WHAT COMES AFTER SUNDAY?
Use the next steps, Bible plan, message recap, questions & resources below to go deeper.
this week's next steps
Memorize James 1:5
Ask Jesus for wisdom when dealing with a challenging situation
Read 1 Kings 5-8
This Week's Message Recap:
Drift rarely happens all at once — in relationships or in our walk with God, it usually happens slowly through small compromises that seem harmless at the time. In 1 Kings 3, we see both the greatness of Solomon and the beginnings of his downfall, starting with the phrase, “Solomon loved the Lord… except,” reminding us that even a faithful heart can drift when compromise is tolerated. Though Solomon made choices that quietly moved him away from God, the Lord still met him in a dream and invited him to ask for whatever he desired, and Solomon shockingly asked for wisdom — a heart to lead well rather than wealth or power.
God granted him extraordinary wisdom, which was famously displayed when two women came before him each claiming to be the mother of the same baby, and Solomon’s bold command to bring a sword revealed the true mother’s heart and brought clarity where there was confusion. The nation stood in awe of God’s wisdom in Solomon, yet his larger story ultimately reminds us that blessing does not cancel compromise, and that how we finish matters more than how we start — because drift always begins small but shapes everything over time.
God granted him extraordinary wisdom, which was famously displayed when two women came before him each claiming to be the mother of the same baby, and Solomon’s bold command to bring a sword revealed the true mother’s heart and brought clarity where there was confusion. The nation stood in awe of God’s wisdom in Solomon, yet his larger story ultimately reminds us that blessing does not cancel compromise, and that how we finish matters more than how we start — because drift always begins small but shapes everything over time.
Questions to Consider:
1. Where might you be slowly drifting in your relationship with God, your marriage, or your daily priorities — even if everything still seems fine on the surface?
2. Is there a small compromise you’ve justified that could be quietly shaping your future in ways you haven’t considered?
3. Do you feel both blessed and/or following Jesus AND like there are areas of compromise in your life?
4. Are you actively asking God for wisdom in your decisions? In what ways? If not, what areas would you consider asking Him for wisdom in?
5. If your current spiritual direction continues for the next ten years, where will it lead — and what one decision today could change that trajectory?
2. Is there a small compromise you’ve justified that could be quietly shaping your future in ways you haven’t considered?
3. Do you feel both blessed and/or following Jesus AND like there are areas of compromise in your life?
4. Are you actively asking God for wisdom in your decisions? In what ways? If not, what areas would you consider asking Him for wisdom in?
5. If your current spiritual direction continues for the next ten years, where will it lead — and what one decision today could change that trajectory?
Resources for Study:
Recommended Reading:
King Solomon's Empire by Margaret P. Roy
1 Kings 1-11 Proverbs & Ecclesiastes: The Rise & Fall of Solomon by John MacArthur
King Solomon: Life Lessons from the Wisest Man Who Ever Lived by Bill Crowder
The Root of Righteous by A.W. Tozer
1 & 2 Kings: A Theological Bible Commentary on 1 & 2 Kings from Leading Contemporary Theologians
1 Kings 1-11 Proverbs & Ecclesiastes: The Rise & Fall of Solomon by John MacArthur
King Solomon: Life Lessons from the Wisest Man Who Ever Lived by Bill Crowder
The Root of Righteous by A.W. Tozer
1 & 2 Kings: A Theological Bible Commentary on 1 & 2 Kings from Leading Contemporary Theologians
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