Read - 1 Samuel 15:10–11, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Examine - One of the sad realities of life is as we get older, we don’t dream the way we did as kids. You ask any kid what they want to be when they grow up, and they will tell you astronaut, scientist, the president, etc. Somewhere in life we feel like we have to settle for something realistic. God does not just deal in reality. As we look at the beginning of the story of David we see that regardless of our circumstances, God has chosen us for greatness.

Apply - Ask your student what great things they think God might do in their life? Do they feel ready for that or not?

Pray - Pray that God would give us bold dreams for the future.

There will be no RevStudents on Wednesday, April 2 due to public school Spring Break. Enjoy your week!

Read - 1 Samuel 16:14-23, Luke 16:10, Colossians 3:23-24

Examine - Sometimes it is easy to feel like our current role in life is insignificant. Maybe it is at a job or how we fit in with our friend group or family. God does not feel that way though. In fact, he has you right where he wants you to be. We never know where we are going to end up in life, but sometimes God begins to grow us in insignificant times. As we continue David’s story we see the best way to be good where God has you later, is to be great where He has you now.

Apply - Discuss with your student some things they can do intentionally now, to prepare for where God will have them later?

Pray - Pray that God would help us see the opportunities He has in front of us right now.

Read - 1 Samuel 17, James 1:2-4

Examine - One universal truth of living in a fallen world is that difficult things happen. It could be a divorce, the loss of someone you care about, or an opportunity or obstacle that feels overwhelming. Regardless of the specifics, these challenges often seem much bigger and stronger than we are — and they are. However, they are not bigger than God. The major obstacles in our lives are microscopic in comparison to Him. Yet, we often experience spiritual amnesia, remembering how big our problems are while forgetting how big our God is. As we watch David continue to grow, we are reminded that when our circumstances seem too big for us, we can remember our God is bigger.

Apply - What are some specific moments you can remember when God showed you He was bigger than your current problems? What are some ways you can remind yourself of this regularly?

Pray - Pray that we would always remember that our God provides his power in the midst of our weakness.

Read - 2 Samuel 11, Psalm 51

Examine - Those with the greatest potential in life often have the biggest risk of losing it all. You see this in celebrities and politicians all the time. This is definitely true in David’s story! As we see David do all the right things and begin to step into his role as king, we also see the danger of neglecting the things that got him to that place! Unfortunately we are more like David than we would like to admit and the danger of falling into sin is a real one. The good news is there is hope, and the closer we are to God, the further away we are from sin.

Apply - What are small steps that people make that may seem harmless, but set them up for a big fall?

Pray - Ask God to draw your family closer to Him more and more every day.

Read - 2 Samuel 13, 2 Samuel 18:5 & 15, 2 Samuel 22:1-4, Psalm 3:3-4

Examine - You ever do something that you know wasn’t the best thing to do, but you don’t truly see the results of that decision until much later? Maybe you didn’t brush your teeth as a kid and ended up with a ton of cavities. Or maybe you have avoided paying your credit card bill off, and now it’s spiked to a level where paying it off seems insurmountable. Our decisions now have a lasting effect, and usually that effect isn’t just on us. The impact of our rebellion has a lasting influence on our relationships. Thankfully, on the flip side, our obedience can shape the response of those around us as well. When building our lives, we should know that others around us will seek to follow our design. So it needs to be built right.

Apply - How do your relationships around you react when you sin? Do you think your sin can influence those around you? Why or why not?

Pray - Pray that your obedience can influence your student to obey God, and that your rebellion can be a learning experience for them to turn to Him.

Read - 1 Kings 2:1-4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Examine - Thomas Edison is largely credited with inventing the design for the modern incandescent lightbulb. After many attempts, he famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that would not work.” Failing is a sad, yet guaranteed, part of life due to the fall. David experienced this many times, and his final words to Solomon were to focus him on the words that matter most: God’s. David’s life shows that even in an imperfect product, Christ’s perfect design can still be clear. Solomon was set up for greater success because of the heart that David had. Our fault-riddled lives, with a heart after God, can still do the same thing for those around us.

Apply - How have you seen God use you to show His greatness?

Pray - Pray for God’s blueprint to be imprinted on the heart of your student and that they would be used to show His greatness.