Before the Session
- Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
- Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
- Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media).
Context
Play the Cold is Contagious video and ask questions like:
- In what ways has this video affected the way you feel about cold and why?
- If you are influenced by the shivering around you, what does that mean you should do to avoid feeling cold?
- How hard do you think it is to avoid the influence of cold and why?
- How hard is it to avoid the influence of chaos, confusion, and distraction in our world today and why?
Content
Read 1 Samuel 2:18-26, then watch the Bible Background Video.
Ask questions like these:
- How would you have functioned in this dysfunctional religious environment where Samuel found himself and why?
- How do you Hannah felt with him there?
- To what degree do you think she was affected by the less than desirable example that Eli’s sons were setting for Samuel?
- Why do you think it significant that Hannah had more children?
- How do you feel about the “death” language in regards to Eli’s sons and why?
- So how do you think Samuel avoided being tainted by tainted by Eli’s sons?
- When you look at the world today, what makes you most feel like Samuel in this situation and why?
Closure
Play the “The Martian” TV promo and ask.
- What do you think it would be like to be stranded on another planet?
- In what ways would it be the same or different as being stranded on this planet?
- Without ruining the movie for others, how do you think he kept up hope?
- How can we keep up hope when things do not look great?
- In what ways does Samuel’s story speak to our own hopes for the future and why?
- Given that much of the world looks at all people of faith as this passage looked at Eli’s sons, what can we do to be agents of the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ?
Close with a prayer that includes something like: “May we all remember that every new life on this planet can become a key to transforming humanity into God’s image and likeness. May we all work to help each new generation to press on….”
Close in prayer
Writer: Jon Self