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In 1 Samuel 4–5, we see that God cannot be used for our own purposes or treated as one among many gods. Israel’s misplaced confidence led to devastating defeat, while the Philistines discovered that the Lord alone is sovereign. This passage challenges us to examine where we place our confidence and what idols we may be holding onto. Following God means more than seeking His power; it means trusting in Jesus alone and surrendering to His authority.

Hearing God’s Word requires us to recognize our need for His truth, discern His voice, and receive His message with humility. Through Samuel’s story, we learn the importance of listening to God and faithfully speaking His Word, even when it is difficult. As we follow the Lord, we can trust Him to establish His faithful servants and accomplish His purposes.

This Sunday, we continued our series Listening Hearts: How to Hear and Follow God with “Listening that Honors God” from 1 Samuel 2:12-36. We were challenged to recognize corruption, remain faithful to God, and remember that our choices have consequences.

Through Hannah’s story, we see that surrender begins with preparation, requires alignment with God’s will, carries real weight, and ultimately comes to a moment where we choose to release what we have been holding onto.A heart of surrender trusts that God is worthy of everything we have and that His plans are greater than our own. As we listen for God and follow Him, we are called to surrender not only what is difficult to give, but every part of our lives to Him.

1 Samuel 1:1–20 Life brings struggles that can leave us hurting, waiting, and wondering what God is doing. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah brings her deep pain to the Lord through prayer and pours out her heart before Him. Pastor Jeff walked us through Hannah’s story and showed us how prayer brings our struggles to God, even when the answer does not come immediately. While we wait, God gives us peace, reminding us that we can trust Him with what we cannot control. Hannah’s story also points us to the faithfulness of a God who remembers and acts in His perfect timing. When we face deep struggles, we can bring them to God, trust Him while we wait, and rest in the assurance that He has not forgotten us.

This Sunday, Dr. Adam Groza walked us through five areas where we are called to trust God: our salvation, what is unseen, what is personally painful, what is unexpected, and the outcomes. Scripture shows us that trusting God means relying on Him even when we cannot see what He is doing or understand what lies ahead. As we grow in trust, we are called to look in faith to Christ, who endured the cross and remained faithful. We can move forward in faith, knowing that God is faithful even when we may waver or tremble.

This Sunday, Pastor Aaron Fullbright walked us through the significance of the Lord’s Supper and challenged us to remember Christ’s sacrifice, rejoice in the salvation we share as His people, and look forward to the day when He will make all things new. As we take the bread and the cup, we declare together that Jesus is enough. We remember what He has done, worship our Savior, and look forward to the day when He comes again.

This Sunday, we were challenged to see obedience as an act of worship. When we surrender our whole lives to God, allow Him to transform the way we think, and trust His plans above our own, our lives become a reflection of our worship. Our response to God's grace is a life surrendered in obedience to Him.

God's Word carries divine authority, and because of that, we are called to faithfully proclaim it. In a world that may reject truth or turn away from sound teaching, Scripture reminds us that the Word of God remains necessary, powerful, and unchanging. This Sunday, Pastor Jeff challenged us to be faithful servants who boldly proclaim God's Word, even when it is difficult or unpopular. Following Christ means standing firmly on the truth of Scripture and enduring faithfully as we point others to Him. The Word of God has been entrusted to us. May we faithfully proclaim it, live it, and stand firm in it.

This Sunday, we were honored to hear Dr. Kevin Ezell, President of the North American Mission Board, preach the Word of God at IBC. He challenged us to be intentional in pursuing God's mission, expect challenges along the way, and remain faithful and focused all the way to the finish. The mission is worth the challenges. Let's faithfully make the most of every opportunity God gives us to share the gospel and reach others for Christ.

Worship begins with recognizing who God is and responding to His invitation to draw near. Psalm 100 reminds us that our praise is not based on our circumstances, but on the unchanging character of our faithful and loving God. No matter what season we are in, we can enter His presence with thanksgiving, knowing that His goodness, mercy, and faithfulness endure forever.

This Sunday we had the opportunity to pray and worship together as a church as Pastor Jeff led us through a guided prayer time in 2 Kings 6.

God's grace reaches farther than we could ever imagine. In Naaman's story, we see that His grace is not earned by status, power, or effort. Instead, it meets us in our need, calls us to trust His Word, and accomplishes what we could never do on our own. This Sunday, Pastor Jeff walked us through how God's grace is always at work, exposing our inability to save ourselves while inviting us to respond in humble faith. As we trust His Word, His grace brings healing, transforms our hearts, and leads us to worship the One who alone is worthy. No one is beyond the reach of God's grace. When we surrender to Him, we discover that His grace not only changes our circumstances, but it changes our lives.

This Sunday, Pastor Jeff encouraged us to cultivate a faith that responds to God's leading, receives His provision, trusts His timing, clings to Him through every trial, and believes that He is still at work. Resurrection hope is found not in our circumstances, but in the God who brings life where there seems to be none. When our faith is anchored in Him, we can face every season with confidence, knowing that God is always faithful.

Following God requires more than good intentions. It calls for wholehearted commitment. In the life of Elisha, we see a faith that refused to turn back, remained steadfast through every challenge, and trusted God every step of the way. In this sermon, Pastor Jeff challenges us to pursue a radical commitment to Christ through persistent obedience, a deeper hunger for His presence, unwavering focus on His calling, and bold faith in action. When we surrender everything to God, He shapes our lives for His purposes and uses us to make an eternal impact. Radical commitment is not about perfection. It is about faithfully following God wherever He leads.