We long to experience true unity but as humans we tend to divide into camps. It's only when we humbly follow God's anointed King that we can experience unity even in the midst of differing perspectives and opinions.

How could David mourn the death of a man that had caused so much pain and frustration in his life? The news on the third day of the sacrifice of the son of the king on a mountain allowed David to honestly mourn a man that had deeply wounded him. We discover riches in the poetic lament David offers at the opening of this book.

Our very own Dan Abbott brings a message of life in Christ from Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

Dean Gonnerman, an elder at Hollyview, shares a message of the comforting and hope filled words of the prophecy of Isaiah filled in Jesus!

Christ return is certain. He repeats 3 times in these few verses the line "behold, I am coming quickly!" The question for you is are you ready? If you are eagerly awaiting Christ's appearance are you living with a posture of preparation while you wait?

The vision changes from a city to a garden and the description of what the people of God will do in this eternal home. We will worship in response to the goodness of God. We will see his face as we are known and know our savior in deep relationship. We will reign as we enjoy the work and creative skills God has given us without the thorns and brokenness of sin!

The aim of the Christian life is not a place but a person. The angel shows John a vision of a city to help us see the picture of who we are as a people of God. We get a picture of our purity, our redeemed past, our purpose and at the center is the picture of God's presence.

We turn to the last pages of the Bible to discover the truth about our eternal home. We see what it is not. There is no more sea meaning that death, pain and sorrow are no more! We see what it is. It is a 'new' heaven, earth and Jerusalem. Not new in terms of time but new in terms of quality. We see where it is at. God comes to dwell with man, heaven comes down to earth. The vision of the destination gives us encouragement and strength not to just endure this world but to pray that "thy Kingdom come!"

As we come to the end of 1 Samuel, we are provide with the opportunity to stop and take to heart the life lessons learned from Saul and David. Sitting 'shiva' under the tree reflecting on how we ought to live.

Deception often comes from the root of fear.  We are afraid of being known, getting hurt or being rejected so we put on a disguise to deceive others. In these two chapters we consider two stories, one concerning David and the other of Saul both trying to deceive.