It's definitely a happy moment to win consecutively! Yes, we did it!
The YAF won the AMC ANNUAL QUIZ competition for the second time in a row.
This time it was the book of 1 Samuel - all 31 chapters.
As I sit down to pen this blog, I have questions running in my mind.
We learnt where Samuel killed the king of Amalekites- Agag?
How much did Goliath's helmet weigh?
What did Hannah offer as a thank offering to God for giving her Samuel?
Where did the 2 donkeys of Kish (Saul's father) get lost?
Which cave did David and his men hide?
What are the instruments which the prophets played - the prophets whom Saul met ?
There are numerous information in this book. We made a sincere attempt to read and study this book.
Well done! And that's it?!
Did God talk to each of us during the preparation?
Will it have an impact in our lives?
Does the God of Hannah and Samuel talk to us now? Is it relevant in the present context?
These are the questions we should really take away. Not just the ones who prepared for it - the entire Young Adult Fellowship group.
Presenting the takeaways by the Team:
Starting with Sushmitha -
"I really admire Hannah because she was willing to give her son . She could have easily said that he was only child or that I will give some other offering or that her rival had children so easily why did I have to wait so long for a child and now I have to give him up."
"And also Samuel. Because Samuel grew up without his parents and he had siblings who grew up with them. But still he grew in the Lord and always walked in his ways. When Saul made the unlawful sacrifice Samuel was really angry and scolded Saul. But Samuel was also very kind hearted for when God said that he had rejected Saul , Samuel cried to the Lord all night and also he was the only one who mourned for Saul. And also Samuel never ceased to pray for the children of Israel."
Monika's thoughts-
"I loved Hannah the most.
Hannah was a great mother..She believes in prayer and identifies herself as his maid servant.
She requested for a son so he may serve the lord.She made a request only to return back to God.
The lord will judge the ends of the Earth and give strength to his king- felt like she is prophesying about Jesus.
Hannah had influence on Samuel only until he is weaned.She influenced him to seek God.
Eli thought he was a priest didn't have same effect on his sons.
Another point Samuel himself couldn't influence his own sons."
Jyotsna's thoughts-
"I learnt a lot from Jonathan about how to be a faithful friend. Jonathan would've been the crown prince, but he trusted God's will and was happy to hand over the kingship to David."
"I'm sure it wouldn't have been easy to give up on all the power"
"I also learnt from David that even when you are not perfect and you have your flaws if you come to God with a repentant heart he will forgive you."
Idaline Akka's thoughts-
Highlights on lessons from the Life of David mentioned in 1 Samuel
Obedience to his father: The introduction of this hero begins as a ‘forgotten child’ of the family. But the Lord remembered this young man exhibited obedience and responsibility in caring for his father’s sheep. Even when all brothers are at home with the guest he continues caring for the sheep until he is called for. Even while serving Saul, he occasionally went back and forth to Bethlehem to do his father’s business which he considered highly than serving in the palace.
His unshakable trust in God: When all his brothers, the mighty warriors, even the king trembled before the giant, he proceeded confidently into the battlefield fully knowing that the battle was the Lord’s. His trust was in God’s armour than in the armour Saul clothed him with as he said “I come to you in the name of the Lord”.
His loyalty to his master: Though Saul was hunting David and David knew his life was at stake, he never raised his hand to strike the Lord’s anointed. In this world where everyone eyes position and seeks to take revenge, David stands out as he waited for God’s appointed time and gave due respect and remained in submission to his boss.
The choice of his subordinates: ‘All who were distressed, in debt and discontented came to him and he became their captain.’ His uncertain situations enabled his to stretch out his wings to give refuge to the suffering and those in need. He didn’t look for a mighty army. He stood by them in in their crisis and they showed their loyalty by fighting the enemies of David. A great quality of a leader is portrayed here by David.
Care for aging parents: He was running for his life. He was a nomad. Yet when his parents came to see him in the cave, he handed them over to the king of Moab to be taken good care off so that they don’t have to move around. He put them in priority even before he thought of his own safety.
Implementing justice: When they came back after recovering the loss from the Amalekites, some wicked men didn’t want to share the spoils with those who stayed behind with the supplies. But David made an ordinance to give equal share for all. Dealing rightly/fairly in all situations adorns his quality as a good leader. There is also a mention that David behaved wisely in the court of King Saul and he was favoured by all the servants.
Seeking God: David did not rely on his own strength or wisdom, but sought the Lord for guidance in every step. As the Lord was with him, he never faltered or failed in any of his attempts against his enemies. When Saul went after medium and spiritists, David asked for the ephod to be brought so that he could inquire from the Lord.
My Takeaways and how God spoke to me:
"Saul was anointed by God to be King. In fact it is written he was changed to another man when the Spirit of God was with him. God prepared him to be King over Israel. Unfortunately he lost it because he disobeyed God and started listening to people. He went to the extent of building a monument for himself in Carmel."
"Sometimes it’s possible to lose our anointing if we let self take over."
"None of the Israel army had a sword - except Saul and Jonathan. This for me is complete trust in God to win the battle. Many times we feel that we don't have adequate support or capability to win the battles/situations in our lives. We are called to trust God - He is and will ever be sufficient for us and our needs."
The YAF won the AMC ANNUAL QUIZ competition for the second time in a row.
 |
| Winners! |
This time it was the book of 1 Samuel - all 31 chapters.
As I sit down to pen this blog, I have questions running in my mind.
We learnt where Samuel killed the king of Amalekites- Agag?
How much did Goliath's helmet weigh?
What did Hannah offer as a thank offering to God for giving her Samuel?
Where did the 2 donkeys of Kish (Saul's father) get lost?
Which cave did David and his men hide?
What are the instruments which the prophets played - the prophets whom Saul met ?
There are numerous information in this book. We made a sincere attempt to read and study this book.
Well done! And that's it?!
Did God talk to each of us during the preparation?
Will it have an impact in our lives?
Does the God of Hannah and Samuel talk to us now? Is it relevant in the present context?
These are the questions we should really take away. Not just the ones who prepared for it - the entire Young Adult Fellowship group.
Presenting the takeaways by the Team:
Starting with Sushmitha -
"I really admire Hannah because she was willing to give her son . She could have easily said that he was only child or that I will give some other offering or that her rival had children so easily why did I have to wait so long for a child and now I have to give him up."
"And also Samuel. Because Samuel grew up without his parents and he had siblings who grew up with them. But still he grew in the Lord and always walked in his ways. When Saul made the unlawful sacrifice Samuel was really angry and scolded Saul. But Samuel was also very kind hearted for when God said that he had rejected Saul , Samuel cried to the Lord all night and also he was the only one who mourned for Saul. And also Samuel never ceased to pray for the children of Israel."
Monika's thoughts-
"I loved Hannah the most.
Hannah was a great mother..She believes in prayer and identifies herself as his maid servant.
She requested for a son so he may serve the lord.She made a request only to return back to God.
The lord will judge the ends of the Earth and give strength to his king- felt like she is prophesying about Jesus.
Hannah had influence on Samuel only until he is weaned.She influenced him to seek God.
Eli thought he was a priest didn't have same effect on his sons.
Another point Samuel himself couldn't influence his own sons."
Jyotsna's thoughts-
"I learnt a lot from Jonathan about how to be a faithful friend. Jonathan would've been the crown prince, but he trusted God's will and was happy to hand over the kingship to David."
"I'm sure it wouldn't have been easy to give up on all the power"
"I also learnt from David that even when you are not perfect and you have your flaws if you come to God with a repentant heart he will forgive you."
Idaline Akka's thoughts-
Highlights on lessons from the Life of David mentioned in 1 Samuel
Obedience to his father: The introduction of this hero begins as a ‘forgotten child’ of the family. But the Lord remembered this young man exhibited obedience and responsibility in caring for his father’s sheep. Even when all brothers are at home with the guest he continues caring for the sheep until he is called for. Even while serving Saul, he occasionally went back and forth to Bethlehem to do his father’s business which he considered highly than serving in the palace.
His unshakable trust in God: When all his brothers, the mighty warriors, even the king trembled before the giant, he proceeded confidently into the battlefield fully knowing that the battle was the Lord’s. His trust was in God’s armour than in the armour Saul clothed him with as he said “I come to you in the name of the Lord”.
His loyalty to his master: Though Saul was hunting David and David knew his life was at stake, he never raised his hand to strike the Lord’s anointed. In this world where everyone eyes position and seeks to take revenge, David stands out as he waited for God’s appointed time and gave due respect and remained in submission to his boss.
The choice of his subordinates: ‘All who were distressed, in debt and discontented came to him and he became their captain.’ His uncertain situations enabled his to stretch out his wings to give refuge to the suffering and those in need. He didn’t look for a mighty army. He stood by them in in their crisis and they showed their loyalty by fighting the enemies of David. A great quality of a leader is portrayed here by David.
Care for aging parents: He was running for his life. He was a nomad. Yet when his parents came to see him in the cave, he handed them over to the king of Moab to be taken good care off so that they don’t have to move around. He put them in priority even before he thought of his own safety.
Implementing justice: When they came back after recovering the loss from the Amalekites, some wicked men didn’t want to share the spoils with those who stayed behind with the supplies. But David made an ordinance to give equal share for all. Dealing rightly/fairly in all situations adorns his quality as a good leader. There is also a mention that David behaved wisely in the court of King Saul and he was favoured by all the servants.
Seeking God: David did not rely on his own strength or wisdom, but sought the Lord for guidance in every step. As the Lord was with him, he never faltered or failed in any of his attempts against his enemies. When Saul went after medium and spiritists, David asked for the ephod to be brought so that he could inquire from the Lord.
My Takeaways and how God spoke to me:
"Saul was anointed by God to be King. In fact it is written he was changed to another man when the Spirit of God was with him. God prepared him to be King over Israel. Unfortunately he lost it because he disobeyed God and started listening to people. He went to the extent of building a monument for himself in Carmel."
"Sometimes it’s possible to lose our anointing if we let self take over."
"None of the Israel army had a sword - except Saul and Jonathan. This for me is complete trust in God to win the battle. Many times we feel that we don't have adequate support or capability to win the battles/situations in our lives. We are called to trust God - He is and will ever be sufficient for us and our needs."
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| Preparation time - the previous Sunday :-) |
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| Along with YAF!!! |
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| Pastor announcing the winners |
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| Final Scoreboard! |
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| Puzzle Round |
