Group Check-in

• What was the best part of your week?
• What was the most difficult part of your week?

What’s 1 Samuel 19:11–20:42 About?

These chapters showcase the fierce loyalty and sacrificial love between David and Jonathan amid escalating danger. Saul’s jealousy turns deadly, and David becomes a hunted man. Yet even as Saul commands Jonathan to kill David, Jonathan refuses. Instead, he risks everything to protect his friend.

At the heart of this story is a beautiful picture of hesed—covenant love. Jonathan’s love for David is not based on convenience or benefit; it’s a selfless, loyal, God-honoring commitment. Their bond is rooted in a shared devotion to the Lord, and Jonathan’s faithfulness points us to Jesus, the truest Friend, who laid down His life for us.

Jonathan and David’s story reminds us that true friendship is costly, courageous, and covenantal. It requires laying aside personal gain for the sake of another, reflecting the faithful, never-giving-up love of God Himself.

Key Verse

“Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, “The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.”'”—1 Samuel 20:42 (NIV)

SOAP for the Week

• Passage: 1 Samuel 20:12–17

Ice-Breakers

• If you could pick one fictional character to be your best friend, who would you choose and why?
• Share about a time someone went out of their way to support you.
• When have you had to make a hard decision to stay loyal to someone?

Group Discussion Questions

1. Saul’s anger and insecurity grew because he prioritized control over obedience. How do control and fear erode our relationships today?
2. Jonathan’s loyalty cost him greatly. What does this teach us about the cost of true, godly friendship?
3. Covenant love (“hesed”) is rooted in commitment, not convenience. How can we reflect this kind of love in our friendships and communities?
4. In what ways does Jonathan’s sacrificial love point us to Jesus and His friendship with us?
5. David and Jonathan trusted God even when circumstances were painful. How can we learn to trust God’s plans even in seasons of loss, change, or separation?
6. What qualities make a friend “stick closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24)? How can we cultivate those qualities in ourselves?

Practical Takeaway

Friendship, according to God’s design, isn’t shallow or self-serving. It’s built on loyalty, sacrifice, and love rooted in covenant. Jonathan and David’s bond points us to Jesus, the ultimate Friend who laid down His life for us. In a world where many relationships are transactional, we are called to build friendships marked by faithfulness, courage, and the unbreakable love of Christ.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the example of David and Jonathan, and for the even greater friendship we have in Jesus. Teach us to be loyal, courageous, and selfless friends who reflect Your hesed love. Strengthen our relationships to be rooted in You, built on covenant love rather than convenience. Help us to celebrate Your work in others, to protect and encourage one another, and to walk through life together in faith. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.