Part 2: A Lion, and Bear, and a King

Elijah was having a really bad stretch of days. He had fled from Jezebel when she promised to kill him, he prayed that God would just let him die, and eventually he found himself alone in a cave. In his desperate plight, God spoke to him in a gentle whisper and reminded Elijah that God still had plans for his life. His experience teaches us how to move forward when we face dark days.

After David's victory over Goliath, Saul becomes jealous of David's fame. He begins to seek ways to get David killed, but none of them work. He eventually gives his daughter to David as a wife with the goal that she will be a snare for David. To add insult to injury, Saul's son, Jonathan, becomes David's best friend.

The men from Project Hope in Russellville, Arkansas, share their stories of how God is setting them free from addiction and transforming their lives. This was a powerful and inspirational service!

Conflicts with two different men shaped David in important ways as God prepared him to ascend to the throne of Israel. David's conflict with King Saul defined the next segment of his life, and his conflict with Goliath changed his destiny.

An odd little story in 1 Samuel 5 talks about an encounter between the God of Israel and the god of the Philistines, Dagon. In this story, God shows his utter superiority over the false God, and we learn some important lessons along the way.

After David is anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, he faces three crises that all serve to prepare him for his future reign. The most difficult part of everything was that he had to wait for God's timing to fulfill God's calling.