“Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD.” — 1 Samuel 1:10.

Over the last few weeks on Friday, we have been looking at little-known characters in the Bible that we might, wrongly perhaps, skip over as not being particularly important. But some of these often-overlooked characters can be significant in other ways, showing us and teaching us something important through their lives, what happened to them, and how other people engaged with them. They were ordinary people who had cast long shadows of godly influence. One was Hannah.

Hannah is not a major Bible storyline. She wasn’t known as a popular or visible leader. She wasn’t a sought-after Old Testament leader and judge like Deborah. She didn’t catch the eye of a King, rise up in courage, and save a nation like Esther. She didn’t have a book in the Bible named after her like Ruth. But what she did have was inner strength and trust in God. We can learn from her faith.

Hannah was married to Elkanah. He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. They lived in a remote part of Israel and made their home in the mountains of Ephraim (1 Samuel 1:1-2). The Bible makes it clear that Elkanah loved Hannah, although she was childless. One of the most important roles of a woman in those days was her ability to bear children. Despite Hannah’s deep desire to bear children, it may have seemed to her that she may never have children. Living in a time where so much emphasis was placed on a woman’s ability to have children, she must have felt very discouraged. Yet, in her discouragement, she continued to pray. She did not let her circumstances keep her from pleading and praying to God.

In the first Book of Samuel, we learn that Hannah cried out to God while she was in the temple, weeping in anguish. Eli, a priest was watching her. He thought she was drunk. He reprimanded her, telling her to throw away her wine. Hannah answered Eli, telling him that she wasn’t drunk, rather she was a “praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” (1 Samuel  1:16).

She explained she was “pouring out her soul before the Lord” (vs. 15). Eli tells her “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” (vs. 17). God heard her request. Hannah told God that if He were to give her a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord. You would think that after waiting so long and desperately wanting a child, Hannah most likely wanted to keep her son. Not knowing if she would ever have another, a great temptation may have been to go back on her promise to the Lord and not give him away. This was not the case. Hannah gave her son, Samuel, to the Lord.

Hannah could have given up at any time and declared it was just too unfair and hard. But she didn’t. And we can’t either.

Discussion Questions:

1. What did Hannah’s prayer reveal about her understanding of: a. God’s character b. God’s power c. God’s relationship with people?
2. What had Hannah sacrificed? What had she gained? What can we learn from Hannah’s relationship with God?

“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” – 1 Peter 3:18.

There are many times when a substitute stands in for the original. A substitute teacher carries on the classwork while the regular classroom teacher is absent. Margarine can serve as a cheaper substitute for butter. A pharmacist can substitute a generic brand for a more expensive prescription drug. Sometimes, a substitute can be just as good as—if not better than—the original item. Other times, it serves a valid purpose but is simply a temporary place filler until the original is once again available.

There is one substitute, however, that has no comparison. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, serving as the perfect substitute. Jesus didn’t just die for you. He died as you. He died in your place. He became like you so you could become like Him. He was rejected so that you could be accepted. Though each of us is guilty of sin and deserving of its due punishment, Jesus willingly chose to take our place, paying the penalty that a just God requires. He became our substitute.

Jesus Christ, God’s perfect Son, was the only one qualified to be our substitute. One sinner cannot die for another sinner any more than one criminal cannot pay for another. God allowed His perfect Son to come to earth, die in our place as our substitute, and pay the punishment we deserved. It was an expression of love.

What was it that motivated Christ to give His life?  What was it that propelled Him to go to the cross?  What made the Son of God come down from heaven and be so rudely treated by men?  It was nothing other than pure love. John 15:13 says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  Jesus embodied that love, even to those who were not His friends. That speaks volumes of Christ’s love: He would give His life to people who did not love Him in return.

This should give us pause and make us stand in wonder. The fact that Christ would give His life, the fact that God would not hold that grudge—these are reminders of the great love that He has and the great blessing it is that we may have eternal life.

If Jesus willingly endured and suffered all He did to be the perfect substitute, would you not be willing to sacrifice for Him? “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1).

Discussion Questions:

1. Jesus is the only one who could act as our substitute. Agree or disagree and why?
2. What does it mean to have Christ as a substitute?

  “ Let all that I am wait quietly before God,  for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. ” – Psalm 62:5-8.

Have you ever had an inner monologue? People talk to themselves for various reasons, including problem-solving, reasoning, planning, motivation, and attention. No person is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to you as much as you talk to yourself. You’re in an unending, incredibly important conversation with yourself every day, especially in times of stress and worry. During these times, we need to be reminded of the power of what we are saying not just to others, but also to ourselves. We need to speak the truth to ourselves.

What are you saying to you about God and your circumstances? Do your words stimulate faith, hope, and courage? Or does your talk stimulate doubt, discouragement, and fear? Do you remind yourself that God is near, or do you reason within yourself that, given your circumstances, He must be distant? Do you point yourself again to God’s grace?  The bottom line is this: the state of our hearts is often a direct result of speaking the truth.

While we need to speak the truth to others, we need to speak the truth to ourselves.  When searching for truth their is no better resource than the Bible. God’s Word is truth John 17:17 says, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”  We can open our Bible and find the truth at any moment, on any given day. While it’s increasingly harder to discern truth from lies in today’s information-overloaded world, we can confidently look to Scripture. Isaiah 45:19 says, “I publicly proclaim bold promises.I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.”

We need to spend regular time in God’s word, meditating and memorizing it to know God’s promises and preach them to ourselves. This will help us focus on Jesus; as we do, we will remember whose footsteps we follow.

The night Jesus was betrayed, as he went to pray in Gethsemane, He took some of His disciples aside and said to them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). He was looking ahead to the experience of the cross. But Jesus knew that this experience was not going to be permanent. He knew that there was a resurrection coming. And so “…because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:2). That is the truth we need for ourselves.  The gospel. The death and the resurrection of Jesus, for us.

So, what have you been saying to yourself lately? Do your thoughts fit with the testimony of who God is and who we are in Christ? We cannot control what others say to us, but we can control what we say to ourselves.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is it harder to speak the truth to others or to ourselves?
2. What do you tell yourself when you’re afraid or worried? What is the truth that we need to say to ourselves? What can we say to ourselves when we feel overwhelmed by life, or fearful of the unknown?
   

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” – James 1:2-4.

James begins his epistle with wise counsel on dealing with adversity. He says that Christians should have a unique perspective on suffering. In fact, we handle suffering in a radically different way.

It comes down to the difference in your basic outlook on life.  It all comes down to one thing: God.  For Christians, God has a very distinct role to play amid adversity. We can be joyful in suffering because God is sovereign, has a purpose for it, and made abundant provisions in the midst of it.

James does not use the words “misfortune,” “hard luck,” or “tough break.” Rather, James uses the words  “trials” and “testing.” The words “trial” and “test” indicate a circumstance designed by someone.  In other words, someone else places a person in a situation pre-arranged with a specific purpose. And so, while James does not mention the Lord specifically, he is saying that God is the authority administering the adversity.  God brings troubles into your life. He is in control and is working out His good plan. We can rejoice not just because God is sovereign over our adversities but because He is active in our adversities.  He is using these troubles to achieve a greater purpose in our lives. Charles Spurgeon hit the nail on the head when he said: “When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.”

We are a work in progress. As Christians, we want heaven now. While we wait for heaven, we want a heaven-like life. While we are on earth, our goal is to submit to God’s will and love the things that He loves. Our troubles are helping us get to that point.

Troubles can be viewed as obstacles that steal energy, time, productivity, etc.  But a Christian can see that there is something good.  This trial is ultimately advancing you. It isn’t taking away from your life; it is causing you to grow.

Matthew Henry said it this way: “We must not sink into a sad and disconsolate frame of mind, which would make us faint under our trials; but must endeavor to keep our spirits dilated and enlarged… [that way we are best equipped to] make the best of it. Philosophy may instruct men to be calm under their troubles, but Christianity teaches them to be joyful.”

Discussion Questions:

1. How have the trials you have experienced brought you closer to or pushed you further away from God? How have trials affected your faith?
2. When you read James 1:2-4, it seems like suffering is a major way God produces maturity and perseverance in us. Why do you think trials refine us so well?

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”—  John 16:33.

At some point in our lives, we will feel the weight of stress and anxiety in our lives. It may be one thing, or it may be a series of things that have built up over the years, causing stress to build up. Stress can bend us out of shape, making us act uncharacteristically. We find ourselves snapping at people, losing patience when we need it most, or becoming depressed. If we are not careful, stress can cause us to take our eyes off God and focus only on what is causing our stress.

In John 16, Jesus is warning His disciples that life is about to get stressful. He encourages them not to abandon their faith and to remember He will always be with them. Jesus was trying to explain His upcoming crucifixion and assure them that, although He would be leaving them, He would also be returning. Despite what Jesus said, the disciples were confused and concerned. So, in verse 33, He reassures them that no matter what happens in their earthly life, they can always remain peaceful in Him.

Fast-forward several thousand years, and the presence of stress and our need for Jesus are the same. Jesus understood life would always be stressful, and His promise of peace is applicable no matter what century we live in.  The good news for Christians is that God gives us a strategy to deal with stress in a healthy way. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”  (Philippians 4:6-7).

Of course, it is not that easy. There is some irony at play here. As you prepare to deal with stress, you will probably be stressed. In those times, remember that God is with you.  “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Maybe you have tried every stress relief tactic known to humankind to no avail. That’s because none of the stress management options are as effective as the stress relief found in Jesus.

If you have been searching for peace and serenity that seems completely out of reach, maybe you have simply been searching in all the wrong places. Stress is an outward indication of an inner situation—a situation of a heart that needs the peace of Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your primary source of stress, and how does it affect your life?
2. How do you typically manage stress? What are some ways you can incorporate prayer into dealing with stress and anxiety?
3. How can you gain strength in times of stress or difficulties?

“This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.” — Exodus 18:17-20.  

Over the last few weeks on Friday, we have been looking at little-known characters in the Bible that we might, wrongly perhaps, skip over as not being particularly important. But some of these often-overlooked characters can be significant in other ways, showing us and teaching us something important through their lives, what happened to them, and how other people engaged with them. They were ordinary people who had cast long shadows of godly influence. One was Jethro.

Sometimes, we become irritated when people offer unsolicited advice. It often feels intrusive and even insulting. But in many cases, you can get the best advice from the unlikeliest of sources. In Exodus 17 and 18, we find Moses dealing with the problems of leadership for the entire nation. He deals with and tries to resolve every squabble, question, dispute, and disagreement 24 hours a day. He is basically a one-man court and litigation department.

When he is at his breaking point, exhausted and stressed,  Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, approaches Moses and offers some counsel. He sees how hard Moses works to serve and lead the people, and he doesn’t criticize. Instead, he says, “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too” if you continue like this. So Jethro proposes a plan – select several trustworthy, godly men and appoint them as judges to handle the lesser disputes and questions on Moses’ behalf so that Moses will be free to handle the significant disputes and lead instead of being bogged down in the details. One of the key lines of the text is, Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions” (Exodus 18:24).  Although what Moses was doing was working, he still listened to his father-in-law because there was room for improvement.

Sometimes, we become irritated when people offer unsolicited advice. “Who are they to tell me what to do?” But God calls us to care about the people around us. Sometimes, caring means shar­ing our wisdom, and other times, it means being willing to be taught. We can benefit from the wisdom of others, even when it comes from the most unlikely source.

Discussion Questions:

1. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received from someone? How did it impact you?
2. How sustainable is the pace you’re living? Would a wise, loving advisor say, “This is not good” to you? Speaking of advisors, who is yours? Do you have someone in your life that plays the role of a Jethro? 

“Jesus Unites… Politics Divides” – Andy Stanley

Has there ever been a time in American history that we have been as politically divided as we are now? Politics has become an “us vs. them” attitude; We need to brace for the slew of political memes, sarcastic jokes, and negative articles that will undoubtedly fill social media over the next few months. In this election season and beyond, we must ask ourselves this rhetorical question: If we only love those who vote like us, what makes us any different from the rest of the world?

Anyone can love someone who loves them. And some people can love those who are not attached to their lives in any way. But how many can love those with completely different political views and make your blood boil by denigrating your views? Loving others during these times of political division can be a significant struggle. The constant barrage of conflicting opinions and heated debates often frustrates and disconnects us from those around us. It is hard to love in that environment. Yet that was the standard of Jesus. Jesus commands His followers to love our neighbors as ourselves. He doesn’t tell us to love our neighbors only if they agree with us, vote the same way, or love our political party. Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

Love your neighbor as yourself, even if your neighbor is a Democrat. Love your neighbor as yourself, even if your neighbor is a Republican. Love your neighbor as yourself, even if your neighbor hates the candidate you love. Love your neighbor as yourself, even if their ideas for our country scare you. Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no wiggle room, fine print, conditions, or exclusions.

The apostle Paul instructed the believers at Ephesus to be kind and forgive one another to unify the church. Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV) says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” He urged Christ’s new followers to put aside the personal and cultural differences that separated them and to move forward together as one body. He would advise us to do the same, regardless of a believer’s political affiliation.

He encouraged us to celebrate the diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and life stages in our local communities. He also encouraged us to listen to one another and, above all, to love and respect one another as image-bearers of God.

The Church is infinitely bigger than one country’s two-party system and is made up of believers with many different backgrounds and ideas about politics and government.

Does ‘’loving” one’s political rivals mean ceding elections to them or abandoning our principles and policies to push theirs instead? Of course not. They may still have different political views, but they are no longer our “enemies” when we love like Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

1. As Christians, how should we react to people with different political opinions?

“But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48.

Christians want to please God with their lives, but we fall short of living the Christian life we want to live. There is way too much pressure.  There is the need to love others, read the Bible, pray, witness, disciple others, etc. We are doing things that God does not want in our life. There always seems to be another area of my spiritual life I need to do better or more.

Fortunately, God does not demand perfection in you. He is not expecting you to measure up. God never thought you could live a Christian life or meet His holy standards. If He thought you could, He wouldn’t have come to earth to die for you. But He did.

God is aware of the gap between His perfection and our sinfulness. But despite that, there is a constant tension within us trying to close that gap to strengthen the relationship and feel closer to God. What does God say about this gap? It’s there and it will always be there. But you, who have put your faith in Jesus, received Him into your life, have been forgiven and declared righteous. You are completely His, and He loves you unconditionally, despite the gap. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

It is likely, however, that you will come to a point in your life where you begin to think that surely God must now want some compensation. What God wants when it comes to you is simple. He wants you. C.S. Lewis said, “God doesn’t want something from us, He simply wants us.” He wants a loving relationship with His children. He wants us to take that vertical love for God and make it horizontal by treating our neighbors as ourselves. If you read scripture, you quickly conclude that love is the foundation of everything God does. 1 John 4:8 says it outright: “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” He created you so that He could love you and you might love Him.  He wants our love.

God is looking for the person who longs to know, understand, and be close to God, who knows that God is the Lord, the omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign God. Someone who knows that God is the God of steadfast love, justice, and righteousness on earth. One who knows that God is good and great and that it is a privilege to know Him. To know God is more life-giving than anything else. To know God is our purpose, our mission, and our life.

The end goal of the Christian life is to become the person God wants us to be. God longs to use you because He loves you. He’s not selfish. He doesn’t need your help. He wants to work with you. He wants your life to matter. He wants you to have an eternal reward for what you do here on earth because He’s a good Father who wants an intimate relationship with His children. He wants you to be filled with the fullness of life that comes from doing life with Him.

Discussion Questions:

1. How would you answer if someone asked you what God wants from you?
2. Does what God wants from us change over time or with changing circumstances? Why or why not?

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” – Isaiah 43:18–21 (ESV)

Do you long for a new beginning in a certain area of your life and wonder where to start? There is something so powerful, exciting, and fascinating about the white sheet of paper, the blank canvas, the new chapter, the fresh morning, and the new year. We are thrilled at the possibility of starting again and anxious not to fail. The best preparation for a successful new beginning is making room for the new.

When God is doing something new, it sometimes requires us to step into the unknown, which may feel uncomfortable, scary, and even unpleasant at first. We might be tempted to hold on to the life we know where everything is familiar. But we must let go of the old, trust God, and embrace what He is doing. Otherwise, we will miss out on all the good things God wants to do for us and through us.

Take Abraham, for instance. God did a new thing in Abraham’s life when He asked Abraham to leave his land, his family, and everything he had ever known to go to a new place. Abraham decided to trust God and abandon his old life. And through his obedience, the nation of Israel came to be. Likewise, with Paul, after he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he accepted his new role as an apostle to the Gentiles and let go of his old life as a Pharisee. Paul’s teachings make up about half of the New Testament.

There is a  Calvin and Hobbes comic strip that shows young Calvin saying to Hobbes, “Resolutions? Me?? Just what are you implying? What do I need to change? Well, buddy, as far as I’m concerned, I’m perfect the way I am!”

Hopefully, we all recognize that we are far from perfect the way we are. Even those who know Christ know we often can improve in one or more areas. Jesus has come to make all things new, starting with us, His people.

Will you let Him? Are you ready for something new?

Discussion Questions:

1. Would you like to have something new or a fresh start in your life?
2. What must you do to be prepared for what God wants to do in your life?

“If anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP).

All of us have done wrong things. Are you thinking of something right now that you’re sorry you did? Do you wish you could undo it and start over again? You can’t undo what’s been done but you can have a fresh start.

If you’ve been feeling unmotivated, uninspired, or otherwise ready for change, a fresh start may be exactly what you need. Maybe a fresh start will help you transition into healthier habits. Maybe you need a new direction, a new set of goals. Or maybe you just need a new starting point. Maybe you’re in the same boat regarding your spiritual life.  You need some spiritual spring cleaning. You don’t feel as close to God as you would like, and you don’t seem to be enjoying the full Christian life that God has given us to enjoy. The solution may be a reset, reboot, or starting fresh.

God’s Word is filled with examples of people given a fresh start. Abraham doubted God’s promise and took life into his own hands but was given a fresh start, a new beginning. David committed adultery and murder but was given a fresh start and new beginnings. Jonah ran from God and was given a fresh start and a new beginning. Peter denied Christ and was given a fresh start and new beginnings. Paul persecuted the church but was given a fresh start. And each one of us is offered that fresh start and new beginnings.

Wouldn’t that be great—to start all over again? When we look back on life and see some of the mistakes we made and some of the things we did that we have come to regret, it would be great to start over. But for all practical purposes, we can do so because we serve a God who gives us second chances.

Maybe you have made some serious mistakes this year. Maybe you feel you have gone too far, done too much, given up, and think there is no possibility that God would ever give you a second chance. That is not true. God does give second chances. You can have a fresh start today.

No matter how many times we fall down in life, if we continue to get back up, eventually, we’ll get to where we need to be. God will lead us to the best life we can possibly have, but first, we must let go of our past mistakes.

Jesus offers a fresh start each day. Isaiah 43: 18 says, “But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.” God is telling us to forget about what’s happened before because the book is closed on it. God is far more interested in our future than in our past.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you need a fresh start?
2. What changes would you like to make in a fresh start?