 The story of David and Goliath not only validates the genuine crises of life but also the goodness of God in giving us victory. As stated last week, there can be no good news without bad news. What makes the second half of this chapter so inspiring is the first half. But the first half of the story is not the final word. We come now to the second part - the good news and the person through whom God gave victory. 1 Samuel 17:25-39 Video of Service  The story of David and Goliath is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. It so well-known that even those unfamiliar with the Bible use the phrase when referring to a team, company or person who doesn’t stand a chance against another team, company or person. We enjoy David and Goliath stories because the "outnumbered-no chance to win at all" guy or gal overcomes all odds and miraculously triumphs in the end. What makes the story of David and Goliath so inspirational is that, among other things, the opponent is a really, really bad and powerful. In today's message, we learn that in order to appreciate Christ's power we must measure him against life's strongest threats, not its weakest. 1 Samuel 17:1-24 Video of Service  There are scary things in this world; heinous crimes, terrorism, covid-19, and an infamous host of others. However, the scariest thing one could ever hear is from Jesus in the 7th Chapter of Matthew, And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Do you know Jesus? Are you invited into his presence? Listen as Pastor Jeff brings us today's message. Video of Service  That bad things can happen to godly people is a biblical fact. The apostle Paul faced many troubling hardships in life though not because of sin on his part. King Saul however is a different matter. He is reaping what he has sown through rebellion and pride. Beyond reaping what one has sown, we have come upon one of the most uncomfortable and disturbing verses in the entire Bible. God removed Holy Spirit from Saul and sent an evil spirit in His place. As we dive back into 1 Samuel today, we have another opportunity to witness God's grace upon both Saul and David. 1 Samuel 16:14-23 Video of Service  God does not need a person of great wealth to make a difference-He does not need a person of great intellect to make a difference-He does not need someone who is physically strong and healthy to make a difference. God does not even need someone who has ginormous faith to make a difference (faith the size of a mustard seed will do). No, it’s not who we are on the outside that matters most to God; it’s who we are on the inside. In today's study from 1 Samuel 16, our Father gives us one of the most important glimpses into His character in all Scripture. 1 Samuel 16:4-13 Video of Service  At some point in a television series or movie, we begin to wonder how it is going to end. When the final episode or scene takes place, what do most of us do? If it has a good ending- we smile - feel good inside, and think - that was a great movie! But if it has a bad ending, we groan inside; or if you are like me, talk back to the TV. You’ve got to be kidding me! This is how the movie ends? No!! No-it can’t end this way. As we return to the Book of 1 Samuel today, we find Samuel in despair and self-pity, assuming Saul's disobedience in chapter 15 will be his legacy in the years to come. What the prophet could not see in his despair was God's orchestration of these events for Samuel's future delight. God was about to give Samuel the greatest assignment of his life and the capstone of his career - the anointing of David. 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Video of Service  A casual reading of the Psalms will reveal that David and Asaph were not amateurs when it came to intimacy with God. They knew their stuff when it came to fellowship with God! And yet....they also knew what it was like to be in the depths of despair and fear. They too experienced seasons when distress described their souls more than delight. We are in good company when the "bottom falls out" and God seems a million miles away. Is there any meaning to our soul's mess? As we conclude our series about shipwrecks of the soul today, we read how Paul's distresses at sea opened the door for the gospel to advance among an unsaved community. Good things always await us on the other side of the soul's shipwreck. Acts 27 and 28 Video of Service  How many times have you walked through your garage or basement and thought, I don’t really need this; why do I keep hanging onto it? Sometimes our stuff can get in the way of more important things. When Deanna’s mother died several months ago, we emptied her parents' storage unit full of stuff they had accumulated through the years. After unloading it into our garage, I thought for sure we could assimilate all of it within a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks turned into a couple of months and I now realize that our cars may have to endure a Utah winter outside their normal habitat. That stuff is going to be there a while! It’s easy to accumulate things over time that eventually get in the way of what is more necessary. The same can be true in the Christian life. Over time, we collect things in our souls that are really not helpful for our journey on earth. Just as a garage or basement might become crowded with unneeded stuff, so can our souls. In today's message, we consider the importance of jettisoning unneeded cargo during the trials of life. Video of Service  Week after week as a kid, my brother and I tuned in to watch what would become one of television’s most popular series portraying the hilarious escapades of 7 people stranded on a South Pacific Island after a terrible storm knocked their boat off course. Each episode began with these words… Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip-that started from this tropic port aboard this tiny ship. The jingle would end with….The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle with Gilligan, the skipper too, a millionaire, and his wife. A movie star, the Professor and Mary Ann, here on Gilligan’s Isle. As much as we enjoyed laughing at the silly plots of Gilligan's Island, there really isn’t anything funny about life-threatening storms on the ocean or being shipwrecked. It goes without saying that storms and shipwrecks are fun to watch… as long as they never happen to us! There is more than one kind of shipwreck however and the other kind is one I believe all of us will face at least once in our life, if not more. It's the shipwreck of our soul. Triggered by at least one traumatic event, we find our souls stuck and isolated, unable to move forward or backward in life. With that in mind, I want to take a few Sundays to talk about shipwrecks from the 27th chapter of Acts. Video of Service  In this guest message by Bobby Wood - Teaching Pastor at Redemption Church - we see how Daniel prayed for Israel's restoration - yet that restoration did not come immediately. No matter the trials you face and no matter how broken the world is, are you trusting Jesus? Daniel 9 Video of Service  Our Golden Spike Baptist Network executive director - Adam Madden - today taught from 1 Peter chapter 1. In this chapter, the church is told by Peter that they will suffer persecution - some even to death. But he also told them to still rejoice and trust in the Lord. That they had hope. That they would be filled with joy. 1 Peter 1 Video of Service  Before we dive into 1 Samuel 16 and meet a young shepherd named David who would become king, you might be wondering, where did David come from? Today we hear part two of the story that explains how such a young man of faith and devotion to the one true God came to be found in Israel. This book of Ruth not only tells the story of David's origins, it also tells a beautiful love story and gives real life examples of what godly manhood and womanhood look like, as well as reminds of us of God's stunning love for the lost and His sovereignty over all things. Video of Service  Before we dive into 1 Samuel 16 and meet a young shepherd named David who would become king, you might be wondering, where did David come from? Today we step back to read the prequel that explains how such a young man of faith and devotion to the one true God came to be found in Israel. This book of Ruth not only tells the story of David's origins, it also tells a beautiful love story and gives real life examples of what godly manhood and womanhood look like, as well as reminds of us of God's stunning love for the lost and His sovereignty over all things. Video of Service  In this message, Pastor Charles gives us part two on the subject of fearing God and not man. 1 Samuel 15:22-31 Video of Service  In this message by Jeff Winters - Pastor of Sojourn Church and our Associate Pastor - we hear how it is not what goes into a person that defiles them, but what comes out. Mark 7:14-23 Video of Service  When God told Samuel to direct Saul to obliterate the Amelikites, that was not exactly what happened. When it came down to it, Saul was more concerned with pleasing men than pleasing God. He feared the people more than he feared the Living God. In this message by Pastor Charles, we learn why obedience to God - even in tough times and through difficult challenges - is always the correct choice. Are you more concerned of what man thinks about you, or obedience to a Holy God? 1 Samuel 15 Video of Service  We all have defining moments-moments when our lives changed-a course correction occurs-a mile marker that signals either something has happened to us or in us that lasts a lifetime. As we pick up our study of 1Samuel today, we find the inspired writer giving us an overview of Saul’s life as King long before his reign comes to an end. It is somewhat out of place as resumes go for kings and communicates an important truth about defining our lives. Though successful in many ways by earthly standards, Saul failed where it counted the most- with God. 1 Samuel 14:47-52 Video of Service  Dave Paxton was here for our youth this week facilitating our Week of Hope. This morning, he blessed us with a message. Video of Service  When faced with a crucial moment of testing at the moment of Jesus' arrest, his disciples failed and failed miserably - because they had not heeded Jesus' exhortation to pray, and thus they failed to prepare. Join us this morning as we learn to prepare by praying. Video of Message  One of the childhood memories etched in my mind is that of my granddad out in his corn field with a hoe. Hoes can be used for many things but my granddaddy mainly used a hoe to pull up weeds. He knew what all farmers (and gardeners) know - if you don’t pull up the weeds in your crops or garden, they will choke out the life of what you have planted. A weed is such a small and seemingly insignificant thing and yet, if left unstopped, it can ruin very big things. In our continuing study through 1 Samuel, we read how Israel’s first king, Saul, refused to deal with the weeds growing in his heart. We learn how these weeds, over time, eventually cost him something much bigger - his kingdom. It is a reminder for all of us to pay attention to our hearts on a daily basis. 1 Samuel 14 Video of Service  Maintaining a life of integrity in Christ is not without its challenges. That the Christian life is sometimes best described as a battle or a struggle is not far off the mark. Not every day is a battle-not every week is a battle and not every season of life is a war. But there are seasons, days and weeks when it is just that- a battle. We are not without divine help however. The Bible gives us specific stories that illustrate eternal principles in this regard. 1 Samuel provides just such stories-a reservoir of illustrations to help us get a grip on how to wage war and win. We pick up our study in 1 Samuel 13 1 Samuel 13:15-14:15 Video of Service  In her book, War on the Saints, Jesse Penn Lewis explains that one of the ways the devil deceives the world and the church is when he comes in the guise of somebody or something which apparently causes them to go God-word and good-ward. When the Devil tempted Eve in the Garden, he said, “you shall be as gods.” He did not say, “you shall be like demons.” His true objective in deceiving Eve was to get her to disobey God but his scheme was, “you shall be like God.” Had she reasoned, she would’ve seen that the deceiver’s suggestion exposed itself… disobey God to be more like God. As we resume our study in 1Samuel today, we read how Saul, the first king of Israel, did just that. He disobeyed God in order to be more like God. He allowed pride to set the pace for his life rather than humility. Saul’s downfall reminds us that pride is a very real problem in the Christian life. Conversely, that humility is a key component to spiritual growth. 1 Samuel 13 Video of Service  1 Samuel 12 marks the significant transition from the age of Judges to the age of Kings in Israel. Samuel marks this transition with parting words still relevant and life-giving for us today. Join us and learn what it means to retire well, remember well, and repent well. 1 Samuel 12:1-25 Video of Service  Most farmers hate insects. To a farmer, “insect” is a bad word. Insects eat crops and threaten harvests. By contrast, entomologists love insects. Entomologists make a living by studying insects and see them much differently than the farmer. To an entomologist, insect is a good word. Perspective makes all the difference. How we see something determines how we relate to it. With that in mind, how do you see adversity? Is it friend or foe? Is it a gift from God or something to be avoided at all costs? As we resume our study of 1 Samuel today, we find God visiting Israel with adversity…but adversity with a good purpose. 1 Samuel 11 Video of Service  While Paul was in Rome awaiting trial before Nero, he was a prisoner in a home due to orders from the local authorities. Stuck at home. Sounds familiar, right? Well then why was his letter to the Philippians filled with such joy and praise and confidence? Today Charles goes through Philippians (like, actually goes through it, reciting it from memory) and shows us how we too can have joy and freedom, even when life is not what we expected. Philippians. All of it. Video of Service |
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