1. Read 1 Samuel 8. The people of Israel wanted to be ruled by an earthly king. What did God tell Samuel (judge,         prophet and priest) about his own/personal reaction to the people’s rejection of the advice he had given to them     (which was to keep God as their ruler instead of being ruled by an earthly king)? ​

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a. Samuel was offended by the group’s request for an earthly King because they were basically saying that           God wasn’t enough. After he heard God’s advice, Samuel went back one time to give the group a chance           to change their minds (1 Samuel 8:8-9). When the group persisted, Samuel gave in. If you were Samuel,               would you have given in or would you have persisted in trying to get your own way? ​

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b. Do you see that what Samuel did is what God wants us to do too? When a conflict doesn’t end in a decision

    pleasing to both sides, do you fight the urge to get angry and, instead, choose to let God be in control so          you can remain at peace practicing God’s principles? (See page 2 of  Appendix 1G). ​

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c. Do you think Samuel is a failure because he didn’t demand compliance? Rather, he gave in when he saw            he couldn’t convince the people to agree with him.

d. Do you judge your success and failure based on the opinion of man or do you remain obedient to and

    trusting of God’s principles? ​

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e. Do you experience anxiety when you grieve the spirit; knowing God’s Word but being double-minded and        deciding to do something else that is more pleasing to yourself? ​

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2. In 1 Samuel 24:1-7, David had an opportunity to get back at King Saul. He "cut a corner off his robe” but refused        to kill him. Later in verses 16-19, Saul sees David and realizes that David, despite having the chances to kill him,        did not seek revenge; David remained humble and respectful of King Saul despite the way he was being treated      (1 Samuel 26). What stops you from doing what you know is pleasing to the Holy Spirit but is not what you feel          like doing? 

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3. Read 1 Samuel 9:1, 10:1, 13:1-4. If Samuel anointed Saul with oil (Old Testament terminology for the presence of          the Holy Spirit), why did Saul eventually fail in His reign as Israel's first King? ​ ​

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4. At first, King Saul liked David. But he let jealousy rule his conduct so Saul thought of ways he could kill David. As      a New Testament believer, what does it take to access the power of the Holy Spirit to act righteously and                  express love (Luke 6:27-28, Romans 12:9-21, Galatians 5:16)? ​

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5. Contrast the attitude of King David (Psalm 51:4) against that of King Saul (1 Samuel 15:24-28) regarding                         repentance.​

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• Both men believed in God, what was the difference? How can you observe when someone acts from a single-minded heart?​

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6. Is the message in 2 Chronicles 7:14 a one-time occasion for people or is this something we do on a regular                basis so we do not deny our faults but instead continue to grow and mature in our Christian walk, per James              5:16? How often do you do this?​

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7. If Godly wisdom is “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and Godly insight and discernment is                applying the Word appropriately and not growing weary of well doing (Galatians 6:8-9), then aren’t you grieving        the Holy Spirit (not acting on the knowledge you of God) when you aren’t walking in love towards others? ​

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• What role does mood play in your actions?

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• What do you learn about the relationship between your expectations and God's?

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• How do you adjust your hopes, dreams, and ambitions to please God, first?

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• How do you make sense of this verse found in 1 Corinthians 10:23, "All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.

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9. Agree or disagree: Impulsive decisions come from our flesh and are reactive whereas intentional decision-                making comes from the spirit and soul where thoughts and revelations are compared to our beliefs and then              released by our will (decision) and then implemented by our body (physical action).​

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10. If you haven’t renewed your mind in God’s Word after you were spiritually awakened, how can you tell if you              are grieving the Spirit of God living inside you?

• Do you let the Word change you by turning your retrospect into wisdom for tomorrow?

• When you do read the Word, do you expect temporary discomfort from performance tension while you                       incorporate new thinking and doing habits into your lifestyle? 

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11. With the Holy Spirit (the Comforter), Christians are never alone, spiritually. “A man of many companions may               come to ruin, but there is a friend (the Comforter) who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Don’t allow         isolation to get you down.

• "In Christ", a Christian is never alone. Do you spend your alone time with God developing this relationship?

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• How do you structure this time? (What time of day, what days of the week, etc?)​