It does not take long for the story of Saul as the first king of Israel to turn dark and gloomy. 1 Samuel 15 is the announcement that the gloom will not lift; the gloom is the future. 1 Samuel 15 is a tricky, sad chapter of the Old Testament that shows God as the supreme Judge who is within his rights to bring judgment. How can there be any good news in 1 Samuel 15?

Samuel has concluded his role as Israel's leader in 1 Samuel 12. In the two chapters that follow, we get a comparison of the new king and his son. Things seem to be lined up to go the way of the ominous warning given by Samuel. How does Saul fail the test that his son passes?

Do you have a hard time remembering God’s promises and nature in times of struggle and doubt? If so you are not alone, the nation of Israel were a forgetful people too. The good news is we serve a God who does not forget and is faithful to his faithless people. Samuel reminds us of the God we serve as we continue our series, The Search for a Better King.

Israel demands a king, so God lets them have their king. Where do they find their valiant hero? Faithfully, almost obsessively, tending his herd of donkeys. And he's not sure he wants to switch jobs.

1 Samuel 8 stands in contrast to the victory we saw in 1 Samuel 7. Many years after their victory, Israel turned to a much older Samuel to ask for a king. God laid out parameters for a king for Israel in the book of Deuteronomy. So why is this request not greeted warmly? What's the bad news in Israel's request?

In this next week of our series on 1 & 2 Samuel, Israel sees God thunder on their behalf. Samuel judges and Israel sees victory after their previous catastrophic defeats. Join us we move on in this story of Israel’s search for a king.

Warfare and worship are wrapped up together in the Old Testament. One has to do with the other. Our next installment of our series in 1 Samuel is all about misguided warfare and worship. Death and glory. How do the two meet?

In the second week of our series on 1 & 2 Samuel, we get to know a little bit more about Samuel himself. What happens when something "goes bump in the night," but that "something" is actually "Someone" and the "bump" is a Voice calling a name?

Fourth and final Sunday of Advent. Israel was looking for a king to come and liberate them and rule justly. We will look this Sunday at a big reason why they were looking for such a king... and why we should too.

Week Three of Advent! What can we look forward to but the Hope of the nations? What does Jesus come to do? The freeing of prisoners, the healing of the wounded, the consolation of the mourning. Join us as we look to His coming!