God has a plan, and He uses PEOPLE to complete His purposes. He has a mission for us, and if Jesus is our MASTER, we have to do as He says! We will learn today that Saul did not follow exactly what God had told him to do. Pastor Eric will teach that selfishness produces disobedience, which gives birth to consequences…

Do we take credit for God’s accomplishments? As Pastor Eric shares in his message, it is easy in good times to feel like we are accomplishing so much. We must be careful though to realize that nothing is successful without God at the forefront much like Jonathan did when he stepped out in faith to defeat the Philistines.

Do we sit waiting for God’s promises to come to us, or are we actively seeking after Him? Pastor Eric shares in his message how Jonathan took actions to fight the Philistines while his father Saul sat waiting. Much like Jonathan’s example, our recipe for success comes from stepping out in boldness.

We live in an impatient society. As Pastor Eric shares in his message, this causes us to struggle with the concept of waiting on the Lord. In the Bible, Saul’s impatience leads to his eventual sin. We can learn from this example in our lives by striving to wait on the direction and wisdom of the Lord.

Why does it feel like the closer we move towards God, the harder the enemy attacks? Pastor Eric shares in his message that being a threat to the enemy means we are taking action for the Lord. Much like Jonathan fought against the Philistines, we are called to be bold in our beliefs while relying on God’s power, victory, and authority.

To avoid the dangers of battle and confrontation, we often try to compromise our actions. As Pastor Eric shares in his message, the church lets the world permeate its values in order that it might look more attractive to outsiders. But letting the enemy in even slightly opens the door for him to take over completely.

What happens when we compromise the truths of God? In his message, Pastor Eric shows how our fear of the enemy can lead to compromise in our beliefs. If we choose to give in, we are buying into lies and deception planted by the enemy, when we should be standing on the promises of the Bible.

Pastor Eric shares in his message a comparison between Samuel anointing Saul as king and God anointing us through sending His son Jesus. Just as Saul was set apart for God’s purpose, we are all set apart if we choose to take Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and should therefore be challenged to live our lives as such.

Why does God place so much importance on humility? Pastor Eric speaks of this very trait in his message today while addressing the story of Saul being anointed king by Samuel. When we deny ourselves and humble ourselves before the Lord, He can do amazing, unexpected things with our life and circumstances.

The world is good at telling us lies. In fact, it is so commonplace that we may even fail to see them as lies anymore, but rather internalize them as the truth. Pastor Eric reminds us in his message that God has chosen us as his children, and He wants to shatter the failure that we feel by replacing it with love and grace.