1 Samuel 18 || The Unlikely Enemy

Eternal Church

1 Samuel 18 || The Unlikely Enemy

September 29, 2024 • Josh Leftwich • 1 Samuel 18

Goliath has fallen, the people of God are saved, and a young shepherd from the hill country of Judah becomes an overnight celebrity: the messiah of Israel! Yet creeping through the shouts of celebration is an enemy far greater than any giant on a battlefield. As the hearts of Israel turn towards David, the heart of Saul turns against him.

As we approach 1 Samuel 18 this weekend, I invite you to read over the text and prayerfully ask this question: How do I respond when the Messiah arrives?

More from 1 Samuel | The Problem with Crowns

1 Samuel 31 - 2 Samuel 1 || An Unlikely Ending

November 24, 2024 • Josh Leftwich • 1 Samuel 31, 2 Samuel 1

David was no stranger to grief. The Psalms are full of his accounts of grief, sorrow, and lament. This is to be expected of a man who lived the kind of life that David did. But what about the people of God today? How are we to respond to hurt in our lives? How are we to respond when people who have hurt us experience their own hurt, pain, or even death? As we prepare to close the book on this journey through the writings of Samuel, I encourage you to turn the page to 2 Samuel 1 and look at how a man after God's own heart responded to the news of the death of Saul, the first king of Israel.

1 Samuel 28 || An Unlikely Story

November 17, 2024 • Josh Leftwich • 1 Samuel 28

This weekend we return to the story of Saul, the first king of Israel. Chapter 28 invites us into the final hours of Saul's life and one final act that will ultimately define Saul's legacy. This is a strange story that includes an overwhelming army, a desperate journey into sorcery, and a theological conundrum about forgiveness, repentance, and rejection.

1 Samuel 27, 29-30 || An Unlikely Kingdom

November 10, 2024 • Josh Leftwich • 1 Samuel 30, 1 Samuel 26, 1 Samuel 27, 1 Samuel 28, 1 Samuel 29

"Then David said in his heart…" These opening words of 1 Samuel 27 introduce a time in David's life when he relied on his own wisdom and chose a path that seemed right to him, but it led him further away from the identity God had given him. Only through God's relentless grace will David be reminded of who he truly is and the purpose God has for his life. As we prepare to dive into God’s Word, take a moment to reflect on areas in your own life where you've relied on your own wisdom and strayed from the identity God has given you. Come ready to worship and be encouraged, knowing that God is a giver of grace and a restorer of the brokenhearted!