A Tale of Two “PKs”

*Old Testament: 1 Samuel 7-8

Poetry: Psalm 66

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 8

As a preacher with kids, married to the daughter of a preacher, who was the son of a preacher, I know a fair share of PKs. You’ve heard the term, or maybe something like it : preacher’s kid, pastor’s kid. It is at once a purely descriptive term and a stereotype; his father is a pastor, so he must have problems. I think any such stereotypes are untrue; again I am married to a pastor’s daughter and have my own! But, the stereotype comes from somewhere. Often kids of prominent figures must do more than the average kid to “find themself” and feel like they are being defined by their family of origin. This can lead to precocious behavior and rebellion. I have also heard sad stories of men and women who “gave everything to the church,” to the work they were called to do, forget that their first calling was to their home, to love and raise their children first. 

The sad truth is that, whatever the reason, Samuel’s faith didn’t make it to his sons. Preacher’s kids (prophet’s kids?) through and through, they fit the unfortunate stereotype. They did not follow the ways of their father. We can’t know if Samuel did everything he could and they rebelled or Samuel was absent and they didn’t have the chance to learn. But they were dishonest and greedy. They were being set up to be the next leaders (judges) of Israel, but Israel did not want them. 

Remember the pattern of Israel through Judges. The nation of Israel is oppressed and cries out to the Lord. The Lord provides a judge to crush their enemies and guide them well. Israel thanks God but over time loses sight of his ways. They disobey God and turn away from him and he causes a nation to go in and remind them to follow him. So a nation goes in to oppress Israel and the nation of Israel cries out… and the cycle repeats. The time had come however, when the Israelites didn’t want to rely on the Lord for their deliverance. They want to have a king, a Powerful King (PK) to rule over them. 

Why? Because, though the people of Israel might think they are avoiding those who are greedy and rebellious, the greedy rebellion is happening as they speak: they are rebelling against God by asking for a Powerful King over them. How? Didn’t God want them to have a king? Maybe, in his own time and in his own way, he would bring about a king after his own heart without the elders asking for it, but it was the motive of the elders that was terrible. The elders say “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” (1 Samuel 8:5) They say “God, we don’t want to rely on you. God, we don’t want you to be our king and to speak to us through prophets. God, we want to have a king like everyone else!”

We don’t want to be special. To be different. To stick out. We want to be like everyone else. And God hears their hearts “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” Samuel warns them kings are powerful, kings are harsh… “Davids” will be the exception; “Sauls” will be the rule. But they say “There shall be a king over us, that we may be like all the nations, that our king may rule us and go out and fight our battles.”

Why talk about prophet’s kids and powerful kings? Both are a rejection of the best God has for us; the sons of Samuel rejected the words of their father and lived lives that were corrupt and evil and despised. They had the opportunity to lead the people of Israel, to be remembered as a judge over God’s people, and they squandered it. But the elders fared no better. Rather than asking for a word from the Lord, they want to get away from God being their only king and have a king like everyone else, to be like everyone else. 

May you today accept that you are called to be different, and accept Jesus Christ as the King who rules over you, to make you different, unique, and not like everyone else.

May you not rebel against the good things taught to you by your parents or parents in the faith. When you learn true thing about the Lord, from whatever source, may you honor it, and not reject the good things that come to you from those who came before. 

May rebellion and rejecting God be far from *us* today. 

The Lord help us, judge us and lead us. Amen.

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Faithful Kids: Who were your parents in the faith? Was it your mom and dad? An aunt or uncle? A friend or pastor or youth worker? What did they teach you that stuck with you? If they are still alive, do they know the impact they had on you? Reach out and let them know how their life impacted your own!
  2. Not like Everyone Else: How many times have you wished to be like everyone else? That your clothes, your hair, your face, your nose, didn’t make you stick out? That the way you walked or talked or believed didn’t make you weird? The message from scripture is to embrace the weird way Jesus calls us to because normal doesn’t seem to be working! It’s weird to have a full life, a hopeful life, a passionate life. That’s weird… and it’s what Jesus offers!
  3. A Good King: Jesus has the right and ability to take everything, but I have found that the more I give to Jesus, the more he gives back to me. I give him my home for his use, but I have been given the home of every believer who shows hospitality. I give him my money for his use, but I know that if I need support, I will find It. I give him my very life, and he gives me a life worth living. Will you let the good king have all that he demands? Will you be ready to receive the blessings that he will give in return?
sglcalendar2024Download

“My God is Bigger than Your God!”

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 5-6

Poetry: Psalm 65

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 7

Did you know Marduk had fifty names? 

It’s OK if you don’t, because most people wouldn’t because we don’t normally know the number of names of ancient gods of dead civilizations. 

But Marduk had fifty!

Two of my kids have four names, and sometimes that feels like three too many!

Why did he have that many?

Because scholars rarely agree on anything, there are many different reasons for this, but there was a common idea in the ancient world that what happened in the physical world was merely an echo of what was happening in the spiritual world. When Babylon took over other cities, they would claim that the god of Babylon, that is, Marduk, had defeated the god or gods of the city or tribe they just defeated. Marduk got a lot of name because Babylon overcame many enemies and they merged together the defeated gods with the great god so that he supplanted even their chief deity by the end of the poem of creation of the Babylonians. 

The school-yard-like taunt between the ancient nations was “My god is bigger than your god!”

This is where we make it to our story today. The Philistines worship a god named Dagon/Dagan, and so when they defeat the Israelites, they wheel the Ark into the temple of Dagon. Because he is bigger, better and stronger than YHWH; right? At least, that’s what the Philistines think. But the destroyed, worshipping statue of their god boasts different things. 

The Old Testament is full of imagery of the great power of God over other “gods.” In the Exodus, God is powerful over the Egyptian deities; he turns off Ra and brings low Pharaoh, among others. In the exile, God is shown to be powerful over his foes in both the last part of Job (where YHWH is subtlety compared to many gods) and in the return from exile, where his people walk free in the year he declared he would bring them back. Here in 1 Samuel, Dagan “worships” God by falling prostrate before him, and the Philistines, while trying to taunt and control God, decide the ark is more trouble than it’s worth.

Some ancient gods have no reality at all; the power of other gods seem to come from demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20) But no matter their reality, their falsehood, their existence or the lack thereof, 

Our God is greater. 

Our God is better. 

“My God is better than your god!” And he actually is!

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions:

  1. Marduk. Enlil. Baal. Zeus. Jupiter. There are many gods of the ancient world that claim the title of top God. How can we know there can be only one true God? How would you talk to a friend who is open to the existence of multiple gods or even multiple pantheons of gods? How would you tailor your message to speak to them.
  2. We shouldn’t ignore the two different plagues. Why did the Philistines have a plague affect them? Why did the people of Beth Shemesh have a plague affect them? What do these two plagues teach us about God?
sglcalendar2024Download

God on Call?

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3-4

Poetry: Psalm 64

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 6

I want to be very clear from the outset: YHWH, the God who created everything, who spoke the universe into existence, who watches the explosions of supernovas and the random dance of  each of the electrons in the subatomic particles, THIS God is *on your side*. YHWH (usually written as LORD in the Bible) is a *someone* who has relationships, not just a power or a force; he loves you and wants to be with you in the Kingdom, the eternal life after death on the Earth made new. To that end, God gave us his son Jesus of Nazareth, to die in our place and for our sins so that we could be forgiven and live eternally. God did not have to do that but he did because he is on our side, even when we haven’t been on his. 

BUT…

God is not “on call”. 

Have you ever wondered why witchcraft was banned in Israel? (Ex. 22:17, Lev. 19:26) Part of it is that God wanted the Israelites to have a clean break with everything that was in the land of Canaan before them. But there was an ancient belief that by practicing witchcraft, humans could control the supernatural. When God revealed that he is the only God, then witchcraft was a presumption that humans can control God, that we can make demands on the Almighty. This was still the assumption of the culture all the way to the time of the early church (see Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:9-24).

Read 1 Samuel 4:2-4 again. The Israelites are defeated by the Philistines. At that point, they probably should have prayed to know the will of the Lord. They could have sacrificed and cast the urim and thummim to discern the wise solution. But what they actually did was to try and control God. “Let’s take the Ark, and it will deliver us!” Or, said another way, “God certainly won’t let us lose if we carry his Ark into battle; he’ll have to let us win!” They don’t look to the God who would deliver them; they were looking to the tools that were used to remind them of God. 

We don’t have the Ark today; maybe it was melted down by the Babylonians, or maybe it was taken to Ethiopia, or maybe it’s on Oak Island. No one knows, and it doesn’t really matter. We don’t want to fall into the same trap that the Israelites did. We shouldn’t presume that God will do what we desire, even though he is on our side. 

Today, we don’t march with the ark, but we think of God in wrong ways. Some of the WRONG ways to think about God are:

  • God is a loving grandfather, who dotes upon his grandkids and makes sure to sneak them candy or a crisp $5 bill when mom and dad aren’t looking. The grandkids may not ask, but they do expect. 
  • God is a genie, who will grant our wishes when we believe hard enough and pray long enough. 
  • God is a vending machine; we put in the “belief” and “prayer” coins and God spits out the requested deliverance. At this point, God has lost all personality.  

What happens to those who presume to demand God show up when and how they desire? Death, destruction, pain, and despair. (1 Samuel 4 is a depressing chapter!)

But there is a better word for you. God is on your side, and you approach him as a father that has the best plans for you, even though that may be painful work to make you full and complete. You must approach him as God, believing that he will work all things for good and knowing that the ultimate good of the universe is His glory and our worship, not our happiness or comfort.  You must approach him as God, that hears and responds to the prayers of his people, but not beholden to us to work like a machine at his request. 

May we honor the God who is not controlled by us, but is on our side!

Questions

  1. If you do not know the saving power and love of God, seek that out today. God REALLY is on your side. He loves you deeply, he wants the best for you, and he knows what you need better than even you do. Will you trust in him to bring you to life and salvation?
  2. How have you treated God in ways other than God deserves to be treated? Have you thought of God as your grandfather, or your genie, or your vending machine? Maybe some other way that you make demands of God? If you have, how can you repent, and trust in God without demanding anything of him?
  3. “God’s ultimate goal is his glory, not your happiness.” This is one of the hardest truths to accept when pride and the flesh is still being worked out of us. How can we give God the glory and worship he deserves, and not get hung up on our own desires, preferences, and pleasures?

Jake Ballard

sglcalendar2024Download

1 Samuel – Day 1

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 63

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 5

People have done so many word studies on the Bible that, based on the translation and the parameters, we know almost everything there is to know about word usage. Take, for example, this link : https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/ken.flerlage/viz/BibleWordAnalysis_0/Books

The guy who made this “tableau” was simply trying to understand all world religions, starting with the Bible; similar to the way someone might analyze the words of a politician to see if they should vote for him or her. What I found fascinating is that if you focus on 1-2 Samuel, the word “Samuel” is used 126 times. The guy the books are named after only shows up that many times, and only a little bit after he dies. I also don’t mean he is *mentioned* after he dies, I mean he literally *shows up*. However, besides “Lord” there is one word used more than any other:

David. 484 times. “Lord” is only used 517. 

Over the next two weeks, we are going to focus on the story of the kingdom of Israel and the earliest part of the story of their kings.

But today, as you read about Elkanah, Hannah, Peninnah, these baby-mamas and their baby-drama, it is important to set the scene for the next few books. The life of Samuel, born to Hannah and raised in the temple, was a time of transition. The people of Israel have been led for hundreds of years (something between 350-410 years) by judges. Judges were men and women who were divinely empowered to rule the people of Israel after they cried out to the Lord. And they ruled well. But the problem, as the Israelites will come to see it, is that Israel is not like the other nations. They wanted a king upon the earth, so that they could look like everyone else. But, in doing so, they rejected God, who was to be the only king who would reign over them.

So, through Samuel, God institutes the first kings of Israel. While this is not the path God wanted for his people (as we shall see), God, ever good and ever wise, allowed his people to make this choice and then used their choice, their rebellion, their sin, to be a way that he would show his glory. He took the people of Israel turning their back on him and worked it into his plan to bring about the Messiah. The judges ruled through empowerment, but the kings ruled through birthright. God indicated that the Messiah would be the child of King David. You have just finished reading Ruth, and God used this Moabitess in order to bring about the Great King of Israel, even the man after God’s own heart. God is in the business of using things we would never think to use in order to bring about greater things than we could ever imagine; he is an artist that strikes the canvas with a color that at first doesn’t look right, but with the right blending, the right technique, and the right eye, turns what seems to be a mistake into a work of art. 

We have two weeks to cover 1 Samuel, the Kingdom of Israel, and King David. 

Let’s begin. 

  1. Comparing Judges and Kings: While it’s true that God did not want his people to have a King (because they were rejecting God’s Kingship), the book of judges itself does not paint the kingship in a bad light. Read Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25. Why does the author use the specific refrain we read in those verses? What is the king implied to bring?
  2. Faith History: Jesus’s family tree includes the neglected Tamar, the harlot Rahab, the Moabite Ruth, the survivor of assault Bathsheba, and the many murderers, liars, cheats and swindlers that make up everyone’s family tree. What stories about your history can you bring to the foot of the cross because it doesn’t define you? God does not care where you came from, only the faith you have today.
  3. Personal History: While it should not cause us to misbehave on purpose, it is an encouraging thought that God can take even our mistakes and use them for our good. What are parts of your life that you would like to forget? Parts that when you tell your story you leave out? The power and goodness of our God and the love and grace of Jesus means that even those parts can become cause for joy about what God has done in spite of our evil, or the wickedness or brokenness of the world. 

-Jake Ballard

sglcalendar2024Download

All-Surpassing Power

Old Testament: Ruth 4

Poetry: Psalms 62

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4 teaches us that we have the ability to endure hardship. We are able to endure hardships because we have God’s help. As Christians we have to remember that since God has the ability to raise the dead, he also has the ability to give us the strength to handle hard situations or remove us from those situations altogether. 2 Corinthians 4:7 states:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

Paul refers to the power that can save us as “treasure in jars of clay”. This treasure cannot be found from worldly things. There is no amount of podcasts or self-help books that will save you the way only God’s power can save us. Paul goes on to remind us that even when we feel the pressure of our problems, we are not broken.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

2 Corinthians 4 leaves us with an important reminder. The problems we have to deal with now are only temporary and it is an opportunity for God to work within us. If we remain faithful, we will one day live eternally without worldly troubles.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. What have you done that could only be done with God’s power? Are you using God’s power to the fullest?
  2. When have you felt “hard pressed…but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed”? What makes the difference and gives you hope even in difficult situations?
  3. What temporary or “light and momentary” troubles has God already seen you through?
sglcalendar2024Download

A Hope that Makes You Bold

OlD Testament: Ruth 3

Poetry: Psalms 62

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 3

A major theme in 2 Corinthians 3 is boldness. 2 Corinthians 3:12 states:

“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”

In this verse we also see the word hope. Hope is different in the Bible than it is in the English language. Hope as an English word often conveys doubt, but almost always in the New Testament the word hope is the Greek elpis/elpizo. There is no doubt attached to this word. This means that when we see the word hope in the Bible, we know it means confidence and security.

So, if there is no doubt in this type of hope, let me ask you a question. What would change in your demeanor if you knew… I mean really knew that the hope you have is assured? If you already knew you won the game or aced the test, you would be bold and confident in what you are trying to do. Biblical hope is a reality, not just a feeling. It’s a sure foundation that we can build our lives on.

Kirk Cameron once asked the question, if you had the cure for cancer would you keep it to yourself, or would you share it? If you knew you could save someone’s life you would be more bold. As Christians we have the opportunity to save people by being bold with our faith. We are called to give an answer to anyone that would ask.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith?

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. What would change in your demeanor if you knew… I mean really knew that the hope you have is assured? How would you explain your hope – and how it is different from a hope with doubt?
  2. When was the last time you were bold enough to share your faith?
  3. How can you boldly share your faith today? Will you?
sglcalendar2024Download

Turn to Forgive

Old Testament: Ruth 2

Poetry: Psalms 62 (again-what do you notice, today?)

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 2

In 2 Corinthians 2 Paul teaches us how we should forgive as Christians. Paul expresses the idea that the people who grieved him should not be met with revenge, but instead with reconciliation.

“Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”

Unfortunately, some Christians today have a false definition of forgiveness. We have all heard the saying “I can forgive, but I can’t forget”. When you forgive someone, you don’t keep track of their wrongdoings. This is a way we show love as Christians. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 states:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs”

Why is Paul so willing to practice forgiveness? It’s because he has been forgiven by God through Jesus. When we feel it’s “too hard” to forgive someone we have to remember how often we are forgiven ourselves.

Forgiveness needs to become part of our new nature. As image bearers of God, we need to become forgiving like God is. We need to recognize that forgiveness is part of God’s nature (Exodus 34:6-7), just as many people in the Bible recognized that God’s nature was forgiving (Numbers 14:17-19). If God is forgiveness we need to be forgiving. Forgiveness was the mission of Jesus Christ, let that be our mission as well.

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. When have you forgiven someone else? How did that make you feel?
  2. What is the problem with unforgiveness? What is the connection between unforgiveness and being “outwitted by Satan”? (see verse 11)
  3. Explain how God has forgiven. Have you accepted His forgiveness through accepting His Son? If so, how can you pass forgiveness on to others? If not, why not?
sglcalendar2024Download

Delighting in Lies

Old Testament: Ruth 1

*Poetry: Psalm 62

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 1

One major theme in Psalms 62 is slander. According to Merriam-Webster slander is “the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation.” In this Psalm, David is being slandered by his enemies. He shares in Psalms 62:3-4 about the way he is being slandered:

“How long will you assault me?

    Would all of you throw me down—

    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

Surely they intend to topple me

    from my lofty place;

    they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

    but in their hearts they curse.”

Have you ever been the victim of slander, or even slandered someone else? Slander is a form of gossip. In my personal opinion, slander is one of the biggest issues we have in the church today. Slander is gossip personified—it’s deliberately telling information with the intent of harming someone else. Slander is not only an Old Testament issue, it’s talked about throughout the Bible. In Romans 1:28-32, Paul lists the traits of someone who is not close to God and slander is included within the list.

“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;” (Romans 1:29-30)

We need to find ways to move away from these things. Colossians 3:7-8 states:

“You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

The only way we can move away from slander is with a new heart. Psalms 62 is a poem of instruction on trust. We need to trust that God will deal with our enemies, so we don’t need to take revenge. The Psalm tells us that we should trust in God, but if we trust in men or our negative emotions, we are depending on that which is lighter than breath. We must remember what is said in Psalms 62:12:

“You reward everyone according to what they have done.”

If we are slandering, God will not reward us but judge us.

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. How much do you value and appreciate the truth from others? Do you hold yourself to the same standard when it comes to gossip, lies and slander?
  2. How does trusting in God relate to your feelings and expectations, words and actions toward anyone you might consider your enemy?
sglcalendar2024Download

Hear My Cry

Old Testament: Judges 20 & 21

*Poetry: Psalm 61

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 16

Have you ever been in a situation where you have come to God in desperation, feeling depressed, angry, or scared? In Psalm 61 David is crying out to God in a time of need. Many people believe David wrote this about when his son temporarily pushed him from the throne. Sometimes we view asking God for help as weakness but it is evident in the Bible that it’s not. Throughout the Bible we see people crying out to God. Jesus cried out to God and we read in Hebrews 5:7, 

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

There are three main takeaways from Psalms 61:


1. We need to cry out to God when we are hurting, which is expressed in the first two verses which reads

“Hear my cry, O God;

    listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

2. We need to have confidence and faith that God will answer our cries, which is expressed in verses 5-7 which reads

“For you, God, have heard my vows;

    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Increase the days of the king’s life,
    his years for many generations.

May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.”

3. We need to have a commitment and loyalty to God which is expressed in verse 8 which reads

“Then I will ever sing in praise of your name

    and fulfill my vows day after day.”

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. When have you cried out to God when you were feeling scared, angry, depressed or in desperation?
  2. What does it mean to you that God is the Rock higher than you? How do you approach Him in prayer?
  3. Do you have confidence in Him? Are you committed to Him?
sglcalendar2024Download

1 Corinthians 15

Old Testament: Judges 18 & 19

Poetry: Psalm 60

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15 is a chapter all about resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15 there were people within the church who don’t believe in the resurrection and feel like it’s not an important belief of being a Christian.

Unfortunately, this is still a belief held by some people today. There are people in the world that teach that the death and resurrection of Christ never really happened, instead it’s just a made up story. Some people even try to water down the gospel and come up with scenarios that are more “plausible” than Jesus dying and being resurrected. This is an incredibly dangerous thought process as the validity of the resurrection gives us purpose as Christians.

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul reminds those that don’t believe in the resurrection that there is evidence it happened. There were hundreds of eyewitnesses that saw Jesus alive after being publicly executed by the Romans. Paul then goes on to explain that without the resurrection we are all lost. In 1 Corinthians 15:17-18 Paul says

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”

Paul is essentially saying that without the resurrection our faith is pointless. We are unable to be saved and our loved ones are unable to be raised from the dead. Paul then goes on to remind us that the resurrection is real! The resurrection of Jesus reminds us of what’s really important in our lives, to glorify God during our lives on Earth.

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Why does it matter if you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ or not?
  2. Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
  3. How can you put into action verses 57 & 58, Paul’s concluding words on the resurrection and the difference it should make in our lives?
sglcalendar2024Download