Category: 1 Samuel

  • God Owns Your Goliath

    God Owns Your Goliath

    What if you could live a stress-free, worry-free life? I have a secret that isn’t so much of a secret… You can if you are in Christ. This is one of Christ’s many promises for His true children. While in the world, we worry because the world is worrisome. When in Christ, we come to…

  • I Can’t Do All Things Through Him Who Gives Me Strength

    I Can’t Do All Things Through Him Who Gives Me Strength

    Over the last couple weeks, we have been working up to the battle between David and Goliath. We still won’t get there. Anticipation will build for one more week. Most of us are familiar enough with this story to know that David prevails over Goliath. At this point in the story, no one knows whether…

  • What If You Can’t Escape The Panic Room?

    What If You Can’t Escape The Panic Room?

    Two weeks ago, we were introduced to Goliath. This son of Anak, a descendant of the Nephilim, represents idolatry in humankind’s self-glorification. Goliath represents human unrighteousness and depravity in their fullness. Today, the text forces us to come to grips with our own natures. It forces us to come to grips with the true message…

  • Slaying Your Giants But Missing Christ- Goliath

    Slaying Your Giants But Missing Christ- Goliath

    You’ve heard the story about David and Goliath. At least you have if you spent any time in church, listening to TED talks, watching History Channel, or surfing documentaries on Netflix or Amazon Prime. David and Goliath is a popular part of God’s narrative. Normally, this part of the story is presented in a child’s…

  • “I Love You” vs. “I Love How I May Benefit From You”

    “I Love You” vs. “I Love How I May Benefit From You”

    God has officially rejected Saul as king and anointed David. Through the remainder of 1 Samuel, we get to juxtapose Saul’s and David’s lives. Saul is reprobate, rejected by God. David is a man after God’s own heart. So, we will see the difference between being rejected by God and having a heart after God’s…

  • Grieve Over What Is Lost Or Celebrate What God Is Doing?

    Grieve Over What Is Lost Or Celebrate What God Is Doing?

    Change happens and we cannot avoid it. We freely admit that God is the one who works all things together, yet we get so frustrated when He works things together in what seem to us new ways. We are transitioning, now, from Saul’s to David’s reign. God is changing things. God bore with Saul, and…

  • No, God Doesn’t Like ‘Churchy’ People

    No, God Doesn’t Like ‘Churchy’ People

    Have you ever heard someone talk about people playing church instead of being the church? I have. It is one of those statements that is just vague enough to sound profound and still be interpreted just about any way a person wants to interpret it. It’s a type of statement that doesn’t really help anyone…

  • When God Regrets His Own Deeds

    When God Regrets His Own Deeds

    In the previous passage, we saw one of the most difficult theological ideas people must wrestle with in our time. God is sovereign and good, and His wrath is always just. When we elevate God’s love as His single attribute and assume that He is only interested in the acceptance of people, we have ignored…

  • Yes, God Instructed Saul to Kill Infants and Children…

    Yes, God Instructed Saul to Kill Infants and Children…

    Saul has been spiraling out of control. His sin has been compounding. We have noticed the pattern of degeneration in his life. In the last passage, we were reminded that God chose Saul to deliver Israel from the Philistines and that, through Saul’s war campaign, God was inflicting punishment on the Canaanite nations because their…

  • Still Tying to Force Your Problems Into Submission?

    Still Tying to Force Your Problems Into Submission?

    I am going to mention a few things. If you struggle against any of these things, please know that you are not alone, here. We have people in our congregation who have been through some tough fights in their lifetimes. We do not wish to condemn or look down on anyone because of the fight…