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1 Samuel 31
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 31
Jared Keath

Saul’s Fall

The final chapter of 1 Samuel records the end of King Saul. After a life of unfaithfulness to the Lord, he dies in defeat and humiliation. This sermon looks at the verdict, the tragedy and the extent of Saul’s fall, and the lessons we can draw from it.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 30
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 30
Jared Keath

The King We Need

After all David had been through this latest tragedy was almost too much! What do you do when your world falls apart? Some tragedies are so overwhelming you even run out of tears. But in this passage we learn of the strength, the deliverance, and the grace of the true King.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 27-29
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 27-29
Jared Keath

Facing Dilemmas

In these chapters we find both David and Saul in a mess of their own making – something we can all relate to. However, they demonstrate that one predicament is far worse than all others, and that God's mercy is always our only hope.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 25-26
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 25-26
Jared Keath

Mercy

How do you respond to being wronged? So far David has been a model of patience and humility. But when Nabal foolishly insults him, he loses it. We will learn the peril of revenge, the practice of mercy, and the Saviour we need to be people of mercy.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 23-24
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 23-24
Jared Keath

Upheld

David continues to live as a fugitive on the run from King Saul. Yet the Lord is the upholder of his life (Ps 54:4). We learn how God upholds his people in times of distress: by the encouragement of his promises, the assurance of his protection and the certainty of his purposes.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 21-22
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 21-22
Jared Keath

The Fugitive King

As God’s anointed king, David could not have anticipated the amount of suffering he would experience on the way to the throne. In this way David foreshadows King Jesus whose path to glory was paved in suffering. This sermon looks at the plight, the people and the protection of the true king.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 20
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 20
Jared Keath

Covenant Loyalty

The unlikely friendship between David and Jonathan stands out for its deep commitment based on a covenant. In many ways it mirrors the relationship between Christ and his people. This sermons explores the security, the priority and the cost of the covenant.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 18-19
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 18-19
Jared Keath

Insane Jealousy

Ever since David defeated Goliath, David is loved by everyone in Israel. But King Saul becomes jealous of David's success and his jealousy spirals into a murderous hatred.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 17
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 17
Jared Keath

The Champion

Of all the episodes in the life of David, the battle with Goliath is the most famous. Saul and his army feared Goliath on account of the giant’s fierce outward appearance. Yet, by faith, David saw who Goliath really was—an enemy of God and his people, and therefore surely on the losing side.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 16
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 16
Jared Keath

Seeing as God Sees

As the prophet Samuel looks for a new king, we discover that the Lord looks, not on the outward appearance, but on the heart. This passage confronts our obsession with appearances. When God opens your eyes to the gospel, you start to see the way he sees.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 15
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 15
Jared Keath

Partial Obedience

Saul is rejected as king due to disobedience. Ironically, Saul thinks he was obedient. It shows the tendency of the human heart to seek to justify itself. But we also learn about the seriousness in which God treats disobedience and his regret over it.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 13-14
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 13-14
Jared Keath

Tragedy in Motion

From the beginning cracks appeared in Saul’s kingship. His flaws are all the more obvious in light of the contrasting character of Jonathan. This is a powerful insight into what lies behind our apathy and compromise toward the things of God, while pointing us to the need of faithful and courageous leader.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 12
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 12
Jared Keath

Kingdom Renewal

The people were in danger of thinking that because they got a king, that God didn’t care that it was originally motivated by a rejection of him. Samuel’s speech at Saul’s inauguration seeks to awaken the Israelites to this deadly attitude. Is this something that we need to hear today?

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 10:17-11:15
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 10:17-11:15
Jared Keath

God’s Kingship

Saul is publicly selected and confirmed as king. As a king under God's Kingship, he is to be in submission to God's law and empowered by God's Spirit. When that happens he brings salvation to God's people.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 9:1-10:16
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 9:1-10:16
Jared Keath

Donkeys Lost; King Found

Here we are introduced to Israel's first king. Saul goes searching for lost donkeys but ends up finding a kingdom. God's hand is behind it all to give his people the king they asked for.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 8
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 8
Jared Keath

Give Us a King!

In this chapter, the people of Israel want a king. But they want one for the wrong reasons, and they ignore the warnings. It shows the deadly desire that lurks in every human heart to reject God as king.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 7:2-17
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 7:2-17
Jared Keath

Returning to the Lord

The book has opened by showing us a people who had lost their way with the Lord. How would they get back? How do you return to the Lord when you’ve lost your way? Here we learn the way back to God is embraced through repentance, achieved by a mediator, and remembered at Ebenezer.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 6:1-7:2
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 6:1-7:2
Jared Keath

God’s Presence

God’s presence is the greatest blessing there is. Yet, in this passage we see it was a problem for the Philistines; and for the Israelites. They ask, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?” This is the big question that we all need to face—and one that only God himself can resolve for us.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 5
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 5
Jared Keath

God’s Heavy Hand

When the Philistines got their hands on the ark of the Lord, they assumed they and their idol had triumphed. But what looked like God’s defeat turned out to be his victory, as his hand was heavy against them. Here we learn about the threat of God’s heavy hand against all who dishonour him. Only in the gospel is that threat removed.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 4
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 4
Jared Keath

God’s Glory

It is easy for us to presume that we can have God on our terms, ignoring him for the most part, but expecting him to be there for us when we need him. In this passage the Israelites were treating God in this way, even attempting to use the ark of the covenant as leverage. But God’s glory means that he cannot be treated so lightly.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 3
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 3
Jared Keath

When God Speaks

In calling Samuel to be a prophet, the word of God that was rare in those days become abundant. Today we have God’s complete word. If it is rare in our lives it because we don’t make the most of what is available to us. This sermon looks at how God’s word comes to us, what it does our lives and why we can trust everything he says.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 2:11-36
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 2:11-36
Jared Keath

God’s Word on Corruption

The corruption of worship led by Eli's "worthless" sons, and his failure to restrain them, shows the tendency of the human heart to use positions of power and privilege for personal gain rather than service. We see what God thinks of such corruption, and what he does about it.

Jared Keath
1 Samuel 1:1-2:10
Jared Keath
1 Samuel 1:1-2:10
Jared Keath

Hope for the Helpless

1 Samuel begins with the account of Hannah. Her inability to bear children brought much affliction and bitterness of soul. She had nowhere else to turn but the Lord, to whom she poured out her soul in prayer. God answered... and the rest is history.

Jared Keath
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