David's passivity made Absalom ripe for rebellion. In Absalom's betrayal of David and David's subsequent exile, we see a vivid picture of David's future descendant: Jesus Christ. Pastor David Horner preaches from 2 Samuel 14-15 in this sermon titled, "A Tale of Three Kings".
When David's son Amnon gave way to his lust for Tamar, tragedy ensued. 1 Corinthians 10 tells us that these stories are written down for our instruction so that we may not desire sin. Pastor Doug preaches on the realities of lust from 2 Samuel 13.
When we sin and fail miserably, does that mean God is done with us? 2 Samuel 12 shows us this isn't so. After David's biggest failure, God pursued him demonstrating the extent to which his grace goes to rescue sinners.
After David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he engaged in an elaborate cover-up, even having her husband Uriah killed in an effort to keep his sin secret. The passage reveals the deceptive and dangerous nature of sin, often having a snowball effect in our lives. Pastor Doug preaches from this passage in a message titled, "The Call of Conviction".
David stayed back while his army went out and found himself gazing and lusting after a woman named Bathsheba. David's temptation led to his adultery with Bathsheba, a decision that would bring tremendous consequences in his life. In this sermon, Pastor Doug shows us how to deal with the temptation and reminds us of the perfect King who died so that even our greatest failures can be forgiven.
When David offered kindness to Mephibosheth, he received it and was invited to eat at David's table. But when David offered kindness to Hanun, he rejected it and declared war on David. In the contrast of these two stories we see a picture of Christ who offers his kindness to us, and the difference between receiving or rejecting that kindness.
In the midst of his success, David reflected God's heart to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth. In his actions, we see a picture of Christ's heart toward us.
When God says no, it can dissapoint us but it ought to excite us! Every "no" from God is dripping with as much grace as every "yes" and David learned that in 2 Samuel 7. Although David wanted to build God a house (temple), God said no and promised to build David a house (dynasty), finding its culmination in the Son of David: Jesus Christ.
When David brought the ark to Jerusalem the right way, a huge celebration ensued. David worshiped God with reckless abandon, unashamed and unapologetic. How does this reflect what our lives ought to look like as we live lives of worship to God? Pastor Doug preaches from 2 Samuel 6:5-23.
Today we return to an episode in the life of David where the ark of God is brought back to Jerusalem. It's a wonderful moment until a man named Uzzah reaches out and touches the ark. Pastor Doug preaches on 2 Samuel 6:1-8 in a message titled, "The Right Thing, The Wrong Way."
Georges Houssney, the founder of Horizons International Ministries, joins us to preach from Revelation 3:6-8, and remind us that God opens doors for the Gospel that no one can shut! Georges shares from his own experience from planting churches in countries like Kosova, Yemen, among the Kurds, and others to demonstrate that when you are willing, God will use you to do what seems impossible.
In 2 Samuel 5, the rightful King of Israel finally takes the throne. The results: enemies are conquered, the people flourish, and God moves powerfully. This episode in King David's life shows us a picture of what happens when we give the throne of our hearts to the rightful King, Jesus.
Abner makes a covenant with David to help make him king over all of Israel, but Joab has other plans. David doesn't want his kingdom to be one of bloodshed but rather of welcoming his enemies as friends.
It seemed like 1 vs. 850. Elijah vs. the Prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth. But really it was 1 vs. 0. The true God of Israel vs. a god who doesn't exist. Still, Elijah put everything on the line in obedience to God to show the people that YHWH was the true God. In the face of such great evidence, they had to make a decision, just as we do today.
Today we celebrate 27 years of God's faithfulness in the life of our church! On this anniversary Sunday, Pastor David Horner takes us to Nehemiah 1 and 2 to see how we can get involved in the work that God wants to do in the next 27 years.
In 2 Samuel 2, David is finally anointed King over Judah, but the battle is not over. David trusts God's purposes while Abner lived according to his own purposes and tried to anoint a different man King. In this episode, we are reminded of Jesus who fulfilled God's purposes and made whole what sin had divided and destroyed. Pastor Trey McClain teaches from 2 Samuel 2.
When Saul and Jonathan die, David doesn't celebrate but laments and remembers these men. Pastor Doug Horner teaches from 1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1.
David was no perfect man, but he returned to the Lord time and again to find grace. In contrast, Saul went his own way and never repented. He wanted God's benefits but not God's rule in His life. In 1 Samuel 28 and 30, we see the contrast between a man who is faithful in his pursuit of God (David) and a man who, in the end, has found himself abandoned by God in his unrepentance. Pastor Doug preaches a message titled, "Faithful in the Pursuit of God."
Jim Rairick of Horizons International visited us to share the exciting opportunity we have to reach the nations in our own backyard. Over 1 million international students come to America each year to study at our universities. Many of these students are from parts of the world that are very hard to reach with the Gospel. What if we could engage in hands-on international missions by driving 5 minutes down the street? That's exactly the opportunity that International Student Ministry affords us. In this training, Jim shows us this opportunity and describes some practical ways to get involved in International Student Ministry.
This is Part 2 of International Student Ministry Training with Jim Rairick of Horizons International. Over 1 million international students come to America each year to study at our universities. Many of these students are from parts of the world that are very hard to reach with the Gospel. What if we could engage in hands-on international missions by driving 5 minutes down the street? That's exactly the opportunity that International Student Ministry affords us. In this session, Jim exhorts us from Matthew 9 to see the lost as Jesus sees the lost and reminds us of the necessity of sharing the gospel.