​God forbids us from making images of him because the moment we do, we reduce him to something familiar and manageable within creation. But the God of the Bible is utterly holy, infinitely beyond comparison and far greater than anything our minds could ever fully comprehend.

This series explores the Ten Commandments as “Ten Words” spoken by a loving God who rescued his people and now invites them into a life of flourishing, fruitfulness, and communion with him rather than mere rule-keeping. The first commandment calls us to worship and trust God alone, because we inevitably become like whatever we give our ultimate love and allegiance to.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the difference between merely obeying rules and being formed into a certain kind of person?
​2. We often reach for what looks like life but turns out to be death. Can you think of examples in your own life or culture where something promised fulfillment but ultimately left you empty?
3. Why do you think people are so drawn to determining good and evil for themselves rather than trusting God’s wisdom? What are some modern examples of this?
4. We become what we worship. In what ways have you seen this principle play out in your life (or someone else’s life)? How do the things we give our attention, trust, and affection to shape us over time?
5. God compares divided worship to marital unfaithfulness and prostitution. Why do you think Scripture uses such strong relational and emotional language to describe idolatry?
6. Kevin DeYoung invites us to reflect on four questions as we consider this first word from God: 1) Whom do you praise? 2) Whom do you count on? 3) Whom do you long for? 4) Whom do you thank? Which of those questions most reveals how you are relating to God in this current season of your life?
​7. Jesus is the one who perfectly fulfilled what humanity and Israel failed to do. How does this truth change the way we approach the Ten Words?

​Like Jacob, we often exhaust ourselves trying to make life work in our favor, but God’s agenda is often not to deliver us from hardship as quickly as possible, but to teach us through our struggles.

Discussion Questions:

1. In what areas of my life am I still trying to make life work on my own terms rather than surrendering those areas to the leadership of Jesus?
2. When I face fear, uncertainty, or disappointment, what do I instinctively cling to for security besides God?
3. Like Jacob, do I tend to see other people or circumstances as the main obstacle to my happiness, while ignoring the deeper work God may want to do in me?
4. What struggles or trials in my life right now might actually be invitations from God to trust him more deeply?
5. How do I normally define success and progress in life? How different is that from the way God measures growth?
6. Am I more focused on getting out of difficult situations, or on asking what God might be forming in me through them?
7. Is there a part of my identity that I have constructed for myself through achievement, control, approval, or reputation that God may be asking me to release?
​8. If the primary goal of my life is becoming more like Jesus rather than comfort or success, how would that change the way I view my current circumstances?

​We want a new season to solve our deepest longings, but God in his grace will trouble that search and turn our gaze back to him.

Hannah's story is the story of all of us; we are people who are tempted to build our identity on what we produce or possess, only to find it isn't enough. Through the gospel, we learn that our empty places are not a verdict against us, but an invitation from God to discover who we really are because of His love.

Discussion Questions:

1. Hannah allowed her emptiness to define her identity. What kinds of “empty spaces” are people today tempted to let define them?
2. ​We can choose to be impressive or choose to be known. Why is it often easier to pursue being impressive rather than known?
3. Elkanah genuinely loved Hannah, yet he could not heal the deeper ache inside her. What does this teach us about the limits of human relationships and the danger of idolatry?
4. Both Hannah and Peninnah were trying to build their identity around something fragile. How do you see this dynamic play out in modern life, even in religious ways?
5. What are your thoughts on Pastor Jong’s statement: “Our empty spaces are not a referendum on who we are, but a divinely designed invitation from God for something deeper.”
6. Before prayer, Hannah saw God as a means to get a son, but afterward God himself became the end. How can we tell when we are using God merely to obtain something else?
7. The domino illustration described Jesus as the one who stopped and reversed the collapse of humanity. What aspect of that image most connects with you personally?
8. Parents and spiritual mentors do not need to be impressive but honest and rooted in God. Why is authenticity often more spiritually formative than perfection?
9. Psalm 1 describes a blessed person as someone who delights in the Lord and becomes like a fruitful tree. What practices help cultivate genuine delight in God rather than mere religious obligation?