Although this seems funny to us, we can do the same thing. We spend our lives worshipping ‘gods’ like Family and Money, which promise to fulfill us and give us happiness and security. The LORD is the only one who can give those things yet we look everywhere else trying find meaning in life.

Let’s remember who our God really is: the majestic all-powerful God who really is there, the one to be respected and honoured. Don’t get fooled by poor imitations!

(Based on ANPC Sunday teaching, 11 July 2010).

The Israelites in 1 Samuel 4 thought they could do the same kind of thing with God. When they lost a battle, they brought in the ark of the covenant, the precious gold box symbolizing God’s presence, and thought this meant they could not lose. They did go on to lose; not just the battle, but the ark as well. God showed them that He was in control, not them. They cannot manipulate God into doing what they want.

We might be more enlightened than the people back then but we too tend to manipulate God. It is easier to be superstitious than Christian. We can think that if we are good enough, or religious enough, then God will love us and give us easy lives. But God is bigger than us. The way we come to God is not through our works at all but through the death of his son Jesus for us.  Let’s remember that God is bigger and more powerful than us – he controls us, we don’t control him.

(Based on Sunday teaching at ANPC, 4 July 2010).

1 Samuel 3 shows us that the Bible is so much more than this. God speaks to us to tell us what he is like. In Samuel’s day the word came through a prophet, but now we have this word written down for us. It is in this word that we know what God is like, what he wants from us, and how we can be God’s friends. But it’s not always nice happy news. Samuel’s first message from God was one that told of coming terrible judgement on people he would have considered to be his family. There are many passages in the Bible that warn us of the dangers of disobeying and rejecting God. But in the good and bad news, we know that being God’s word it is true and reliable news.

People are actually changed through God’s word to us. Do you believe that? Christians say that they believe this, but in reality so often we doubt the power of God’s word. We think we need an impressive speaker for it to really work, or we need to surround it with great music or other things to change people. God changes people through the news in the Bible – see Romans 1:16-17.  If you think you know what the Bible says already, maybe you should pick it up again. You might be surprised by what you find.

(Based on ANPC Sunday teaching, June 13 2010).

That is what your average person in Israel thought in 1 Samuel 2:11-3:1a. The priests are corrupt, after their own gain, just interested in satisfying their desires. Their father saw their sin but took no decisive action, placing his family over God. It looked like the nation had no hope.  Then God sent a prophet to promise judgement on this family.

And in the background we keep getting reminded of little Samuel, a faithful boy in this corrupt place. The historian reminds us often – in 2:11, 2:18-21, 2:26 and 3:1 – that this boy is waiting there, and God will do something amazing through him. He might look small and unimpressive, but God is working in that place.

We need to be encouraged that God does act, even in the little insignificant things. What difference can I make in my workplace? In my family? In my city? You might not think it is much, but God is working, and in time we will see that in all these ways God can use even us to go great things to change people and cities.  We need faith. God knows what He is doing.

(Based on ANPC Sunday teaching, 6 June 2010).

And as we continue through the story we see God has heard her, and gives her a son. And she praises God for him! And in her song (in 1 Samuel 2:1-10), she realizes that God’s character is consistent – he loves to raise up the humble and bring down the proud. The people in the Bible most honoured by God are nobody special – a shepherd boy David, a stuttering nobody like Moses, a prostitute named Rahab. And of course the Almighty God chose to save people through a weak-looking man who died on a cross.

So what this mean for you? It means God knows life is difficult and messy for us, and he cares for our problems and pain. He wants us to talk to him about them. He doesn’t promise he will give us what we want, like he did for Hannah, but whatever he gives us will be the best thing for us. God has a purpose and loves to care for those who seem insignificant, or weak, or helpless.  He is a God of reversals.

(Based on ANPC Sunday teaching, May 30 2010).

Christians see ultimate justice in Jesus. God punished the sin of all who believe and poured out the penalty on Jesus on the cross. God is serious about justice.  He doesn’t just ignore offences, but punishes them. For each offence there is a debt to pay. This is retributive justice.

When it comes to punishing criminals, especially serious ones, this becomes tricky. The authorities have a difficult job. But at least one thing is clear: God cares for justice, and those who have authority now need to maintain justice.  In an ultimate sense, we can look forward to a day when justice is done on all sin, and grace is shown to each one who believes in Jesus.

(Based on Bible Cafe teaching, 21 May 2010).

We don’t want money because we like little pieces of metal and plastic, but because it represents something else to us. Firstly, money represents pleasure – it means we can buy better experiences in life.  But we need to heed the warning of Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 where Solomon points out that even having everything you want ultimately doesn’t make you happy. Secondly, money represents security – we can be secure in knowing our future will be looked after and our possessions will be safe.  But this is also not true, as Matthew 6:19-21 points out.  All it takes is an accident or a stock market crash and we realize we are not as we think even if we have all the money we need. Thirdly, money represents success and happiness – it is how we know we have succeeded in life.  But again we need to listen to the Bible in 1 Timothy 6.  Contentment comes from knowing Jesus and wanting money above all things simply leads to troubles.

We need money, and money is indeed a good thing from God. But you cannot be friends with God or get to heaven due to your money or possessions.  Salvation is a free gift.  So we need to see money as a gift from God we need to use well, not just to serve ourselves but to serve others.

(Based on Bible Cafe teaching, 14 May 2010).