The Christmas story as told in the Bible is true.  And the best way to help people with Christmas and with life is to read the Bible with them.  This week we see from Luke 1:1-25 that Christmas is a message of God reversing the lives of people.

You either follow God’s King or you don’t.  Following God’s King does not mean no pain.  This week we see from 1 Samuel 27-31 that we should follow God’s faithful King if you seek forgiveness of sins and the comfort of the Lord in times of trouble.

Things aren’t always what they appear. Sometimes God is working in ways that we can’t see. This week we see from 1 Samuel 16 that we see the outward appearances, but God sees the heart and his faithful plans for his people.

How can the fall of an ancient Israelite king expose the darkness of our own hearts, show us what it looks like to really repent and point us to Jesus, the better king? This week we see from the Story of Saul in 1 Samuel 15 how because we and our leaders deserve God’s judgment for our failure to obey his commands, we need a better king.

We can’t always see what’s going on behind the scenes. When things seem out of control, God is still faithful to his promises and still working to save his people. This week we see from the Story of Saul in 1 Samuel 9-12 how even though we reject God’s rule, He is faithful to his promises and works to save his people for His name’s sake.

Would you trade in a brand new Ferrari for a beat up old Corolla? No way! But sometimes, we don’t realise how good we’ve got it and we trade what is good for something worse. But the ultimate tragedy is that we all do this with God. This week we hear from 1 Samuel 8 how rejecting God’s rule always leads to slavery, suffering and loss, but coming under the good rule of God’s king means life.

Do we treat God like a cosmic vending machine, existing to satisfy our desires, instead of the mighty creator of the universe? Ancient Israel did, and look where it got them… This week we see from 1 Samuel 4:1-7:13 how the Lord is mighty in judgment against those who treat Him lightly, but mighty to save those who call on Him.

Why is it so important to listen closely to the Lord and hear what He says? This week we see from 1 Samuel 2:12-3:21 how God brings down the wicked who refuse to hear him but raises up his prophet, pointing us to the Lord Jesus and calling us to hear Him.

Paul acknowledges many people who are committed to Gospel work and service.  They are from different nations, male and female, rich and poor, slaves and free.  These folk are ‘in Christ’ and hold to the unity of the Gospel teaching.