Life Group - Study Guides

This past Sunday we were blessed to hear from our founding Pastor Mike Madding. He reminded us that humility doesn't come naturally—it's something we must intentionally cultivate. In this culture we are constantly pushed to climb higher, be noticed, and prove ourselves. But Jesus points us in the opposite direction: the path of humility. True humility is not weakness; it’s strength under control. It’s not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less—making space for God and others. This week, we’ll look at what God really desires from us and how we can walk in the way of Christ’s humility.

This week we look into a time in Scripture where the Israelites wanted to be like all the other people around them. Other nations had kings, so they wanted one as well, so they asked God for a king. As you can imagine, and as we will see, this was not God’s plan or His best for His chosen people. But like we often do, they demanded their way and so begins a long journey of difficult consequences to the choice they made to have a king “like everyone else,” instead of God as their true King.

What in the world are prophets? They were chosen by God to be a spokesperson to deliver His will to the people. The prophets had to draw near to God, hear His voice, and know His will. God calls us to do the same—we need to spend time in the quiet listening for His voice. This week we learned from the prophet Samuel that listening isn’t just about hearing—it's about responding. The prophet Micah summed it up this way: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Samuel models for us how to hear and respond to God's voice, and Micah reminds us of what to do once we’ve heard it.

As we continue our journey from Eden to eternity through the Old Testament, we now arrive at the time of the judges. Moses has died, Joshua has faithfully led God’s people into the Promised Land, and he too has passed away. The Israelites are left without a central leader. And as you might guess—when the leader is gone, the people begin to wander. Instead of remaining faithful, the Israelites compromised with the nations around them. Sin gradually replaced obedience to God. Yet in His mercy, God raised up judges to guide, rescue, and call His people back to Himself. This week, we’ll pause here to see what God wants to show us about compromise, courage, and obedience in our own walk with Him.

Hang on tight this week—there's a lot of ground to cover! We’re going to trace God’s plan from the family of Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel, meaning “to struggle with God”) all the way to how God set apart an entire nation to display His holiness. Israel was meant to be a light to the nations, pointing to the one true God, and ultimately Jesus. As we explore these passages, we will see how seriously God takes sin, how deeply He loves His people—offering mercy and grace—and how He calls them to honor Him and be set apart. We’ll also face some hard questions. God’s Word can sometimes be difficult to understand, but we will see how to dig deeper, read in context, and trust that God will honor our diligence as we seek Him.