Character Matters | Ruled By The Right Thing - 1 Samuel 8 - Clint Leavitt

Sermon Resources: 1. “You may be an ambassador to England or France You may like to gamble, you might like to dance You may be the heavyweight champion of the world You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” -Bob Dylan, "Gotta Serve Somebody" 2.“Freedom is not given to us merely as a firework to be shot off in the air. There are some people who seem to think that their acts are freer in proportion as they are without purpose…That is like saying that one is richer if he throws money out the window than if he spends it. Neither the spending of money nor the waste of money is what makes someone rich. He is rich by virtue of what he has, and his riches are valuable to him for what he can do with them. As for freedom, it grows no greater by being wasted, or spent, but it is given to us as a talent to be traded with until the coming of Christ.” -Thomas Merton, "No Man Is An Island" 3. Study on America's overwork problem: https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_071326/lang--en/index.htm 4. Pew Research Study on Dating: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/ 5. “We have been led to believe that the self is sacred. Just as in an earlier time it was thought never fitting to deny God, now it seems never right to deny oneself.” -Robert Bellah, "Habits of the Heart" 6. “Their request is nothing less than a change in Israel’s foundational commitment to God…This rejection is not a new happening but is characteristic in the history of Israel (v. 8). The whole history of Israel is one of “forsaking” and going after other gods. This request for a king is one more step in the continuing performance of mistrust (c.f. Psalm 106). The issue of monarchy in God’s speech is perceived as Israel’s unwillingness to have God as the source and rule of life.” -Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation Commentary Join us below: Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurch Instagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.pres Website: www.midtownpres.org Community Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groups Sunday Services: www.midtownpres.org