Seven Mile Road

Are we there yet? This is a common question we ask at different times, whether as a child on a road trip or as an adult wanting to be somebody or somewhere already. It’s easy for us to feel like we have paid our dues and should have arrived at our destination. With that in mind, it’s easy to think the time was right for David to be King of Israel after Saul’s death. However, what David finds is di...

We come to the tragic end of Saul’s reign as king of Israel.  And we see that obedience to the will of God and submission to His sovereign authority causes David to respond to that news in a very unexpected way.

1 Samuel 30 If you have ever shown up just a little too late, a little too tired, and found a huge problem to solve—a problem big enough that you were scared and everyone around you was afraid—then you'll know what David is feeling in this week's text. It was scary, and there wasn't much hope—until David strengthened himself in the Lord, who gave His people strength to walk forward...

1 Samuel 29 Have you ever been rejected for something that isn't your fault? Maybe you had a good track record and were innocent of fault, but people didn't like something about you, so you got uninvited? This is precisely w

We welcome guest preacher, Matt Moran, from Community of Grace Church near Buffalo NY to preach at Seven Mile Road from the first chapter of Philippians. Matt was a pastor at Seven Mile Road for years before moving to the Buffalo area with his family in 2017. 

Have you ever found yourself in a tough spot without a plan asking God for His will? That's what happens to King Saul in this week's sermon. Saul decides he wants God's will, but ultimately he wants things his own way. We are tempted the same way and must ask: do we want God's will or our way? 1 Samuel 28

David faces a no-win decision as Saul threatens his life repeatedly. He chooses to escape to the Philistines for safety despite being anointed by God as the future king. This raises the challenge of staying loyal to God, Saul, and Israel while under Philistine rule. Similarly, as followers of Jesus, we encounter challenging circumstances that test our loyalty to God and his mission. Will we trust...

In what turns out to be their final interaction, King Saul is again seeking David, and again, David has an opportunity to harm King Saul that he does not take. David continues in his refusal to harm King Saul because of what God has said. Though it costs him, David’s only hope is that his life will be precious in the sight of the Lord.

We've all seen bad counsel in life, the kind driven by immediate gratification or hurt. Last week, we saw David receive that. But this week, we'll see what it looks like for someone to courageously offer good, holy, gospel counsel in a hard situation ... and for the Lord to accomplish his purposes through it. 1 Samuel 25

This Sunday, we'll return to God's King , our sermon series through the Old Testament Book of Samuel. As David and Saul come face-to-face, it becomes clear who has been more righteous than the other, who has spared who, and who is trusting God. As we read, we'll see that like Saul and like David, we too need one "more righteous than I." We need God's King to spare us

This is the time of year when we think a lot about gifts. What should I give? What would I like to receive? We may even give thought to what it is that makes a gift great. The best gifts we receive often have a certain usefulness or beauty or thoughtfulness that connects with us and sets them apart.  This week, in Isaiah 55, we’ll see that the greatest gift we could ever receive came to us in Jesu...

Christmas evokes mixed emotions: hope and despair, joy and sadness. Isaiah foretold a king who would bring hope and eliminate violence and destruction, leading to a true understanding of God. Jesus fulfills this promise, inviting us to abandon sin and selfishness. Through his Spirit of wisdom, we can be a blessing and build up rather than hurt and tear down. He is both the humble king we desire an...

This Sunday, we continue our Advent series, “Incarnation in Isaiah.” God promises His people that amidst the brokenness of life, a Messiah is coming to the rescue. As they waited, they faced a choice: to trust God’s promises or the fleeting hope of the world. What will we choose as we live in the already-but-not-yet of Christ’s kingdom?

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This Sunday, we'll begin *Incarnation in Isaiah*, our Advent sermon series from the book of Isaiah. As God's people face a seemingly insurmountable challenge, their biggest test will be one of faith: do they trust God? Will God's promise of a sign bring hope to them then? How about us now? Isaiah 7.10-17

We know God promises to save eternally but have you ever wondered what that looks like in the day to day? This week as David continues to flee from Saul, we'll see God work through others, answer prayers, and strengthen his people's faith ... all showing that He is a God who saves in this life and the next.

Who do you align with? As the Book of Samuel continues, David evades danger in one place only to find it in another and alignment proves key. As King Saul threatens and retaliates to secure allegiance, David, anointed and innocent, provides safety and care for those who align with him. Through this we learn that alignment with God and his purposes will be opposed ... but there's safety in Jes...

If you've ever been in distress, debt, or known discontent, then you'll know exactly the group of people that gathered around David as he was fleeing from King Saul. Somehow as nothing was going right in David's life, others still found safety by being near him and trusting in his God.

When things go wrong, it can be hard for us to know where to turn for safety, provision, and refuge. In fleeing from King Saul, David has the same dilemma. He has no food, no weapons, and the King is after him. It's a bad situation and he’s done nothing wrong. Yet, David not only runs from Saul. He runs to refuge in the Lord's house. Once there, David finds refuge like no other.

Loyalty. In the kingdom of Israel, tensions are escalating as Saul relentlessly pursues David, raising the stakes for Jonathan as he grapples with conflicting loyalties. Will he stand by his father and his own claim to the throne, or will he align himself with David, God’s chosen King? Similarly, we are faced with a similar choice by Jesus - where do our loyalties lie? Will we follow Him unconditi...

God is working for our good by thwarting the evil that opposes his true King. That truth was good news for David, God’s king as Saul tried to kill him. This truth is good news for us, God’s people because our sinful hearts, Satan and the world want us to reject Jesus as King and live instead like we are. Jesus is not just the King we need, but he is also a better friend than we deserve. He is comm...

This Sunday, we’ll return to our sermon series in the Book of Samuel titled God’s King. Picking up just after David slayed Goliath, we’ll see King Saul is more concerned with having his kingdom than being a good King. While King Saul’s fear of losing his kingdom drives him to oppose David and even try to kill him, David’s humility shows, and the Lord continuously blesses his efforts