In this week’s message from 1 Samuel 11, we see how God rescues His people in their moment of desperate need. When the Ammonite king Nahash besieges Jabesh Gilead and threatens humiliation and destruction, the people realize they cannot save themselves. In response, God raises up Saul, empowering him by His Spirit to unite Israel and deliver the city from its enemy.

Through this story we see that the victory ultimately belongs to the Lord. God not only rescues His people but also restores unity among them and calls His leaders to act with courage and humility. Saul’s early faithfulness reminds us that God is the one who gives victory and deserves the glory.

The passage points us to a deeper truth: like the people of Jabesh Gilead, we cannot save ourselves—but God graciously intervenes to rescue us. Believers are called to trust in God’s saving power, walk in humility, and courageously follow where He leads.

We will be looking at the call and anointing of Saul as the first king (1 Samuel 10). Through the account, we can look at how God equips His servants. We can draw inspiration that when God calls us to serve, He will anoint us and equip us. He will take care of your needs as we involve ourselves in kingdom business.

Hence we ought to see the privilege to serve God and go forth to do so.

“We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song,” wrote Augustine of Hippo. Resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of the gospel event. Without Resurrection our faith is futile. Resurrection is not only a past event, it is also a present reality.

In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul invites us to continue to encounter Christ and the power of His resurrection - a power that transforms lives, breaks the grip of sin, renews life purpose, enables us to live with perseverance in the  midst of suffering, shapes us into Christ’s likeness and gives us hope for the future.

Even though Israel sinfully demanded a king so that they could be like the nations around them, God graciously granted their request. And even though Saul was not going to be a faithful king, the way God dealt with him was full of grace (1 Samuel 9:1-27).

Come along and be amazed at the way God deals with disappointing people.

What is your response to the grace God has poured out in your life?

In 1 Samuel 8, we read about how Samuel appointed his two sons to succeed him as judges for Israel. But the Israelites demanded that Samuel instead appoint a king to be their judge as was the case with all the other nations.

That demand displeased Samuel and the Lord who considered their request a rejection of his leadership of the country. But the Lord agreed to give the Israelites what they wanted after giving them a warning.

As we make decisions as leaders of others - and as we choose others to lead us - what lessons can we learn for ourselves from Samuel, from his sons, from the people of Israel and from the Lord?

Israel longed for God—but longing alone was not enough. They had to remove their idols and return to the Lord completely.

Today our idols may not be statues of Baal, but they still compete for our hearts—success, comfort, money, reputation, control, even our screens.

This Sunday we learned (from 1 Samuel 7:2–17) how true repentance—turning away from modern idols and serving the Lord only—opens the door for God’s power and restoration.

When we return fully to the Lord, He fights for His people.

1 Samuel 6:1-7:1 is not merely a historical documentation but a divinely crafted drama that prepares us to understand and receive the person and the work of Jesus Christ with the reverence, joy, and hope that He deserves.

The Ark of the Covenant, that sacred symbol of God's dwelling among His people, foreshadows the ultimate incarnation of God in Christ, Immanuel, God with us.

The plagues, the offerings, the judgments, and the restoration all echo the grand story of redemption: humanity's sin, God's holy wrath, the need for atonement, and the path to renewed fellowship through the Mediator.

Exploring this journey will shed lights into the central realities of the Christian faith: 

• ⁠The incarnation of the Son,

• The atonement accomplished at Calvary,

• The necessity of faith and reverence in approaching God, and 

• The patient waiting that characterizes the life of the church between the ascension and the return of Christ.

In 1 Samuel 5, God refuses to be managed, positioned, or controlled. This message invites us to ask:

Where have we placed God instead of bowing before Him?

What discomfort might He be exposing rather than removing?

And are we trying to move God… or meet Him in obedience? 

Discover the freedom that comes when control ends and surrender begins.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." If not in this life, but certainly on the day of judgment we will all face the consequences of things we have done whether good or bad - or have left undone.

This Sunday, as we learned from 1 Samuel 4:2-22, we reviewed what Israel, Eli as its high priest and Eli's sons did which were displeasing to the Lord, the near term consequences they and others faced as a result, and the long term ramifications of their sins.

It is a sobering reminder and encouragement to live our lives in light of eternity.

When the world is unstable and chaotic, God remains a stable, solid rock. He is a fortress of protection and calls upon us to trust and rest in Him.

Psalm 46 encourages us to look to our God when a crisis arises. In Him, we have peace despite turmoil.