Bent Oak Church

The ark is lost. It is one of the lowest most devastating moments in Israel's history. Who could it have happened? The author of the books of Samuel is making a startling point. Israel thought they had gone; they thought they could carry the ark into battle and be assured of victory. But their crushing defeat was a remidner—God is not an object. We too slide into the temptation of objectifying God. With it comes devastating consequences.

Israel is a barren place. Worship has disintegrated. Eli, the High Preist, seems distracted and his sons rob the worshipers of their sacrifices and women. 1 Samuel tells us that, "The word of the Lord was rare in those days." We too know what it feels like to be distant from God. To remember his voice and find little evidence of it around us. But God calls Samuel. It is a bit of hope. God is at work again. Samuel and his family give us a picture of a God who persistently speaks to us by name and the ways we can position ourselves to most easily recognize it.

1 Samuel introduces us to a new character, Hannah. She is barren. Israel is barren. With no son and no king, disappointment and discouragement rule the land. Hannah finds little help from those around her. Culture, family, religion—all offer advice. Some of it sounds good, others leave her feeling crushed. But they are all distractions from what God is actually doing. Hannah finds a way through. A way to God. There she finds herself included in God’s plan of salvation.

Simeon didn't know what he was looking for, but he kept watching. The Holy Spirit compelled him. God was up to something—he wasn't sure what. But he was watching for it. Simeon teaches us to look for more this Christmas. He teaches us to watch for salvation.

Jesus ends his prayer with a view toward the future. He realizes that what lies ahead will be full of temptations—most that we will struggle to recognize. He teaches us to open our eyes and pay attention.

Jesus' insistence that we routinely pray for forgiveness is a reminder of how deep our sins are. Jesus doesn't just teach us to pray for forgiveness; he teaches us to practice it in our own forgiving.

Asking for things we need is probably the most common request of prayer. Jesus teaches us to practice is, but he also forces to ask deeper questions about what it is we really need.

Not a single politician anywhere in the country is running with a campaign slogan that promises meekness. We aren't even sure we like being described by the term. But Jesus says that it is, in fact, the meek who will inherit the earth.

We pray a lot about the will of God—mostly hoping God will let us know what's around the corner. In this sermon we discover what it means to pray for Gods will to be done, not just to be known.

There are few themes in the bible more prominent than the kingdom of God. It's not surprising that Jesus includes it, but what does it mean? How does it change the way we pray?

Hallowed isn't a term we use too often—Licoln once used it to hallow the ground at Gettysburg. But be honest, we aren't entirely sure what it means to begin our prayer with it. In this sermon, we work out a definition of this first request and consider how it changes our approach to prayer.

Jesus begins his prayer, not with a request but with a grounding reality—God is our father. Everything that comes after will be shaped by this truth. By Christ, we are made brothers and Sisters.

Before Jesus takes up the task of teaching his disciples how to pray, he first lays out some warnings.

The ending of the book of judges is boring—hard to get through. For several chapters, we felt the tension and sin of Israel building. But no one had expected the story to fizzle out in this kind of mundane complexity. The author of Judges is teaching us an important point about sin.

Samson and Delilah's story is one of the most well known in the book of Judges. But the story might actually surprise you. Samson is a complex character by this point. Tired of his calling. Frustrated with God's relentless pursuit.

Samson can't help but be pulled into more violence. Polarization, abuse, self-centeredness, Samson teaches us about our own world and the challenges of recognizing what God is doing.

A lion's carcass full of honey bees is a strange sight. For Samson it is a test. All of his senses pulled into a moment, a sign, of what God is about to do. Samson misses it.

The prophecy of Samson's birth is a miracle. But it isn't easy for everyone to see. Monoah, Samson's father, isn't involved the way he feels he deserves.