Podcasts about i samuel

I Samuel 30

This week we wanted to give everyone an opportunity to listen to the discussion, Joe, Ant, and Andrew had on Kingdom on the Road, July 4th. While working through I Samuel, the guys discussed some important lessons for us today about Sovereignty, Parenting, God's Will, Humility, Doubt, Prayer, Prophecy, and Grace. Send us a textSupport the showFollow us on: TWITCH: twitch.tv/ministrymisfits INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/ministrymisfit FACEBOOK: facebook.com/ministrymisfit YOUTUBE: YouTube.com/@ministrymisfits

This week we wanted to give everyone an opportunity to listen to the discussion, Joe, Ant, and Andrew had on Kingdom on the Road, July 4th. While working through I Samuel, the guys discussed some important lessons for us today about Sovereignty, Parenting, God's Will, Humility, Doubt, Prayer, Prophecy, and Grace. Send us a textSupport the showFollow us on: TWITCH: twitch.tv/ministrymisfits INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/ministrymisfit FACEBOOK: facebook.com/ministrymisfit YOUTUBE: YouTube.com/@ministrymisfits

We look at I Samuel 30 again, and see what the perfect picture of a man after God's own heart is like. We see David put his full confidence in the Lord, and had spiritual perception of what was going on.

"The Glory Has Departed" from I Samuel 3:1-6, 4:11-22 was preached by Pastor Mike Ray at Hopewell Baptist Church on Sunday Evening, 6/29/2025. You can watch the video archive of this sermon on our church website. You can also watch archived services on Vimeo, YouTube, Medium, or audio podcast. Stay up to date by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Hopewell Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist Church in Napa, California pastored by Mike Ray. It is Bible-based with a warm, friendly atmosphere. Hopewell is dedicated to bringing the water of life to the Napa Valley and beyond.

For His Glory Series Ephesians 6:1-4; I Samuel 1-3 Honoring Your Parents Pastor Jeremy

Daily Dose of Hope June 24, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 16:13-28   Prayer:  Holy God, Thank you for this day and thank you for the ways you provide and care for us.  We rejoice in your powerful and mighty name.  As we read through the Scripture today and reflect on what it means for us, help us hear a new word from you.  Help us set aside the distractions of the day and really listen for your voice.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are covering the second portion of Matthew 16.   Jesus has taken his disciples on a retreat of sorts, and they have traveled away from Judea, further north into Gentile territory.  Maybe it's to get away from the crowds, maybe it's so they can speak more freely.  Caesarea Philippi is pretty far north in Israel.  It was a quiet place at the headwaters of the Jordan River but also a place filled with idol worship and signs of Roman occupation everywhere.  And it's here that Jesus decides he is going to settle his identity with these men.  So he asks each of them, “Who do people say I am?”    Over the two years that the disciples had been with Jesus, people had all kinds of thoughts about who Jesus was.  Some thought he was the precursor to the Messiah, others (like King Herod) thought he was John the Baptist reincarnated, others thought he might be one of the prophets returned.  But Jesus presses them, “who do you say I am?”  Now, it doesn't matter what the others say – who is it you say I am?  That's really the question for all of us, isn't it.  It doesn't matter who others say Jesus is.  If I were to do a man on the street interview right now, I'm sure I'd get all kinds of answers to who is Jesus?  A teacher, a healer, a crazy person, Son of God, the Savior.  But it doesn't matter what others say, what matters is what you believe and what YOU say about Jesus.  And that's what Jesus is asking his disciples.  What do you say about me?  What are you willing to confess about me?  This was really a rubber meets the road question for them, as it is for us.  What are you willing to confess about me, to others, publicly?   Jesus asked all of them but it was Peter who spoke up.  And he says, “You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God.”  The word Messiah means anointed one or God's anointed.  And the term “Messiah” was the Hebrew word for God's anointed, the term “Christ” was the Greek word for it.  Messiah and Christ mean the same thing, different languages.  I know this might come as a surprise to some of us but Christ is not Jesus' last name.  It is a title.  And Peter is giving Jesus this title, you are the Messiah, the anointed one.   What's the big deal with being anointed?  In ancient Israel, when someone was given a position of authority, oil was poured on his head to signify his being set apart for God's service. I Samuel 10:1 is an example, Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?  Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed in this way. Anointing was a symbolic act to indicate God's choosing.  Although the literal meaning of anointed refers to the application of oil, it can also refer to being chosen or set apart by God, even if oil is not literally used.  So, Peter is saying you are the anointed one, chosen, set apart by God, the Messiah.   But there is more to this.  Throughout the OT, there are many, many verses that point to the Messiah delivering the Hebrew people from captivity, from pagan kings.  The Jews expected the Messiah to deliver them from Roman occupation via military might.  That was the expectation.  The Christ, the Messiah is the one who God sent to deliver his people, to make things right for them – the one they had been waiting for hundreds of years.  So when Peter says this, you are the Messiah, he probably doesn't quite understand how Jesus is going to deliver them.  No one really got it that the Messiah would be the one to deliver people, not from the Roman occupiers, but from their own sin.    Peter says that Jesus is Messiah but then he says that Jesus is the Son of the living God.  Just to clarify something, in the OT, there are a number of men, particularly prophets, who are called a son of God.  That was not an uncommon title for a Godly man.  But that is not what Peter is saying, Peter says that Jesus is THE son of the living God.    Let's clarify something here because I think we can get confused - Jesus is not God's Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God's Son in the sense that He is GOD in human form – John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Keep in mind, the term “Word” is referring to Jesus.  Jesus was there in the beginning.  Jesus was there with God in the beginning.  Jesus was there with God and Jesus is God.  Brain cramping yet?  Let's read v. 14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  So, the “Word”, Jesus, became human and lived among us.  Of course, that is the Christmas story, Jesus became a human being, was born to a woman named Mary, who became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.  When the angel comes to Mary in Luke and explains the situation, he tells her that this holy one you will give birth to will be called the Son of God.   This clearly separates Jesus from the prophets. He is not a son of God but the Son of the living God.  Jesus walks with a very distinct, specific authority.  I mean, look at his miracles.  He heals people with a word or touch.  He rebukes a storm and it listens to him.  He could read people's minds.  He raises Lazurus from the dead.  He doesn't argue with demons.  Think about it – when Jesus encounters a demon, they tremble.  Colossians 1, The son is the image of the invisible God…  He walks in a distinct, divine authority.  Because he is the Son of the living God – the second person of the Godhead.    So, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and he is Lord.  I didn't count this myself, but I read that Jesus is referred to as Lord almost 300 times in the New Testament.  Lord was the most common title for Jesus in the early church.  Why is that significant?  When the Hebrew Bible, what we call the OT, was translated from Hebrew to Greek, the term Yahweh (which was the Hebrew word for God) was translated to Lord in the NT.  That means, to say that Jesus is Lord is to say that Jesus is God.  It is saying that Jesus is divine – he is God – and Caesar is NOT, a claim that was quite dangerous at the time.    To say that Jesus is Lord means that Jesus has claim over all things; he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is LORD over all things – over the cosmos, over the whole earth, over all nations and their leaders, he is Lord over Vladimir Putin, he is Lord over Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, he is Lord over all the celebrities in Hollywood, he is Lord over Florida and Brandon, he is Lord over each of us.    Now, here is where I'm going to get kind of personal.  At least I'm giving a warning.  What I've found working in ministry is that people like the idea of Jesus as Savior.  Yes, I've said yes to Jesus as my Savior so I'm going to heaven.  That feels good and it should.  But man, do people struggle with this concept that Jesus is Lord.  Because saying Jesus is Lord is one step further.  It's saying that he is Lord over everything and he is Lord over my family and me.  That means, I defer to him in every area of my life.  I trust him with everything.  That means, before I make a decision, I ask Jesus for his will.  It means I have given my job over to him, my children and grandchildren over to him; it means I have given the words I speak, my actions, my thoughts over to Jesus.  My finances belong to him.  That means that tithing isn't an issue because, well, it all belongs to Jesus anyway.  I have no claim on my life.  I belong to Jesus.    I struggled with this for years.  In a culture that tells us that its all about us, how hard WE work, the fruits of our labor, its OUR money, OUR children, OUR lives.  Maybe it sounds weird, but turning over my money to Lord Jesus wasn't that difficult.  I made a decision.  We are supposed to tithe so we are going to do it and I had been around people who tithed for a long time.  What was hard for me was giving my marriage to Jesus, giving my kids to Jesus.  I might have had a bit of a control issue.  And if you have a control issue – teenagers will humble you.  And it was in the midst of some real struggles that I just turned it all over to him.  They are your kids first, Lord.  They were never mine to begin with.  If I make it sounds easy, it isn't but it's life changing.  It's a shift in perspective that really brings a tremendous amount of peace.  Alright, that was pretty important, but so is the next portion of text.  Jesus is beginning to reveal to the disciples that he will die; he will be leaving them.  They aren't quite getting it.  And when they do get a hint of where he is going, Peter isn't happy.  And the Scripture says that Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him.  Here is where we miss something significant in English.  In the Greek, this word rebuke is much stronger.  Peter is really laying into Jesus here, saying “This is not the way it's going to be.  You are supposed to be the messiah who saves us from the Romans. This is not what we signed up for.”  And Jesus' response to him is interesting.  Jesus rebukes Peter right back, same word in the Greek, and says, “Get behind me, Satan!”  He tells him that he is setting his mind on human things, not on the things of God.  This is one of those moments in Scripture that highlights the vast distance between us and God. Though Jesus is God with us (he was God in human form), we cannot tame him or make him over into our image. We would like a savior who is a winner, and one who makes us winners, but Jesus insists on identifying with the lowliest of losers. He will allow himself to be judged and condemned as a blasphemer by Jewish religious leaders. He will allow himself to be mocked, tortured, and executed as a criminal by the Romans. And that's not all. Jesus actually expects his disciples to follow him on this path of suffering and death.  After telling them that they don't understand the mind of God, he says this very hard thing, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  We tend to think of taking up our cross as dealing with really annoying circumstances.  In Jesus' day, no one thought of beating one's cross as a persistent annoyance or burden. So bearing our cross does not mean we need to have patience with difficult neighbors or coworkers.  Furthermore, Jesus is not talking about the suffering that is part of living in a broken world, things like serious illnesses, broken relationships, and even natural disasters. That isn't what he is talking about.  Nor is he telling us to seek out suffering or martyrdom. We don't have to become monks and live in the desert.  Jesus did not go seeking suffering, although he ended up having to endure it for his mission.  To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by crucifixion. And the Romans made the people who were about to be killed carry their own cross to the execution location.  It was humiliating and horribly painful and the condemned person had no choice but to submit. Bearing one's cross was and is a show of complete and utter submission. A call to bear one's cross as part of following Jesus, then, is a call to be as submitted to Christ as the condemned criminal was to his death.  When Jesus says this, he's claiming authority. Following Christ means disowning the self and giving allegiance to him instead. And it means giving him allegiance down to the very depths of our being.   Are you willing to surrender all to follow Jesus?  What needs to change in your life and thinking to be more consistent with the ways of Jesus Christ? Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

This evening, we take a look at I Samuel 30, when the Amalekites had destroyed Ziklag, and David and his men were looking for them so he could get everyone he held dear back to him, and his men found an Egyptian in a field to help them find the Amalekites.

I Samuel 21:10-15

We look at one of David's most discouraging points in his life in I Samuel 30. He has lost everything, and yet, there is still One Who can help him.

I Samuel 17 - Joe Palmer - Wednesday Evening, June 11, 2025 by First Baptist Church of Hammond

Reflexión DiariaMartes 3 de junio•Volvamos a Dios de todo corazón•I Samuel 1: 3 No olvides seguirnosRedes Sociales

Nesta mensagem, o Pr. Rafael Lemos, com o texto em I Samuel, capítulo 11, versículos 1 ao 11, nos traz uma reflexão e um alerta sobre fazer pactos com o inimigo.O texto acima, cita Naás como rei dos amonitas, inimigos históricos de Israel. Seu nome, curiosamente, significa “serpente”, o que já aponta para um caráter traiçoeiro e ameaçador. Ao cercar Jabes-Gileade, ele propõe um acordo humilhante: arrancar o olho direito de cada homem como condição de paz — uma forma de desonrar e incapacitar o povo.A proposta de humilhação: Naás não queria apenas conquistar, mas envergonhar Israel. Sua proposta é símbolo do tipo de opressão que o inimigo espiritual tenta impor hoje: humilhação, paralisia e vergonha. Arrancar o olho direito significava enfraquecer a visão e a capacidade de luta (especialmente para arqueiros e soldados). O diabo ainda tenta nos cegar espiritualmente, limitando nossa visão de fé e futuro.Cuidado com acordos perigosos: Os anciãos de Jabes pediram sete dias para procurar ajuda. Embora isso tenha funcionado, revela o risco de negociar com o inimigo. Quando aceitamos propostas que desonram nossa fé, podemos estar dando tempo para que o mal se instale. Naás é um lembrete: não se negocia com o inimigo da alma.Deus levanta um libertador: A resposta de Deus vem através de Saul, que, ungido por Deus, age com coragem e estratégia. Ele reúne Israel e liberta Jabes com uma vitória completa. Isso mostra que quando o Espírito do Senhor nos move, não há opressor que permaneça. Saul, que até então era visto com desconfiança, começa seu reinado com uma ação decisiva.Aplicações espirituais: Naás representa tudo que tenta nos desonrar e aprisionar: medos, vícios, pecados ocultos, opressões emocionais.Cuidado com propostas “aparentemente pacíficas” que exigem abrir mão da dignidade espiritual.Deus não nos deixa sozinhos diante do inimigo. Quando clamamos por ajuda, Ele levanta libertadores — e às vezes, nos torna esses instrumentos de livramento.Conclusão: “Naás, cuidado com ele!” é mais do que um alerta contra um inimigo antigo — é um chamado à vigilância espiritual. Devemos reconhecer as formas sutis com que o inimigo tenta negociar nossa fé, e confiar que Deus sempre tem uma resposta poderosa para nos libertar.Se esta mensagem edificou a sua vida, curta e compartilhe com mais pessoas.Deus te abençoe!

I Samuel 4: 1 - 11

I Samuel 12:19–24 Psalm 47 Revelation 22:10–21 John 17:20–26

[1 Samuel 17:8-11] Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! [9] If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! [10] I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” [11] When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. The devil wants to _____________ your weaknesses, but we need to ______________ God's strengths. [Psalm 34:3] Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together The difference between Saul and David was their _______ of God. [I Samuel 17:32:37] “Don't worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I'll go fight him!” [33] “Don't be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth.” [34] But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, [35] I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. [36] I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! [37] The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” You can't decide all the ___________ in your life but you can decide your _____________. [1 Samuel 17:41-44] Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, [42] sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. [43] “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. [44] “Come over here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. Goliath was __________ up David, but David was sizing up ____________. [Psalm 69:30 NET] I will sing praises to God's name! I will magnify him as I give him thanks! You have an ______________ advantage when you give _____________ to God! [Ephesians 5:20] And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You can't always control the ___________________ you are in, but you can control what you focus on. [Psalm 118:24] This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. God is ____________ than He seems.

The Bread of Life | May 25, 2025Pastor Wes Morris John 6:24-35 (NLT) So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you…They replied, “We want to perform God's works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn't give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.  √  IT'S POSSIBLE TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND HAVE THE WRONG HEART.John 6:26 (NLT) Jesus replied, “The truth of the matter is that you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you believe in me.Isaiah 29:13 (NIV) These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.I Samuel 16:7 (NIV) Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. You're at peace even if no one notices.You obey God even when it's inconvenient or uncomfortable.You serve without needing applause or affirmation.You can celebrate others without comparison or jealousy. √ WE FIND OUR DEEPEST SATISFACTION NOT IN WHAT GOD GIVES, BUT IN TRUSTING WHO HE IS.John 6:29 (NLT) Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”Exodus 33:12-15 (NLT) Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me...14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”√ THE GREATEST GIFT GOD GIVES US IS HIMSELF.John 6:35 (NLT) I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. THE BREAD OF LIFEI. I CHOOSE GOD‘S WORD OVER THE WORLD'S WAYS.Matthew 4:3-4 (NLT) During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”II. I CHOOSE SURRENDER OVER STRIVING.Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.III. I CHOOSE LASTING PEACE IN HIS PRESENCE.Isaiah 26:3

[1 Samuel 17:8-11] Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! [9] If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! [10] I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” [11] When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. The devil wants to _____________ your weaknesses, but we need to ______________ God's strengths. [Psalm 34:3] Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together The difference between Saul and David was their _______ of God. [I Samuel 17:32:37] “Don't worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I'll go fight him!” [33] “Don't be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth.” [34] But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, [35] I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. [36] I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! [37] The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” You can't decide all the ___________ in your life but you can decide your _____________. [1 Samuel 17:41-44] Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, [42] sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. [43] “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. [44] “Come over here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. Goliath was __________ up David, but David was sizing up ____________. [Psalm 69:30 NET] I will sing praises to God's name! I will magnify him as I give him thanks! You have an ______________ advantage when you give _____________ to God! [Ephesians 5:20] And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You can't always control the ___________________ you are in, but you can control what you focus on. [Psalm 118:24] This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. God is ____________ than He seems.

I Samuel 28-31; Psalm 18

I Samuel 25-27

I Samuel 25-27

I Samuel 28-31; Psalm 18

Today, John updates us on people in heaven standing on the glassy sea and seven bowls of wrath ready to be poured out on earth.  Revelation 14:14-20; 15:1-8; 4:6; I Samuel 8:11-12; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; Joel 3:13; Isaiah 63:1-4; Hosea 5:14-15; Ephesians 5:25-27 #everydaychristians

Ouvistes que foi dito aos antigos: Não cometerás adultério. Eu, porém, vos digo, que qualquer que atentar numa mulher para a cobiçar, já em seu coração cometeu adultério com ela. Mateus 5:27-28Porém o Senhor disse a Samuel: Não atentes para a sua aparência, nem para a grandeza da sua estatura, porque o tenho rejeitado; porque o Senhor não vê como vê o homem, pois o homem vê o que está diante dos olhos, porém o Senhor olha para o coração.I Samuel 16:7

I Samuel 21-24

I Samuel 18-20; Psalm 11; Psalm 59

I Samuel 15-17

I Samuel 9-12

I Samuel 4-8

I Samuel 1-3

I Samuel 13-14

I Samuel 21-24

I Samuel 15-17

I Samuel 13-14

I Samuel 9-12

I Samuel 4-8

I Samuel 1-3

I Samuel 18-20; Psalm 11; Psalm 59

I Samuel 30: 1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

Send us a textBut the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for manlooketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.               I Samuel 16:7Everything is not what appears to be. That is why we must lean on the Holy Spirit for guidance and discernment. You think being backstage is just a natural thing huh? Well...think again! There are plenty of things that happen behind the scenes spiritually that we may not pay attention to. While other people desire to do things in the lime light to be seen by men, we are encouraged by God's word to be in the background. But why??  Trust me, after this episode you will want to hang out behind the scenes a little more often! Let's Connect!Rate & Review our podcast HERE Check out our website HEREWe appreciate your support ❤️Subscribe & follow us on ➡️ social mediaSupport the showThanks For Listening

A study of I Samuel 1-3 on the difference between the families of Elkanah and Eli

Daily Dose of Hope April 17, 2025 Day 4 of Week 3   Scripture – Mark 7:1-23   Prayer: Almighty God, We come before you with awe and humility.  As we continue through this Holy Week, help us remember all you have done for us.  We are nothing without you.  We need you desperately, Lord.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts today as we focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us remember that we belong to you.  Help us lay our worries and cares on the throne of your grace...We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Mark 7 and read about another run-in Jesus has with the Pharisees.  But before we move into our devotional, I do want to mention that today is Maundy Thursday.  The word “maundy” comes from a Latin word meaning command and it refers to the command that Jesus gives his disciples in the Upper Room “to love one another as I have loved you.” This is often a day when we wash each other's feet and receive communion together as Jesus did before he was crucified.  Today, we will have the New Hope sanctuary open for prayer, communion, and hand washing from 12noon to 1pm and then again from 6:30 to 7:30pm.  There won't be a service but this will be your time for prayer, reflection, and communing with God.   Let's talk a little bit about 1st century Jewish life. Certain groups of Jews, such as the Pharisees and the scribes, affirmed two types of law. There was the written law, the first five books of the Bible, and the oral law, or the traditions of the elders/rabbis. The written law didn't have all the detail so the rabbis over the years had filled in those details with oral traditions. For instance, there is a lot in the written law about things being clean and unclean but not a lot of detail, so the oral tradition filled in the detail.   Who exactly were the Pharisees? They were a strict sect of Judaism that believed in following the law in the fullest sense. There were different standards for following the law for different groups of people (day laborer would not be able to follow the law in the same way that a scribe could do so.) But certainly, it would have been expected that a rabbi and his followers would follow both the oral and written law.   In today's Scripture, Jesus and his disciples had been out and about doing ministry and it is time to eat; they gather together to eat dinner.  But they were being watched.  Some of the Jewish teachers of the law, the Pharisees, had come to watch Jesus and his followers.  They were suspicious of Jesus.  They had heard about the healings.  They had heard about his teaching.  And they were feeling a bit threatened.  They travel from Jerusalem, which was 80 miles away, to come keep an eye on him.   And they find Jesus and his disciples eating without washing their hands and they are appalled.  Now, let's be clear.  Part of the oral laws that the Jews followed included ritual hand washing, in which they would pour water over their hands before they ate.  It wasn't to clean germs off their hands.  (They didn't know about germs yet – germ theory isn't discovered for another 1800 years).  Thus, this pouring of water on the hands didn't really make their hands clean.  It was a man-made rule that the rabbis tried to enforce.    And Jesus didn't have his disciples do it.  The Pharisees are shocked and they ask him, “Why do you allow your disciples to eat with unclean hands?”  And then Jesus says interesting.  He quotes Scripture from the prophet Isaiah, which basically says, “ ‘These people honor me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. Their worship doesn't mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules.'    On the surface, there wasn't anything wrong with what the Pharisees were trying to do. They had laws which they thought were very important in following God. But you see, Jesus could see past their words, past their rules, and into their hearts. He saw insincerity, hollowness, hypocrisy, all a bit of a facade. And thus, he sees this as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Just as in the times of Isaiah, the Pharisees were giving lip service to following God but their hearts were far from him. They were concerned about the Sabbath being followed to the tee but they would cheat people in the marketplace. They were concerned about following specifics of the hand washing but they weren't at all concerned about the widow and the orphan. Something was truly skewed here. They were all about piety but they had neglected compassion, justice, and love.   This whole issue of being unclean, of being defiled, was a big deal in 1st century Judaism. If you couldn't be clean (and a lot of regular people worked jobs or had lives that meant they couldn't meet all the various regulations to stay clean), but if you were unclean for whatever reason (your work or an illness), then you were kind of ostracized from the Temple. You were basically shunned from religious life. Jesus is making a huge point here. He is saying that becoming defiled goes so much deeper than what you touch or what rituals you may or may not attend to.   Jesus is basically saying, You are shunning people, you are telling them they are unclean, you are ostracizing them from the community, based on the rituals they have done or haven't done to be clean. But what you are missing is this: the things that really matter, the things that pose the greatest danger, are not external. They aren't hand-washing. They aren't meticulously keeping Sabbath. The things that matter most to God are internal.   You see, what Jesus is saying to them is that God cares most about the heart. I can't help but think back to God's choice of David for king of Israel. All his brothers seemed like a better choice–older, stronger, more educated, better marksmen. I Samuel 16:7, But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”   Friends, the Lord looks on the heart. God cares about what's in our hearts. He doesn't care if you've got Scripture memorized or you pray big fancy prayers out loud for your Sunday School class. He doesn't care if you “look” like a good Christian. Rather---He cares about how you treat the people who live next door to you. He cares about if you are really kind to people. He cares about whether or not you are saying nasty things about other people behind their back. He cares about whether you are generous with your resources. He cares about whether you really make him Lord of your life. If we are honest, I think we will all admit that the church has looked a lot like these Pharisees. We've been all about religious activity and less about trying to be like Jesus. We've been about the external and not the internal. We've cared about appearances. We put up this great religious front but then we are horribly judgmental or angry or bitter or you get the idea.   Friends, God could care less about your religious busyness. He wants your heart. He doesn't care about our ceremonial handwashing---he cares about if we are treating others with the love of Christ. And if we aren't, then all the ceremony, all the church stuff, all of this, it's kind of a farce. Why? Because God looks on our hearts. We aren't fooling God.   Some questions to think about: Am I growing in my walk with Jesus? What evidence do I have of this? Do I make excuses for my failure to be obedient and faithful to God's commands? Am I growing in faithfulness or stagnating by being too comfortable in my spiritual life? Am I frequently sharing my faith with people outside the church? Am I the same person at church as I am at home, at work, and everywhere else in my life? Do I speak and behave in the same way? Why or why not? Do I hide things from my church friends that I'm ashamed of? Do I ever thank God that I am not as sinful as other people? Do I ever say unhelpful things about my brothers and sisters in Christ? Do I have a critical or negative spirit? What things have I allowed to seep into my heart that I know should be released to God? How am I measuring up compared to Jesus?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

In this episode of the Wisdom Calling Podcast, host Bobo delves into a captivating story from I Samuel that highlights the transformative power of discretion. As David finds himself on the brink of vengeance against the foolish Nabal, his wise and discerning wife, Abigail, steps in to prevent disaster. Join us as we explore how her humility and strategic thinking not only saved lives but also showcased the importance of wisdom in our daily decisions. Discover how you can cultivate discretion in your own life and work, and learn to navigate challenges with grace and insight. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that will inspire you to think critically and live strategically!Support the showYou can order the devotionals at https://amzn.to/4h8zFe6 or https://wisdomcalling.orgFollow us on Instagram: @wisdomcallingnow

I Samuel 17:47 David didn't rely on his own strength to fight Goliath. He relied on the strength of GOD.

I Samuel 5

We come to I Samuel 26 in our series, and find that David has yet another opportunity to kill a man because of the evil they had done to him, and yet, he exercises temperance, and withholds his hand from God's anointed another time.

Heart: “KARDIA”—the CENTER of your life. Where you are devoted physically, emotionally and spiritually.WHO/WHAT has 1ST place in your life.Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your HEART.I Samuel 12:24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your HEART.Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your HEART.Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your HEART…”Does God have ALL my HEART?Proverbs 21:2 Every person's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord EXAMINES the HEART.Matthew 6:21 For where your TREASURE is, there your HEART will be also.The PORTION God has of your heart is determined by the POSITION he has in your finances.For God to be first in your HEART he must be first in your FINANCES.Biblical Principle: The TITHEWHAT is a tithe?Hebrew word “ms'aser” simply means 1/10th or 10%Matthew 23:23 You SHOULD TITHE, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. PAID TITHE$1,000 $100$10,000 $1,000$100,000 $10,000$1,000,000 $100,000$100 Billion $10 BillionWHEN do you tithe?Tithing isn't just the AMOUNT (10%) it's the ORDER (1st) in which we give.Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the FIRSTFRUITS of all your crops. Genesis 4:3 IN THE COURSE OF TIME Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.Genesis 4:4-5 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the FIRSTBORN of his flock. The Lord looked with FAVOR on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he DID NOT LOOK WITH FAVOR.WHY should you tithe?Promise of Tithing: 90% with God's blessing always goes further than 100% on your own.$7,200 (with God) > $8,000 (on your own)Malachi 3:10 “Bring the WHOLE TITHE into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. TEST ME in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much BLESSING that there will not be room enough to store it.”Leviticus 27:30 “A tithe of everything…BELONGS to the Lord; it is HOLY to the Lord.Malachi 3:8-11 MSG “Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you ROB me day after day. “You ask, ‘HOW have we robbed you?' “The TITHE and the offering—that's HOW! WHERE do you tithe?Leviticus 27:30 “A tithe of everything…BELONGS to the Lord; it is HOLY to the LordHOW do you start?TEST God with TITHING.Does God have ALL of your HEART?

I Samuel 17:26; 40-47 NKJV Recognize the challenge Use what God has gifted us with Remember we are not alonein the battle

I Samuel 30:1-5 (NIV) David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel I Samuel 30:6-7 (NIV) David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, Own Your Spirit Pray for Guidance I Samuel 30:8 (NIV) …and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” Go Together I Samuel 30:9 (NIV) David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind. Expect Recovery  I Samuel 30:18 (NIV) David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken…

By Steven C Parker - In this sermon Steve Parker presents the first sermon in a two part series on listening. Using the account in I Samuel 3 where God speaks to the young boy Samuel and he thinks it was Eli, he shows us several examples of both good and bad listening habits.