If you have had a bad experience at church or with a Christian this video is for you.

As we look for leadership and authority, we should remember Christians have no King but Christ.   ~~~   Yesterday we took note of the foolishness of Saul, and we said it was nothing new. The entire narrative of Saul is filled with his ineptness at listening to and following the word of God. It is highlighted for us time and again. But why? We cannot forget that this book was a history lesson for that very first audience and for us. It was the people who rejected God as king over them, and wanted a king like the other nations. A king who was, on the outside, everything they desired, but on the inside, turned out to be a scared little man who had no real hope or confidence in the strength and power of God, no spiritual maturity. And part of the lesson for that first audience, and for us is, be careful who you desire to lead you, and who you follow. What a great lesson for us in America as we head into a political campaign season. Remember, we have no king but Christ.

Some people get a pleasant adrenaline buzz from fear.

How self-seeking are our attempts to gain God’s ear?   ~~~   In 1 Samuel 28 we learn that Saul tried to gain direction from the LORD through prayer, but the LORD refused to answer Saul. In 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 we read that Saul consulted a medium, but did not seek guidance from the LORD. So is this a contradiction? Because 1 Samuel 28 seems to indicate that Saul did inquire of the LORD. So what gives? I think there are two answers. One is that Saul did not consistently seek guidance from the LORD concerning these types of matters. The other answer is that Saul did not genuinely seek the LORD in this particular matter, or in any other matter. Saul’s purpose in seeking the LORD was to save his own skin, not to do the LORD’s will. He was interested in his own personal comfort. What could he do to get himself out of this jam? No direct answer, no dream, no prophet came to speak (remember Samuel was dead, but there was a school of prophets). And no priests to consult. Why? Because Saul had them slaughtered back in chapter 22. So what does Saul do? Since God will not answer Him in the way Saul wants to hear, or better yet, since Saul refuses to discern what the silence of God may mean, Saul seeks out a medium, a witch, a person who attempts to consult with the dead. Do you see the spiritual foolishness that is going on? The absolute desperation being exhibited by Saul. But once again, spiritual foolishness is nothing new with Saul. And so we have to ask ourselves, how self-seeking are our attempts to gain God’s ear?

Our faith must grow and mature as we walk in our relationship with Christ.   ~~~   Do you have a green thumb? I like to think I do. I mean I love plants and over the years I’ve had many. Some of them have done really well and others, not so much. I love the beauty of plants. I love the health benefits of having plants. One plant, or tree, I currently have is a ten foot fiddle leaf fig I named Felix. I’ve had Felix the fiddle leaf now for almost ten years and overall he’s done great, but in this season, he’s looking a little rough. If you’ve ever owned a fiddle leaf fig, you know they are quite moody. They actually like to be ignored, but don’t neglect them. They need filtered sun, but not direct sun because they’ll burn. They like being root bound, but don’t let their roots sit in water for too long. They’re complicated, but when the conditions are just right, they thrive, grow tall and are beautiful. We’re not much different are we? We can be oh so complicated, but when the conditions are right, we thrive, grow and become something beautiful. What does any plant need to survive? It’s really comes down to three things, soil, water and sun. A seed is just a seed until it’s buried in the soil, watered by the rain and strengthened by the sun. What was dead, is brought to life. There is so much potential in one little seed. I love the Spring because what was planted in the Fall is now blooming and what will be planted now will bear fruit in the season to come. Faith is like that. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, that little seed of faith should be growing. But just like any seed or young plant, you need things to nurture your faith so it will grow strong roots and mature into something beautiful. In the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13, Jesus uses the example of one of the smallest seeds and how THAT is like the kingdom of heaven. When planted, it grows, thrives and over time gives shelter and shade for all around it. Matthew 13:31-32 ​​He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” We are saved by grace alone, through faith. That tiny seed of faith is meant to grow! As it does, not only am I stronger but those around me experience the beauty and peace of God through the spiritual growth in my life. Deep roots and strong branches of a mature faith encourage others, give rest, bring shalom and strength for those on their journey. That’s how the body of Christ works! We comfort one another. We spur one another on. We grow stronger together as one body. The kingdom of heaven is made up of small seeds of faith planted in us. Those seeds of faith are meant to grow UP out of the weeds of this life to mature into mighty oaks of righteousness we read about in Isaiah 61:3. As we grow, no matter the storms or winds of this life, we are not moved or shaken. A mighty oak takes years to grow from a seed, so our hearts and lives take time to mature IN Christ. I think the question we can call ask is, “are we growing in our faith?” Spending time in prayer, digging into God’s word, being sharpened and encouraged by other believers, serving and building UP the body with our gifts are all things you need to grow in any season. Go read Ephesians chapter 4 and then James chapter 1. Those are great places to see where YOU are on the growth chart. There are marks of a mature believer just as there are marks of one that is immature or doesn't know Christ at all. The fruit is always evident. The good news is that wherever YOU are today, all it takes is a seed of faith for you to begin to grow. That’s the truth. What do you need in this season? Add more Jesus and I guarantee something beautiful will begin to grow. I’m Lori Cline.

The Bible sometimes lists things out of chronological order to emphasize importance.   ~~~   “This just in. We have breaking news to report.” When you hear those words, when your tv show, or even the news itself, is interrupted to bring you “breaking news,” you better believe that the interruption is more important than what you were previously watching. So it is with 1 Samuel 28. Right above verse 3, you could write in, “This just in, breaking news!” 1 Samuel 28 is an interruption into what we were studying in chapter 27. Chronologically speaking, what happens in chapter 28 actually takes place after 29, but the author deems it very important for us to know because he interrupts the flow of chapter 27 to tell us. And this is a bit strange because what we were studying in chapter 27 seemed pretty important. David had left the territory of Israel and entered and settled into Philistine country for a bit of safety and solace. And when we left that scene the Philistines were gearing up for a big war against the Israelites, David’s own people. We were waiting on the big resolution to that story, and that is when we heard the announcer say, “This just in.” What could be of more importance than David having to decide if he was going to fight against his very own people? What could be more intense? Well, you have two options. You can go read 1 Samuel 28 and find out for yourself. Or, you could do both. Or how about this—do both of those!

Believers must mature in our faith to make sure we can understand deeper truths.

God's plans for us do not always align with our expectations.

People's personalities can change when they switch languages.

Rest will come for all believers one day, but until then we find our strength in Jesus.   ~~~   Sometimes being against the world grows tiresome? Makes you weary? You sometimes just want some rest? There is a rest to be had. It is in Christ. Listen to me very closely. Notice with me what David did in 1 Samuel 27. He ran from one enemy, into the land of another, all in the hopes of finding rest. You will not be able to run to a place on this earth that is free from the enemy’s outpost. He will find you. He will wage war. He doesn’t care if you are tired. He doesn’t care if you are lonely, or sad, or mad, or hurt. He has zero compassion for you, and he takes zero days off. He is constantly at work. So you cannot be led into the thinking of just “escaping” for a bit. The only place of refuge is a person, and hiding yourself in Him. In Christ there is rest for your weary soul. And in Christ there is strength to continue to fight the enemy. We were redeemed to fight now and rest later. Our ultimate rest is coming. But now, in these last days, we fight in the strength of the Lord.

We cannot see the truth of who Jesus is unless He opens our eyes.   ~~~   Are you prepared to see it? You’ll need these glasses! It’s being called an extremely rare astronomical event and it’s happening in just a few days! I’m talking about the great North American total solar eclipse that will occur on April 8th. Now while yes, we do see annual eclipses, this one is special for many reasons that are WAY over my head. You can dig deeper into the fascinating timing and geometry of it all, but just know it will be something special to experience and millions in North America will have the opportunity to see it. In fact, areas that will be in the “path of totality”, as they call it, will be flooded with tourists wanting to see it first hand. But, to see it, you must be prepared. It is NEVER safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection designed and approved for solar viewing. If you do, you could cause permanent damage to your retinas. To see the eclipse safely, you will need solar viewing glasses or if you want to simply watch the shadow, you can use a pinhole projector or a colander from your kitchen. You see the fact is, there are steps you must take to be able to fully see and experience what will take place in the sky this month. If you don’t follow those steps, you won’t see it. Often there is a process to really seeing and understanding what it is you’re seeing. I couldn’t help but think of when Jesus healed a blind man. This healing is only recorded in the book of Mark and what I love about how it unfolds is that there was a process to this blind man being made to fully see. Mark 8:22-25 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. This man was blind. He couldn’t see anything. He was brought to Jesus. There was a bit of a process to him gaining his sight. Jesus took him by the hand. He, without seeing, followed. At first his vision was a bit blurry. He could only partly see. Then after another touch from Jesus, he saw everything, clearly. Isn’t that interesting. This was no accident. Everything Jesus did and the way He did it had meaning and purpose. This mans sight came in stages. He didn’t see clearly at first. Isn’t that just like the disciples. They were so close to Jesus. He revealed himself as messiah in so many ways, still they didn’t fully see or understand until His resurrection. Only Jesus has the power to open our eyes to see our need for Him OR to see where we have been blind in our own eyes. The blind man absolutely knew he was blind, but what he didn’t see was his need for Jesus until his eyes were opened. It’s no accident you are seeing this today. You’ve been brought face to face with truth. The question is, are you prepared to see it? Jesus wants to open your eyes so you can look up and clearly see your need for a savior OR maybe see areas in your life where you’ve been blinded by sin. Take the steps you need to take right now to see clearly. Jesus is waiting to show you what you’ve been missing. That’s the truth. Don’t miss this opportunity. Like the rare total solar eclipse that will take place, this may be the day God has prepared your heart and eyes to see where you’ve been blind. I’m Lori Cline.

The temperatures are warming up here in Arkansas and that means it's time to hit the water for some fishing! Shaun and Hunter are trying to reel in some buffalo, but are they going about it the right way?

Memorization is an important part of daily Bible study.

We should avoid talking down to ourselves and discouraging ourselves.   ~~~   Beware of being tired. Beware of self-talk. The events of chapter 27—the moving away from the Promised Land into Philistine territory, the gaining of Ziklag, the raiding, the manipulating, the being caught in a trap, all begins with what David says to himself. He was led astray by his own self-talk. He talked himself and others away from God’s temple, away from God’s people, away from God’s worship. David replaced the word of God with his own words. David had previously been told by Jonathan, his trusted friend, and by Abigail, a faithful servant, that he would reign as king over Israel. But instead of holding on to those words of grace from God, David spoke to himself, not what the eyes of faith could see, but only what human perspective could discern. And he walked away from God’s designed place into the enemy territory. It seems to me that anytime you are consistently walking away from the worship of God, away from God’s people, you are walking into temptation’s trap.

Here’s why!

Christians must examine ourselves to make sure we're walking in faith.

Humans tend to break more rules when they find one that is too strict.

When we experience the undeserved love and grace of God, we can’t help but share it with others.   ~~~   Do you get uncomfortable when someone does something for you? I can. If we were to get real honest, real quick, I know the root of that uncomfortable feeling often is control, mixed with a bit of pride, which has deeper roots of hurt and distrust. I know it well. You see we want to do things ourselves. We don’t want help. We don’t want to depend on anyone. When we can’t do something on our own and we really need help, we face a crisis. Will we accept help in our time of need? My husband and I learned this lesson early in our marriage. We were moving from an apartment to our first home in Houston, TX. We had scheduled movers in the evening to miss the heat of the day. Our movers stood us up. We loaded up what we could in our cars and drove to our new home planning to move the next day. In that season we were a part of a small community church. When we drove up, we were met with a row of trucks and SUVS. Our faith family wasn’t going to let us reschedule anything. They were there to move us. They were there to wash our feet. To say we were uncomfortable was an understatement. Our no you’re not, was met with, you have a need and yes we are. We were in need. We were humbled. We were blessed. When we don’t admit or even recognize our need, we miss an opportunity to be blessed. John 13:3-9 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Peter didn’t see the big picture. He didn’t see HIS need in this moment. Jesus wanted him to see what it’s really all about, love and humble service for one another. Doesn’t it often take laying our pride down to see the bigger picture in moments or seasons God is at work. What Peter saw made him very uncomfortable, but what was at first uncomfortable became a lesson learned in not only how to serve, but also in how to submit. Who’s feet are you washing? Who are you allowing to wash yours? Don’t miss a blessing and don’t miss being blessed. This is how the body of Christ works. We need one another and we need to love one another. When we surrender our lives to Jesus, we receive the undeserved love and grace of God. When you experience it, you can’t help but share it with others. We do that in how we submit one to another and in how we love and serve one another. That IS the big picture. That’s the truth. Friends we are all in NEED of a savior. You can’t save yourself. Jesus IS the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. He wants to wash you clean today, all of you! I pray you let Him. He is the only one who can. If you missed any of this months broadcasts where we looked deeper into the words of Jesus, you can find them all at Lifeword.org. Thanks for listening. I’m Lori Cline.

When we are most tired of our struggle, we must be aware of the temptation to quit.   ~~~   Several years ago our family went snow-skiing. And one of my favorite things as a father was to ski with my kids, who had never been btw, down a pretty significant slope, and then when we got to a stopping point or to the bottom of the hill, to turn them around and have them look at what they had just conquered. And then say with excitement in my voice, “You want to do it again?” Sometimes the answer, after having looked at the scale of the accomplishment, sometimes the answer was, “No! Absolutely not!” In the actual event of the skiing there is adrenaline. But once you get finished, and you look back towards what you just did, you recognize the magnitude of it, and don’t think that you have it in you. Adrenaline is gone and fear rises, and incapacitates you, even though you were just successful. This seems to be the possible case with David. There was a great victory. And now looking back at what is left of that victory, namely that Saul was not repentant at all, which left David still on the run, the prospecting of keeping up the fight wore him down. More exile, more running. This has been going on for years now, 8-10 perhaps. And it is not just David, it is David’s 600 men, compared to 3000 choice men of Saul. And then we are told that it is not just David’s mighty men, but also wives and children, including two of David’s own wives. David is the leader. He is responsible not just for their safety, but those wives and children. And food! Where do you find food? A band of warrior men might put up with the life of exile and hiding, fighting, midnight escapes, daring raids, but not the wives and the children. And David has been at this for years! When will it let up, settle down? I can’t imagine the pressure, the mental exhaustion, the spiritual fatigue David must have been under, the longing for peace and quiet, stability and ease. And it is at that point that we need to be aware of temptation. It was at that point that Jesus warned his disciples, “Take heed, watch, lest you enter into temptation.” Do you know what the temptation was in that situation? It was sleep. The temptation to rest and sleep in such an important time of their lives. They were afraid. Jesus had just told them that he was leaving. Judas had just walked out. Tensions were high! It could be very easy for us to look at a passage like this, without giving it much thought, and just say, “David just should have trusted God more,” without giving any thought to the stress, pressure, turmoil, ache in his life. Many of you can identify with David right here, can’t you? When will this end? You have been fighting against the enemy, you have even been having victories, learning spiritual truths, but things in your life just don’t seem to change or be advancing at all, and you just want a vacation from it. Let’s just stop the rollercoaster because you want off of it. And it is at that point that you must be on guard against temptation.

If you're wondering how you could possibly love your enemy. Let's take a closer look at his passage.

We must be aware of our own tiredness so that we encourage ourselves rather than running.   ~~~   Without even realizing it, we can slip into the sneaky clutches of sin. Sin is real, and can be real sneaky. So what must I do in my fight against the sneakiness, deceptive nature of sin? In 1 Samuel, we are given a glimpse into the sneakiness of sin. Not every story in the Bible is a story of victory. Many times we are given stories of what not to do. And we learn that even though David is a man after God’s own heart, he is still a man of flesh. He is not our hero. He can’t be. Sin snuck up on him in the most appetizing of ways, and he succumbed. This text is a bit of a cliffhanger. The story here is interrupted in chapter 28 with an episode of Saul’s depravity, and we do not read of a resolution to David’s dilemma here in chapter 27 until chapter 29. But all of that is done by the narrator in hopes of adding a sense of excitement for us as the reader and to make us lean in and give thought to all that is going on. Leaning in would be very good for us at this point. We would do well to pay attention to this text, because I promise you, that just as sin snuck up on David, sin is crouching at your door. Sin is taking note right now to see if you are taking notes right now. So if you will, work with me to recognize two actions you must take in your fight and struggle against sin. What can I do in my Struggle Against Sin? Beware of being tired. And it is this question that is most interesting to us today as we consider 1 Samuel 27. In chapter 26 David had just bagged a physical and spiritual victory. He had successfully entered into Saul’s camp while they slept, not giving into temptation to kill him, but yet taking Saul’s spear and canteen, as a demonstration that Saul’s life was not well protected at all. David had just preached a convicting sermon to Saul telling him he needed to repent or else he would be found on the wrong side of God’s judgment. But then in the opening line of chapter 27, David says that he is probably going to die by the sword of Saul. What is going on? David is all kinds of tired that he just wants to escape from the fight. We must be aware of when our soul is tired so that we can know how to encourage ourselves, and not try to run and hide.

We have an easier time remembering beginnings and endings than middles.

The plan God put in place from the beginning was to save a broken and dying world.   ~~~   When was the last time you really prayed? I love the phrase, pray till you pray. When I pray till I pray, that’s when I REALLY pray. That kind of prayer is not a quick, ‘thank you God for this day’, followed by a ‘please Jesus let that light turn green’, on the way to work. Now while those are fine too, time spent with the Father is intentional and takes… well, time. I love the example we have in Jesus. Time with the Father wasn’t optional for Him. It was vital, like breathing. He prayed after being baptized. He prayed all night before calling His disciples, after healing people, before trips, early in the mornings, before feeding the five thousand, in front of Jewish leaders and for 40 days in the desert. He was in constant communion with the Father. I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to ‘pray without ceasing’ and that’s how we see Jesus pray. It’s a life lived OUT in and through prayer as we move through our moments and our days. Every moment IS holy and God is with us and wants to guide us through each one. There is divine purpose in our days, and prayer slows us down to recognize it. All this month at Lifeword.org I’ve been looking closer at the words of Jesus. Today I wanted to focus more on His prayers and the one specifically we find in John 17. The time is close at hand for Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. In this chapter, which is a part of what is known as the Upper Room Discourse, we see Jesus wrap things up with a prayer. He prays for himself, His Disciples and all who will believe. I want to highlight three parts of this prayer. As Jesus prays for Himself, He knows the time has come and in these moments He confirms the calling and mission that was set before Him. John 17:3-4 ​​Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. Jesus’ work and life on earth was coming to an end. The cross was before Him and in this time with the Father he states again the will and WAY of the Father. His will is that we spend eternity with Him. The way is Jesus and the work has been done. Jesus then prays for His disciples, His friends. They have been faithful to the word and they have believed. He prays for their unity, joy and protection from evil. John 17:16-18 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. His prayer for the disciples was a reminder there is more to come and that they stay on the path of truth. The next phase of God’s plan was about to unfold and they would carry the gospel forward from here. Then He prays for me. Yep, He had me on His mind. If you believe, the last part of chapter 17 is for you as well. His desire is for God to be glorified through OUR lives as WE walk in unity, love and follow His ways. He ends His prayer for us with these words. John 17:26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. Through Jesus, I am KNOWN by the Father. How deep and wide is the Father’s love for us? He loved us so much He sent His son Jesus so we might be saved and KNOW Him. That same love of God is in me. His spirit abides in me and I am His and He is mine. How beautiful the words of our savior to the Father on our behalf before carrying out the final mission and plan on the cross. Remember, the plan God put in place before the earth was even formed, was to redeem a broken and dying world. Jesus came to bring peace. He came to die. You were on His mind. I was on His mind. He interceded for us then and he intercedes for us now and His desire is for us to know Him and make Him known. That’s the truth. Pray till you pray today and be known and loved by the Father. I’m Lori Cline.

The life of Jesus is the only offering necessary to make us right with God.   ~~~   In our study of 1 Samuel 26, we have come to the point to where David sneaks up on King Saul’s bodyguard, Abner, and wakes him up. Saul entrusts himself to Abner; Abner entrusts himself to Saul, but God made them both fall into a deep sleep so that they are confronted by God’s chosen one. David takes Saul’s spear (power and protection) and also his water jug (provision) so that once again Saul is left powerless against David, and God. Then David extends the grace of the gospel—repent and return to God. “Saul, is it possible that God is trying to get you to see your hard-heartedness? Your greed? Your paranoia? If that be the case, then repent! Turn from your pride and selfishness, and turn to God!” If that is not the case, Saul, then it must be men who have convinced you to chase me down, and if that is the case, may they be cursed. Either way, if Saul does not heed this warning, then he ends up in a cursed camp. And this part of the story is for some of you today, who have lived as if you are the masters of your own fate, the kings of your own souls. Heed the warning. You are in a dangerous camp today. You are not as protected as you think you are. God’s everlasting judgment will sneak upon you, in all your so-called safety, and take from you your protection and life. That is the siren call we hear in this story. Just as David and Abner snuck into that camp, and took Saul’s spear and water jug, signs of power, authority, protection, and life, so too will God take from you those things, and then you will be left exposed and utterly vulnerable. What offering do you have to present in order to make peace with God? My friend, the offering has been made. That is the glory of the good news that God delivers to us in Christ. It is just as we said earlier—Jesus on the cross is the offering. You have nothing you can bring that will please God, that will atone for or erase your sinfulness. You need a perfect sacrifice, and that is why Jesus came, God in the flesh, to be the sacrifice for all those who would find their hope, their everlasting treasure in him. And the gifts of Christ are peace with God, forgiveness of sin, the indwelling of the Spirit. Would you come to Him today? Would you forsake your sinfulness and land in the arms of Christ today? Come to Him in faith, in belief, that His life, death, resurrection, is the complete and sufficient atoning sacrifice that you are in desperate need of. Come to Him as the King of your life!

Once we understand what a Bible text is saying and how we should respond, we can look at application.