Prayer is not a useless spiritual exercise. It’s not a pointless ritual that God commands - no there is real power in it, which is why we should do it.

And that’s precisely what we see in this passage.

God completely breaks Hannah down to the point where the Lord was all she had. 1 Samuel 1:1-8 describes how the Lord was stripping everything away from Hannah.

There’s three aspects to the Lord’s work in Hannah’s life: first, we’ll look at her dysfunctional family (vv. 1-3), second, we’ll look at her provocation and pain (vv. 4-6), and lastly, we’ll look at her husband’s ineffective comfort (vv. 7-8).

This is the end of Paul's letter to Timothy, and he's highlighting a few key points that he's already addressed, he’s reiterating a few key points before he signs off. He’s charging him to apply what he’s already told him: to pursue righteousness, don’t become lured by the love of money, and flee from false teaching.

Paul addresses contentment in position, contentment in the church, and contentment with status in these 10 verses.

This past Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Doug Hart preach from Psalm 111.

This past Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Doug Hart preach from Psalm 110.

In verses 17-25, Paul outlines for Timothy what the church’s relationship is supposed to look like towards the godly elders who lead them. And so, Paul’s instructions break down into three parts: first, Paul says good elders should be honored (vv. 17-18), but secondly, that doesn’t mean elders are above church discipline (vv. 19-21), which lastly, reiterates a point he made earlier - that choosing elders is a serious task (vv. 22-25).

This past Sunday, we had the privilege of having Rev. Taylor King preach from 1 John 2:28-3:3.

In 1 Timothy 5:1-16, Paul is giving Timothy advice on how to pastorally handle the various relationships and circumstances within the family of God. Particularly how to say hard things to the various demographics within the church, and to care for the growing ministry towards widows within the Ephesian church.

In 1 Timothy 4:6-16, Paul gives a lot of personal instruction to his young protege Timothy. As a young pastor and minister, Timothy needed some advice on how to remain faithful in the face of challenges.

In verses 6-16, we see that in order to be a faithful servant of Christ, you must be nourished on sound doctrine (vv. 6-8), reject false teaching (vv. 7-10), and embrace God’s Word as the foundation for all true doctrine (vv. 11-16).

Paul told Timothy in chapter 1 to, “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine…”

And so after laying out the qualifications for elders and deacons, and sharing the mystery of godliness, he’s now returning to the subject of false teaching.

In this passage Paul both warns against false teaching and then gives its remedy.

Your family’s greatest need is your unwavering commitment to God’s Word and your own personal holiness. Our church’s greatest need is your personal holiness.

And Jesus Christ is the well that you and I must return to over and over and over again. The same message that saves us is the very basis for our godliness.

We’re all called to serve and love one another, but those who are called to the office of deacon have a unique opportunity to beautifully reflect the love of their Savior.

Service is how Christ demonstrated his love for the church and service to the church is how deacons demonstrate their love for Christ.

The church desperately needs good godly men to lead Christ’s church. Selecting men to step into these roles isn’t a flippant task; the very livelihood of our church depends on it.

We need men who will faithfully shepherd, care for, and tend our flock.

Because in order for Providence to reach its full potential for Christ’s kingdom we need godly men to lead us. It’s what our church needs, but it’s what every church needs, isn’t it?

The moment you begin to debate, quarrel, or argue with God’s word is when the Bible no longer becomes your only rule for faith and practice. In fact, Paul draws a straight line from public worship to gospel fidelity.

It’s only when we submit to God’s Word in all of its parts can we then boldly proclaim, “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all…”

Here’s the danger you and I must reflect on today: When sin and its effects are downplayed, ignored, or minimized, the grace and mercy of God is downplayed, ignored, and minimized.

We speak honestly about sin because we believe in the transformative power of the gospel!

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Doug Hart preach from 1 Timothy 1:1-11.

If someone was to ask you how Christ’s resurrection is impacting your life right now, what would you say? Even for the seasoned Christian it’s a difficult question.

Well, that’s precisely the question that Peter answers for us in our passage. We learn from 1 Peter 1:3-9 that Christians can have great hope (v. 3), security (vv. 4-7), and assurance (vv. 8-9) in life because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the King, but what we see in Zechariah 9:9-10 is that Jesus’ Kingship and Kingdom was not established by the tip of the sword, but rather through the humility of the cross.

You and I are called to obedience. We’re called to faithfulness. But have you ever wondered, “How do I become a more obedient follower of Jesus?”

Do we constantly beat ourselves up and remind ourselves of how we consistently fall short? Do we pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and try a little harder? No.

Obedience and faithfulness to Christ requires you and me to stop thinking about ourselves and those around us and to devote our attention to following Jesus Christ!