INTRO

These are my sermon notes for Sunday morning, February 1. 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 13:15b–14:23

INTRO

• Saul has already failed the obedience test at Gilgal (13:1–15a).
• Israel is now outmatched, under-resourced, and pressured by the Philistines.
• The text contrasts fear-driven leadership with faith-filled action—and highlights the LORD as the true Deliverer.
• FAITH IS THE VICTORY

The Enemy Is Real, and the Situation Is Dire (13:15b–23)

• Israel is small and powerless (13:15b–16; 19-22)
• Philistines are many and powerful (13:17–18, 23)

Faith Is the Key (14:1–14)

• Jonathan’s conviction (14:1–3)
• Jonathan’s confidence (14:6)
• Jonathan’s dependence (14:8–14)

The LORD Wins the Battle (14:15–23)

• The enemy falls (14:15-19)
• Faith is restored (14:20–22)
• The Lord saves His people (14:23)

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THE GO AND DO

• When pressure mounts, choose faith over fear. identify the “pressure point” and take the next obedient step. DO THE NEXT THING RIGHT
• Trust your never-failing King. Saul failed, but Jesus reigns perfectly; bring your weakness to Him and follow His Word.
• Go fight by faith. Llke Jonathan, act in humble dependence and pursue spiritual victories through prayer, Scripture, and obedience.

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The following resources are ones I regularly use in my own study and sermon preparation, and they may also be helpful for others who want to read, study, and grow deeper in God’s Word.

• 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart (Focus on the Bible) — Dale Ralph Davis (Christian Focus)
• 1, 2 Samuel (New American Commentary, Vol. 7) — Robert D. Bergen (B&H Publishing)
• The MacArthur Bible Commentary — John MacArthur (Thomas Nelson)
• ESV Expository Commentary: 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles (Vol. 3) — Edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar (Crossway)
• The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3) — Edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Zondervan)

My Bible study notes for Wednesday night, January 28. 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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Mark 1:21–28

Authority Begins with God’s Word – vv. 21–22

• Jesus enters the synagogue—where the Word should have been central.
• He teaches with authority rooted in Scripture, not tradition or opinion.
• God’s Word, spoken clearly and faithfully, is sufficient.
• The people are astonished—overwhelmed, shaken in mind and heart.
  • Not impressed by style, but confronted by truth.

Light (truth) Exposes What Is Hidden – vv. 23–26

• The presence of the Word exposes darkness (John 3:19–21).
• An unclean spirit is revealed in a religious setting.
  • Religion ≠ regeneration.
• Evil does not debate Jesus—it submits.
• Biblical evangelism:
  • No coercion
  • No gimmicks
  • No manipulation
  • Let the Word do the work

Amazement Follows a Life Changed – vv. 27–28

• The crowd marvels at both His teaching and His power.
• The focus remains on who Jesus is, not what people can do.
• True amazement points outward—to Christ’s authority, not human ability.

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THE WHAT NOW

Our Authority Today

• We speak with Christ’s authority, not our own (Matt. 28:18–20).
• The Word of God carries power—not personality, position, or volume (Heb. 4:12).
• Spiritual authority flows from submission to Christ (James 4:7–10).
• The gospel confronts darkness—truth exposes error and sin
  • The Word is our offensive weapon (Eph. 6:17).
• Our confidence rests in Christ’s finished work, not fear of the enemy (Col. 2:15).

We do not command authority, we stand under Christ’s authority, sent by Jesus Himself, faithfully proclaiming His Word and trusting His power to work.

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Sources:

• Crossway Expository Commentary on Mark
• John MacArthur Commentary on Mark
• Expositor’s Bible Commentary on Mark
• ChatGPT (“EZRA”)— my digital scribe for clarity and grammar.

Genesis 1:26–27

INTRO: Sanctity of Human Life

• The sanctity of human life is a biblical truth, not a political slogan or cultural argument.
• It is rooted in creation, clarified by God’s holiness, and answered by the gospel.
• All human life is created in God’s image.
• Therefore, all human life has God-given worth.
• God is holy and hates sin—including the shedding of innocent blood.
• Yet God’s mercy in Christ is sufficient to save repentant sinners.

Identity — Who We Are (vv. 26–27)

• We are image-bearers, not accidents or afterthoughts.
• Human identity begins with God’s act of creation, not human recognition.
• Personhood is received from God, not granted by society, law, or medicine.
• Life begins with God; therefore life belongs to God.

Worth — Why Life Matters (v. 27)

• Being made “in His image” establishes inherent value.
• Worth is built in, not conditional—unchanged by age, ability, dependence, or circumstance.
• No human being is more or less valuable than another.
• Because God’s image is present, human life is never disposable.

Our image … likeness. This speaks of the creation of Adam in terms that are uniquely personal. It establishes a personal relationship between God and man that does not exist with any other aspect of creation. It is the very thing that makes humanity different from every other created animal. It explains why the Bible places so much stress on God’s hands-on creation of Adam. He fashioned this creature in a special way—to bear the stamp of His own likeness. It suggests that God was, in essence, the pattern for the personhood of man. The image of God is personhood, and personhood can function only in the context of relationships. Man’s capacity for intimate, personal relationships needed fulfillment. Most important, man was designed to have a personal relationship with God. It is impossible to divorce this truth from the fact that man is an ethical creature. All true relationships have ethical ramifications. It is at this point that God’s communicable attributes come into play. Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes (cf. 9:6; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10; James 3:9). In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will, and emotion. In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless. However, it did not bestow deity upon man.

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), Ge 1:26.

Wayne Grudem — Created in the Image of God (Summary)

• Image = representation: Humans are created to represent God on earth.
• Broad, not narrow: The image includes the whole person, not one trait.
• Shared by all: Every human being bears God’s image—without exception.
• Marred, not lost: Sin distorts the image but does not erase it.
• Ground of worth: The image of God is the biblical basis for human dignity.
• Male and female: Equal in worth, distinct by God’s design.
• Restored in Christ: Salvation renews image-bearers into Christlikeness.
  (Systematic Theology – Doctrine of Man)

To be created in the image of God means that every human being is made by God with dignity, value, and purpose. We uniquely reflect Him, are accountable to Him, and therefore every human life matters from conception to death.

Calling — How We Must Live (v. 26)

• Image-bearers are called to reflect God’s character, not redefine His standards.
• We protect life because identity and worth demand it.
• We defend life with:
  • Truth — naming sin honestly
  • Compassion — loving the broken and wounded
  • Courage — refusing silence
  • Gospel hope — pointing sinners to forgiveness in Christ
• The church must be clear in conviction and rich in mercy.

Sanctity of Life Concerns

• Beginning-of-life: abortion, embryo ethics,
• End-of-life: euthanasia/assisted suicide, elder care/neglect
• Violence and oppression: murder, domestic abuse, trafficking/exploitation
• Dehumanization: racism/ethnic hatred, pornography, degrading speech
• Vulnerable neighbors: disability, poverty, the marginalized

Abortion

• Equal protection:
  • The preborn deserve the same legal protection as any other human being.
  • They are image-bearers, not a lesser category of life.
• Moral clarity:
  • Abortion is the unjust taking of innocent human life.
  • Scripture treats innocent bloodshed as a grave moral evil.
• Full protection:
  • Anything less than full protection fails to uphold the sanctity of life.
  • Partial protection limits harm but does not fully honor God’s design.

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Our Gospel Response

• We must be clear about the sin of abortion, but never careless with sinners.
• Many carry silent grief, regret, or shame connected to abortion.
• The gospel speaks here: Christ does not minimize sin, but He fully paid for it.
• There is forgiveness for the repentant, cleansing for the guilty, and healing for the broken.
• No sin is beyond His mercy; no past is beyond His redeeming grace.
• The church must be a place where truth is spoken plainly and grace is offered freely.

These are my sermon notes for Sunday morning, January 18. 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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Samuel 13:1–15a

INTRO

• Saul’s kingship is still early and unstable.
• Israel faces pressure… panic ensues and the troops scatter.
• Saul gathers at Gilgal under immediate threat.
• The crisis sets up the central issue of the passage: whether Saul will wait for God’s instruction or act on his own.

Pressure Will Come – vv. 1–7

• Saul divides a small standing army
• Jonathan strikes the Philistines
• Saul sounds the trumpet
• The Philistines muster
• Israel hides and scatters

Pressure often hits when resources feel thin. Opposition is the norm as we live this side of heaven. Expect it  and prepare for it.

We Must Trust/Wait – vv. 8–12

• Saul waited seven days (10:8)
• The people grow anxious and scattered
• Saul offers the burnt offering
• Samuel arrives: “What have you done?”
• Saul explains: “I forced myself…”

Saul knew what God said but didn’t obey fully. Under pressure, it’s easy to grasp for control and then justify it. When opposition comes, do we trust and wait or act in our own strength.

The Price of Compromise – vv. 13–15a

• “You have done foolishly”
• “You have not kept the command”
• “Your kingdom shall not continue”
• Samuel departs

Treating God’s word as negotiable always costs. Short-term relief can bring long-term loss. Know the Word. Trust the Word. Do the Word. Compromise comes with a cost.

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THE WHAT NOW

• Pressure will come. Don’t fear it… expect it.
• Obey God’s word and wait.
• Refuse shortcuts… compromise costs.

These are my sermon notes for Sunday morning, January 11. 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 12:1-25

INTRO

• Samuel’s farewell address at the transfer of leadership from judge/prophet to monarchy
• Israel has a human king, but the LORD remains their King
• Their covenant responsibility does not change before their King and the Lord.
• Today we live under the reign of the true and better King… Jesus Christ

Hear the Lord – vv. 1–5

• Samuel’s faithful, proven ministry (1 Sam. 3:20)
• Leadership transition appointed by God: Samuel → Saul
• Samuel’s point: I have walked faithfully before you—so listen to the LORD now
• Integrity gives credibility to the message
• God’s Word is STILL trustworthy, true, and perfect

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (ESV)

Remember the Lord – vv. 6–12

• Courtroom/covenant setting: “The LORD is witness” (v. 5)
• “The righteous deeds of the LORD” (v. 7): God is always right, just, and faithful
• Deliverance history: consistent faithfulness to His people
• “They forgot the LORD” (v. 9)
• The cycle: sin → discipline → crying out → deliverance
• Mercy displayed (v. 12)
  • They demanded a king, rejecting the LORD as King
  • God used the king they demanded to bring deliverance
  • Earthly solutions are temporary; the LORD’s mercy is the deeper story

Titus 3:3–7 - For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (ESV)

Respond to the Lord – vv. 13–25

“And now, behold the king” (v. 13): you asked, God granted… yet the LORD still reigns. Even with a king, the king and the people remain accountable to the LORD. The expectation…the ONLY WAY TO RESPOND.

Fear – Serve – Obey (vv. 13–15)

• Fear the LORD: worshipful awe, not panic
• Serve Him: loyal devotion, not divided allegiance
• Obey His voice: submission to His Word
• Warning: rebellion brings discipline on people and the king

Stand still and see (vv. 16–18)

• Stop and observe God.. who He is and what He does
• Wheat harvest rain: abnormal season; storm threatens crops
• Their sin is serious; God’s discipline is real

Do not turn aside — Press On (vv. 19–25)

• The people plead for intercession; Samuel shepherds them to return to the LORD
• “Do not be afraid… do not turn aside” (vv. 20–21): repentance is forward-facing faithfulness
• Samuel’s commitment: prayer and instruction (v. 23)
• Bottom line: fear the LORD and serve Him with full devotion (v. 24)
• Warning: persistent rebellion brings righteous discipline (v. 25)

1 Peter 1:14–16 - As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (ESV)

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THE WHAT NOW

• The Word is authoritative… position yourself to hear with humble obedience
• The LORD has always been faithful… trust His Word and remember His deeds
• Behold our King.    King Jesus, the true and better King who reigns and saves; fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully

These are my sermon notes for Sunday morning, January 4. 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 11:1–15

Intro

• Saul has been chosen and anointed as king (1 Sam 10).
• Chapter 11 shows why Israel needed a king: protection, direction, deliverance in crisis.
• God’s people cannot rescue themselves, God alone saves by His power and for His glory.

Opposition Comes – vv. 1–4

• God’s people are surrounded (v.1)
• The enemy offers a shameful “deal” (v.2)
• Crisis exposes our need for rescue (vv.3–4)

Leadership Responds – vv. 5–11

• The need is seen and heard (v.5)
• The Spirit empowers courageous action (vv.6–10)
• God grants decisive deliverance (v.11)

The People Give God the Glory  – vv. 12–15

• Deliverance turns into worship (vv.12, 14–15)
• The leader is affirmed, not idolized (vv.12–13)
• Victory produces humility and unity (vv.13–15)

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The What Now

• Expect opposition, remember the ultimate issue is against God and His purposes, not merely you.
• Saul is a flawed deliverer, Jesus is the true and righteous Deliverer… trust Him.
• In every season… cry out to the Lord, trust His power, and give Him the glory.

A new year is a great opportunity to grow deeper in your walk with Christ. Real growth doesn’t happen by accident, it happens through intentional obedience: PRESSING ON in Devotion (heart), Discipline (habits), and Diligence (faithfulness), all grounded in grace.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 3:14 (ESV)

Devotion

Fix your heart on Christ. Begin each day seeking Him in the Word and prayer. Growth starts with love for Jesus. Love Jesus and the things that He loves.

Matthew 22:37 “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

Discipline

Train your life around godliness. Order your time, habits, and priorities according to Scripture. Discipline is not legalism, it is grace-driven effort.

1 Timothy 4:7 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.”

Diligence

Stay faithful over time. Keep going. Win each day. Live for Christ at home, at work, and in the church. Do the next thing right, even when it’s hard.

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

This year, press on.

Not in your strength… but in Christ.

Digging Deeper is a follow up blog to my Sunday morning sermons, designed to keep you in God’s Word not just on Sunday but all week long. Each post takes a key truth from the message and expands it a bit more. Since Sunday morning time is limited, this gives me an opportunity to teach further on a specific topic and help you keep pressing on in the Word.

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As I shared in the message Sunday, one of the questions that comes up when we read 1 Samuel is… Why did Israel get a king if wanting a king was sinful? And right behind that is another question… If God chose Saul, and God knew Saul would fail, what does that say about God’s will and about our choices?

Here’s the helpful distinction: God has a decreed will and a revealed will.

God’s decreed will

This is what God has decided will happen. It’s His plan. It will stand. We don’t know all of it ahead of time, but we see it after the fact. (Deuteronomy 29:29) Saul becoming king wasn’t an accident. God put him there (1 Sam. 10).

God also knew Saul would fail. That doesn’t mean God made a mistake. It means God was doing something bigger than Saul. Through Saul, the Lord was teaching Israel that you can have the king you want, and it still won’t fix what only God can fix. God was showing them the limits of human leadership and preparing the way for the kind of king they truly needed. They needed a perfect king… it is pointing to the only perfect king…KING JESUS.

So God’s decreed will is about what God will accomplish, even when people’s motives are messy.

God’s revealed will

This is what God has clearly told us to do. It’s His commands. What we have in His Word, the Bible. And this is the will we are responsible for.

Saul received real commands. Real direction. Real expectations. “Wait.” “Obey.” “Listen to the word of the Lord.” And when Saul did not follow through, God didn’t waver from His perfect will. Saul was held accountable. God’s foreknowledge of Saul’s failure didn’t excuse Saul’s disobedience.

That’s the key: God’s decree never cancels human responsibility. (Acts 2:23 …this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.)

So did Saul have freedom to choose?

Yes, Saul made real decisions. He wasn’t a robot. He chose what he wanted in the moment. He feared people. He leaned on his own understanding. He offered partial obedience. Those were Saul’s choices, and God judged him for them.

At the same time, none of Saul’s choices knocked God off His throne. God was still moving His plan forward… toward David, and ultimately toward Christ.

Why this matters for everyday life

Most of us spend too much time trying to figure out the hidden things...What is God’s secret plan? Why did God allow this? What’s God doing behind the scenes? Some of that is natural. But it’s also where we can get sidetracked.

The Bible keeps calling us back to what’s clear:

• Obey what God has revealed.
• Trust God with what He has decreed.

You don’t have to know the whole plan to be faithful today. Saul’s story reminds us that it’s possible to be gifted and called and still stray if we stop trusting and obeying God’s Word.

A simple way to say it

• God’s decreed will means: God will accomplish His purposes.
• God’s revealed will means: I’m responsible to obey God’s Word.

And this is where we can learn from Saul.  Don’t just start well. Don’t just have a moment of spiritual success. Start and plan to FINISH. Lead with obedience. Follow with faith. Trust God’s timing.

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Here are some additional links for further reading:

The Secret Things of the Lord – R.C. Sproul

8 Questions About God’s Will – Wayne Grudem (Crossway Article)

Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom – John Frame (The Gospel Coalition)