The Driven Church

1 Samuel 13: 24 , 14: 1-14. Be Courageous. Trent Evans

Study 16: 1 Samuel 13: 15-22: Trent Evans

 Full Armor of God

This sermon from 1 Samuel 13:15–22 invites listeners into a deep reflection on spiritual warfare, obedience, and the critical importance of being equipped with the Word of God. Though at first glance the passage appears to be a transitional narrative, it reveals profound truths about how God's people are often unprepared for spiritual battles when they neglect God’s instruction and provision. The message emphasizes that disobedience disrupts peace with God, that spiritual discipline is an expression of His love, and that the enemy aims to isolate believers and disarm them spiritually. Listeners are challenged to examine whether they are properly armed with God’s Word—personally, not just through their leaders—so they can stand firm in battle and intercede for their families, communities, and fellow believers. It’s a sobering yet empowering call to take hold of the spiritual tools God freely gives and live in active readiness for the battles already underway

Study 15: 1 Samuel 13: 1-15: Trent Evans

Trust in His timing

This sermon on 1 Samuel 13 walks through Saul’s unraveling as king, revealing how pride, fear, and impatience erode obedience to God. Listeners are led verse by verse through the text to understand how Saul's insecurity leads him to claim credit for his son’s victory, offer unauthorized sacrifices, and shift blame rather than take responsibility. The teaching emphasizes the consequences of disregarding God's commands, the danger of letting fear drive decisions, and the vital need to wait on God's timing. The message calls believers to examine where they run when afraid, inviting them to find their hiding place in the Lord and trust Him—even when trembling. This study podcast guides listeners into deeper faith by illuminating both the scriptural context and personal implications of obedience, humility, and spiritual leadership.

Study 14: 1 Samuel 12: Trent Evans

Don't cease praying

 

In this sermon on 1 Samuel 12, listeners are guided through Samuel’s farewell address, where he recounts Israel’s history of deliverance and their repeated cycles of disobedience, urging the people to remember God’s faithfulness and warning them against trusting in human strength over God’s sovereignty. Samuel calls Israel to revere the Lord and obey His commands, emphasizing that neither a king nor human schemes can replace dependence on God. He demonstrates the importance of personal, not merely corporate, faith by contrasting Israel’s outward religiosity with genuine heart devotion. Ultimately, the sermon challenges believers to pursue a life of integrity, rooted in repentance, continual prayer, and unwavering trust in God’s righteous character, encouraging deep reflection on how obedience and remembrance of God’s past faithfulness shape present and future faithfulness.

Study 13: 1 Samuel 11:1-15 : Trent Evans

This sermon, drawn from 1 Samuel 11, guides listeners through Israel’s transition from God as their direct king to the appointment of Saul as the first earthly king. It emphasizes the danger of making compromises with the enemy—illustrated through Nahash’s demand to gouge out the right eyes of the people of Jabesh Gilead—and highlights the spiritual lesson that any deal with the enemy leads to distorted vision and disgrace. The message invites believers to see how God, through His Spirit, empowered Saul to act in deliverance, reflecting God’s sufficiency and faithfulness. Ultimately, it calls the church to remember their own “Gilgal”—a place of first love and God’s demonstrated faithfulness and challenges listeners to examine whether they’ve experienced true spiritual transformation and deliverance through Christ.

Study 12: 1 Samuel 10: 14-27: Trent Evans

This sermon explores Israel's transition from a theocracy under God's direct rule to a monarchy led by King Saul, as depicted in 1 Samuel 10. The message focuses on the people's rejection of God's kingship despite His proven faithfulness and provision, symbolized by the Ebenezer stone at Mizpah. The speaker emphasizes how God confirmed Saul's calling through specific signs, yet Saul initially hid in fear and baggage, a metaphor for how personal insecurities and past wounds can hinder our obedience to God’s assignments. The sermon challenges listeners to examine their hearts, lay down their "baggage," and choose God's leadership over self-rule, urging believers to walk in obedience and trust God's approval above human praise.

Study 11: 1 Samuel 10:1-13 Trent Evans

This sermon focuses on the unfolding of God’s purpose in Saul’s life as seen in 1 Samuel 9–10, offering a rich study of how God prepares, calls, and empowers individuals for His assignments. The message highlights the transition of Israel from a theocracy to a monarchy, emphasizing Saul’s anointing as king, not for personal glory but to fulfill God’s assignment. Through Saul’s encounters with Samuel, we see how God provides confirmation, changes the heart (lab—mind and will), and supplies the power needed for the task. Listeners are encouraged to seek stillness before God, study His Word diligently, and recognize His work of preparation and empowerment in their own lives. This podcast invites believers into a deeper reflection on Scripture’s call to obedience, readiness, and trust in God’s plan.

Study 10: 1 Samuel 9; 1-24: Trent Evans

Don't Discount

In 1 Samuel 9, we witness how God orchestrates His purposes through the search for lost donkeys by Saul and his servant, leading them to a divine appointment with the prophet Samuel. This chapter challenges us to recognize that God’s plans often unfold through the seemingly mundane or insignificant moments of our lives. Saul’s anointing as king reveals the contrast between human desires—seeking outward strength, stature, and reputation—and God’s deeper concern for the condition of the heart. The text invites us to reflect on how God uses ordinary events to prepare us for significant tasks and how His kindness, woven throughout the details of our lives, calls us to choose Him daily. It underscores the weight of our choices, the enduring consequences they have for ourselves and others, and the ever-present grace of God guiding us, even when we stray from Him.

 

 

 

Study 9: 1 Samuel 8: 1-22.Trent Evans

Give us a King     

This episode delves into 1 Samuel 8, a pivotal chapter that marks Israel's transition from theocracy to monarchy—a moment when the people reject God as their king in favor of a human ruler. The message explores the spiritual consequences of this choice, revealing how fear, distrust, and a desire to conform led Israel to trade God's proven leadership for worldly imitation. Through close examination of the text, listeners are challenged to reflect on their own hearts: Do we seek God’s Word for comfort yet resist His authority in our decisions? The study ultimately emphasizes God's grace even in rejection, His intimate care for those who feel cast aside, and the urgent call for believers to surrender the throne of their hearts to the only true King.

 

Study 8: 1 Samuel 7:1-17: Trent Evans

Engaged in Prayer?

In this message from 1 Samuel 7, listeners are guided through Israel's journey from disobedience to repentance and restoration, emphasizing the difference between possessing religious symbols and truly seeking God. The sermon underscores the consequences of disobedience, the call to rid our lives of idols, and the importance of genuine, heartfelt repentance. Samuel’s leadership highlights how true spiritual change involves both inner transformation and outward action. Through Israel’s lament and recommitment to God, the text illustrates the power of aligning our lives with God’s will, especially in times of trial. Worship, even amidst conflict, is portrayed as the path to victory, and private devotion is shown to be the wellspring of public spiritual strength. This episode calls believers to build personal altars of devotion and live lives marked by integrity, prayer, and unwavering pursuit of God’s presence.