1 Samuel 1 – How to Start a Great Story
The Wizard of Oz is a great story full of heroes and villains, fear and hope, trickery and bravery. Yet, it starts in simple black and white; with a…
January 23, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 2-3 – Does God Choose Favorites?
“Mom always liked him better.” “Dad always favored her.” What sibling hasn’t said or thought something like this? Some would say God plays favorites…
January 30, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 4 – Are You Superstitious?
Would you consider yourself superstitious? Most of us would deny being superstitious. In our modern, scientific, and technologically driven world, we…
February 6, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 5-6 – When God Parents Teens
Parent is a difficult job, no matter the age of your children. But it is especially difficult to parent teens. Teens strongly demonstrate and…
February 13, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 7 – Wandering Off
You’ve seen it before. A young child is walking through a store with a parent when the child gets distracted and wanders off. But when the child…
February 20, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 8 – Teenage Rebellion
In 1 Samuel chapter 7, we compared the nation of Israel to little children who get distracted and wander away from their parents. But sometimes…
February 27, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 9 – The Master Chess Player
I’m not very good at chess. I can’t think like a chess player. Really good chess players think many moves ahead, as if they already know what’s going…
March 5, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 10 – Commitment
have you ever known someone who had difficulty committing to something or someone? Have you ever known someone who says, “I’m in!” but still seems to…
March 12, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 11-12 – Balancing Mercy and Discipline
As a child, our logic is very simple. If we do something bad, something bad will happen to us. Likewise, if we do something good, something good will…
March 19, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 13 – Pay Attention to the Red Lights
Some people are “feelers.” They respond to things based upon their feelings. Now feelings are not bad and should not be avoided. God Himself has…
March 26, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 14 – Biology, Sociology, or Spirituality?
Have you ever noticed how two people from the same family can be radically different from one another? Are those differences related to biology…
April 2, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 15 – “Because I Said So.”
“Because I said so!” Most of us can remember hearing this from our parents. We didn’t like it then, and we still not crazy about the “because I said…
April 9, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 16 – People Are Like a Box of Chocolates
I’m not a fan of those variety boxes of chocolates. They leave you to guess about what might be lurking inside each piece. You can pick one that…
June 30, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 17 – Who Wants To Be Like David?
Have you ever encountered someone who was so different from those around them, they stood out in a powerful and positive way? The kind of someone…
July 7, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 18-19 – How to be Successful
If you type “success” in Amazon’s search bar, you will come up with over 100,000 hits! Why? Because we all want to be successful. We want success in…
July 14, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 20 – Deep and Meaningful Friendships
Do you have close friendships? The fast paced and high pressured world in which we live often prevents us from having the time we need to develop…
July 21, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 21-22 – The Traits of a Good Leader
Leadership is a hot topic these days. If you type the word “leadership” into Amazon’s search bar, you will get over 60,000 results. Most of the books…
July 28, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 23-24 – How to Go High When They Go Low
As children, we’re taught to play fair and do what’s right…even if no one else is…then things will turn out alright for us. But what do you do when…
August 4, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 25 – When You Want to Get Back at Someone
Have you ever wanted to get back at someone, because they were treating you with contempt…even though you were treating them with kindness? Maybe it…
August 11, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 26-27 – Balancing Kindness and Courage
Many people view followers of God as weak, passive, and vulnerable. They have trouble associating a Christian with the aggressive and calculating…
August 18, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 28 – Are You Driven by Fear?
We all have things we fear, but some people are especially driven by fear. Their life is a desperate attempt to avoid things like… The loss of a…
August 25, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 29-30 – How Well Do You Get Along With Others?
You can’t please everyone. No matter how hard you try, someone is not going to like something you’ve said or done. But David was a man who seemed to…
September 1, 2020 · 2 min read
1 Samuel 31 – A Long Slow Death
Have you ever watched a movie that ended abruptly, without a resolution? You’re waiting for things to turn around, but it never happens. It just ends…
September 8, 2020 · 2 min read
2 Samuel 1 – Are We Talking About the Same Person?
I’ve been to funerals where they were eulogizing the “dearly departed” and thought to myself, “Are we talking about the same person?!” Now I know it…
September 15, 2020 · 2 min read