September 27th, 2026 - Enduring Faith, Part 7: Samuel (9:00 AM)

Samuel stands in Hebrews 11 as a picture of enduring faith, a man who carried more than most people could imagine. Samuel served as Israel’s last judge, its high priest, and its leading prophet. Samuel points ahead to Jesus, who alone perfectly holds the roles of King, High Priest, and Prophet. God gave Samuel tremendous influence, yet power did not corrupt him because faith kept bringing him back to God.

God first called Samuel as a boy in the tabernacle. God called him by name, not as a distant God shouting into the dark, but as the living God who knows his people personally. Samuel had to learn to say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” before he could ever faithfully speak for God. God then gave Samuel a hard word for Eli, the man who had raised him, and Samuel shared it even though fear surely filled the room. Faith does not mean fear disappears. Faith means trusting God more than fear.

Samuel also carried the role of priest by helping people get right with God and by interceding for them. Samuel told Israel that God did not merely want better behavior or a little piece of their hearts. God called them to turn to him with all their hearts and throw away the idols that had taken his place. Samuel considered it sin to stop praying for the people because intercession belonged to his calling. God still remembers Samuel as one whose prayers carried weight.

Samuel’s leadership showed the same kind of faith. Samuel traveled around Israel to serve the people rather than making the people come serve him. Samuel prepared for battle not first with swords, speeches, or strategy, but with sacrifice and worship. God thundered from heaven and threw the Philistines into confusion because Israel’s hope was not an army but the Lord.

Samuel also accepted the seasons God gave him. Samuel anointed Saul even when Israel’s demand for a king meant rejection of the old order. Samuel mentored Saul, grieved over Saul’s failure, and then anointed David even when Saul could have killed him. Samuel did not cling to a past season. God called him to remain faithful in the season before him. Hebrews 12 therefore calls God’s people to throw off what entangles, run with perseverance, and fix their eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God calls people by name. God’s call to Samuel shows that faith begins with a personal God, not an abstract religious idea. God knows the names, fears, and places of his people. Samuel’s first posture was not action but listening. [47:22]
• 2. Faith speaks hard truth faithfully. Samuel had to bring God’s judgment to Eli, the powerful father figure who could have harmed his future. Fear did not make Samuel faithless, but obedience made him courageous. God’s servants are called to share what God has said, not manufacture a safer testimony. [44:54]
• 3. Priests pray for people seriously. Samuel considered ending his prayers for Israel a sin against God. Christ’s people are called a royal priesthood, which means the people God places nearby are not merely personal concerns but prayerful responsibilities. Intercession trusts that God is at work even when its results cannot yet be seen. [54:15]
• 4. Worship prepares God’s people for battle. Samuel offered sacrifice while the Philistines came to attack. God answered with thunder because Israel’s deliverance came from him, not from human strength or strategy. Worship reorders fear by putting God back in the place of power. [58:03]
• 5. Faith accepts God-given seasons. Samuel did not hold onto leadership after God moved Israel into a new season. Samuel helped Saul, mourned his failure, and anointed David despite personal danger. Faith receives each season as a place to obey God rather than a reason to live trapped in what has passed.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [33:38] - Hebrews 12 and Enduring Faith
• [36:09] - Prayer and Spiritual Battle
• [36:59] - Samuel’s Unique Roles
• [38:36] - Samuel as a Picture of Jesus
• [40:43] - Hannah’s Prayer and Samuel’s Beginning
• [42:41] - God Calls Samuel by Name
• [44:20] - Samuel Delivers a Hard Word
• [50:34] - Samuel the Intercessor
• [52:22] - Turning to God With All the Heart
• [56:55] - Samuel Leads Israel by Faith
• [58:03] - Worship Before the Battle
• [60:30] - Accepting God’s Seasons
• [65:18] - Running the Race With Faith

1. In 1 Samuel 3:8–12, what does Samuel do after Eli helps him recognize that the Lord is calling him, and what kind of message does God give him?
2. What does Samuel tell Israel to do if they truly want to return to the Lord with all their hearts in 1 Samuel 7:2–3? [52:18]
3. According to Hebrews 12:1–2, what are believers told to throw off, how are they to run, and where are they to fix their eyes?
4. What three major roles did Samuel carry in Israel, and how did those roles point forward to Jesus? [37:16]

1. Why is Samuel’s response of listening before speaking so important for someone who wants to faithfully represent God to others? [48:45]
2. God’s first message to Samuel concerned Eli, the man who had raised him and held great authority. What does this show about the cost of speaking God’s truth when it may disappoint or confront someone close?
3. Samuel connects returning to God with putting away idols and turning to the Lord wholeheartedly. Why is outwardly “being a good person” not the same as giving God the whole heart? [53:04]
4. Hebrews 12 calls believers to fix their eyes on Jesus as they run with perseverance. How does Jesus’ endurance give meaning and strength to a believer’s own difficult season?

1. Samuel learned to say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” What usually makes it difficult to slow down and listen to God through Scripture and prayer? What simple change could help create space to listen this week? [49:02]
2. Is there a hard but loving conversation, a truthful word, or a clear stand for Christ that fear has made difficult? What would it look like to trust God more than the possible response? [46:48]
3. Samuel saw it as part of his calling to pray faithfully for the people God had placed around him. Who are two or three people God may be inviting each person to intercede for regularly, and what specific needs can the group pray for? [54:37]
4. Worship put God back in the place of power before Israel faced the Philistines. When fear, anxiety, conflict, or uncertainty feels like a battle, what helps each person turn first toward worship rather than relying only on plans and personal strength? [01:00:03]
5. Samuel served people by going to them rather than expecting them to come to him. Where might there be an opportunity this week to serve someone in a practical, humble way rather than waiting to be asked? [57:08]
6. Samuel accepted changing seasons, helped Saul succeed, and later obeyed God even when anointing David was dangerous. Is there a past season, role, relationship, or expectation that is hard to release? What might faithful obedience in the present season look like? [01:04:10]