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When faced with trials, David was not afraid to cry out to the Lord in his distress, in fear, even in anger. David's angst is richly displayed in Psalm 22, which Jesus famously quoted from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46). David and Jesus' example show us how to bring our cares before the almighty God, in authentic and humble faith.

As we come to 2 Samuel 11, we see David growing apathetic about his calling and about his fellow man. These compromises lead him into committing deeply serious sins, including covetousness, deception, adultery, and even murder. What does David's failure teach us about the pitfalls of ethical and moral compromise? How can we avoid making the same mistakes?

The story of David and Mephibosheth reflects God's grace to His people, who were His enemies and at the same time, utterly helpless. David showed kindness (*hesed*) to Mephibosheth, which was remarkable since the young man was a threat to his claim on the throne—yet he was also lame and at David's mercy. How should our lives reflect God's kindness to us in Christ?

David resolved to build a temple for the Lord, yet this was not to be the plan. God had accomplished every success that David and Israel ever experienced, and the Lord Himself would bring about all of His purposes through them. The Lord's promise – David's future offspring would build a house for His Name, and the Lord Himself would establish his kingdom forever.

If God is worthy of worship, how should we heed His words about the way we might worship Him and what He deems to be acceptable? The story in 2 Samuel 6 shows that God receives lavish, heartfelt worship from His people. But for those whose hearts are not in the right place, He proves himself dangerous. God is altogether good, but He is not tame.

When it comes to the close relationships we share with family and friends, areas of ministry and leadership, and even in everyday interactions we have with strangers in our community, we have the opportunity to choose to see these interpersonal encounters through the lens of God's plan.

Through Saul's example, we learn that it is possible to believe God exists; to go to church; to read the bible; to tithe your income; to do everything that is expected, and yet to still be far from God. How is that possible? It has everything to do with our pride.

Most people know the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." When we get offended or mistreated however, we tend to swap this axiom for another: "An eye for an eye." How do we reconcile forgiveness and the gospel when we find ourselves offended and resentful? The answer can be found in the story of David, Nabal and Abigail.

Most people would jump at the chance to get ahead. But what if that opportunity involved disobeying God's direction in your life? In 1 Samuel 24, David had the opportunity to fast-track his ascendency to the throne. How did he respond? And what can we learn from his example?

On Christmas day, we take a journey back to the Prophecy of Isaiah, and see just what the first Christmas was intended to show us.

We explore 1 Samuel 18 focusing on the friendship of Jonathan and David, taking an extra focus on Jonathan's sacrifice, and we'll see that Jonathan to David, is Christ, to us.

David came to face Goliath, the massive Philistine champion that stood nearly 10 feet tall. The story is one of the most famous from the Bible, yet it is often misunderstood. What does the story of young David versus the giant have to teach us today—about Christ, and about ourselves?