Sermon Notes:
1. Sometimes God tests our faith
2. God’s tests always focus on the depth of our faith. (1 Peter 1:6-7)
3. God’s tests always focus on our learning and growing. (James 1:2-4)
David shows us that:
4. People after God’s own heart trust God in hard times and grow. (Psalm 142, Psalm 25:1-5)
5. After tests, God blesses again. (1 Sam 22:1-2)
Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:
Intro question:
What would you say was the most memorable test you ever took in school?
Digging deeper:
1. What do you think is the purpose of tests to a teacher?
2. What do you think is the purpose of tests to a student?
3. When you read Jn 6:1-14 what do you think Jesus was testing Philip for right before he fed the 5,000 and walked on water? Do you think Philip passed the test?
4. We read in the New Testament that Jesus is called a Rabbi (teacher) and His followers are called disciples (students). How many times do you think Jesus tested His disciples? Can you think of any other tests that He gave them during their three-year ministry on earth?
5. According to 1 Peter 1:6-7 and James 1:2-4, what is the purpose of tests that God gives us in life?
6. How many tests do you think God has tested your faith in your spiritual journey with Jesus and is there one that stands out to you the most? Please share?
7. In 1 Samuel 17, David “a man after God’s own heart” kills Goliath and by 1 Samuel 22 he gains position, wife, home, job, reputation, and a best friend; and 5 chapters later loses all of this and is hiding in a cave wondering where God is. Pastor Frank believes that this was a defining moment in Davids’s life. Would he curse God and die or would he trust God even in these dark confusing times? What does his prayer in Psalm 142 reveal about David and his time of testing?
8. How does David encourage you in a time of testing with God? What attitude does David have in Psalm 25: 1-5?
Prayer:
Pray this week for God to teach you His ways and lead you in His truth. (Psalm 25)
Reading for the week:
Read and meditate on Psalm 57 which is another prayer that David wrote at this time. What does this prayer reveal about David’s heart and the people that he is molding into an army?