The Life of Samuel - Week 3

Pastor Marshall Ochs | August 18, 2019

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from 1 Samuel 11-15. Israel had a new king named Saul. This new king had a few outward victories, but his heart was a failure. Saul had an issue obeying God. Samuel would give specific instructions to Saul on how to obey God, and Saul would ignore them or obey only half of the commands. Over time, this eroded the character of God in the eyes of Israel and permitted everyone to ignore His commandments. The life of Saul reminds us that God defines obedience, and we are ambassadors of His kingdom and character.

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The Life of Samuel - Week 2

Pastor Marshall Ochs | August 11, 2019

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from 1 Samuel 8-10. Israel was tired of the judges ruling the nation, and they asked Samuel to anoint a king for them. This request revealed their lack of faith in God, but God answered their prayer by choosing Saul. Saul was from a wealthy family, had good looks, and was transformed with God’s power to rule. However, even the best man Israel had to offer became a lousy king. This story reminds us that any king besides Jesus will ultimately enslave us and rob our freedoms. Only Jesus came to rule His people through servanthood and sacrifice.

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The Life of Samuel - Week 1

Pastor Marshall Ochs | August 4, 2019

This week, Pastor Marshall begins a new series on Samuel. Samuel was a prophet/judge that lived between the periods of the Hebrew Judges and the first kings of Israel. He stands as a giant between the worlds of tribal Israel and the kingdom culture established by Saul and David. God used Samuel to lead Israel out of a very dark season, and he is known for preaching a message of repentance. Today's message covers 1 Samuel 4-7 and explains how God delivered Israel from the Philistines. This story reminds us to fix our eyes on God's faithfulness rather than the circumstances around us.

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The Book of Judges - Week 9

Pastor Marshall Ochs | July 28, 2019

In this message, Pastor Marshall finishes our series by teaching through 1 Samuel 1-3. These chapters tell the story of the final judges of Israel, Eli, and Samuel. Eli was a priest/judge that had a wicked family, and Samuel was a prophet/judge that was born to a woman named Hannah. Hannah couldn’t have children, but she prayed for God to intervene. God gave her a son, and Hannah dedicated him to the Lord as a young boy. The faith of Hannah and the humility of Samuel are a bright light in the time of the Judges. Their testimony reminds us that God loves to use our weakness to bring significant changes in the world, and we should pray for God to use us as well.

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The Book of Judges - Week 8

Pastor Marshall Ochs | July 21, 2019

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches through Judges 19-21. These chapters tell the story of an unrighteous Levite, his concubine, and the Battle of Gibeah. In these final chapters of Judges, Israel wandered very far from God and redefined right and wrong in their own eyes. This resulted in adopting the value system from cultures around them and committing the worst kinds of sexual violence and murder. We study these stories because we weep with the victims, but also to examine our own heart. If we see areas in our life where we think like the Hebrews in Judges, we are no longer changed by God; we are changing God to fit our preferences.

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The Book of Judges - Week 7

Pastor Marshall Ochs | July 14, 2019

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches through Judges 17-18. These chapters tell the story of a man named Micah, a Levite, and the Israelite tribe of Dan. Micah’s mother pays a silversmith to form an image of God that her son uses as idol worship in his home. Micah hires a Levite to affirm his idolatrous lifestyle and convinces himself that God is pleased with his choices. The tribe of Dan hires the Levite, who is the grandson of Moses, to become their personal priest, and they steal the idols from Micah’s home. Everyone in this story is convinced they are pleasing God, but none of them are obeying God. This story reminds us that if we reform God into an image that we find appealing, we will ultimately serve a God that does not exist.

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The Book of Judges - Week 6

Pastor Marshall Ochs | July 7, 2019

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches through Judges 15-16. These chapters continue the story of Samson and how God used him to drive a wedge between Israel and the Philistines. Even though God used Samson, Samson did not practice self-control or obedience in his personal life. This lifestyle allowed him to excel in the gifts that God gave him, but remain shallow in his character and spiritual maturity. This story reminds us that if we follow Samson’s example of compromise, we will stop our spiritual growth and remain immature in the Kingdom of God.

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The Book of Judges - Week 5

Pastor Marshall Ochs | June 30, 2019

In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches through Judges 13-14. This story follows the Hebrew judge named Samson. An angel told Samson’s parents to raise him as a Nazarite, and God would use him to overcome the Philistines. However, Samson had self-control issues and a desire to chase what was pleasing to his eyes. Even though Samson was weak, God still used him to drive a wedge between Israel and the Philistines. This story reminds us that our life choices may seem right in our own eyes, but God has a different standard. It also teaches us that even though God uses you, it does not mean He is pleased with you.

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