The Audacity of Praise

In this sermon Jim Newheiser examines Hannah’s prayer to God recorded in I Samuel 2:1-10.

A Thief in Heaven

Luke 23:39-43 - One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

From Barrenness and Sorrow to Fruitfulness and Worship

I Samuel begins with the story of Hannah – a barren woman whose husband apparently took on a second wife so that an heir could be produced. In her misery she cries out to God who hears and answers in a glorious way.

But I Samuel 1 is not merely Hannah’s story. It is the story of Israel in the days of the Judges – barren and fruitless, divided, oppressed by the Philistines. Hannah’s son does not merely deliver her from her predicament. More importantly, Samuel is the prophet and kingmaker who will anoint the great king who will lead Israel to her greatest earthly glory. The deliverance which begins with Hannah’s story points to a greater deliverance which would take place over 1000 years later - when a prophet who resembles Samuel would point us to the Son of David who will reign forever.

Spiritual Warfare

In this sermon John Crotts, pastor of Faith Bible Church in Atlanta, examines what the New Testament teaches us about spiritual warfare.

Introduction to I Samuel

Today we begin a series of Expository messages from I Samuel. A great theme of I Samuel is the need of Israel to find the right leader. As our nation is also seeking to choose a leader we will consider the parallels and the contrasts between our situation and theirs.

Our text for this morning is Genesis 1 - Malachi 4 as we do a survey of the Old Testament which will show where I Samuel fits into the history of God’s people.

Consecrated to God

This week I am diverting from our studies in 2 Samuel and will be expounding Romans 12:1-2.

I plan, on certain Sundays over the next few months, to preach through Romans 12 with a special emphasis on our love and devotion for one another in the body of Christ.

Because our love for one another springs from our devotion to the Lord, Paul starts Romans 12 by exhorting us to be living sacrifices who are not to be conformed to the world.

Of course the foundation of our devotion to the Lord is the sovereign mercy which He has shown us in Christ — which was the subject of the first 11 chapters of Romans and forms the basis of Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:1.

Portrait of a Godless Culture: An Appeal to Repent of Sinful Boasting

We will be doing a fairly rapid overview of the first nine chapters and then drawing some application from near the end of chapter nine, where Jeremiah writes, “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” (9:23-24).

Jeremiah’s theme leading to these texts is that of judgment: A judgment precipitated by the sinful lifestyle and arrogant living of the kingdom of Judah. The modern day parallels to our own day are truly amazing: Truly there is “nothing new under the sun.”