sethbartal.com

  • Bible Reading Plan
  • Free Fall Book
  • Recommended Reads
You are here: Home / Archives for bible

God’s Guiding Presence (2 Samuel 5:1-10; 1 Chronicles 10, 11:1-9)

November 1, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

And [David] became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him. (2 Samuel 5:1-10) A very stark contrast existed between King David and King Saul as it came to God's presence in their leadership.  The difference between the two men was that David sought to bring glory to the Lord and Saul sought to bring glory to himself.  Since David's efforts were ... [Continue Reading]

November 1, 2013 4:03 pm Seth Leave a Comment

Your Source of Strength (1 Samuel 30-31)

October 30, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

But David found strength in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6b) There are many places where people go to find strength.  Some find it in wealth, some find it in position, and others find it in their physical bodies.  Those are just a few examples, but you get the idea. The fascinating characteristic about King David that made him categorically different than every other ... [Continue Reading]

October 30, 2013 7:00 pm Seth Leave a Comment

The Manipulation Trap (1 Samuel 27-29)

October 29, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.” (1 Samuel 28:8) When things don't go the way we want in life, it's tempting to try and manipulate our way into a different outcome.  Such was the case with Saul as he visited a witch in order to ... [Continue Reading]

October 29, 2013 7:12 pm Seth Leave a Comment

On Receiving Advice (1 Samuel 24-26)

October 28, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”  Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. (1 Samuel 24:4) Not all advice is good advice.  In fact, we've all had times when we've received bad advice and suffered as a result of it.  So how do you know ... [Continue Reading]

October 28, 2013 7:13 pm Seth Leave a Comment

A New Normal (1 Samuel 21-23)

October 27, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.  But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?  Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” (1 Samuel 21:10-11) Sometimes the circumstances of life bring about a new normal in our daily living.  These ... [Continue Reading]

October 27, 2013 7:30 pm Seth Leave a Comment

Doing the Right Thing (1 Samuel 18-20)

October 26, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman!  Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?” (1 Samuel 20:30) There are times when it's convenient and easy to do the right thing; in those moments, you'd be a fool not to do what's right.  And then ... [Continue Reading]

October 26, 2013 5:13 pm Seth Leave a Comment

The “God Game” (1 Samuel 15-17)

October 25, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22) It's tempting to play games with God as if we have Him all figured out.  The game goes like this: God, I know you'll forgive me if I ask you to, so I'm going to do what I want now and then ... [Continue Reading]

October 25, 2013 8:13 pm Seth Leave a Comment

God of the Impossible (1 Samuel 13-14)

October 24, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook.  It was a panic sent by God. (1 Samuel 14:15) God is the One who moves hearts and minds. When I think about how hard it is for me to simply change myself, I come to the realization of just how hard it is to try and change someone else.  Why ... [Continue Reading]

October 24, 2013 10:45 pm Seth Leave a Comment

Leading with Courage (1 Samuel 10-12)

October 23, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

But when they looked for [Saul], he was not to be found.  So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”  And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.” (1 Samuel 21b-22) King Saul's momentous coronation was fraught with problems from the get go.  As the ceremony was about to begin, Saul wasn't found wooing the crowds but hiding in ... [Continue Reading]

October 23, 2013 10:51 pm Seth Leave a Comment

On the Throne (1 Samuel 7-9)

October 22, 2013 By Seth Leave a Comment

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.  And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. (1 Samuel 8:6-7) God allows us to have things that are outside of His plans for our lives.  Though He's omnipotent, He allows ... [Continue Reading]

October 22, 2013 7:00 pm Seth Leave a Comment

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • …
  • 28
  • Next Page »

Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have a daughter, Madelyn.

Read More…

Connect with Me

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Looking for something?

Latest Tweets

  • Just now
  • Follow Me on Twitter

Quick Find

adversity attributes of god bible blessing character choices courage direction encouragement eternity evangelism forgiveness glory gospel grace gratitude healing heart honesty hope humility jesus journey joy leadership legacy love mistakes narcissism obedience parenting patience peace perseverance power prayer responsibility sin surrender temptation trust truth understanding wisdom worship

Archives

Categories

Links

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

© 2007–2025 Seth Bartal · Log in