Another unfortunate event in the life of Israel teaches us that, like them, we often encounter a holy God and attempt to domesticate him according to our personal preferences or, when all else fails, attempt to ignore him. Both impulses lead to disaster.
Power Prayer
Sometimes we feel like our prayers go unanswered. But in this passage, we are resented with a prayer so in sync with God’s will that it is always answered. It’s a prayer that teaches us that for spiritual maturity we must rely on God and that he will bring it about because it brings him glory.
Our preacher this Sunday was Andrew Bryant, one of the deacons at Gateway Downtown.
Episode V: God Among Gods
Continuing in a series on 1 Samuel 1-7, we take a look at a fascinating tale of what happens when a pagan people think they can domesticate Yahweh. An important lesson for God’s people: God doesn’t need us to fight his battles.
Episode IV: The Fall of the House of Eli
1 Samuel 4:1b-22, we have one of the greatest tragedies in the entire biblical storyline: The Israelites lose the ark of the covenant, the most holy and precious treasure in the nation, to the Philistines. How could this happen? Quite simply, God left Israel because Israel had left God.
Let the Nations Be Glad!
Psalm 67 is a beautiful song that is almost a “wish list” of the psalmist’s greatest desires: that God would be gracious, that God would bless, and that the psalmist would have God himself.
Our guest preacher for this Sunday is a missionary to the nations here in Cleveland, OH. Due to the sensitivity of that work, we are not publishing his name online.
Episode III: A New Hope
In this message from 1 Samuel 3:1b-4:1a, we see an unbelieving young man become a prophet of the Lord. It’s a reminder that the word of God will never be snuffed out.
Episode II: A Tale of Two Families
The picture of faithfulness in 1:1-2:11 gives way to quite a different picture in the latter part of chapter 2. Here, we find a family consumed by its own glory. And their lives together serve as a warning that hypocritical religion can reach a point of no return.
Episode I: Hannah
Please accept our apologies for the delay in getting the new sermon series online.
Pastor Chris begins a new series from 1 Samuel 1-7. In 1:1-2:11 we take a look at Samuel’s mother, Hannah. Her path to motherhood was not easy or a given, but her faithfulness led her to joy.
Apostolic Potpourri (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22)
Guest preacher Scott Kaczorowski takes us through 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, a passage with a cornucopia of injunctions for the saints at Thessolonika. But like a good potpourri, the combination of assorted ingredients results in a delightful aroma for all who are near.
The Body and the Blood (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
Taking the Lord’s Supper is just about the most “Christian” thing one can do. How is it, then, we understand its importance so poorly? This passage shows us that because the Lord’s Supper marks us out as one, it must be directed toward oneness. And that fact says a lot about who, what, and how.
Please accept our apologies for the low quality of the audio in this recording.