We Need a King I. A TYPICAL, yet highly IRONIC request. (v.1-5)A. It’s not UNEXPECTED. (v.3-4,8; Deut. 17:14)B. EVERYONE is DOING it. (v.5; 1 Sam. 12:12)C. But don’t MISS the
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1 Samuel: Listening to What God Says – Part 11 | 1 Samuel 4-7
Using God for our own purposes I. The STORY of one more bad DECISION. (4:1-21)A. They QUESTION, but don’t wait for an ANSWER. (v.1-4)B. A FALSE sense of SECURITY. (v.5-9)C.
Read moreJudges: NOT Following Where God Leads – Part 9 | Judges 17:1-13
Replacing the God we have Forgotten I. Unusual ACTIONS flow from mixed up MOTIVES. (v.1-13)A. Lives CENTRED around the SELF. (v.1-4; Lk 6:32-36)B. Actions MOTIVATED by FEAR. (v.2-3; Titus 2:11-13)C.
Read moreJudges: NOT Following Where God Leads – Part 8 | Judges 11:1-40
Forgetting Who (and How) God Is I. The STORY of JEPHTHAH the judge. (v.1-40)A. Mighty WARRIOR and REJECTED son. (v.1-3)B. Until he had SOMETHING to OFFER. (v.4-11)C. An ATTEMPT at
Read moreJudges: NOT Following Where God Leads – Part 7 | Judges 6-8
The Life and Times of Judge Gideon I. When Reading Judges…A. Resist the Urge to IdolizeB. Remember the Story of the Bible (Gen. 3:15)C. Review the Cycle of Sin (Judges
Read moreJudges: NOT Following Where God Leads – Part 6 | Judges 2:6-23
The Book of Judges – Cole’s Notes Version I. Judges: The LONG downward SPIRAL. (2:6-23)A. The DEATH of JOSHUA. (1:1; 2:8-9)B. The CANAANITES are not REMOVED. (1:1-2:5)C. MORE than just
Read moreJoshua: Following Where God Leads – Part 5 | Joshua 23:1-24:27
Joshua’s Last Words…and Some Other Last Words I. Reading the TEXT as we SHOULD. (Joshua 23-24)A. STRAP on your SANDALS.B. Let the GRAVITY of the MOMENT sink in. (23:1-3; 24:1)
Read moreRuth: From Bitterness to Blessed – Part 2 | Ruth 2:1-23
What to do when God seems absent I. The THREE main CHARACTERS. (1:20-2:23)A. Naomi: Feeling BITTER and AFFLICTED. (1:20-21)B. Ruth: Showing LOYAL love in VISIBLE ways. (1:16-17; 2:2,7,17)C. Boaz: A
Read moreForming A People – Part 9 | Exodus 33:12-34:10,29-35
The God who Forms His People I. Moses has a HUNGER for GOD. (33:12-23)A. It’s a DEEP and RELATIONAL longing. (v.12-14)B. It sees RELATIONSHIP as COMMUNAL. (v.15-17)C. It SEEKS to
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 10 | I Samuel 12:1-25
Samuel’s History Lesson I. The TEXT is very INTENTIONAL here. (I Sam. 11-12)A. A major VICTORY for the new KING. (I Sam 11)B. An EARLY farewell SPEECH. (I Sam 12)C.
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 9 | I Samuel 8:1-22
Give us a King I. Another TIME of TRANSITION. A. TRUSTED father and CORRUPT sons. (v.1-5) B. GIVE us a KING. (v. 5-22) 1. Samuel’s RESPONSE. (v. 6) 2. God’s
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 8 | I Samuel 4-7, esp 7:2-12
Hither By Thy Help I. The God Who Won’t Be Used (I Samuel 4-6)A. God is not a Good Luck Charm (I Samuel 4:3-11)B. God is not a Member of
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 7 | I Sam 3:1-21
We Need Each Other I. WHAT is actually HAPPENING here. (v.1-21) A. A TIME of TRANSITION. (v.1,21) B. A PROCESS of LEARNING. (v.7,19-21) C. Good NEWS and BAD news. (v.11-17)
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 6 | I Samuel 1:21-2:11
Hannah and Yahweh I. A TEXT that UNSETTLES. (1:21-2:1) A. A MOTHER gives away her SON. (1:22-28) B. Is this (SPIRITUAL) child LABOR? (1:28, 2:11; Heb 10:11) C. And YET
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 5 | 1 Samuel 1:1-20
A Woman at the End of Her Rope I. A Real FAMILY I Sam. 1:1-3 A. A RESPECTABLE Family I Sam. 1:1-4 B. An Undeniable TENSION I Sam 1:2, 5-7
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 4 | Judges 16:1-31
The Tragic End of Samson I. SAMSON’S final CHAPTER. (16:1-31)A. Another WOMAN and the city GATES. (v.1-3)B. What Samson DOES for LOVE. (v.4-20)C. CAPTURE, Humiliation, and REVENGE. (v.21-31) If you’re
Read moreSamuel & Sampson: The People God Uses – Part 3 | Judges 15:1-20
A Good Example of a Bad Example I. The Story: Samson as a BAD EXAMPLE. (v.1-20)A. He ACTS on his TERMS. (v.1,3,7,11; 17:6)B. The CYCLE of evil and VIOLENCE. (v.3,6-8,9,11)C.
Read moreSamuel & Sampson: The People God Uses – Part 2 | Judges 14:1-20
A Wedding Like No Other I. Samson is “Mr. REALITY TV”. (v.1-20)A. He is IMPULSIVE and DEMANDING. (v.1-3)B. He is POWERFUL but SECRETIVE. (v.4-9)C. He is no MATCH for a
Read moreSamuel & Sampson: The People God Uses – Part 1 | Judges 13:1-25
Extraordinary Events, Ordinary People I. HERE we go AGAIN. (v.1-25)A. The CYCLE of the JUDGES. (Jdg. 1-21; Jdg. 17:6)B. EXTRAORDINARY interactions with ORDINARY people. (v.1-25) We are entering the season
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