step one

This Weekly Bible Passage will be the basis of next Sunday’s sermon. Spend some time studying it prior to Sunday and see what God is revealing to you in it.

1 Samuel 1:1-18 CSB

There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 3 This man would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests.

4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. 5 But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving. 6 Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. 7 Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house, her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat. 8 “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband, Elkanah, would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. 10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. 11 Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

12 While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

15 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord. 16 Don’t think of me as a wicked woman; I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”

17 Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.”

18 “May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.

Step two

Join us on Sunday for this critical second step in encountering God through His word as we gather together as a church family.

Philippians pulses with the heartbeat of discipleship, offering some of the most profound truths in the Christian faith.

From Paul’s bold declaration to live as Christ, to his call to count all things as loss for the sake of knowing Him, this book invites us into a life of deep purpose and reliance on God’s strength.

As we explore Philippians together, we’ll draw inspiration from one of the New Testament’s healthiest churches, its passionate author, and, most importantly, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through its pages, we’ll uncover a powerful model for spiritual growth that challenges and equips us to mature in our faith.

step three

Questions to discuss and process as a Discipleship Group, based on the previous Weekly Bible Passage and Sunday Sermon.

Encourage one another towards a deeper, more vibrant relationship with Jesus.

Based on Matthew 28:1-15, and the talk given on April 20.

1. Was there anything in the passage or the talk that strongly impacted you?

2. How have the Crucifixion and the Resurrection changed the patterns of your life?

3. The women go to the tomb searching for Jesus Himself, not for anything that He can do for them. Do you search for Jesus in the same way? If not, how can you start? How can your discipleship group support you in it?

4. How have you responded to the call to "go and tell" the miracle of the Resurrection?