Ordinary Offerings (Risky Faith 2)

I continued our series “Risky Faith” this weekend at Eastbrook with a message on Hannah from 1 Samuel 1 called “Ordinary Offerings.” The main point of the message is that risky faith begins in our ordinary circumstances when we see God do extraordinary things with His presence and power.

You can listen to my message online at the Eastbrook web-site here. You can also follow Eastbrook Church on Twitter. I’ve included the outline for the message below:

In the Midst of the Ordinary:

• Ordinary Times – the time of the Judges; “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25)
• Ordinary Politics – “Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12)
• Ordinary Circumstances – “There was a certain man…whose name was Elkanah…He had two wives…Year after year this man went up from his town to worship” (1 Samuel 1:1-3)
• Ordinary Challenges – “One wife was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Penninah had children, but Hannah had none” (1 Samuel 1:2)
• Ordinary Heartaches – “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her” (1 Samuel 1:6)

God Does Extraordinary Things:

• Extraordinary Prayer – “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly” (1 Samuel 1:10)
• An Extraordinary Vow – “And she made a vow…” (1 Samuel 1:11)
• An Extraordinary Response – “Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him’” (1 Samuel 1:17)
• An Extraordinary Gift – “So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel” (1 Samuel 1:20)
• An Extraordinary Faith – “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:27)