Heart After God's Own Heart

1 Samuel 13:8-23 New King James Version (NKJV)

8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might [a]greet him.

11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?”

Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”

13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of [b]Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.

16 Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in [c]Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned onto the road to Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18 another company turned to the road to Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” 20 But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21 and the charge for a sharpening was a [d]pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash

The Biblical Christian Household

Colossians 3:18-4:1  (NKJV)

18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

4 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Come and See, Go and Tell

John 1:35-42 New King James Version (NKJV)

35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

SERMON NOTES:
Introduction: As we begin the new year, we will be made aware of our Church's theme which we wiil try to use a guide to direct us in all that we do throughout 2018. The encouragement "Come and see" is not as much to show to others who we are as to Who Jesus is. When they do, then like us, they will "go and tell".

The passage that we will look at today presents an example of how this can be done:
i. The _____________________ (vs. 35,36)
ii. The _____________________ (vs. 37,38)
ii. The _____________________ (v. 39a)
v. The _____________________ (vs. 39,42)

Living the Abundant Life in 2018

Ecclesiastes 11:7 - 12:14 (NKJV)  Read passage here

SERMON NOTES:
Introduction: As we have crossed over to a new year, may we, like the Israelites be prepared for the changes that we'll meet, focused on Jesus and not on others, pure in our motives and morals (cleansed, forgiven and forgiving), forward looking to the wonders that God will do in our midst and be trusting in our God to fulfill what He has said and promised to us. The challenge then is for us to live the abundant life in 2018 in a way that pleases God.

The last verses of Ecclesiastes give us insights as to how to go about this living:

i. ___________________ each new day ______________________ (11:7,8)
ii. ___________________ your youth  ______________________ (11:9-12:2)
iii. ___________________ your aging ______________________ (12L3-8)
iv. ___________________ for tomorrow  ______________________ (12:9,14)