First listen to the sermon (posts Sun. afternoon). Then use the ideas below to help you and your group apply what the Lord is teaching you.

Icebreaker idea: What's a good piece of advice someone has given you that has been important for your spiritual life?

A way to pray: Ask God to give us a sensitivity to hearing His voice and a continuing passion and ability to listen to Him through the Word, prayer, and Christian community.

• Treasuring God: How do Samuel and Eli's family treat God differently? What are the results? How does treasuring or minimizing God matter still today?

• Being Transformed: What sorts of things get in the way of hearing the Lord's voice? What can I do to minimize those obstacles in my life?

• Loving Others: Who in my life needs to hear God's voice right now? How can I lovingly use my words and actions to bring His presence and Word to them?

• Pursuing Unity: What is a specific example of a time I have experienced the Lord speaking to me through the community of believers?