The greatest stories in the Bible tend to be the ones where a simple man rises to a great challenge because he trusts completely in God: Joseph before Pharaoh…Moses in the wilderness…Daniel in the lion’s den…and David facing Goliath. In each case, the hero thinks outside the box of traditional practice. God often orchestrates situations which demand change so that He can act in mighty ways.
As Samuel comes to the close of his life, he is left with a final significant task to perform: the identification and training of a leader for the next generation. At the end of life, he makes his greatest contribution to God’s work, securing godly leadership for the future.
As the story of Samuel and Saul continues, a confrontation over obedience takes place. Failures to follow God completely reveal decisive character flaws in Saul and serious consequences for Israel. Faithful believers serve God on His terms only!
Now that Israel’s new king has been duly confirmed and celebrated, Samuel closes the book on his own lengthy tenure of service as a leader for the nation. Having exonerated his character publically, he unleashes his full prophetic arsenal in evaluating Israel and calling her to faithful obedience to the One True God. This chapter climaxes the entirety of Israel’s per-monarchial history.
As heavy as the story that produces this penitential psalm of David is, there is a beautiful lesson of true freedom in Christ that comes through faithful confession. Without God graciously revealing David’s sin by Nathan, he would have remained trapped in condemnation. Instead, David was awakened to his sin and thereby freed to confess his sin and receive the joy of a gospel centered life. David is now an example to the world on how we too can be freed from our sins.
Most disciples who have been following Jesus for any period of time have had mountaintop moments—times when God feels so near, His presence is undeniable, and His glory is almost tangible. But often, those highs are followed by valleys of silence or struggle, leaving us wondering if we misunderstood what God was doing. In Matthew 17, the disciples experience one of the greatest “spiritual highs” imaginable: Jesus pulls back the veil and reveals His divine glory in what we call the Transfiguration. But this wasn’t just a spiritual thrill. The experience on the mountain was a purposeful display, meant to confirm who Jesus truly is, strengthen His followers for what lay ahead, and remind us today that the glory of Christ is not just a fleeting moment on a mountain but the eternal hope of all who follow Him.
When we truly see Jesus, we behold Him as He is—the Christ, the Son of the living God. God has clearly revealed His identity to us, calling us to trust in this truth and step forward in faith.
Chapter 8 moves forward many years to the end of Samuel’s life. With his inevitable death, Israel felt the impending danger of a leaderless nation surrounded by enemies. Their proposed answer to the uncertainty of the future, however, displays both a misunderstanding of true leadership and a rejection of the God who chose them to be His people.
In 1 Samuel 1, we saw the boy Samuel given as a gift to his mother. Now we see him given as a gift to Israel, a godly prophet/pastor with the anointing of the Spirit of God on his life. God’s greatest works are generally given through individuals made great by His power.
In a generation obsessed with mechanics of leadership, people seldom consider the Bible as a source of leadership instruction. In fact, the Bible is especially useful in this because it identifies something critical—how the presence of God impacts the success of a leader. I Samuel details great leaders; but God remains the primary actor in the human story.
Paul expresses a deep desire to visit a place he has never seen, with the hope of establishing a mission base before continuing on to Spain. He writes this letter to introduce himself and to remind both Jewish and Gentile believers of the only true Hope the world has for rescue from the power of sin.
Tonight, Daniel Schlagel brings us a word from Philippians 4 on the heart of God for the nations. As you listen, ask God what he would have you do to further his mission of gospel transformation in your sphere of influence.
Tonight, Pastor Zach Dietz concludes our series through the book of Ephesians as he walks through chapter 6.
Ephesians chapter 5 emphasizes the importance of living in a manner that reflects God's love and righteousness. It encourages believers to walk in love, avoid immorality, and instead promote gratitude and encouragement among one another. The chapter also discusses the relationship between Christ and the Church, likening it to the bond between husbands and wives, urging mutual respect and love in marital relationships.
Because salvation is 100% a work of God, received by grace through faith, making enemies into children, bringing those who were far off near to God, creating one new people...
The Mystery of the Gospel seen in the imprisoned minister, and the people empowered by God’s Gospel promise. They both point to the Church being key to God’s plan of redemption.
After praising the preeminence of Christ and his extravagance toward believers, Paul prayed for deeper understanding of the spiritual condition in his readers. He then set out to break down the fundamental spiritual realities for all those “in Christ.” Like the Jews and Gentiles of Paul’s day, we too need God to reinterpret our past and present in light of Christ.
Pastor Roger Brumley kicks off a summer series through the book of Ephesians brought by a collection of pastors at Evergreen.
The closing section of Judges is very dark indeed. Chapters 17-18 deal with the religious and spiritual chaos in Israel as a problem of idolatry. The closing chapters focus on the moral chaos resulting from rampant national immorality. Oh, how far the chosen people of God have fallen away from Him!
Tonight, Pastor Taylor Gabbert wraps up his miniseries on the life of Samson as we continue in our series through the book of Judges.