According to pop culture, David and Goliath is as a story of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, of not giving up and facing your “giants.” But as great and inspiring as the story of the underdog may be, this is actually not what the biblical story of David and Goliath is about! In […]
In this sermon, pastor Matt once again shows us that God has chosen for himself a king to shepherd his people. As David enters Saul’s service, he begins to prove that he is the man of God’s choosing, the son with the Spirit of Yahweh, the king-in-waiting who will one day wear the crown. But […]
1 Samuel 16 marks a turning point in the biggest story of the Bible. Israel had demanded to have a king like all the other nations had, and God had given them just what they asked for. Saul turned out to be just like the kings of all the nations. He had no concern for […]
Samuel had delivered God’s verdict to Saul: “To obey is better than sacrifice. . . . Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has also rejected you from being king” (vv. 22-23). Our passage picks up at the climax of this story. The question is, how will Saul respond? In this sermon, pastor […]
Having seen Saul’s disregard for the word of Samuel and his rash vow, we now come to Saul’s third and final “fall,” where he is rejected by God as king over Israel. In this sermon, pastor Joel encourages us to not trust in religious behaviors but remain faithful and obedient to Jesus.
In this sermon about king Saul’s foolish vow, pastor Matt shows us that apart from God’s life-giving word we are left to our own folly. To forget the Lord is to do what seems right in our eyes, to care more about our reputation, and ultimately to remain under the curse of sin. But it […]
In the story of Saul’s faul we were introduced to a certain man named Jonathan who “defeated the garrison [outpost] of the Philistines that was at Geba.” We now learn in chapter 14 that this is Saul’s son. And while he would not be the next king, he proves to be a better man than […]
Our passage today marks the beginning of the end of the first king of Israel. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that a fearful people need a faithful king whose kingdom endures forever. What we need is a king who will pass the test of obedience which Adam failed on behalf of ruined sinners, […]
At the end of chapter 11, Samuel summoned Israel to Gilgal to “renew the kingdom” (v. 14). Here, at the transition from the last of Israel’s judges to the first of their kings, Samuel will call them all to a renewed allegiance to Israel’s true and everlasting King. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us […]
