JICF Sunday Sermons

When we expect someone important to visit, we prepare and look forward to their arrival. How much more should the promise of Christ’s return shape our daily lives?In Romans 13:11–14, Paul calls believers to wake from spiritual sleep, cast off the works of darkness, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation rests on what Christ has done for us, and the hope of His return calls us to live in a way that pleases Him.Join us this Sunday as Donald Stevenson helps us consider how anticipating Christ’s return can change the way we live today.

As we come to the end of 1 Samuel, we are drawing to the close of the stories of the first kings of Israel.Saul has already had God’s judgement pronounced on him and here we see David beginning to rise to the kingship. Here, we see the promise of what God’s king would bring to God’s people Israel, how it would mean to defeat of evil, rescue of those taken captive and the sharing of the blessing that this would bring.As we continue to learn from 1 Samuel, we will need to ask ourselves, what do we choose for our lives?Do we like Israel, ask for a king like the other nation or seek to serve God’s chosen king?

1 Samuel 29 is a short, quiet passage between two longer and more action-filled passages. It features two conversations, one between King Achish and other Philistine leaders, and the other between King Achish and David.As we examine the passage and consider the possibilities of what could have happened instead, we begin to see God's hand at work. This passage gives us the chance to reflect upon God's sovereignty and reminds us to trust in Him.He is working things out for His glory and our good.

When fear and uncertainty overwhelm us, we can be tempted to seek answers and security apart from God.In 1 Samuel 28, Saul’s desperate search for guidance reveals the tragic consequences of persistently rejecting God’s Word. His story warns us not to seek God’s help while refusing His authority, but to turn to the Lord in repentance and trust.We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we can trust the God who holds tomorrow.

Fear can become louder than faith.In 1 Samuel 27, David—who had repeatedly trusted God in the past—allowed fear to shape his decisions. Instead of seeking God’s direction, he relied on his own reasoning, sought security in the wrong place, and eventually became entangled in deception and compromise.This passage reminds us that a decision can be logical, practical, and even successful, yet still not be God’s will. The question is not simply, “What decision will I make?” but, “Will I involve God before I make it?”As we face decisions about our careers, relationships, studies, family, finances, or future, may we learn from David’s failure: seek God before deciding, rather than deciding first and asking God to bless our plans.

What happens when the same test comes again?David has been here before. Saul is pursuing him again. Once again, Saul is vulnerable. And once again, David has the opportunity to end the problem himself. (1 Samuel 26:1-25)This time, Saul’s spear—the very symbol of the violence David has endured—is within David’s reach.The spear is finally in David’s hand. What will he do with it?Sometimes the greatest test is not when someone else has the power to hurt us, but when we finally have the power to hurt them back.David shows us another way. He confronts what is wrong, but refuses vengeance. He takes the spear, but refuses to become Saul. Instead, he entrusts justice, his future, and even his enemy into God’s hands.This Sunday, we will consider a question that reaches far beyond David and Saul:What will you do when the spear is in your hand?You don’t have to take into your own hands what you have entrusted into God’s hands.

What happens when someone pushes the wrong button in our heart?In 1 Samuel 25, one insult nearly turns David from a man who trusts God into a man seeking revenge. Along the way, we encounter three very different hearts: Nabal's hard heart, David's divided heart, and Abigail's wise heart.Yet behind all three is the sovereign hand of God—using difficult people, unexpected interventions, and uncomfortable circumstances to shape David into the king he was called to become.This story invites us to examine our own hearts.Are we becoming hardened by pride?Divided between God's way and our own?Or are we growing in wisdom, humility, and surrender?Ultimately, the question is not simply whether we are like Nabal, David, or Abigail, but:Is my heart becoming more like the heart of Christ?

David was facing an extremely difficult situation. Saul was relentlessly pursuing him and seeking to take his life. Then David suddenly found himself with what appeared to be the perfect opportunity to kill Saul and end the threat once and for all. Yet David refused.How did David know what God wanted him to do when his circumstances seemed to point in another direction?This Sunday, we will discover how David discerned and followed God’s will in the midst of a difficult dilemma. This passage (1 Samuel 24) will also help us learn how to discern and obey God’s will when we face difficult decisions in our own lives.

When we consider the fact that God has a plan for each of our lives, we shouldn't conclude that this is a guarantee that life will be smooth. Or worse, we can get the impression that if I'm obedient life will be easier and if I'm disobedient, life will get worse.We are going to see together in Samuel 23:1-29 that God's plan for David had actually made his life harder and that his obedience to God put him in danger. Yet through all of this God was with him and blessed him.What do you expect when you obey God?Let's think through this together.

We find ourselves in the tumultuous period of Israel's monarchy. Saul, the first king of Israel, sits on the throne, not by divine favor anymore (the Spirit of the Lord has departed from Saul and rests powerfully upon David) but by political momentum. And Saul knows it.The prophet Samuel has already anointed David, as Saul's successor. Deep in his bones, Saul knows that his kingdom is slipping away, that God has rejected him, and David is the future of Israel.But rather than repenting, rather than humbling himself before God and accepting the Lord's judgment, Saul has chosen a different path. He has chosen the path of jealousy, paranoia, and murderous rage. He has pursued David across the wilderness of Judah, driven not by justice but by insecurity, not by righteousness but by terror.The story of 1 Samuel 22 is a dark chapter. It shows us the worst that human sin can do. But it also shows us the best that divine grace can provide. It shows us that when sin runs wild, God runs wilder still in His mercy. It shows us that when kings fail, the true King does not. It shows us that when priests are slaughtered, the Great High Priest intercedes. It shows us that when cities fall, the City of God stands firm.