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?
1 Samuel 17 || An Unlikely Champion
September 22, 2024 • Josh Leftwich • 1 Samuel 17
"With courage like David, you too can face Goliath!"
Sound familiar? For many, the story of David and Goliath has been reduced to a children's Sunday school lesson or a metaphor for sports and personal challenges. While we love a good underdog story, when it comes to facing the 'giants' in our lives, we often seek more than slings and stones to solve Goliath-sized problems. But what if this story is more than a metaphor for dealing with hard things? What if you and I aren’t the hero of the story?
I invite you to open your Bibles to 1 Samuel 17 and take a fresh look at the age old story of a very unlikely champion.
I Samuel 16 || The Unlikely Choice
September 15, 2024 • Jacob Collins • 1 Samuel 16
This week we renew our 1 Samuel series “The Problem with Crowns,” picking up the story where we left off; Saul is out as Israel’s king, and God says he has found Himself a new and better version. He sends Samuel on a dangerous mission to identify and anoint a new king, even while the old king is still on the throne. Samuel thinks he’s found the right guy, but God tells him not to trust his eyes. He tells him, “The LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
What is God looking for in a king? What is he looking for that everyone else (and even Samuel) seems blind to? And what are we supposed to learn from this dramatic scene to help us follow Jesus?
Can’t wait to pick back up this Old Testament scroll and see how God uses it to speak to us in fresh new ways!
