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When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they thought their false god Dagon had triumphed over the Lord. But the Lord quickly demonstrated that he is the true and sovereign God who will not share his glory with another. As Dagon falls and the Lord’s hand brings judgment upon the Philistines, we are reminded that every rival to God’s rule is powerless before him. This passage puts before us the power of the one true and living God and calls us trust in Jesus Christ, who triumphs over all.

As we celebrate Reformation Sunday, we will be reminded of the beauty of the doctrines of grace and the wonderful and marvelous ways that the Lord works in His people for His glory. In this week’s passage, Ephesians 2:1-9, we will see God’s great plan for redemption, as the once dead are now made alive in Christ by way of God’s grace through faith in His Son Jesus. We will see how this is not the work of man, but a mighty work of God, all to His glory alone.

What we place our hope in, our faith in, will lead us on our way. It will lead us to life everlasting or death. In this week’s passage, 1 Samuel 4, the Israelites learn this lesson firsthand and we will see how by not choosing God rightly, this leads them to misplaced faith and destruction.

In a time of great spiritual darkness, when the word of the LORD was rare in Israel, God spoke. The LORD called Samuel and established him as his prophet so that his word would be heard throughout Israel. This passage reinforces the need for God’s Word to remain central in the life of his people, and the importance of hearing, obeying, and proclaiming God’s word. As a prophet, Samuel foreshadows Jesus Christ, God’s Son, through whom God has spoken his final and fullest word.

The Lord had shown great grace to Eli and his sons by giving them important responsibilities and entrusting them with much authority. But Eli’s and his sons’ actions dishonored and despised God. Through a man of God, the Lord declares his righteous judgment against Eli and his house. This passage warns us of the danger of presuming upon God’s grace and calls us to honor the Lord above all.

This passage tells the tale of two families that are going in very different directions. Eli’s sons are wicked; they corrupt God’s worship and misuse their authority for their evil purposes. Eli fails to use his authority to restrain the wickedness of his sons. In contrast, Samuel, Elkanah and Hannah’s son, serves the Lord faithfully and continues to grow in stature and in favor with both God and man. This tale warns us of the devastating consequences of failed leadership and calls those in authority to faithfulness. It also reminds us that in the midst of wickedness and leadership failures, God is at work, accomplishing his purposes and preparing the way for Jesus Christ, our perfect Prophet, Priest, and King.

Hannah’s desperate prayer, the birth and dedication of Samuel, and her song of praise reveal the God who hears his people. The Lord turns Hannah’s sorrow into joy, not only for her good but to advance his great redemptive purposes. In her response, Hannah rejoices in the God who brings down the proud, strengthens the weak, and saves his people. Her praise points us beyond Samuel to the coming King, God’s Anointed One, Jesus Christ, who accomplishes the salvation of his people.

1 Samuel begins in dark days; it was the era of the Judges when “…there was no king in Israel” and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” God’s people were in desperate need of godly leadership, but the book does not begin in a palace with a great king but in a troubled family with a barren woman named Hannah. Her circumstances offer little reason for hope; however, God was at work and would soon answer Hannah’s prayer, ushering in brighter days. This first sermon will provide an introduction to 1 Samuel and set the stage for beholding the God who works in hopeless situations to accomplish His glorious purposes through his King.

Psalm 113 puts before us the great God who is higher than the heavens yet raises the poor and lifts the needy. This remarkable contrast is displayed most fully in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who humbled himself to redeem and exalt sinners. Because our God is incomparably great and gracious, we are to praise him now and forevermore.

Trouble will come, and when it does, we are often tempted to fear, despair, or place our trust in someone or something other than God. In Psalm 31, we find David facing great trouble, but his trust remains in the LORD, his rock, fortress, and refuge. Psalm 31 calls us to trust God in the midst of our troubles and to take courage as we wait for the LORD.

Psalm 106 recounts the forgetfulness and rebellion of God’s people throughout their history and the consequences of their sin. Despite his people’s unfaithfulness, the LORD remains good and faithful, remembering his covenant and showing his people steadfast love. This psalm calls us to remember God, confess our sin, and cry out to the LORD who saves.

Because of who God is and because of what God has done, God is worthy of our praise. But Psalm 98 calls for a certain kind of praise. The psalmist exhorts us to give God joyful praise.

Our psalm for this week focuses on Zion, the city of God. Prayerfully exploring the city, taking into consideration her ramparts and citadels, ought to be an incentive for us to tell the generations that follow ours of the great and mighty God to whom the city belongs. May his praise go forth to the ends of the earth!

The LORD is to be praised by everyone and everything. God is the Creator of all, the one who sustains all and the one who saves his people. This psalm is a universal call for all to join the choir to praise the LORD.

This wonderful Psalm of David contrasts the deceitfulness and destructiveness of the wickedness of man and his evil ways with the steadfast, life-giving love of the Lord. It exposes the folly of the arrogance of those who do not fear God and encourages us to find refuge in the Lord's mercy and precious steadfast love and to trust that all who know Him will indeed be loved and cared for until the end.