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Bible Study: Aug. 28, 2016


NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.

Bible Passages: 1 Samuel 30:6-8, 18-25

Discussion Questions: Do you think selfishness always follows success? Explain. Why do you think we struggle with wanting to take all the credit for ourselves? How does keeping the focus on Christ help us maintain a healthy perspective on life when successful?

Food for thought:

Just once, I would like to hear the player who hit the home run to win the game on the last at bat deflect the attention. Think about what would happen if the reporter asked the player about the big hit and the player recounted the contribution every player on the team made to win the game. Imagine the player even naming that player who had not yet played in a single game that season but was the most encouraging of the group. The reporter would wonder what was wrong with this player — the one who had just sent the other team home with a single swing of the bat when it counted the most.

David had a problem. The Amalekites had taken captive his family members and the family members of his soldiers. Four hundred of David’s men followed him into battle, but 200 additional soldiers were too exhausted to fight, so they were left behind. God gave David and his army victory over the Amalekites, and they recovered all the family members and livestock that had been taken.

Here’s the problem: a few of the 400 thought that the soldiers who were left behind should not get their share of the plunder. David established a law that every man, regardless of his role in a battle, would share equally in the spoils of battle. By doing so, he recognized God’s hand in victories won and affirmed the value of every person.

When success comes our way, most of us are tempted to take the credit for ourselves. We enjoy the spotlight to the neglect of others, especially God. We forget that others have helped us and played a role in our success. Paul reminded the early church that every believer was important for the success of the church (see 1 Corinthians 12:14-26). David was following the same principle when he instituted this new law. Ultimately, if we give God the credit for all things, we don’t need to worry about who played what role in making it happen, including what role we played.

Our responsibility is to be faithful to God regardless of the role we may be assigned, being careful to give Him the credit.

Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible.

Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.

    About the Author

  • Staff/Lifeway Christian Resources