1 Samuel 30: Finding Home

More from Chapter by Chapter All episodes →

1. 

   E272 · 28 Sep 2026 · 7 min

   2 Samuel 4: Don’t Let Your Friends Kill Your Enemies

   2 Samuel 4 reveals David’s refusal to celebrate the deaths of his enemies, showing how praying for those who have hurt us can cleanse our hearts from bitterness and revenge and even change the way we speak about them.

2. 

   E271 · 27 Sep 2026 · 12 min

   2 Samuel 3: First Stronger and Then Weaker

   2 Samuel 3 shows how David was strengthened through the battles he faced but weakened by the foolish decisions of people within his own camp, reminding us that God can use storms to deepen our roots while we must confront the people and patterns that drain the strength those storms produced.

3. 

   E270 · 26 Sep 2026 · 7 min

   2 Samuel 2: Are You for Israel?

   2 Samuel 2 contrasts David, who sought God’s direction before taking the throne, with Ish-bosheth, who was made king by Abner for political purposes. Their story raises the question of whether we are pursuing God’s purposes for His people or simply protecting our own position, power, and prominence. Like the question asked by a six-year-old survivor in Sderot, “Are you with Israel?” challenges us to consider whether we are living for a bigger purpose than our own advancement.

4. 

   E269 · 25 Sep 2026 · 9 min

   2 Samuel 1: A Killer on the Couch

   2 Samuel 1 revisits Saul’s death through the account of an Amalekite who claims to have helped him die, revealing the danger of holding onto what God has commanded us to surrender. Like Saul sparing the Amalekites, we can keep people, relationships, opportunities, or desires we have labeled as “good,” only to discover later that the unsurrendered thing becomes destructive. The chapter challenges us to let God—not our own judgment—determine what belongs in our lives.

5. 

   E268 · 24 Sep 2026 · 11 min

   1 Samuel 31: Suicide

   1 Samuel 31 tells the tragic story of Saul’s final battle and death, revealing how years of discouragement, disobedience, and spiritual collapse culminated in a devastating end while reminding us that God’s abundant life remains the answer to despair.

6. 

   E266 · 22 Sep 2026 · 8 min

   1 Samuel 29: Thank God for the Philistines, or David Would Have Had Two Citizenships

   In 1 Samuel 29, David’s divided loyalties collide when Philistine commanders refuse to let him fight against Israel, turning what looks like betrayal into God’s providential rescue and redirecting David toward his calling.

7. 

   E265 · 21 Sep 2026 · 9 min

   1 Samuel 28: I Told You So

   In 1 Samuel 28, Saul’s fear leads him to a medium at Endor, where Samuel reminds him that God had already warned him decades earlier that his disobedience would cost him the kingdom, while David’s own detour shows that restoration is still possible when he turns back to God.

8. 

   E264 · 20 Sep 2026 · 10 min

   1 Samuel 27: Head to Foot: Making Sure the Battles of the Mind Don’t Materialize

   In 1 Samuel 27, David’s private battle of the mind shows how unchecked thoughts can move from the head to the feet, leading us into dangerous detours unless we confront them with truth, the Spirit, and honest confession. Correction: The passage of scripture read at the end of this episode is Psalm 32:3-5 in The Message, not Psalm 38.

9. 

   E263 · 19 Sep 2026 · 12 min

   1 Samuel 26: The Biography of a Mighty Man

   In 1 Samuel 26, Abishai’s decision to say yes to David’s dangerous mission begins a lifelong journey that shows how one courageous choice and the people we follow can shape the biography of our lives. Correction: Dwight D. Eisenhower was only elected president twice.

10. 

    E262 · 18 Sep 2026 · 11 min

    1 Samuel 25: You Are Becoming Who You Swore You Wouldn’t Be

    In 1 Samuel 25, David’s furious response to Nabal reveals how easily we can become the very thing we swore we would never be unless we stop running from our past and intentionally pursue becoming like Christ.