Penhold Church of Hope

In 2 Samuel 4, we continue to see David patiently trusting in God's promises in His timing even when others try to bring about those promises according to own plans and schemes.

As the record of 2 Samuel 3 continues, a vengeful Joab makes his move on a foolish Abner. Both men are cautionary examples of how sin and pride affect our decisions.

Amid a civil war in Israel, Saul's cousin and former commander positions himself to be kingmaker over the nation. As we follow the story in 2 Samuel 3, we are reminded of the natural consequences of not following God's design.

As the Penhold Church of Hope celebrates its first service in a new-to-us church building, we must remember that the church isn't the building or an event. It is the people joined together as brothers and sisters in God's family.

As Penhold Church of Hope begins its next chapter, we remind one another of God's guidance and goodness in bringing us to this point.

Using example for the life of Elijah, church member Jonathan Reimer shows that God is enough for all our circumstances even if it is not in the way we might expect or desire.

After Saul's death, the nation of Israel moves toward civil war spurred on by the sins of Abner reminding us that our sins can have a much wider effect that we expect.

The way forward may seem clear and obvious, but as David demonstrates in the opening chapters of 2 Samuel, it is important that we bring everything to God and wait on His timing and direction.

2 Samuel opens with David's discovery of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. His response teaches us about what it looks like to love our enemies. Discover more about the Bible Project at bibleproject.com. The video by the Bible Project "Book of 1 Samuel Summary: A Complete Animated Overview" is available here: https://youtu.be/QJOju5Dw0V0?feature=shared

The world continues to become busier and noisier. Through Isaiah, God reminds us how we find His strength amid the chaos.

Christmas is based a hopeful myth but rather, as Luke's writing make clear, the historical event of the Messiah's arrival at a real place and time.

Matthew's selection by Jesus to be His disciple was shocking given his occupation as an Israelite working as a Roman tax collector. Yet, Matthew is exactly the kind of person Jesus came to save, a fact that Matthew highlights in his perspective of Christmas.

Several names are used to refer to Jesus, each teaching us something new about God's Son.

Christmas according to John brings our attention to the eternal nature of the infant born in Bethlehem.

Christ's arrival on earth wasn't witnessed just by those who were there. Witnesses to the Christmas story are found throughout the Bible offering their unique glimpse into this history-altering event. This advent season we'll see Christmas according to several Biblical authors, beginning with Isaiah.

We have the greatest calling on our lives from the greatest life to have ever lived with the greatest gift to have ever been given! Shouldn’t that inspire the greatest response of all time?

By the world's standards, a leader should be strong and powerful. However, the leaders we find in the Scripture acknowledge their flaws and sinfulness, understanding that through their brokenness God's power and strength is revealed.

Malik Hjøllund from Clearwater College reminds us that though we are deserving of God's righteous anger, He has shown us His abounding forgiveness and mercy, just as we are to show to others. Find more information about Clearwater College at clearwatercollege.com

So much of who we are as a person, good and bad, comes from the family we grew up in. But it is our adoption into God's family that enables us to become that person that God wants us to be.

Do you consider yourself spiritually mature? In answering that question, it is critical that we use the right measurement in our evaluation.

Life is filled with losses and difficulties of all sizes. Instead of ignoring feelings of grief and sadness, we should use those times to discover the riches found in the God who comforts those who mourn.

Much of our culture encourages us to overcome any limitations. However, as we learn in the third mark of healthy discipleship, our limits and weaknesses help us to trust in a limitless God and reveal His power.

Like Peter before us, we may find ourselves following Jesus thinking He will fulfill our dreams. Instead, we have to remember we serve the Messiah who commands that we take up our cross.

While we continue the good works for God, we cannot forget the importance of being with God. The pressure to always be busy can easily result in forgetting to take time to rest in God's presence. After all, it is only through abiding in Christ that we can produce fruit.

In themselves, emotions are neither good nor bad but this doesn't mean they are insignificant. Paying attention to our emotions can show us the condition of our heart and is the start of becoming emotionally healthy disciples.