In 1 Samuel 13:16-14:23 God gives deliverance to His people through Jonathan.  Jonathan believed in God, and his trust is seen in the fact that he states God can save by many or by few.  It is such faith that is needed today.

In Matthew 15:21-28 Christ heals a Canaanite woman’s daughter.  Before the healing happens Christ implicitly calls her a dog, since she is a Canaanite.  Rather than taking offense, she continues to plead with Christ for healing.  Her humble faith amazes Christ and is a model for us today.

In 1 Samuel 13:1-15 Saul’s reign begins to unravel. He fights against the Philistines and appears to have some success, but once things appear dire, he disobeys God causing Samuel to tell him that he will lose the Kingdom. True service to God, even when things are difficult, entails obedience.

In Matthew 15:1-20, Christ not only affirms the supremacy of the Word of God over tradition, but also highlights the danger of traditions that nullify the Word of God.  The tradition of the Pharisees focused on externals, whereas the Word of God focuses on the heart.  Very often traditions that contradict the Bible give people a false hope on the basis of external conformity to manmade laws rather than the purification of the heart in the gospel.

In 1 Samuel 12:1-25 Samuel gives a final exhortation to the people highlighting the sinfulness of their request for a king once again.  Judgment, however, is not the final word.  Samuel affirms that God will be with His people if they are faithful to Him.  Ultimately, both the people and the king need God and must be faithful to Him.

The session of New Covenant OPC has called for a quarterly fast to beseech God to pour out the Spirit that the Church might be built.  In fasting Joel tells us to “rend our hearts” not our garments.  Fasting ought to be done to humble oneself before God that we might cry out to him for help in our need.  Given the state of the church and the proliferation of great sins in our country, it is not going to far to say that we are in great need.

Guest sermon from Pastor Wayne Forkner.

Ben Walters reads a sermon from J. C. Ryle.

In 1 Samuel 11:1-15 Saul fights against the Nahash, the Ammonite, and defeats them.  His victory foreshadows Christ’s crushing the head of the serpent.  Though Saul’s reign will be a disaster, God shows that He is able to use Him to His own righteous and good ends.

In Matthew 15:1-20, Christ not only affirms the supremacy of the Word of God over tradition, but also highlights the danger of traditions that nullify the Word of God.  The tradition of the Pharisees focused on externals, whereas the Word of God focuses on the heart.  Very often traditions that contradict the Bible give people a false hope on the basis of external conformity to manmade laws rather than the purification of the heart in the gospel.