There is a pervasive sadness that seems to loom over our culture today. David battled the loss of a child, marriage issues, and occupational hazards that caused him to want to give up multiple times. But he didn’t throw in the towel and the big reason for that was God’s faithfulness to him in the midst of life’s low points.

From the birth of a child, to a wedding, to a baptism, to a good meal, to beautiful weather, there are so many things in life worth singing about and dancing about. David never passed up an opportunity to thank God for the good things in his life, and we shouldn’t either.

David spent a lot of his life on the battlefield facing one daunting enemy after another. He didn’t rely on his own strength and wisdom to help him succeed, rather he invited God to give him the resolve he was going to need to be victorious.

This week we will learn the value of developing a good work ethic for the long haul so that we can bear fruit over the course of our lives.

This week we will learn how to remain disciplined and avoid cutting corners so that we can achieve the goal of finishing the race.

This week we will learn how to endure suffering by eliminating distractions and remaining focused on the Father.

Jesus called John the Baptist the “greatest man ever born.” Ever wonder why? Why would Jesus brag so much about his cousin John? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that John preached about the need to repent of our sins, and Jesus died to forgive them. Their messages played off each other. We’ll take a look at that in this message.

Imagine a nation, about 200 years old, prosperous, powerful, respected…but a nation that has lost its way; a nation God is displeased with, a nation on the cusp of his judgment. No, it’s not the United States, it’s the nation of Israel, eight centuries before Christ. God raised up a prophet to warn them of judgment to come, because God is a God of justice. Beware.

Hosea had an unfaithful wife named Gomer. Despite her continuously disappointing him, he refused to stop loving her. He wrote the brief book that bears his name to show us that God is still faithful to us, even when, especially when, we continuously disappoint Him. Hosea’s short book screams the word “Grace” to all who have disappointed themselves and God.

Daniel was a young man who had come from a noble and godly family but was taken as a prisoner of war to Babylon, a godless, wicked, and immoral land. He could’ve compromised his integrity and morality, but instead chose to stand out as an example of holiness and trust in God. We can learn much from his uncompromising life.

Suffering finds us everywhere, at all ages and seasons of life. Just thinking about it can take our breath away. Whether one person (or a whole nation), suffering introduces us to ourselves; it also introduces us to God in ways we could never anticipate. Lamentations was essentially a book of funeral sermons that ultimately speak of survival and hope; essentials we all must learn.

We’re often amazed when predictions come true, especially years after they were made. Hundreds of years before Jesus came to save us, Isaiah predicted that He would do just that. In this message, we’ll look at how the God who created us never gives up on us. In fact, He gave his only Son to win us back.