Our aim is to love God, to grow in Him, and to share Him with others. We pursue Him in these ways through the faithful, expository, gospel-centered preaching of His Word. Listen in to these messages each week and experience the life changing power of God’s Word with us.
It's easy to develop a small view of God. We think that somehow, God needs us. We start dragging God around as a lucky "relic" to help us in our endeavors. In this week's section of 1 Samuel, God brings our small theology crashing down. By the end, His people have learned the lesson and ask, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?" No one. All must bow before our holy Lord God.
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There's temptation for believers to seek God for their own ends. We start by seeking God for His glory, but over time, our prayers, worship, and acts are all oriented around what we want from God. In 1 Samuel 4, Israel tries using God to help them defeat the Philistines. It ends in tragedy. Why? Because He's rescuing His people from their sinful perspective. He's teaching them to follow Him again.
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Has God seemed silent? Felt far and uninvolved? That was the situation in Israel. "The word of the Lord was rare in those days." But little Samuel learns that God is a God who speaks, and that it's important to heed His word. The problem in Israel wasn't that God hadn't given His Word. The problem was that they weren't listening. So God faithfully sends His Word again to his people through Samuel.
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We have an innate sense of justice. We're alarmed when leaders lie, criminals escape, or coworkers cut corners. Who sets things right? Where's God? These questions were raised during the time of Eli the priest and his wicked sons. But 1 Samuel 2:11-36 confirms that God cares and is always at work to set things right. Whatever you're facing, remember that God sees, knows, and weighs all actions.
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A hard thing to process in life is when we try to do right but suffer while those who do wrong seem to prosper! This was exactly what Hannah experienced in 1 Samuel 1. But when God answered her prayer, she paused to rejoice. Answered prayer is a reminder that God is sovereign and good. When He answers prayer, it's right to pause and rejoice, remembering that He's the God who sets all things right.
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Have you felt like God was far away in your misery - even though you're trying to be faithful? In a fallen world, many believers can relate. In First Samuel, Hannah is in misery. Her story questions God. Where is He? Does He hear? Will He answer? Hannah answers with resounding confidence - God hears and answers! Her humility, prayer, faith, and worship teach us to look to God in times of misery.
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He is risen! This Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But even after Jesus was alive, some of His followers were still perplexed and even sad. Luke highlights the encounters of some faithful women and some travelers who are perplexed and sad. In each case, they are pointed to the Scriptures for encouragement. The resurrection highlights the trustworthiness of God's Word!
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When we are comfortable, we don't want to risk change. This is one of the key reasons that Israel rejected their King, Jesus. He presented Himself clearly, yet they rejected Him and forfeited their opportunity for peace. Jesus is the true King who offers peace to those who receive Him. We see various responses in the text. Some follow, some worship, some reject. How are you responding to Him?
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How's your to-do list look? We don't spend much time thinking about things that are finished. They're done and forgotten. But in 2 Chronicles, we see how Israel paused to worship the Lord after the temple's completion. From their example, we learn the value of pausing to praise the Lord for what He's done. As we celebrate the completion of our building, we'll consider how we can worship the Lord.
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We all face circumstances in life where we just don't know what to do. Maybe it's related to a job, parenting, a relationship, finances, or another area. Whatever it might be, we find it challenging, hard, or even frightening, and we don't know how to respond or what to do. Considering King Jehoshaphat from the Old Testament, we see what he did when he didn't know what to do in 2 Chron. 20:1-30.
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Life offers a variety of endeavors that have the power to capture our attention and shape how we live. Sports teams, jobs, relationships, video games, outdoor activities, education, and the like can often become what orients a person's life. In the book of Titus, Paul suggests there is actually one thing that has appeared that should ultimately serve as the foundation for our lives. God's grace!
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In Galatians 5:13–15, Paul reminds believers that Christian freedom isn't a license for self-indulgence but a calling to love. Freedom from the burden of the law and the condemnation of sin, we're not released into selfish living but Spirit-empowered service. True freedom fulfills the righteousness the law demanded but could never produce! When we walk in love, we reflect the heart of God.
After hard things, we often ask, “Was it worth it?” All through the book of Philippians, Paul has been explaining - and showing from his own example - that living for Jesus is worth it! It's the only way for a Christian to live. In closing, he encourages them specifically that their sacrificial giving was worth it. When we live for Jesus, we give sacrificially toward His work, and it's worth it!
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Is everything in your life exactly the way you want it? Most likely it's not; therefore, discontentment indeed lurks around the corner. With so much wrong in the world, is it possible to be content? In Philippians 4:10-13, Paul explains not only that we should be content, but that we can be content in Christ. He has learned how to do it, and he explains the key to the Philippians, and to us.
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Peace can be hard to come by. Maybe you long for peace and quiet. Maybe you long to get rid of that unrest in your conscience. In this week's text, Paul tells the Philippians that they can cooperate with the presence of the God of peace in their lives by checking their thoughts and actions. Thinking on the right things and doing the right things, they will enjoy the presence of the God of peace.
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Worry and anxiety plague all of us. We don't have to try to worry; it just happens. We pile the pressures and burdens of life on our own shoulders, and our stress levels skyrocket. As Paul encourages the Philippians to "stand fast" in the Christian life, he tells them to replace anxiety with prayer and thus experience the peace of God. These practical, encouraging verses help us to battle anxiety.
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The ever-shifting landscape of global economics and politics can leave us feeling unstable. Where are things headed? What will tomorrow hold? How do we find stability amid change? Paul reminds the Philippians that as citizens of Heaven, they can stand fast in the Lord. He reminds them of some key truths about Christ that will help them live stable lives. Every Christian can stand fast in the Lord.
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We are all imitators. Children and adults alike pick up the traits of those around them. You don't have to travel far to notice the regional accents we develop. We adopt the patterns of others without even realizing it! Instead, Paul tells us to be intentional about the way we live. He encourages us to pattern our lives after those who pursue Christ above all. We are to walk as citizens of heaven.
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It's hard to boil your life down to one thing - but take a moment and try. If you were to summarize all your activities and efforts into one statement, how would it end? "There's one thing I do, I..." In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul says his “one thing” is pressing on toward knowing Jesus. However, he goes on to say that all Christians should share this same goal and live in the same way.
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As we start the New Year, you may be re-evaluating your priorities, habits, and goals for the year. What's most important? That can be a difficult question to answer! But for Paul, the answer was clear: his relationship with Jesus. In fact, he said he counts everything else garbage compared to knowing Jesus. In this week's passage, Paul talks about his desire for a growing relationship with Jesus.
This time of year, our eyes are drawn to all sorts of things. Look at those Christmas lights! Look at the present I got! Have you seen one of these before? In this week's Divine Birth Announcement, God uses Simeon and Anna to call our attention to something more important. We are to look at Jesus and see God's salvation for all people.
The most hope-filled moment of each 24-hour period is the dawn. After a long night, there's nothing as thrilling as the sun breaking its light over the horizon and across the sky! That's the metaphor the Holy Spirit uses to announce the arrival of baby Jesus. As the Rising Sun, Jesus brings light to our darkness and guides us to God's salvation. The dawn of God's merciful salvation has come!
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It can be hard to know exactly how to respond to the birth of Jesus Christ. In Luke 1:39-45, we have the unique opportunity to see Elizabeth's response to the presence of Jesus in the womb. The text tells us that she is "filled with the Holy Spirit" as she announces the great blessing of Jesus' presence. Considering her words, we learn three Spirit-filled responses to Jesus' arrival as a baby.
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Looking at our circumstances, things seem impossible. That's kind of how it felt for Mary when she heard she would be the mother of the Messiah! Looking at some "Divine Birth Announcements" in Luke 1:26-38, we see Gabriel telling Mary that she will have a Son - God the Son! Mary is troubled and wondering how this is possible! But Gabriel assures her it is God's grace, promise, and power at work.
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What's your net worth? To determine it, you take the things you own (assets) and subtract the things you owe (liabilities). But is this really the best way to account for life? Paul encourages the Philippians to think differently. He tells them to count everything a loss compared to Christ. The gospel completely revises the way we account for our lives.
Joy thrives with a stable foundation. When we try to find joy in unstable things like health, money, or works, those things crumble, and our "joy" comes crashing down with it. Paul encourages us to rejoice in the Lord. His finished work on the cross, paired with our secure position in Him, gives the believer a solid foundation for joy. Find unshakable joy in your position in Christ.
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There's a sense of honor when we meet our heroes. However, we often set our affection on the wrong heroes. Paul encourages the Philippian church to honor a real-life hero: Epaphroditus. He is to be honored for risking his life for the cause of Christ. While we as Christians must all live this way, when we see those who have lived this way, we are to honor them and aspire to follow in their steps.
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"Well, everyone else was doing it!" Obviously, it's not a valid excuse, and yet Christians can live as if it is. We get comfortable with things simply because other Christians do them too. Paul encourages the Philippians to notice Timothy, a man who serves Christ above all. Rather than imitating the crowd, we are to follow those who serve Christ above all.
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