Lessons for Living (Audio)

If you’re a parent there were probably times when the thought crossed your mind, “I wish these kids would just OBEY!” Disobedient children can be such a vexation! If you’ve thought that, you may have wondered why God didn’t do that with us – it would’ve made things much easier for Him. No rebellion, no need for Jesus to come and do what He did. As Pastor Mark will be teaching, though, God didn’t want to be loved by people who were programmed to love Him – He wanted them to choose to love Him. Because of that ability to choose, they could (and did) choose to hate Him as well.

One of the hardest things to do after repenting and getting right with God is to move forward. Your conscience may be still yelling at you, you’re still feeling guilty for what you did, and the devil is trying to tell you that God won’t really forgive you. It’s possible that David had to deal with all of these feelings as well as Satan’s accusations, too. But Pastor Mark will be teaching that David was able to put his misdeeds behind him, turn back to God, and begin to move forward with his life. The key seems that he actively sought God’s will for his life, submitting himself again to God’s guidance.

It’s staggering to consider that of all of the billions of people that have ever existed that there has never been anyone like you. Even identical twins – from the exact same DNA – are unique in their personalities and their essence. This is the way that God intended it, and He has given you unique skills and proclivities to honor and serve Him in a unique manner. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the ways that God prepared David for the role of king and leader of Israel, and will illustrate and remind you of the parallels that exist for you in your own life. God has a purpose and plan for you.

In the world, particularly in the realm of politics, there is this idea of pragmatism: whatever it takes to win, do it – just don’t get caught. Certainly in David’s life there were those of that mindset. When David had a chance to kill Saul, more than a few of his men offered to do the deed themselves. David, though, understood that it was God who placed men in power and brought them down. Pastor Mark will be teaching about how by David allowing God to execute His judgment this put David in a better light with his countrymen as well as insuring that his reign wouldn’t be tainted by his having taken the throne by force.

Sometimes doing your own thing seems to work out pretty well, doesn’t it? People can go for years living by their own decisions and seeming to have great success. The problem, though, is that at some point there will be a reckoning; either on this earth or at God’s throne. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the culmination of David’s year and a half of being outside of God’s plan, and how David came back to God. You’ll learn that once David got right with God, he was better able to handle the events of life. Returning to following God’s will for his life was the best thing David could have done.

The problem with a lot of the church today is that too many people want to treat the Bible as a buffet. They want to pick and choose which parts to follow, and either ignore or downplay the parts that are uncomfortable for them. Worse yet, some churches ignore the entire Bible altogether, with the pastor basically telling stories that sound morally or socially correct but which have no biblical backing. Pastor Mark will be teaching about Saul’s failure to follow biblical principles and how that led to his downfall, and will be warning you against making the same mistake in your life.

The story of Saul is truly a tragic one – more so since what happened to him was completely preventable. His decisions to go against what God had told him to do, his thinking that he was “too big to fail” doomed him in the end. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the need for people to search their own lives, to be sure that they’re right with God and, to the best of their ability, following His plan for their lives. Maybe your life won’t end as tragically as Saul’s did – hopefully not! – but you do want to be sure that your life’s legacy is more positive and God-honoring than his was.

The lives of David and Saul provide an interesting contrast. Both men had been anointed, chosen by God to be king over Israel. They both began well; Saul had many military victories while David, although being pursued by Saul, evaded him time and again. Where they began to diverge is in their willingness – or unwillingness, in Saul’s case – to be obedient to God. Pastor Mark will be teaching the importance of listening to and obeying God. Saul, in his pride, did his own thing while claiming God’s blessing while David, for the most part, sought God’s leading. This resulted in his success.

Have you ever worked with someone who liked to take credit for a project they didn’t do much work on? That can be terribly frustrating. It tends to make for a bad work environment if it goes on for too long. Well, it seems that some in David’s army accused the other part of their army of this very thing. Pastor Mark will be teaching about David’s having returned to acknowledging God’s providential working in his life and the lives of his men. David will point out the truth of the matter – that God provides everything – and as a result will extend grace to those who may not seem to deserve it.

Have you ever turned your back on God’s plan for your life? Oh, I don’t mean that you turned away completely from God; you just quit listening to His instruction and direction for your life. David did that; for almost a year and a half he lived his life and led men without asking God what he should do. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the disaster this was for David and the tragedy that resulted from David’s rebellion. You’ll also hear about the grace and forgiveness of God that was then showered on David and his men. Remember: no matter where you are, God is waiting for you to turn back to Him.