With King David on his death bed, the royal family knows that the time to transfer power is drawing near. David’s oldest son, Adonijah, gains support for himself from well-known leaders like Joab and Abiathar, calling Judah together for a feast to celebrate his bid for kingship. Nathan the prophet catches word, and teams up with Bathsheba to alert the king. Later, the Lord appears to King Solomon in a dream, and instead of asking for wealth or long life, he asks the Lord for wisdom to lead God’s people. This pleases the Lord, who promises blessing upon Solomon’s reign.

1 Kings 1 - 1:15 . 

1 Kings 2 - 12:49 . 

1 Kings 3 - 23:28 . 

Psalm 87 - 29:00 . 

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Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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Paul catches word from fellow workers in the Gospel that the church at Colossae is wrestling with some false teaching that had entered their church. While the heresy is not fully identified, we gather that it had an inferior view of Christ, involved worship of angels and asceticism, and promoted man-made traditions. Paul directs their hearts and minds to give glory to Christ and to seek the things that are above, where Christ is. He is Lord over all Creation, and therefore, no elemental, created thing could be as glorious or as powerful as Him.

Colossians 1 - 1:11 . 

Colossians 2 - 5:49 . 

Colossians 3 - 10:47 . 

Colossians 4 - 14:39 . 

Psalm 85 - 17:45 . 

Psalm 86 - 19:22 . 

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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Now that the account of King David has essentially come to a close, the author recording the account looks back on David’s life to record some of the events that happened during David’s lifetime that were not included in the chronological story line. These accounts include the execution of members of Saul’s family, battles against the giant descendants of Goliath, a song of David, the exploits of David’s best warriors, and the census that David ordered to survey his kingdom. While imperfect, David is sensitive to his sin to the end, seeking repentance when he realizes his error.

2 Samuel 21 – 1:14 . 

2 Samuel 22 – 7:16 . 

2 Samuel 23 – 13:53 . 

2 Samuel 24 – 21:18 . 

Psalm 84 – 27:15 . 

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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On our last episode we followed the trajectory of David’s son Absalom, a handsome young man who had won the hearts of Israel by deception, telling those who came to King David that the king had no time for them. Absalom devises a coup to overthrow David, but his father catches wind of his plot and flees before he arrives. Today, David’s men prepare for battle and meet the forces of Absalom’s Israelite troops. The forest itself claims more lives than the sword, and Absalom meets his end at the hands of Joab. Later, David is restored as king, but not without personal turmoil.

2 Samuel 18 - 1:16 . 

2 Samuel 19 - 9:41 . 

2 Samuel 20 - 19:59 . 

Psalm 83 - 25:38 . 

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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After killing his brother at a family dinner, Absalom fled to another country, and was only brought back after Joab convinced David to do so by way of a theatric analogy. Today, Absalom begins a plan to win the hearts of the people and turn Israel against his father, the king. Learning of this impending insurrection, David flees Jerusalem with all of his people, save a handle of men who serve as spies. Nathan prophesied that the Lord would bring disaster on David from his own family, and that another man would sleep with his wives before Israel in broad daylight. David’s own son, Absalom, is that man. 

2 Samuel 15 - 1:12 . 

2 Samuel 16 - 9:44 . 

2 Samuel 17 - 15:01 . 

Psalm 81 - 21:26 . 

Psalm 82 - 23:30 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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When we last left King David, he had slept with another man’s wife, and when it came to light that she was pregnant, he designed a conspiracy to kill Uriah in order to cover up his own adultery. Today Nathan comes to David with a word from the Lord. Because of his sin, the Lord says that he will take David’s wives and give them to another before all of Israel, and by the end of our next reading, that prophecy comes true. David’s sons begin to perpetuate their father’s wickedness, as Amnon lusts after Tamar, his own half-sister. When David discovers that Tamar has been raped by Amnon, he is furious, but does nothing to intervene.

2 Samuel 12 - 1:17 . 

2 Samuel 13 - 9:01 . 

2 Samuel 14 - 18:10 . 

Psalm 80 - 25:49 . 

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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Throughout the Old Testament, we meet men of varying backgrounds who set out to obey the Lord and deliver God’s people. Time and again, God’s people rejoice and revel in their hero, but inevitably, these men fall and are shown to be sinful. There is none righteous, no not one. David is no exception, and his lust for another man’s wife begets more and more sin. Luxury and boredom turn into lust, which turns to an abuse of power, then adultery, then deception, then second-hand murder. Though he tries to hide his sin by sinning further, the Lord will not allow the sin of Israel’s king to go unpunished.

2 Samuel 9 - 1:12 . 

2 Samuel 10 - 4:06 . 

2 Samuel 11 - 9:26 . 

Psalm 79 - 15:17 . 

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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Now that David has been recognized as king, it’s time for him to begin to establish his kingdom. David consults the Lord before he goes into battle, and prioritizes the worship of the Lord as a matter of great importance. With much fanfare, he moves the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, and worships in a very un-regal fashion. King David expresses his desire to make a house of worship for the Lord, rather than a tent. God, who has never needed a house, says that rather He will build a David’s house, establishing the kingdom of the Son of David forever.

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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After Saul’s death, an Amalekite man comes to David claiming that he is the one who killed Saul, thinking he will be rewarded for his deed since Saul pursued David for so long. To say that David is displeased with this report, however, is an understatement. After a period of mourning for the house of Saul, David is anointed king in Judah, but Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, has other plans. He crowns Saul’s son Ish-bosheth as king, accumulates power for himself, and fights against David’s soldiers. Eventually, Abner concedes, but not without gaining a few enemies within David’s camp.

2 Samuel 1 - 1:08 . 

2 Samuel 2 - 6:08 . 

2 Samuel 3 - 13:37 . 

2 Samuel 4 - 22:53 . 

Psalm 77 - 26:00 . 

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi is full of love and instruction for the Lord’s church. He rejoices that the gospel is moving forward even while he is in prison, and encourages the church to endure suffering, to be united in love, and to serve one another sacrificially, looking to the King of Kings who humbled Himself even to death on a cross. Our boast is no longer in the flesh, but in the cross of Christ. Paul had much to boast about before surrendering to Christ but he says he now counts at all as loss in comparison to knowing Christ. Knowing that the Lord is near, we should be anxious for nothing, opting instead to pray and to consider the goodness of God.

Philippians 1 - 1:11 . 

Philippians 2 - 5:42 . 

Philippians 3 - 11:08 . 

Philippians 4 - 14:57 . 

Proverbs 31 - 19:01 . 

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Bible

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