Saul's failure to follows God's command stemmed from his falure to see that inciomplete obedience is always the same as complete disobedience.

The reality of the church as God's family not only brings comfort, but also a calling for every member to be involved in the family business: the work of ministry.

Paul's 'purpose statement' in I Timothy should link us to what God says about the church as a family in the rest of this letter, and also throughout the rest of Scripture.

Many might write Saul off as an historical reject, but his kingly failures are a critical reminder for us about our condition because of sin.

Psalm 5 is a wonderful reminder of how we can have confidence in God through Jesus Christ.

In contrast to Saul's fears and doubts, his son Jonathan exemplfies for us an incredible faith in both God's great power and God's good pleasure.

Saul's foolish act in I Samuel 13 reminds us that there is never a good reason not to obey the word of God.

The Apostle John desires that his readers have assurance or certainty of their salvation and fellowship with Christ.

John calls his readers to a life of obedience and warns about how sin hurts our fellowship with God.

One of John's reasons for writing his first letter was so that his readers joy, along with his, might be made complete because of their fellowship with God and one another.*