Study 4: 1 Samuel 3:1-4:1: Trent Evans

What is your calling?      

This sermon—rooted in 1 Samuel 3—offers a rich reflection on God's call to intimacy and obedience, using the story of young Samuel to emphasize how attentiveness to God's voice transforms lives. Set against the spiritual darkness of Israel’s time, the message explores how God pierced that silence by calling Samuel, just as He calls each of us today. Through personal reflection, scriptural teaching, and the metaphor of lamplighters lighting the way, the sermon reminds listeners that God desires a relationship marked by listening, discernment, and response. The podcast invites believers to ask whether they are tuned in to hear God's voice—and challenges them to respond like Samuel: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Sermon Outline

• 1. The Setting of the Story

  ⏱️ 0:00 – 1:48

  • Context: Easter Sunday, yet studying 1 Samuel 3 to understand the Word Jesus Himself would have known.

  • Key Point: The relevance of the Old Testament to New Testament faith.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1

  • Reflection: Why is it important to study the Old Testament?

    
    

  2. God’s Unique Call for Every Life

  ⏱️ 1:48 – 3:36

  • Key Point: Everyone has a personal and purposeful call from God.

  • Analogy: Lamplighters “punching holes in the darkness.”

  • Scripture: John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world...”

  • Reflection: In what ways has God called you uniquely?

    
    

  3. The Spiritual Climate in Israel

  ⏱️ 7:13 – 10:46

  • Key Point: “The word of the Lord was rare…” because of disobedience.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1; chapters 1–2 context (Hophni and Phinehas)

  • Reflection: What blocks us from hearing God today?

    
    

  4. Are You Tuned to God’s Frequency?

  ⏱️ 10:46 – 13:23

  • Key Point: God was still speaking, but few were listening.

  • Analogy: Spiritual cataracts impairing sight and hearing.

  • Scripture: Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart…”

  • Reflection: What spiritual “surgery” might God be calling you to?

    
    

  5. God Initiates Intimacy

  ⏱️ 15:53 – 18:54

  • Key Point: God always makes the first move toward relationship.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:7; Matthew 22:37 – Greatest commandment

  • Reflection: How do you respond when God calls your name?

    
    

  6. The Danger of Growing Spiritually Dull

  ⏱️ 18:54 – 21:39

  • Key Point: Even religious leaders can lose sensitivity to God’s voice.

  • Word Study: Hebrew “bean” – to discern

  • Reflection: What practices keep your heart and mind sharp to God’s voice?

    
    

  7. Overcoming the Noise

  ⏱️ 21:39 – 23:24

  • Key Point: Many voices compete for attention—discernment is essential.

  • Reflection: What distractions do you need to silence?

    
    

  8. Mentorship and Spiritual Guidance

  ⏱️ 24:19 – 27:39

  • Key Point: Eli helps Samuel recognize and respond to God's voice.

  • Application: Value of spiritual mentors.

  • Reflection: Who has helped you recognize God’s call?

    
    

  9. Courage to Receive and Share Hard Truths

  ⏱️ 30:13 – 36:22

  • Key Point: God’s Word is sometimes heavy, but always just.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:11–14

  • Reflection: How do you respond when God’s message is hard to hear or deliver?

    
    

  10. God's Word Finds a Faithful Vessel

  ⏱️ 39:18 – 42:25

  • Key Point: God continues to speak when His people listen.

  • Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:19–4:1; John 8:12

  • Final Challenge: “What is your call? Follow Jesus.”

  • Reflection: What will your response be today?

Scripture References

Word Study

Reflection Questions