Thursday Bible Study

  [DAVID] God’s wrath and blessing_   2 Samuel 6   In the Chronicles of Narnia we are introduced to Aslan, the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea, in this way:   “Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”   “Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”   “That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”   “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.   “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you ? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”     [Group discussion starter] How does Lewis’ description of Aslan help you understand what it means to “fear the Lord”?     In this chapter David learns, in a terrible way, that the Lord, the God...

  [David] Finding strength in the Lord_   1 Samuel 30:1-25     In a chapter titled “The False Hope of Modern Christianity,” Larry Crabb writes,   “ Modern Christianity, in dramatic reversal of its biblical form, promises to relieve the pain of living in a fallen world. The message, whether it’s from fundamentalists requiring us to live by a favoured set of rules or from charismatics urging a deeper surrender of the Spirit’s power, is too often the same: The promise of bliss is for NOW! Complete satisfaction can be ours this side of heaven.”     [Group discussion starter] The Christian life is often portrayed as a before-and-after story, with everything “after” being sweetness and light .   How do you respond to that kind of portrayal?     In this chapter David and his men experience a devastating crisis.   Yet in the midst of the crisis, they also find strength and help in the Lord...       [Read 1 Samuel 30:1-25] ...