DAY TWENTY-TWO (1 Samuel 28:20 – 2 Samuel 12:10)

It dawned on me as I read 1 Samuel31:5 that if armor-bearers typically were killed if the king they bore the armor for dies in battle, then David would have died here.  Makes me wonder if, when David heard about this, he had one of those “so THAT’S why a got held up by the train” moments.  Interesting to look back and see how God has used even the negative circumstances in our lives to protect us from what was coming.

Twice – once in 2 Samuel 1:1-16 and again in 2 Samuel 14 – someone tried to impress the King with what they thought was good news and they ended up dead.  Discernment, discernment, discernment.  Something I need more of.

God is pretty creative.  2 Samuel 5:24 reveals another pretty strange sign of victory: the sound of marching in the tops of the trees.

DAY TWENTY-ONE (1 Samuel 16 – 1 Samuel 28:19)

The common denominator in all of David’s battles?  The Lord and David’s trust in Him. (1 Samuel 17:37)

Jealousy is a very bad thing. (1 Samuel 18:8-9)

I always chuckle when I read 1 Samuel 20:33.  Saul tries to kill his own son with a spear and then Jonathan knew that his father really did want to kill David.  You think?

I love the fact that David and his men were committed to daily, ordinary holiness. (1 Samuel 21:5)

When jealousy turns to paranoia, trouble is ahead.  That’s the main theme of 1 Samuel 22.

I want to spend my life fighting God’s battles, not mine.  I want to know what He considers worth fighting for, and then give my life away in the fight for those things. (1 Samuel 25:28)

My thoughts on Tuesday about Sunday:

1. Am I the only one who feels the incredible move of God that is building in our church?  I think not!  I am CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGED by the stories I hear about how Jesus is meeting so many of us RIGHT WHERE WE ARE and loving us!  There is so much confidence that comes when we know that we are loved and accepted by Him.

2. This week is the week many of you need to go ahead and give up!  That’s right, GIVE UP putting off getting involved in one of our Community Groups!  We get it – there’s always the fear that you’ll be sitting there holding a cup of coffee staring awkwardly at faces you don’t know.  The reality? Once you go, you’ll find it almost impossible to resist because they are so unlike that awkward situation you’ve envisioned. I can almost guarantee you that once you join a C-Group, you’ll start liking it more than Sundays (and Sundays are PRETTY DANG GOOD!!).

3. People ask me all the time how the church is going, and I always feel like telling them that we aren’t starting a church as much as we are starting a MOVEMENT.  Not that there’s anything wrong with church, but so often people equate church with religion, while what we want is to see a movement of redemption!  Religion SETTLES; Jesus REDEEMS!  You can help keep this movement growing by simply sharing us with your friends.  In fact, make it a priority this week to go to our Facebook page and share it with your friend list.  We believe that the resources He gives to us are meant to be shared as widely as possible, and you play a big part in that.

4. Finally, I want you to do everything you can to MAKE SURE YOU GET PEOPLE TO CHURCH THIS WEEK!  I’ll be wrapping up our “new” series and know that God has a special word of hope about the future for those who feel that they have been left behind by God.  I am expecting a packed house and a full altar.  We live near God so that we can be sent to those far from Him.  BE SENT THIS WEEK and come expecting new beginnings!