Immanuel Baptist Church, Shawnee

In Exodus 5:1–23, Pastor Brian Kennedy reminds us that when God's promises seem to backfire, we haven't seen enough. As we move forward in selfless surrender to God, we must remain faithful even when circumstances become difficult or confusing. God keeps His promises, even when we cannot yet see how He is working. Rather than becoming discouraged, we are called to trust Him, return to Him with our questions, and keep walking in obedience.

A peaceful home is built on the peace Christ has already made. In Ephesians 4:25–32, Dr. Hershael York shared seven pillars that protect peace in our homes: honesty, serenity, security, generosity, diplomacy, piety, and forgiveness. As we reflect Christ in our words, actions, and relationships, we can extend the grace and forgiveness we have received through Him.

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 1:1–20Life 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.