* vs 39 - Jesus was a divider.

* Even in His death He divided people.

* Before His cross was placed between the thieves we never knew the difference between the two.

* But the minute Jesus showed up it was obvious.

* vs 43 - the repentant man and Jesus had a conversation.

* Jesus then tells him they will meet again.

* Jesus died first.

* Then this man died.

* Can you imagine what their meeting was like?

* I imagine Jesus standing there with His arms open, “Told ya! Isn’t this place ossum?”

* That’s an eternal perspective we need to keep.

* Faith is living without scheming.

* David operated by principle, not pragmatism.

* When he had the opportunity to take matters into his own hands, he didn’t.

* Look at how David responded:

* “May the Lord judge between me and you….”

* Essentially he’s saying, “I’m not going to take matters into my own hands - I’m going to let God handle it.”

* This is so good, but especially when someone sins against us.

* We don’t wallow around in unforgiveness.

* We let God handle it and bring them to repentance.

* vs 22 - in the meantime, we keep our distance.

* You move forward with proper boundaries in place.

* Notice the staging ground for the enemy was a town that belonged to Israel.

* When the enemy controlled a part of Israel they were ready for the rest.

* At this point the giant came out and started taunting.

* It makes me think of churches today who are giving way to the licentious ways of the culture.

* It’s those places that are taunting Christians the most, threatening to silence our voices.

* Same old battle. Same old story.

* We need David’s to arise.

* Saul didn’t fully obey the Lord.

* He thought strategically instead of spiritually.

* Faith is living without scheming.

* He left Agag alive along with others he thought were “good to keep alive.”

* This put Samuel in the position to hack Agag up - vs 33.

* Samuel’s violence shows how we need to be violent with ourselves to obey the Lord.

* Now, on this foundation of Saul’s disobedience toward Agag, read:

* Esther 3:1 - Haman, the man who wanted to annihilate the Jews, was an Agagite.

* Saul’s disobedience filtered through the generations.

* The Pharisees had questioned Christ’s authority.

* Now they are questioning His responsibility.

* When it came to responsibility Jesus talks about IMAGE.

* A coin made in Caesar’s image belongs to him.

* People made in God’s image belong to Him.

* If you refuse to give back to the image-maker you would be in trouble.

* The same is true with us - it’s our job to give back our lives to God as those made in His image.

* That, according to Jesus, is our responsibility.

* In Bible days Kings rode on donkeys in peacetime.

* If the king mounted a horse he came for war.

* Christ riding on the donkey was a sign that He was king and had come in peace.

* The people were so excited they made a triumphal entrance.

* Now stop a second and consider the donkey.

* He might have felt like he finally made it to the show.

* All these people trying to make his track comfortable, worried about his feet so they lay branches down.

* “They must really love me,” he might have thought.

* But what he needed to know what that they were cheering for the Savior on his back.

* The same is true with us - we are just the donkeys who usher Jesus into the environments where God places us.

* Saul made a classic mistake as a leader that showed he was a bad leader.

* His son attacked the Philistine outpost.

* But the news alert Saul crafted was that “he” attacked it.

* The best running backs in the NFL give credit to their lineman.

* This was the beginning of Saul’s downfall.

* Up to this point Saul prophesied, stood boldly, and led the people to victory.

* Now, because he had a few victories under his belt, he started to find his identity in winning and being the best.

* He began to focus on building his own kingdom and personal brand rather than God’s.

* vs 8-11 - the result of Saul trying to build his own brand ultimately lead the people to run away from him.

* So, in order to keep them around, he ended up crossing God’s boundaries.

* He did this because he was trying to keep his platform.

* Pastors today who want to keep their congregations around and their brands in tact put themselves in a position to cross God’s boundaries in other areas because they have lost their wisdom.

* God knows our hearts and can change them as we walk in obedience to Him.

* As you’re faithful in what God has given you to do today He will give you your desires for tomorrow.

* God changed Saul’s heart - he wasn’t worried about farming or his dad’s donkeys or anything like that anymore.

* He was overcome by the plight of Israel and God’s plan for deliverance.

* The same thing happened with me and David.

* Regardless of how Saul’s life turned out, the principles we see in his early life are powerful.

* His dad had a problem and sent him to do a menial task - find the donkeys.

* Saul did it, even though he could’ve easily complained or told his dad to send someone else.

* Walking in obedience to his dad put him in the way of his destiny.

* If Saul didn’t go he would’ve missed his fateful meeting with Samuel.

* He had no clue his life would change forever, but his faithfulness to obey paved the way for God blessing his future.

* vs 10:1 - would Saul have ever imagined his trip would end this way?

* vs 10:6 - the path to transformation is found in obedience.

* You know your motive by how you respond when you get the thing you’re asking for from God (or if you don’t get it).

* Only one guy showed up to say thank you to Jesus.

* Psalms 100:4 tells us that we enter God’s presence with thanksgiving.

* God sends us bids for gratitude so we can connect with Him.

* Without a connection with God we die.

* I call it the Love Loop.

* When God (or someone) does something for you it opens up a half loop.

* If you respond in gratitude it closes the loop and connection is made.

* If you don’t there remains disconnection and the relationship will die.

* Gratitude releases oxytocin in our brains, which is the bonding chemical.

* This is the power of gratitude - without it there is no connection.