DVD Individual Messages

God chooses to use unlikely people for unlikely tasks in unlikely places. To serve the Lord, we’re not expected simply to muster up adequate inner strength. Rather, God Himself enables us through His Spirit. We see this illustrated in 1 Samuel when the Holy Spirit descended upon David and departed from Saul, radically altering both lives ... Continue Reading 

Those familiar with the story of 1 Samuel know King David as “a man after God’s own heart.” Alistair Begg helps us consider how this description speaks more to God’s character than to David’s. David was not anointed as king because of his personal qualities. Rather, God chose him according to His electing love ... Continue Reading 

When Saul’s disobedience prompted the Lord’s rejection of his kingship, Samuel was sent to anoint a new king over Israel. This time God, not the people, chose the king. Paraded before Samuel, Jesse’s older sons were impressive to the human eye—yet God rejected them in favor of the youngest, David. Although we see ... Continue Reading 

Burdened by his works-based religion, Martin Luther knew no peace until God’s Spirit revealed the Gospel’s message of grace. At his conversion, Luther acknowledged that salvation is not based on merit; rather, it comes by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. In this Reformation Sunday sermon, Alistair Begg highlights the grace and ... Continue Reading 

Partial obedience is still disobedience. Saul learned this lesson the hard way when he failed to execute God’s judgment against the Amalekites, sparing the king and the best of the sheep and cattle. Instead of a victorious celebration, he met with Samuel’s anger and the Lord’s regret. Our responses matter to God, teaches Alistair ... Continue Reading 

God’s command was clear: Israel was supposed to destroy the Amalekites. King Saul, blinded by his own sin, failed to complete this task; seeking to justify his actions, he replaced true obedience with religious formalism. This passage stands as a warning of sin’s deceitfulness—and also the steadfastness of God and His purposes. As Alistair ... Continue Reading 

Beware the deceitfulness of sin! Although Saul disobeyed the Lord’s command to annihilate the Amalekites, he still expected blessing, and even erected a monument in his own honor. Instead of blessing, though, God rejected Saul as Israel’s king. A final day of judgment awaits us all, warns Alistair Begg. Only by listening to the Lord ... Continue Reading 

On the heels of victory against the Philistines, Saul found himself waging a new battle—a spiritual war within his own heart. His desire to vanquish enemies in his own strength led him to place a rash oath on the Israelites. This foolish decision led the people to obey manmade laws rather than God’s divine commands ... Continue Reading 

With God’s help, we can scale a wall! Such faith empowered Jonathan, accompanied only by his armor-bearer, to face the Philistines. His confidence lay not in his own strength and talent but in the Lord’s ability to save—and the Lord did not disappoint. God is not a bystander, teaches Alistair Begg; He continues to ... Continue Reading 

Trouble was brewing in Israel. As the Philistine army assembled against them, the nation watched in fear and hopelessness, hiding among rocks and tombs. Surveying the circumstances, Saul chose not to wait for Samuel; instead, he offered an unauthorized sacrifice to the Lord. Examining Saul’s actions, Alistair Begg explains that while trusting God is seldom simple ... Continue Reading