As we continue in the book of 2 Samuel, this week’s message from Pastor J.D. walks us through both King David’s desire to build the temple and God’s response to him—one that serves as a good reminder for us even today. What David learned—and what we often forget—is that our relationship with God is not based on how much we do or give. Instead, it’s…

Get notes on this podcast here: Eric Geiger joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss key elements of church leadership, including mission, vision and strategy–and the importance of not confusing them with one another. Dr. D.A. Carson joined us last week to talk about the origins of The Gospel Coalition, the importance of a theological v…

Get notes on this podcast here: https://churchleaders.com/podcast/497425-eric-geiger-values-drive-behavior.html Eric Geiger joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss key elements of church leadership, including mission, vision and strategy–and the importance of not confusing them with one another. Dr. D.A. Carson joined us last week to t…

What does your worship tell others about God’s value to you? For David, he so valued and adored God that it produced one of the most passionate expressions of worship in the Bible. Pastor J.D. teaches in this message how our pride keeps us from genuine worship and why worship puts God’s worth and our gratitude for our salvation on display.…

In this week’s message from 2 Samuel, Pastor J.D. encourages us to honestly evaluate our worship of God. Though different cultures (and different personalities) often exhibit differing styles of worship, our intention should be the same—putting the worthiness of God on display. Though we might not always feel like worshiping, we can resolve to do s…

God had promised Israel a king that would bring identity, happiness, and security, but their hearts had been broken with their first king, Saul. Friday Pastor J.D. talks about why David was not the king Israel was looking for either and how, just like God brought David and Jesus to the throne through chaos, he is sovereign in the mess of our lives,…

In this message from 2 Samuel, Pastor J.D. walks us through a few ways in which David was “a man after God’s own heart.” And yet, what we ultimately see through the first several chapters of this book is that not even David was the king that Israel was looking for. The king that they needed—and that we need today—was one fully without sin, willing …

God had promised Israel a king that would bring Israel identity, happiness, and security, but their hearts had been broken with their first king, Saul. Surely David would be the king they had been promised! In this message, Pastor J.D. talks about why David was not the king Israel was looking for and how, just like God brought David and Jesus to th…

Get notes on this podcast here: Dr. D.A. Carson joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to talk about the origins of The Gospel Coalition, the importance of a theological vision for ministry, and leadership lessons from 1 Corinthians. Dr. Crawford Loritts joined us last week to talk about the key traits of leaders who are not only influential but…

Get notes on this podcast here: https://churchleaders.com/podcast/496480-d-a-carson-tgc-theological-vision-ministry.html Dr. D.A. Carson joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to talk about the origins of The Gospel Coalition, the importance of a theological vision for ministry, and leadership lessons from 1 Corinthians. Dr. Crawford Loritts joi…

In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. walks through the tragic last chapter of Israel’s first king. King Saul held such promise in the beginning. But the longer he reigned, the more it became clear that he wanted God’s blessing much more than he wanted God. And Saul isn’t alone: In the church today, many people seem destined to miss heaven by …

When life takes an unexpected turn, we have a choice: We can take matters into our own hands, or we can do things God’s way and wait on him to fulfill his promises. In this message, Pastor J.D. uses Abigail’s story of wisdom and discretion to show us why we cannot accomplish the promise of the Spirit in the power of the flesh and how to instead lea…

One day, the story of your life will be told to the next generation. How do you want today’s chapter to be told? In this message from 1 Samuel 25, Pastor J.D. shows us King David at a critical juncture, fresh off his faithful response to the murderous King Saul. But when a smaller obstacle meets David, he stumbles and nearly falls. The only thing t…

David did not spend time in the wilderness, running from Saul, so we could believe that if we trust God more, he will accept and provide for us. That’s the wrong order—and the order is critical. Pastor J.D. explains in this message how David’s confidence and steadfast faith in God’s purpose developed because he believed God had already accepted him…

What do you do when the path you’re on takes an expected turn for the worst? In this message from 1 Samuel 24, Pastor J.D. follows King David into an unexpected place—the wilderness. At this point in his life, David had been chosen to be king. And yet circumstances sent him running for his life. David’s temptation in this season echoes our own: Whe…

Get notes on this podcast here: Dr. Crawford Loritts joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to talk about the key traits of leaders who are not only influential but who also last in ministry. Kay Warren and Glen Bloomstrom joined us last week to discuss the crucial part church leaders play in helping people battle suicide and how those in minist…

Get notes on this podcast here: https://churchleaders.com/podcast/494181-crawford-loritts-church-leaders-ambushed-priority.html Dr. Crawford Loritts joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to talk about the key traits of leaders who are not only influential but who also last in ministry. Kay Warren and Glen Bloomstrom joined us last week to discu…

We all need the kind of friendships in our lives that will shield us, strengthen us, and shape us into the person God created us to be. In this message, Pastor J.D. shows how Jonathan’s friendship with David modeled this kind of friendship and how friendship with Jesus enables us to be to others this kind of friend—healthy, complete, trusting, and …

In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. looks at one of the greatest friendship stories of all time—between the presumptive heir, Prince Jonathan, and the anointed king, David. This unlikely friendship challenges us to choose our own response to the one true King, Jesus. Will we, like Saul, resist him? Or will we, like Jonathan, yield the throne…

For anyone who struggles to find courage in adversity, the story of David and Goliath does not give us hope because God promises to help us defeat all of our “giants” if we trust him enough. Pastor J.D. teaches in this message how the story of David shows us that, because of Jesus’ victory over death, we can have audacious courage in the face of ob…

In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. walks through the most famous story in the Old Testament—David and Goliath. Everyone knows this story, but few truly understand what it’s about. Goliath’s downfall isn’t an encouragement to underdogs or a guarantee that you’ll overcome every “giant” in your life. Goliath’s story shows us what true courage …

Do you ever feel like you’re just biding your time doing mundane tasks that aren’t really leading anywhere? In this message, Pastor J.D. continues to look at David’s ordinary years in the pasture before he became king and explains how the blank spaces—the sections in the Bible where all the activity seems to stop—are where our hearts are shaped by …

Get notes on this podcast here: Kay Warren and Glen Bloomstrom join “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss the crucial part church leaders play in helping people battle suicide and how those in ministry can take action to be equipped for this fight. Rich Villodas joined us last week to discuss what it means to follow Jesus on the narrow pat…

Get notes on this podcast here: https://churchleaders.com/podcast/493644-kay-warren-glen-bloomstrom-church-leaders-suicide.html Kay Warren and Glen Bloomstrom join “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss the crucial part church leaders play in helping people battle suicide and how those in ministry can take action to be equipped for this fig…

In this message from 1 Samuel, Pastor J.D. finally introduces us to the person of David. But David’s first appearance is hardly a commanding one: He is overlooked before being anointed as king, then seemingly forgotten immediately afterwards. What this message will show us, is that those moments when God seems completely absent often turn out to be…