David, part 1: David the Worshiper

We begin our series on David this week with a look at David the psalmist and worshiper. God taught His people the forms of worship through Moses and the law. He taught us how to worship from the heart through David. 

(Fair warning: there is singing in this sermon. Probably bad singing.)
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Samuel: Samuel's Final Lesson

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

—1 Samuel 16:7

When God rejected Saul as king, Samuel thought his ministry was over. He mourned for Saul, but God had one more thing for Samuel to do and one more thing to teach him. It is a profound message that changes the way we look at ourselves, each other, and God: "God does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance. God looks at the heart."

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Samuel: The Problem with Saul

King Saul had great success as Israel's first king, but despite his real experience with God and all his outward gifts, he was ultimately a source of grief for both God and his mentor Samuel. How can someone with so much success and such great gifts, especially someone who seems to have rejected idols and takes pleasing God seriously, end up as such a mess? If we look beyond the "bad guy" caricature of Saul, we see someone who is not so different from ourselves. How do we avoid being like Saul?

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Samuel: A King Like Other Nations

Samuel had been one of the great leaders in the history of God's people. Now he was getting old and threats loomed to the north and the south. The people of Israel feared for their future, so they looked for a solution that matched the strongest nations around them. They wanted a king. What could be wrong with that?
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Samuel: Prophet, Priest, Judge

I could have titled this sermon "From Ichabod to Ebenezer." What the heck does that mean? You'll have to listen to find out. (Hint: It has nothing to do with headless horsemen or "bah humbug" misers).

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Samuel: An End and a Beginning

The grace of God is amazing. Throughout the period of the Judges, the people of Israel spiraled downward to more wickedness, more unfaithfulness, and more self-destruction. They stopped crying out to God, but God intervened anyway. He put an end to this cycle and raised up a leader to guide them into a new era of blessing. That man's name was Samuel.

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Victoria Osteen is Both Right and Horribly, Horribly Wrong

Maybe you've seen this video floating around the Internet in the last week.  Victoria Osteen is the wife of Joel Osteen, the megachurch pastor whose church meets in a former NBA arena and whose services are broadcast all over the world.  Why is this clip so viral?  Let's just say it's not because everyone wants to share her message...  so how should we react?



I say Victoria Osteen is right... and she is horribly, horribly wrong.