Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
Ice-Breaker:
- Think back to middle school or high school, what trend did you follow because everyone else was doing it, and now you look back and think, “I really thought I looked good?!” *BONUS POINTS* if you share a picture with your group!
Scripture
1 Samuel 8
Israel Requests a King
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
Israel Requests a King
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
Discussion Questions:
Israel didn't just want a king, they wanted to be like everyone else. They looked at the nations around them and decided what God had given them wasn't enough. That comparison reshaped what they believed they needed from God.
Israel wanted a king they could choose; a king who would fit their expectations, fight their battles, and do things their way. But they had forgotten what it meant to have a king. A king isn't someone who exists to carry out the will of his people; the people exist to serve their king. Yet we can do the same thing with Jesus. We can call Him King while expecting Him to serve our plans and make our lives work the way we want them to.
Israel didn't want to wait for God. They had already decided what they wanted and demanded it immediately. “NOW” can be just as rebellious as “NO.” When we insist that God act when and how we want, we aren't really trusting His leadership, we're trying to take control of the outcome ourselves.
Israel wanted a king who would fight their battles against their enemies. But Jesus doesn't invite us to use Him as a weapon for our personal battles. He went to the cross and gave Himself for us while we were still His enemies. The kingdom of Jesus looks radically different from the kingdom where we get to decide who deserves to lose.
Samuel warned Israel over and over: “He will take.” The king they wanted would eventually take their sons, daughters, possessions, freedom, and ultimately their independence. Jesus is the complete opposite. He is the King who gives, who came not to be served but to serve and give His life for His people.
Jesus clearly declared: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36), calling His followers to be the light of the world. a distinct, royal priesthood reflecting His reign (Matthew 5:14, 1 Peter 2:9). If Jesus is our true King, we are called to embody and advance His kingdom right here on earth.
- Where do you find yourself most tempted to look at someone else's life and think, “If I had that, THEN I would feel secure... THEN I would feel successful... THEN I would feel satisfied, etc.”?
- How has that comparison affected your trust in God?
Israel wanted a king they could choose; a king who would fit their expectations, fight their battles, and do things their way. But they had forgotten what it meant to have a king. A king isn't someone who exists to carry out the will of his people; the people exist to serve their king. Yet we can do the same thing with Jesus. We can call Him King while expecting Him to serve our plans and make our lives work the way we want them to.
- What is a decision or area of life where we might need to stop asking Jesus for approval and start asking Him for direction?
- What is one specific step you can take this week to stop trying to get Jesus to bless the outcome you want and instead follow His direction and how can we hold you accountable to actually take that step?
Israel didn't want to wait for God. They had already decided what they wanted and demanded it immediately. “NOW” can be just as rebellious as “NO.” When we insist that God act when and how we want, we aren't really trusting His leadership, we're trying to take control of the outcome ourselves.
- Where are you struggling to wait on God right now?
- When you’re in a season of waiting, what kind of encouragement, prayer, or support from others helps you keep trusting God instead of taking control?
- How can we be intentional about sharing those struggles with one another and supporting one another through the waiting?
Israel wanted a king who would fight their battles against their enemies. But Jesus doesn't invite us to use Him as a weapon for our personal battles. He went to the cross and gave Himself for us while we were still His enemies. The kingdom of Jesus looks radically different from the kingdom where we get to decide who deserves to lose.
- Who is difficult for you to love, forgive, or genuinely pray for right now?
- What part of you would rather see that person get what they deserve than experience the mercy you've received from Jesus?
- What is one specific act of grace or prayer you can extend to them this week?
Samuel warned Israel over and over: “He will take.” The king they wanted would eventually take their sons, daughters, possessions, freedom, and ultimately their independence. Jesus is the complete opposite. He is the King who gives, who came not to be served but to serve and give His life for His people.
- How does knowing that your King gave His very life for you redefine how you view your own time, money, comfort, possessions, etc.?
- Where is God giving you an opportunity to become more like your King by giving rather than taking? Make it specific: who needs something from you, and what are you willing to give?
Jesus clearly declared: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36), calling His followers to be the light of the world. a distinct, royal priesthood reflecting His reign (Matthew 5:14, 1 Peter 2:9). If Jesus is our true King, we are called to embody and advance His kingdom right here on earth.
- How can we tell whether our homes, habits, and everyday conversations are being shaped more by the values of Jesus’ kingdom or by the values of the world around us? Where do we most easily find ourselves blending the two?
- As a group, where are we most likely to have opportunities to make the values of Christ’s kingdom visible this week: at home, in our friendships, at work, or around other believers? What would intentional obedience look like in those places?
Prayer Topics:
- Pray for hearts that find contentment in God’s provision.
- Ask God to take His rightful place on the throne of our hearts and teach us to fully surrender to His authority.
- Pray for freedom from the desire to control outcomes and patience to trust God’s timing.
- Pray that the love of our King would move us toward a life of self-giving service, generosity, and sacrifice.
- Ask God to shape our homes, habits, and relationships into reflections of His kingdom.
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