Mercy Church Mercy Church (PCA)

Covenant Stakes and Security Text: 1 Samuel 20 Rev. John Downs In life, our attention is naturally drawn to situations in which the stakes are high and there’s no guarantee of security.  In reality, our spiritual life is much more … April 14, 2024 Read More »

Reception and Refuge Text: 1 Samuel 18-19 Rev. John Downs The life of faith involves elements of both pleasure and pain that are held in tension, as explicitly illustrated in today’s text.  The love and adoration of Jonathan, Michal and … April 7, 2024 Read More »

Covenant Challenge and Champion Text: 1 Samuel 17 Rev. John Downs The encounter between David and Goliath is one of theological and cosmic significance, addressing the issue of whose god will rule. Rather than focus on the physical attributes of … March 31, 2024 – Easter Read More »

Wisdom and Work Text: 1 Samuel 16 Rev. John Downs At some point in our lives, all of us have had an unexpected disruption that tempted us to anxiety and to ask ourselves, “What do I do now?”  Today’s text … March 24, 2024 Read More »

A Kingly Devotion Text: 1 Samuel 15 Rev. John Downs All of us have had high hopes that were never realized, and that is very disappointing.  We see in today’s narrative that a presumptuous King Saul is in conflict with … March 17, 2024 Read More »

The Audacity of Faith and Ignorance Text: 1 Samuel 14 Rev. John Downs Context often determines the meaning of words.  The narrative in today’s passage displays two types of audacity.  Jonathan manifests a positive audacious confidence in God’s faithfulness, in … March 10, 2024 Read More »