These are my sermon notes for Sunday morning, Aug 2 . They’re not a full manuscript—just a listening guide to help our Tabernacle Church family to follow along. I encourage you to add your own notes as you listen each week. The service will be available on YouTube by Sunday afternoon. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, our Prayer List, and more on our church website.

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1 Samuel 1:1-13

Introduction

• Every life has an ending.
• 1 Samuel has been the story of two kings:
  • Saul—the king the people wanted.
  • David—the king God chose.
• Chapter 31 is more than Saul’s death; it is the fulfillment of God’s Word.
• The end of Saul’s reign prepares the way for God’s chosen king.

Saul’s Defeat – vv. 1–7

The Philistines Defeat Israel

• Israel flees before the Philistines.
• Many Israelites die on Mount Gilboa.
• The nation suffers because of its king.

Saul’s House Falls

• Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua are killed.
• Saul is mortally wounded.
• Saul falls on his own sword.
• His armor-bearer dies with him.

Israel Abandons the Land

• The people flee their cities.
• The Philistines occupy them.

The disobedient heart leads to the fall of the man.

Saul’s Disgrace – vv. 8–10

The Philistines Celebrate Their Victory

• Saul’s armor is removed.
• The victory is proclaimed throughout Philistia.
• His armor is placed in the temple of Ashtaroth.
• His body is displayed on the wall of Beth-shan.
• The fall has been great. (His LEGACY)

Saul’s Burial – vv. 11–13

The Men of Jabesh-gilead Respond

• They remember Saul’s deliverance (1 Samuel 11).
• They courageously recover the bodies.
• They bury Saul and his sons.
• They fast for seven days
• Even in judgment we see the gratitude of people. A picture of God’s grace and care for others even in an imperfect King.

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As we close 1 Samuel, one final scene lies just beyond this chapter. In 2 Samuel 1, David learns of Saul’s death. Rather than celebrating, he mourns Saul and Jonathan, honoring the king he had faithfully refused to overthrow. David’s response reveals a heart that trusted God’s timing and left justice in God’s hands.

The book of 1 Samuel ends with Saul’s reign, but not with the end of God’s plan. Throughout this book, God has faithfully accomplished His purposes despite human failure, preparing His chosen king and ultimately pointing us to Jesus Christ—the greater Son of David, whose kingdom will never end.

The What Now…Lessons from Saul’s Life

1. Seek God’s Will Daily.

• 1 Samuel 13 — Saul offered the sacrifice instead of waiting for Samuel.
• 1 Samuel 15 — Saul spared Agag and the best livestock instead of fully obeying God.
• 1 Samuel 28 — Saul sought a medium instead of seeking the Lord.
• Saul repeatedly trusted his own judgment over God’s direction.

Fear God more than people. Trust God’s provision more than your own ability. (continuously…daily)

2. Compromise Has Consequences

• Partial obedience in chapter 15 cost Saul the kingdom.
• Jealousy toward David became years of hatred and violence.
• One compromise led to another until his life ended in despair.

Small compromises become great failures.

3. Your Life Impacts Others

• Jonathan died alongside Saul on Mount Gilboa.
• Israel’s army was defeated.
• The people fled their cities.
• The Philistines occupied the land.

No one leads or fails in isolation.

4. Finish Well (Start with the end in mind)

• Saul began with humility, hiding among the baggage (1 Sam. 10).
• He ended in defeat on Mount Gilboa (1 Sam. 31).
• David also failed, but David repented; Saul repeatedly hardened his heart.

A strong beginning is not enough. Finish your race faithfully.

Introduction

• David’s journey over the last several chapters has been one of faith, fear, and God’s faithfulness.
• Chapter 26: David trusted the Lord and refused to take Saul’s life.
• Chapter 27: Fear entered David’s heart, leading him to compromise by living among the Philistines.
• Chapter 29: God intervened through His providence, sparing David from fighting against Israel and bringing him back to Ziklag.
• Chapter 30 reveals why God brought David home.
• God’s greatest work was not restoring David’s possessions… it was restoring David’s heart.

Brokenness (God exposes us) – vv. 1–6a

David Returns to a Burned City

• David and his men returned to find Ziklag destroyed by the Amalekites.
• Their wives, children, and possessions had been taken captive.
• David and his men wept until they had no strength left.
• David became the object of his men’s anger as they considered stoning him.
• The consequences of David’s fearful decisions now confronted him.
• Wept (bakah) – To weep bitterly or lament deeply. This describes complete emotional exhaustion.
• Distressed (tsarar) – To be pressed, squeezed, or hemmed in by overwhelming circumstances.
• God does not waste our failures; He often uses them to bring us back to Himself.
• Brokenness is frequently the beginning of spiritual restoration.

Sin – Conviction – Discipline – Repentance – Restoration

We sin. Spirit convicts, yet we continue to sin. God Disciplines. We repent. God restores.

Dependence (We find strength in the Lord) -v. 6b

David Returns to His God

• Everything changed with one sentence.
• David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
• His circumstances remained the same.
• His relationship with God became his source of strength.
• Strengthened (chazaq) – To become strong, courageous, or firmly established. David found strength by depending on the Lord rather than himself.
• Spiritual renewal begins with renewed dependence on God.
• The turning point is not changed circumstances but changed hearts.
• Psalm 18:1–2; Isaiah 40:31; Ephesians 6:10

Direction (We seek the Lord’s Will) – vv. 7–10

David Returns to God’s Direction

• David called for Abiathar the priest.
• David inquired of the Lord. God answered.
• David obeyed immediately.
• Inquired (sha’al) – To ask, seek, or consult. David intentionally sought God’s guidance before acting.
• Pursue (radaph) – To chase or follow with determination.
• Restored believers seek God’s direction before making decisions.
• Faith waits for God’s instruction before taking action.
• Proverbs 3:5–6; Psalm 32:8

Obedience (We walk faithfully with the Lord) – vv. 11–31

David Returns to Faithful Leadership

• God provided an abandoned Egyptian servant to guide David.
• God gave complete victory over the Amalekites..
• David acknowledged God’s hand in the victory.
• David shared the spoil with those who stayed behind.
• David generously blessed the elders of Judah.
• Recovered (natsal) – To rescue, deliver, or snatch away. The Lord fulfilled His promise completely.
• Share – David demonstrated gracious leadership by blessing others with what God had provided.

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What Now?

• Let your failures draw you back to the Lord, not away from Him.
• Strength comes from trusting the Lord, not relying on yourself.
• Seek God’s wisdom before following your own understanding.
• Faithfulness is choosing to obey God one step at a time.

My Bible study notes for Wednesday night, July 22. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

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Introduction

• Jesus has demonstrated His authority through miracles.
• Now He confronts the false religion of the Pharisees.
• The Pharisees were concerned with outward tradition.
• Jesus exposes the deeper issue… the human heart.

The Pharisees Challenge the Disciples – vv. 1–5

A Question About Tradition

• The Pharisees criticize the disciples for eating with unwashed hands.
• The issue is ceremonial uncleanness, not hygiene.
• Their concern is adherence to the tradition of the elders, not the commandment of God.
• Tradition (paradosis) refers to teachings handed down by men.
• Human traditions become dangerous when they are elevated to the authority of Scripture.

Jesus Confronts the Pharisees – vv. 6–13

God’s Word Above Human Tradition

• Jesus exposes their hypocrisy with Isaiah 29:13.
• Their worship honored God with their lips while their hearts remained far from Him.
• They had replaced God’s commands with human traditions.
• The practice of Corban illustrates how tradition can nullify Scripture.
• True worship begins with a heart submitted to God’s Word.
• We must evaluate every belief and practice by the authority of God’s Word.
• God’s Word must always have greater authority than human tradition.

Jesus Explains True Defilement – vv. 14–23

The Heart Is the Source

• Defilement does not come from what enters a person but from what comes out.
• Sin originates in the heart before it appears in behavior.
• Defile (koinoō) means to make unclean.
• Jesus lists the sins that flow from the human heart.
• Our actions reveal what our hearts truly treasure.
• External reform cannot solve an internal problem.
• Only a transformed heart produces lasting obedience.
• The greatest problem in our lives is not around us but within us.

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The What Now

• Examine your heart, not just your habits.
• Hold tightly to God’s Word and loosely to human traditions.
• Pursue inward holiness, not merely outward conformity.

Trust Christ to continue transforming your heart into His likeness

These are my sermon notes for Sunday morning, July 19 . They’re not a full manuscript—just a listening guide to help our Tabernacle Church family to follow along. I encourage you to add your own notes as you listen each week. The service will be available on YouTube by Sunday afternoon. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, our Prayer List, and more on our church website.

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Introduction

• Chapter 26 ended with David walking by faith.
• Chapter 27 opened with David walking by fear.
• Fear led to compromise. Compromise led to a dilemma.
• By the end of chapter 28, David appears trapped.
• He cannot fight against Israel. He cannot betray Achish.
• Yet before David ever realizes it, God is already at work.
• When our failures leave us in impossible situations, God’s providence faithfully protects His people, preserves His purposes, and prepares the way forward.

God Works Through Opposition – vv. 1-5

David Arrives at the Battlefield

• The Philistine armies gather at Aphek.
• Israel camps at Jezreel.
• David marches with Achish.
• The crisis has finally arrived.

The Philistine Commanders Object

• They recognize David.
• They remember his past victories.
• They refuse to trust him.
• Their concern is military, but God is accomplishing something much greater.

God Protects David

• David never asks for deliverance.
• God uses unbelieving Philistine commanders.
• What appears to be rejection is actually divine protection.

God’s providence often works through opposition. What appears to be rejection may be God’s protection.

God Works Through Unexpected Decisions – vv. 6-10

Achish Defends David

• Achish believes David is loyal.
• He repeatedly defends David.
• Ironically, David’s enemy speaks well of his character.

The Commanders Overrule the King

• Their decision frustrates Achish.
• Their decision relieves David.
• Without realizing it, they accomplish God’s sovereign will.

God Directs David

• Every person acts according to his own desires.
• Yet behind every decision stands the sovereign hand of God.
• God redirects David through the decision of a pagan king.

God’s providence often works through the decisions of those in authority. What feels like a setback may actually be God’s redirection.

God Works through Ordinary Circumstance– v. 11

David Returns to Ziklag

• The Philistines march north.
• David marches south.
• God has positioned David exactly where He wants him.

Chapter 29 Prepares Chapter 30

• David does not yet know what awaits him.
• God already knows.
• God’s providence has gone before him.

God Prepares David

• What appears to be an ordinary journey is God’s preparation.
• The road home becomes the path to David’s restoration.

God’s providence often works through ordinary events. Today’s ordinary steps may be God’s preparation for tomorrow’s opportunities.

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The What Now

• Trust God’s hand when life doesn’t make sense.
• Follow God’s leading one step at a time.
• Believe God is already preparing what comes next.

God’s providence prevails. He works through opposition, authority, and ordinary events to accomplish His perfect will. Even when we cannot see His hand, we can trust His heart.

My Bible study notes for Wednesday night, July 15. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

Mark 6:30-56

Intro

• The disciples return from their first mission and report to Jesus.
• They have preached, served, and experienced the power of Christ at work.
• Yet they still have much to learn about who Jesus is and what it means to trust Him.
• Mark moves from a hungry crowd to struggling disciples, revealing the compassion, provision, and presence of King Jesus

His Compassion — vv. 30–34

• Jesus sees the crowd as “sheep without a shepherd.”
• “Compassion” (splagchnizomai) is deep mercy that moves to action.
• Jesus meets their deepest need by teaching them truth.
• Jesus sees people in their spiritual need.
• Learn to see people through the compassionate eyes of Christ.

His Provision — vv. 35–44

• The disciples see an impossible problem. Jesus says, “You give them something to eat.”
• Five loaves and two fish reveal their insufficiency.
• Jesus takes what is insufficient and provides abundantly.
• “Satisfied” (chortazō) means fully filled.
• Our insufficiency is never a limitation to Christ’s sufficiency.
• Obey Christ and trust Him with what you cannot do.

His Presence — vv. 45–56

• The disciples are “making headway painfully” against the wind.
• Jesus sees their struggle and comes to them.
• “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
• They still “did not understand about the loaves.”
• Their problem was not a lack of evidence. They had not fully grasped who Jesus is.
• The presence of Christ is greater than the circumstances we face.
• Do not let today’s struggle cause you to forget what Christ has already revealed about Himself.

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The What Now

• Trust His compassion when you see the need.
• Trust His provision when you are insufficient.
• Trust His presence when the struggle is difficult.

The disciples kept looking at the need, their limitations, and the storm. Jesus was teaching them to look at Him. See Jesus clearly. Trust the King.

John C. Maxwell famously said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Winning programs, healthy cultures, and lasting influence all begin with the leader. Before you can build a great team, you must first build yourself.

Every day you are building something. Every practice, every conversation, every decision, and every response shapes the lives of the athletes God has entrusted to your care. Coaching is about more than developing athletes. It is about building people.

This Leadership Study is part of For The Coach, a ministry dedicated to encouraging and equipping coaches to Press On and Lead Well. Whether you’re reading this before our Leadership Roundtable, following along during our discussion, or reviewing it afterward, my hope is that it challenges and encourages you to become the leader your players need.

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Build Yourself

Before you can build a team, you must first build yourself.

Be the Example

• Live what you expect.
• Leadership begins with the leader.

Never Stop Growing

• Grow spiritually, personally, and professionally.
• Great coaches never stop learning.

Set the Standard

• Your habits shape your culture.
• Character sets the ceiling for leadership.

Proverbs 4:23;  1 Timothy 4:12

“Leaders of character produce organizations of character because character… is infectious.” — Albert Mohler

Build Your Team

You coach a sport, but you build people.

Give Them Your Best

• Coach every rep.
• The little things become the big things.

Be Fully Invested

• Grow where God has planted you.
• Give your best to the players you have today.

Be Intentional

• Every player matters.
• Every conversation matters.
• Every moment is a teachable moment.

Proverbs 16:3; Colossians 3:23

Build Your Legacy

Legacy is built one faithful day at a time.

“One coach will impact more young people in one year than the average person does in a lifetime.” — Billy Graham

Win the Day

• Be faithful today.
• Every moment matters.

Do the Next Right Thing

• Who you are speaks louder than what you say.
• Model the culture you want to build.

Trust the Process (Trust God with the results.)

• Building people takes time.
• Faithfully plant seeds that will outlive you.

Proverbs 27:17

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Culture isn’t built by slogans. It’s built by leadership.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:14 (ESV)

Most people say they want to grow in their walk with Christ. The challenge isn’t knowing we need to grow, it’s knowing where to begin.

We often try to change everything at once. God calls us to something much simpler: faithful obedience today.

Here’s a simple path that helps me keep the main things the main things.

Devotion — Walk with Christ

Everything begins with your relationship with Jesus.

• Spend time in God’s Word.
• Pray before you start your day.
• Let Christ shape your heart before the world shapes your mind.

Discipline — Obey Christ

Spiritual growth is measured by obedience, not just knowledge.

• Obey what God has already shown you.
• Build daily habits that honor Christ.
• Choose faithfulness over convenience.

Diligence — Keep Going

God grows faithful men one day at a time.

• Don’t quit when the day gets hard.
• Trust God in the ordinary.
• Keep pressing on.

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The What Now

Today…

• Walk with Christ.
• Obey Christ.
• Keep going.

Change Starts today!

Press On. Win the day. Lead Well.

My Bible study notes for Wednesday night, July 8. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

Mark 6:1-29

Intro

• Jesus has revealed His authority over nature, demons, disease, and death.
• Mark 6 shifts from Christ’s miracles to the response His ministry receives.
• This passage reminds us that following Jesus includes both the joy of serving Him and the reality of opposition.
• Every disciple must decide how they will respond to the King.

Expect Rejection — vv. 1–6

The World’s Response to Christ

• Jesus returned to His hometown, but His own people rejected Him.
• Familiarity with Jesus became an obstacle to faith.
• “Unbelief” (apistia) means a refusal to trust despite sufficient evidence.
• Jesus marveled at their unbelief.
• Knowing about Jesus is not the same as believing in Him.
• Guard against becoming spiritually familiar without growing spiritually faithful.

Proclaim Repentance — vv. 7–13

The Mission of Every Disciple

• Jesus sent the Twelve in His authority and power.
• They preached repentance and called people to turn to God.
• “Authority” (exousia) refers to delegated authority given by Christ.
• They trusted God’s provision and left the results to Him.
• Some received the message; others rejected it.
• Christ’s mission continues through His people.
• Our responsibility is faithfulness, not controlling the response.
• Live and speak the gospel with humility, courage, and dependence on Christ.

Remain Faithful — vv. 14–29

The Cost of Following Christ

• John the Baptist faithfully proclaimed God’s truth without compromise.
• Herod feared John but refused to repent.
• Herodias hated the truth and silenced God’s messenger.
• John’s death reminds us that faithfulness may be costly.
• Following Christ is not measured by popularity but by obedience.
• God’s truth is worth proclaiming, regardless of the cost.
• Stand firmly on God’s Word with courage, integrity, and perseverance.

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The What Now

• Examine your heart for unbelief.
• Faithfully proclaim the gospel wherever God has placed you.
• Trust Christ when your faith is tested.
• Remain faithful, even when obedience is costly.