We humans tend to be very outward focused. Think about how our culture is fixated on outward appearance. There is so much emphasis on having good skin, toned muscles, a certain Body Mass Index, dieting, working out. No doubt some of that is also beneficial for good health and quality of life. But we can worshipContinue reading “God’s view of outward appearance is like Dove Soap – 1st Samuel 16, Part 2”
Tag Archives: 1st samuel
Samuel’s secret prophetic mission – 1st Samuel 16, Part 1
We’ve had seven weeks in this series on the Life of David, studying the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel, and I’m guessing you’ve noticed that we haven’t met David yet. We’ve had to set the historical context learning about the prophet Samuel, who anointed Israel’s first king, Saul. We then watched as Saul repeatedlyContinue reading “Samuel’s secret prophetic mission – 1st Samuel 16, Part 1”
God doesn’t really want us to go to church services – 1st Samuel 15, Part 5
I recently heard the story of a man is a follower of Jesus, but he allowed his life to go down a pathway that was not in line with the heart of God. This guy started drinking heavily. And it showed. You could drive by his house and over time you could see just fromContinue reading “God doesn’t really want us to go to church services – 1st Samuel 15, Part 5”
What is true repentance? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 4
In the darkening events of 1st Samuel 15, Israel’s King Saul did not obey God, and now God declares that Saul is rejected as king. That gets Saul’s attention. In verse 24, Saul says to the prophet Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the menContinue reading “What is true repentance? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 4”
Is God concerned about how many people show up at worship services? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 3
King Saul is caught. He disobeyed God. But does he realize what he did? God asked Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites, but instead, Saul took the Amalekite king as a prisoner of war, and Saul allowed his men to keep a bunch of the Amalekite’s livestock. As we learned in the previous post, GodContinue reading “Is God concerned about how many people show up at worship services? – 1st Samuel 15, Part 3”
I’m glad that God can feel regret – 1st Samuel 15, Part 2
As we learned in the previous post, in 1st Samuel 15 God commanded Israel’s King Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites. Does King Saul decimate the Amalekites? Yes…and no. In verses 4-9, Saul and the army attack and destroy the Amalekites, but with a couple notable exceptions. They allow the Amalekite king, Agag, to live,Continue reading “I’m glad that God can feel regret – 1st Samuel 15, Part 2”
The deception of worship services (and a bonus topic: Does God command genocide???) – 1st Samuel 15, Part 1
Did Jesus ask us to hold worship services? Did he ask us to build church buildings? Did he want us to have pews? Did Jesus teach us to gather here on Sundays for singing and sermons? In the book Jim & Casper Go To Church, Jim is an evangelical Christian and Casper is Matt Casper,Continue reading “The deception of worship services (and a bonus topic: Does God command genocide???) – 1st Samuel 15, Part 1”
Should we just skip difficult chapters of the Bible? – 1st Samuel 15, Preview
Every now and then in our study through books of the Bible we come to sections that feel strange or even if off-putting. For example, a couple years ago I blogged through Ezekiel. I called Ezekiel “The SNL Prophet” because he did so many skits (like the TV show Saturday Night Live), and some Ezekiel’sContinue reading “Should we just skip difficult chapters of the Bible? – 1st Samuel 15, Preview”
How to have a heart like God’s heart – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 5
Saul, through a priest, has beseeched the Lord for his blessing on attacking the fleeing Philistines. God, however, is not answering. How will Saul respond to God’s silence? Will he be impatient again, unable to wait on the Lord? Actually, no. We read in 1st Samuel 14, verse 38, Saul believes that God’s silence isContinue reading “How to have a heart like God’s heart – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 5”
A person with a heart after God’s heart is willing to step out of their comfort zone – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 3
The Philistines have Israel outmanned and outgunned. In the previous two posts here and here, we read in 1st Samuel 13 that a battle is brewing and it is shaping up to be a slaughter. That brings us to 1st Samuel chapter 14. We read in verse 1, “One day Jonathan son of Saul saidContinue reading “A person with a heart after God’s heart is willing to step out of their comfort zone – 1st Samuel 13 & 14, Part 3”
Engaging Scripture 