1 Corinthians

Passage: 1 Samuel 26

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 26.

As David learned what it meant for the Lord to sustain him and protect him in the wilderness as His anointed King, we also are able to learn of the Lord’s character and nature. It teaches us what trusting in God looks like when faced with exile, threats, and suffering. Chapter 26 shows us how we can depend on and trust in the Lord in the midst of suffering. So, I want us to see 4 attributes of a person who is trusting in the Lord in the midst of suffering and hardship.

See through the false security of man’s defenses (1-7)

Rest in the unfailing safety of God’s protection (8-16)

Prioritize the kingdom of God (17-20)

Trust in God and not man (21-25)

Passage: 1 Samuel 25

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 25. We know the enemy David faces in this chapter well. We face the same enemy every day. But, here’s the really good news from this chapter. God is no less able to defeat this enemy than the 9-foot Philistine standing across the valley mocking the armies of the living God. God will also fight for us and with us against this enemy, just as he does for David in chapter 25. I want us to see that the Lord is able to protect us from the enemy of sin and temptation.

So, this chapter gives us three helpful guidelines to trust in the Lord’s help as we battle against sin. The Lord wants us to:

Recognize the sinful temptation to be like God (1-13)

Accept faithful rebuke as a gift from the Lord (14-35)

Trust the Lord’s justice (36-39)

Passage: 1 Samuel 24

Join us as one of our elders, Chris Shreve, teaches on 1 Samuel 24. In chapter 24 we learn that the sovereign hand of God is evident in the small and the big things. Being outside the will of God by compromising or taking shortcuts never works out for the better. No earthly King could ever rule better than the King of Kings so we would do well to be people after God’s own heart as David was.

So, let’s look at chapter 24 and see how it teaches us the surprising sovereign hand of God:

Seek God’s ways, not man’s ways (4-7)

God is the ultimate judge (8-15)

True repentance leads to reconciliation (16-22)

Passage: 1 Samuel 23

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 23. In this passage, we will learn how God is able to provide in the wilderness of weakness and suffering. Lord willing, we can learn as much as possible apart from our own suffering through David’s hardship. And, at the same time, I pray this chapter prepares us to see the hand of the Lord at work in our own lives when we face hardship and suffering.  There are 4 truths about God that David is able to learn in chapter 23 while in the wilderness of weakness and suffering:

God can save through weakness (1-5)

God can rescue in spite of difficult circumstances (6-14)

God can encourage through faithful friends (15-18)

God can deliver by his sovereignty over the nations (19-29)

Passage: 1 Samuel 22

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 22. As we enter chapter 22 the strange path of God’s providence continues on. We will continue to see God working in unexpected and surprising ways. Yet, we need this reminder and example from the Word to show us that God is faithful even when we may not be able to fully understand what he’s accomplishing in that moment.

As we walk through this passage and see the surprising ways that God is at work, we will also be reminded that his sovereign hand underpins all of it. He is the one orchestrating history to bring his purposes to pass. Even when it looks like he might be losing with his king fleeing to a cave - he has everyone exactly where he wants them.

So, let’s look at chapter 22 and see how it teaches us the surprising providence of our Sovereign God.

Safety found in strange places (1-5)

God’s sovereignty seen in wicked spaces (6-19)

Salvation obtained in the promised person (20-23)

Passage: 1 Samuel 21

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 21. We will see that God sovereignly provides for and protects David in the midst of his foolish acts of desperation. Of course, that is no less true for us as followers of Jesus. God sovereignly provides for and protects us in the midst of our foolish acts of desperation. He’s kind, patient, and merciful, and longsuffering with us as we stumble through this life.

As with David, we make all kinds of mistakes along the way, yet he’s faithfully walking with us every step of the way, providing for us and protecting us.

God provides in the midst of foolishness. (1-7)

God protects in the midst of desperation. (8-15)

Passage: 1 Samuel 20

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 20. In this passage, we learn what covenant relationships that consist of a common commitment to the kingdom of God should look like. We also see how God uses those relationships for the good of his people and the glory of his name.

Therefore, it’s important that we see the 4 characteristics of kingdom-minded covenant relationships that chapter 20 reveals in the lives of Jonathan and David. Kingdom-minded covenant relationships are:

Defined by God’s standards (8-11)

Defined by kingdom-minded loyalty (13-17)

Defined by humility (30-34)

Defined by affection and peace (41-42)

Passage: 1 Samuel 19

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 19.

One of the great purposes of Scripture is to help us see how God operates in the world. It equips us to be aware of all the different ways that God is at work around us to keep his promises and work for our good and his glory. We will see in David’s story that God often rescued David both through the ordinary and extraordinary. So, as we read of God’s faithfulness to David and how he rescued him time and again, we’re being told: “Keep your head up and be on the lookout for God’s sovereign faithful hand of providence in your life.”

In this passage, Saul makes 4 attempts on David’s life and God rescues David in 4 different ways. So, let’s look at how God rescues David and be reminded of all the different ways God is at work for our good. God rescues through:

Faithful friends (1-7)

Sovereignty over the physical world (8-10)

Careful Planning (11-17)

Direct Supernatural Intervention (18-24)

Passage: 1 Samuel 18:17-30

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 18:17-30.

1 Samuel 18 shows us that as Saul gets more enraged, more creative, and more determined to take out David, we find the sovereignty of God to be more powerful, more dependable, and more protective. In other words, the story of David is a demonstration of God’s unshakable commitment to his promises, no matter how determined his enemies may be.

So, as we work through 1 Samuel 18:17-30 and see God’s sovereign hand protecting David against Saul’s wickedness, we will also be reminded that the Lord provides the same sovereign protection over his people today. Therefore, there are two truths we need to see in this passage:

The determined wicked efforts of God’s enemy. (17-25)

The sovereign protection of God over his chosen one. (26-30)

Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-16

Join us as our lead pastor, Jonathan Brooks, teaches on 1 Samuel 18:1-16. In this passage, the presence of David as the anointed one, reveals the heart of Jonathan and Saul. It seems that the author’s intention is to continue to show us Saul’s disqualification as King and David’s worthiness. But, he does this by showing us how people respond to David’s success.

As we see the contrasting responses of Saul and Jonathan it also forces an important question on us: When something occurs that is good for the kingdom of God, but may not feel like it’s good for you, how do you respond? We will see how Jonathan and Saul responded to this question in verses 1-16. In these verses, we see 3 responses to David, one from Jonathan and two from Saul:

Humble Adoration (1-5)

Prideful Rejection (6-11)

Fearful Separation. (12-16)