Devotion in a divided world A series in 1 Samuel A major theme of the Bible is the power of devotion in a divided world. When sin entered the world, it began to fragment everything. But God is on a mission to bring complete wholeness back into this world through His Son, Jesus Christ. One of the most memorable books of the Bible in the Old Testament is 1 Samuel. It’s the 9th book of the Bible, and it includes many popular historical accounts like David’s fight with Goliath. 1 Samuel is Biblical history in story-form. As you read the story, you begin to see that the key to flourishing in this world is learning how to be devoted to God in a divided world. God plays no favorites (1 Samuel 6:1-21) Navigating in the dark Training in evangelism God’s rich mercy Proportionate accountability Worldly sorrow vs. Godly sorrow Questions: The Philistines try to figure out how to end God's judgment against them. But their god (Dagon) can't help them. In the same way, sometimes an unbeliever runs into a problem that their belief system can't solve. How does this encourage us toward sharing the good news of the Gospel with other people? God strikes down the Israelites in Beth-shemesh for looking into the ark. Why does God judge Israel more harshly than the Philistines? What does this teach us about accountability? If someone is sorry that their sin caused bad consequences, is that the same thing as practicing repentance? What is the difference?