Group Check-in

1. What was the best part of your week?
2. What was the most difficult part of your week?

What Is 1 Samuel 29-30 About?

Chapter 29 finds David in a precarious position. He’s been living among the Philistines and now faces the terrifying possibility of going to war against Israel. The Philistine commanders don’t trust him (and they’re right to be wary), so King Achish sends him home. It’s an odd mercy—David escapes a moral and spiritual crisis not by his own wisdom, but by God’s intervention through pagan rulers.

Chapter 30 shifts the scene dramatically. While David and his men are away, the Amalekites raid Ziklag, burn it to the ground, and capture their families. Grief overwhelms the men. They even talk of stoning David. But here we see something powerful, something we haven’t seen in likely a year and four months: “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” That’s the turning point. After almost a year-and-a-half of hiding in enemy territory, lying, and killing, David seeks God, listens, and obeys. He and his men pursue, fight, and recover everything.

These chapters are about two leaders on two paths: Saul is spiritually lost and desperate; David is growing into the kind of king who trusts God, even in loss. Saul consults a medium. David consults the Lord.

Key Verse

“But David found strength in the Lord his God.”—1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV)

S.O.A.P. for the Week

Passage: Psalm 18:1–6

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help… He heard my voice…”

Reflect: When things feel burned to the ground—relationships, plans, dreams—what does it look like to strengthen yourself in the Lord? What does that practically mean in your life this week?

Ice-Breakers

• What’s your go-to comfort food?
• You come home and your entire fridge and pantry have been raided by raccoons. What three items are you irrationally mad they took?
• If your life had a background soundtrack that followed you everywhere, what genre would it be and why?

Group Discussion Questions

1. In 1 Samuel 29, why do you think God allowed David to be dismissed from the Philistine army? What danger would David have faced had he stayed?
2. How do you think David felt returning to Ziklag only to find it destroyed? What would you be feeling if you were in his shoes?
3. 1 Samuel 30:6 says David “found strength in the Lord.” What do you think that looked like practically?
4. David seeks God before taking action (v.7–8). Why is that significant—and what can we learn from his example?
5. What stands out to you about how David treats the 200 exhausted men who stayed behind (v.21–25)? How does that reflect God’s character?
6. How do these chapters contrast with Saul’s story in chapter 28? What patterns or postures do you notice in David’s leadership that point us to Jesus?

Practical Takeaway

When everything feels lost—when the ground is scorched and the grief is overwhelming—you still have a choice. You can give up… or you can look up. David’s men were ready to stone him, but he chose not to be defined by fear or blame. He turned to God. That’s what leadership and faith look like.

This is the heart of restoration: When you strengthen yourself in God, you find enough strength for others too. You fight for what’s been stolen. You give grace to those who are weary. And like David, you walk forward in faith, trusting God to bring recovery.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, when everything falls apart, remind us that You never do. When the people around us lose hope, help us find our strength in You. When we face choices that feel impossible, teach us to ask for Your wisdom. Heal what’s been stolen. Restore what’s been broken. And make us a people who don’t just survive hard seasons—but who grow deeper in our love, trust, and relationship with You in them and grow to be more like Your Son because of them. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.