Category: Podcast

Rejecting God’s King

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 20. David resumes his reign, but before he can even sit on the throne, another rebellion breaks out! The nation is divided. God’s people are arguing instead of rallying around the King. Sheba leads an explicit, King-rejecting rebellion. But there is another, more subtle rebellion taking place…

Why Support Gospel Missions

Taylor Walls, from Philippians 4:14-20. Taylor Walls gives us 4 reasons why local churches and believers should support gospel missions. He also gives a report of his Latin American mission.

The Return of the King

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 19. The war is over and David has won! He is ready to return to Jerusalem and resume his reign over God’s people. But he soon finds out it is not that easy to unify the divided, arguing people. When Christ our King returns, he will unify the kingdom of God around himself, and settle accounts with all people!

Who Has the Final Word

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 17. The mighty counselors advise Absalom, with the future and direction of the kingdom hanging in the balance! Yet, it is the Lord who has the final word! We look at the sovereign decrees of God – He reigns over all! Nothing is left to chance. We either fight the Lord for control, or fall at his feet in humble trust.

The Cursed King

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 16. As David leaves flees from Absalom, more and more layers of shame are heaped upon him as consequences of his sin. He is cursed and betrayed. Christ Jesus also walked in shame to the cross, where he bore the curse for our sin!

The King of Hearts

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 15. Absalom makes a grab for the throne! His pride reminds us of our own desire to reject God’s king in order to rule our lives. In David’s suffering, he trusted in the Lord, and his suffering points forward to the suffering of Christ! Which king will have our heart?

Schemes and Kings and Things

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 14. Everyone is scheming and manipulating to fix the kingdom. But God is working out his plan. David’s half-hearted ‘forgiveness’ of Absalom contrasts with the full and gracious reconciliation believers have experienced through the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Evil in Your Own House

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 13. David’s family begin to experience the terrible consequences of David’s sin. We answer the question, “Why are disturbing stories like this in the Bible?”

The Kingdom Survives

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 12:15-31. Does David’s awful sin mess up the plan of God? No, God in his grace is absolutely committed to his kingdom, his purpose, his people, and his glory! David rises up again in faith. God shows amazing grace. And Christ will come – even through the line of David and Bathsheba!

Confronting the King

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 12:1-15. When David sinned, God sent a preacher to boldly confront him for that sin. God does not play around with our sin – He is holy. And God loves his people too much to let us continue in sin! We must respond to God’s confrontations by confessing and repenting of our sin, and receiving his forgiveness. Yet, we also face difficult consequences caused by our sin.

The Fall of the King Part 2

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 11. How did the great King David fall into sin? We look at his downward progression from lust to adultery to deception to murder. We see how insidious and destructive sin really is. And we see our need for the greater King – our Savior, Jesus Christ!

The Fall of the King Part 1

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 11:1-5. The text shows us David’s downward progression into sin, as innocent seeing turns into lust and becomes adultery. God’s word points us away from trusting in men, and points us to Jesus Christ, our perfect King! God’s people find cleansing from sin in Christ, and power to fight lust and sin.

Thomas – Not Always a Doubter

Steve Davis, from John 20:24-31. A look at ‘Doubting Thomas’ and his interaction with the risen Lord Jesus! We see Thomas’ weakness and also his faith. We see Jesus’ patience with his people and also his deity clearly affirmed! The Lord calls us to faith.

Encouragement in Suffering

Vic Connell, from Romans 8:18-39. Brother Vic Connell likens the Christian life to joining the army of the Lord. We are not in control of where we are stationed or what our assignment is – sometimes our Commander leads us into suffering. But the gospel of Jesus gives us great hope as we serve the Lord!

The Lion, the Lamb, and the Scroll

Clint Pitman, from Revelation 5. A look at the One – the ONLY One! – who is worthy to walk up to the Father and take the future of the world into his hands! Jesus Christ was slain and has conquered! He has done it. Our response is joyful worship and surrender.

Kindness and Strength

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 10. This passage brings together both David’s kindness and David’s strength, pointing us to the great kindness and strength of Christ. We receive his grace in the gospel, and his power and victory over sin and death! And, in Christ, we extend gentle kindness and courageous strength to others.

The Kindness of the King

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 9. The surprising kindness of David to Mephibosheth foreshadows the amazing grace and mercy of King Jesus to his people!

The Victory of the King

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 8. God gives David victory and blessing, just as he had promised. David’s victories point us ahead to the great and victorious King, the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Prayer for the Kingdom Part 4

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 7:25-29. In prayer, we plead God’s promises back to him, and we cry out for his name to be glorified! We rest in God’s word, and we receive his blessing, through faith!

Foolishness Destroys

Cary Cox, from Proverbs 18. In this Midweek Bible Study, we unpack Proverbs 18. Foolishness (Sin) destroys our lives and destroys community. Wisdom is life-giving, and builds community, as we order our lives around the Lord.

The Prayer for the Kingdom Part 3

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 7:18-29. Even though David is alone with God, praying in private, he has taken the people of God with him, on his mind, heart, and lips. What place does the church have in our prayers?

The Prayer for the Kingdom Part 2

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 7:18-29. We are walking through David’s prayer to God, his response to God’s great promise of a Son who would reign forever. In his prayer, David magnifies the word of God, he marvels at the grace of God, and he pours out praise to God!

The Promise of the Kingdom

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 7:1-17. In one of the most important passages in the entire Bible, God promises David a Son who will reign as king forever! See how the Bible connects the dots to clarify its one great message, pointing us to Jesus Christ!

Worship – The Heart of the Kingdom – Part 2

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 6. David models whole-hearted worship before the Lord. Michal is not participating in worship with God’s people, but is judging and criticizing. In Christ, we are chosen and loved, free to worship God!

Worship – The Heart of the Kingdom, Part 1

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 6. As David brings the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, he is centering the kingdom around the worship of God – his presence with his people! What can we learn about true worship here?

God’s Kingdom Secured

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 5. After years of waiting, David experiences the faithfulness of God to his promise, as he is anointed king over all Israel! As David unifies Israel under his kingship, takes Jerusalem, and defeats his enemies, we see a picture of the great King, the Lord Jesus Christ!

God Works in the Crazy

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 3-4. Everyone around David is acting like they’ve lost their minds, spinning crazy, unleashing sin and foolishness. But David is standing still. And God is at work – even in the crazy, sovereign over sin – to fulfill his good purpose. This points us to Christ! We can trust God, even when it’s crazy!

God’s Kingdom Starts Small

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 2. David is finally anointed king! But only of one tribe of Israel. And his kingdom is opposed by a rival. The kingdom of God sometimes looks small and weak. But it will certainly grow! Jesus also announced the kingdom of God – and was opposed and crucified. His kingdom appears small, but is advancing – and one day every knee will bow!

The Sting of Death

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 1:17-27. David’s song of lamentation for the deaths of Saul and Jonathan teaches us about the reality of grief in this broken world. Jonathan’s loyal friendship is celebrated. And the story anticipates the Son of David, Jesus Christ, who conquered death and the grave for all his people! Grief and sorrow are not ultimate or final in the kingdom of God!

The Lord’s Anointed

Cary Cox, from 2 Samuel 1:1-16. This book begins by setting Saul and David side by side for comparison. Saul has died in failure, but David rises. We see David’s faith-filled fear of God, his character, his justice. All of this points us to the Lord’s Anointed – Jesus Christ!

The Risen King

Cary Cox, from Acts 2:22-36. On the day of Pentecost, Peter stands before the city of Jerusalem and boldly preaches Jesus Christ as the risen King! Peter gets to Christ by opening the Scriptures and pointing to David, and the promise of a Messiah from David’s family. Jesus is not only alive from the dead, he is exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords!

The King and the Word

Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel. To understand 2 Samuel, we need to remember what happened in 1 Samuel. In dark days, God is at work to bring in his kingdom – life and revival and a king after his own heart! His kingdom will come through his word! Saul rejects God’s word but David clings to it. To reject God’s word is to reject God!

2 Samuel and the Kingdom of God

Cary Cox, from Acts 13:13-39. Paul and Peter, in their first recorded sermons, both preach Jesus Christ by starting with King David. Following their method, in this sermon we trace the theme of the Kingdom of God from Genesis to Revelation, showing the one, unfolding story that builds to King David and points to Jesus Christ!

Stand Firm

Cary Cox, from 1 Peter 5:12-14. Peter ends his letter by calling believers to stand firm in the true grace of God – the true teaching of the gospel of Christ! His greetings demonstrate his call for us to embrace the community of the church. These two keys help believers survive in a hostile world.

The Church at War

Cary Cox, from 1 Peter 5:8-11. This world is hostile against the church because there is an enemy, the devil. Peter calls us to resist the devil by standing firm in the faith of the gospel of Christ. Our victory is certain in Christ, and glory is coming!

A Humble Church

Cary Cox, from 1 Peter 5:5b-7. Peter calls the church to humility in our relationships with each other, and also before God – even when he leads us through suffering. We humble before God in suffering by casting our anxieties and worries on him, resting in the truth that he loves us!

Shepherds of the Church

Cary Cox, from 1 Peter 5:1-5a. Peter speaks to the leaders of the local churches. Elders. Pastors. Overseers of the Lord’s flock. These men must be faithful and tender, leading and feeding Christ’s sheep, even in times of persecution.

Christian Suffering

Cary Cox, from 1 Peter 4:12-19. Peter summarizes the message of his letter, teaching Christians what to expect in this hostile world. We can expect to suffer for following Christ, but we can also expect God to be with us as we suffer, giving us the joy and blessing of his presence! God is sovereign over our suffering, and he will use it for his glory and our good!

How Do We Live Part 2

Cary Cox, from 1 Peter 4:7-11. Peter instructs believers on how to live in relation to the local church. God’s will is that Christians live out the faith in this hostile world together, in close commitment to one another. We pray, we love and forgive, we open our homes, we use spiritual gifts to build up the church, and we do all of this to the glory of God in Christ!

Wisdom in Sexuality – Proverbs 5

Cary Cox, from Proverbs 5. God’s wisdom is for all of life, including our sexual lives. What is God’s will for human sexuality? Does he really care what we do with our bodies? What is sexual sin? Is there hope if I’ve sinned? Hear the Bible’s beautiful wisdom for sex in marriage!

How Do We Live Part 1

Cary Cox, from 1 Peter 4:1-6. Peter gives practical instructions for believers living in an unbelieving world. We embrace the mindset of Jesus – ready to obey God even if it means suffering. We reject the sin of the world – refusing to join them in it, pursuing God’s will even though they persecute us. No persecution or suffering – not even death – can separate us from our glorious reward in Christ!