The legacy and life of Israel's first king is a tragedy. While he did good things, he is a sharp contrast to men like David because of his unwillingness to own up to his mistakes and seek restoration from God. He is a fine example of what not to do if you are called to be a godly politician.

1. The people who deserve power don't want it.

2. The difference between Saul and David was their desire for a relationship with God.

3. We are all Mephibosheth in the house of Jesus.

Paul provides a contrast between the believers in Corinth and those who don't know God. In a conversation where they were choosing to make the world the standard for how they treated and saw each other, Paul brings their attention back to Who Jesus is and what He's done that sets them apart from the world at all. The answer isn't that they are morally superior, but are called to be influenced by something better than the things they have always known.

1. Who you choose to follow means you are going where they are headed.

2. The only difference between believers and non is what they have done with Jesus' offer of mercy.

3. It is never too late to change your choice of who or what is influencing you.

John's introduction to Revelation is based on the same format and genre of Old Testament books of prophecy. Alongside the fact it sets the tone with heavy emphasis on the Old Testament, it makes the focus of the book what inspired its title. It is intending to Reveal or Make Clear the Person of Jesus.

1. John formats Revelation exactly like Old Testament books of Prophecy.

2. The focus of Revelation is making clear the person of Jesus Christ.

3. John wrote Revelation historically after the Temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed.

As Moses and the Hebrew nation face adversity by the army of Amalek, Moses and His Assistants intercede on behalf of Joshua and the army of Israel that is in the battle! Through this short event recorded in the book of Exodus we see many practical guidelines to good, Biblical living and leadership.

The family of Levi is a history of people who you'd think were the least qualified to be the tribe of priests. Yet it is for that very reason God used them the most. People like Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Asaph, Heman, and more weren't used by God because they were perfect or qualified. They were used by God for the same reason and in the same way we are today. We are objects of God's mercy and able to share that grace with others as a result.

1. People who are used by God are almost always the people least qualified for it.

2. Jesus is the example we're called to follow when representing God to man.

3. A person who is useful to God is one who is simply available and sharing from the overflow of God's own work in their life.

Paul addresses another scandal in the church that was more severe than the previous one. They were living and treating each other as if God wasn't real. How they demonstrated this was by suing each other like pagans instead of trusting God and fellow believers to be any legitimate defense or answer to their squabbles. He puts it all into perspective by reminding them that their future will involve more responsibilities than our minds can fully comprehend. We might as well start being responsible and mature will the small things we're given the chance to deal with now.

1. Christians who act as if there is no God outside of church are just as atheistic as people who claim to be atheists.

2. Our calling to model God's heart today is preparation for our calling to do the same in the future.

3. There is no poorer witness of the Gospel than when we show non-believers that Jesus makes no difference in our lives.

The conclusion of Paul's letter to Colossi describes what an authentic Christian looks like. He lists names and testimonies of people who modeled it. He talked about how individuals can model it in any culture they find themselves in. And he authenticated his own letter with the same desire for people to recognize the true from the false.

1. Christian writings were teaching the same things in their early writings as the later ones.

2. God remembers the names of those who serve Him and how.

3. Paul followed the standard of the Old Testament prophets to verify his words.

Paul directly instructs the church of Corinth to exercise church discipline towards a member living in sin. He gives illustrations through the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He gives qualifiers to understand why Christians are held to a higher standard than non. And he even provides a follow up later regarding the goal being restoration.

1. Sin impacts your life as much as the lives of those around you.

2. People who don't have a relationship with God shouldn't be expected to act like they do.

3. The goal of correction should always be restoration.

The names and testimonies of David, Caleb, Zerubbabel, and Jabez are singled out by Ezra in order to remind Israel of the kinds of people God used in history. They were the minority, but God used a shepherd to kill a giant. They felt cursed, but God restored cursed families before. They didn't know how to pray, but their ancestors did.

1. The lives of David and Elijah prove God always works most through a faithful minority.

2. The curse of Jeconiah proved that God doesn't hold grudges since Zerubbabel broke that chain.

3. Jabez proved that God can bless a life that chooses Him regardless of having everything else against them.

Paul addresses a serious issue of sexual immorality taking place in the church and their proud attitudes in response to it. He reminds them of the reality of sin and the heart of God even in the midst of discipline and correction.

1. The idea that tolerating sin is Christ-like comes from pride.

2. The proper reaction to a fellow Christian falling into sin is grief.

3. God's goal in discipline is restoration.