From the Tax Booth Imagine a busy seaside road in the region of Galilee. Beside the road sits a small table equipped with a ledger, a set of scales, a Roman seal, and a box for coins. Levi, the son of Alphaeus, is collecting tolls and taxes for the Roman Empire at his booth. Although... Continue Reading →
How the Mighty Have Fallen
Faithful in Enemy Territory When we step into 1 Samuel 27–30, we find David in one of the hardest seasons of his life. He is still running from Saul, and he is worn out. In 1 Samuel 27:1 we hear him say to himself, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul”(ESV). That... Continue Reading →
Put Down The Sword
God's Provision in the Ordinary Have you ever cried out for a miracle and felt abandoned when nothing changed? That is exactly where we find David in 1 Samuel chapter 21. The giant-slayer is now a fugitive. He is desperate. He is hungry. He is alone. When David arrives in the city of Nob, the... Continue Reading →
The Call, The Catch, The Commission
When God Starts in the Margins Let me begin with a question: If you were going to launch a movement to transform and redeem the world, where would you start? It is natural to think in terms of power, visibility, and influence. Our minds go to capitals, capitals of religion (Jerusalem), of politics (Rome), of... Continue Reading →
Israel Asks For A King
Sermon Audio: LINK I. The Crisis of Leadership and the Question of Kingship (1 Samuel 8:1-5) In 1 Samuel 8, Israel stands at another crossroads. The chapter begins, “When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel” (1 Samuel 8:1, ESV). Samuel had served faithfully as prophet, priest, and judge. But with age... Continue Reading →