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!
1 Samuel 25 || A Beautiful and Good Advocate
November 3, 2024 • John Zimmer • 1 Samuel 25:1–39
This week in I Samuel 25, the narrative takes a break from the Saul-David conflict and instead describes an interaction between David and some of the people of Israel he has been anointed to lead, including a wealthy kinsman of David’s, Nabal, and Nabal’s wife, Abigail.
Each of them will take on an identity in one of the most compelling relationship triangles in all of the Bible.
1 Samuel 24 || An Unlikely Mercy
October 27, 2024 • Jacob Collins • 1 Samuel 24
In the past several weeks we've seen David on the defensive.This week is different. He literally catches Saul with his pants down, and he has a choice to make:
Does my enemy live or die?
How would you respond to such an opportunity? Given Saul's wicked conduct the previous few chapters, it might seem like an obvious choice. But David isn't your average guy. He is seeking God's will and God's heart. So what would God want him to do?
Read all of 1 Samuel 24 before Sunday and come ready to be blown away by God's great mercy!
1 Samuel 23 || An Unlikely Ally
October 20, 2024 • Jacob Collins • 1 Samuel 23
This week in 1 Samuel 23, David hears back from Yahweh (unlike Saul). Some of what he hears is comforting…but there’s also confusion. Just because God speaks, it doesn't mean that David necessarily understands it or agrees with it. The same could be said for us.
Do you hear from God? What does He say? How can you know His will for your life?
On Sunday we’ll see what David depended on to hear from God. And we’ll see how that foreshadowed the Better David. And we’ll see what that means for how we can hear Him and know His will, today.
I Samuel 21-22 || The Unlikely Outlaw
October 13, 2024 • Jacob Collins • 1 Samuel 21, 1 Samuel 22
When we read 1 Samuel, it might be tempting for us to reduce Saul and David to two-dimensional characters;
Saul = bad guy; David = good guy.
Don’t be like Saul. Be like David.
But humans are a lot more complex and complicated than that.
Although history and geography may lead us to feel distant from David’s life, this week we'll see some similarities (and not great ones) between David’s choices and our own. He’s more relatable and this passage is more relevant than I expected at the start. And I'm not sure if I like that!
1 Samuel 18-20 || An Unlikely Peace
October 6, 2024 • Josh Leftwich • 1 Samuel 18, 1 Samuel 19, 1 Samuel 20
As we prepare to gather and worship Jesus this Sunday, I encourage you to read 1 Samuel 18-20, paying careful attention to how God works to accomplish His purposes. While we plan to cover a lot of ground, I believe we will discover one overarching story of God's provision overcoming human intentions. And yes, we will discuss the "evil spirits" sent by Yahweh!
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?
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!
1 Samuel 15:1-3 || Holy War
June 16, 2024 • Dan Gray • 1 Samuel 15:1–3
1 Samuel 14:24-52 || False Spiritual Leadership
June 9, 2024 • James McPherson • 1 Samuel 14:24–52
How do you know whether you are living according to God’s standard as a true spiritual leader? In today’s text, we will focus on three specific situations where King Saul behaved as a false spiritual leader. During the sermon, we will discuss a biblical standard for discerning whether you are living as a true or false spiritual leader.
Ask God to show you what you need from Him to shine as lights in this crooked and twisted
generation.
1 Samuel 14:1-23 || The Lord Saves Israel
June 2, 2024 • Don Logan • 1 Samuel 14:1–23
This Sunday we will be introduced to a new character who will continue to shine through the pages of scripture as another man after God's heart. One who will be true and loyal and seemingly without vice in every situation he is presented to us. His name is Jonathan.
And in I Samuel 14:1-23 he will be given to us so we can compare/contrast him with his father Saul. What does faith look like and what does it not look like?
1 Samuel 13 || Saul The Fool
May 26, 2024 • Don Logan • 1 Samuel 13
In I Samuel 13 our King Saul is finally ready to step into obedience and clear the Philistines out of the Promised Land. It starts out very well, and he goes to Gilgal to wait 7 days on Samuel as directed.
Maybe Saul is our guy after all!
But what happens when things get worse after obeying God? What happens when Samuel doesn't arrive in a timely fashion? What happens when his troops begin to desert him?
