored his sons above God, and Israel had attempted to use God’s presence for their own purposes.
- Share an area of life where surrendering control to God has been difficult for you.
- Have you seen any ways God has been exposing your need for control or challenging your desire to remain “on the throne” in that area?
1 Samuel 4 ends with Ichabod, “the glory has departed”, but scripture points us forward to John 1:14: “The Word became flesh… We have seen His glory.” The glory that Israel could not control and that Moses could not fully behold came near to us in Jesus. The cross shows us both how seriously God takes our sin and how far He was willing to go to redeem us.
- Why do we sometimes find it easier to focus on God’s forgiveness than on the weight of what Jesus endured to make that forgiveness possible?
- Where do you personally need to recover a sense of wonder at what Christ has done?
Brandon ended the message by connecting God’s glory to our calling: Jesus is the light of the world, and those who follow Him are called to reflect that light so that others ultimately give glory to the Father. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
- What are some things that can begin to carry more weight in our lives than God does?
- How do we recognize when something good has started taking a place that belongs to God?
- Where is God calling you to stop living for your own glory and intentionally live for His? Could be in your career, relationship, finances, habits, etc.
Prayer Topics:
- Pray that God would restore a right understanding of His glory. Ask Him to help us see His holiness, greatness, and significance with awe rather than allowing familiarity to make Him feel ordinary or small.
- Pray that God would expose the places where sin has become comfortable. Ask Him to give us humility to take our sin seriously and repent quickly.
- Pray for surrender in the areas where we are fighting to remain on the throne. Ask God to expose our need for control and teach us to trust His sovereignty.
- Pray that our lives would increasingly be lived for God’s glory rather than our own. Ask God to shape our decisions, relationships, work, families, and priorities so that the way we live points others toward Christ and brings glory to the Father.
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