Guest Blog written by: Charley Goode

Today we read in 1 Kings 4:16-28 that Solomon was approached with quite a sticky situation here.  There was no way for Solomon to have a clue who the mother of this child truly is! 

So, the test was to see which “mother” honestly loved the child rather than just the idea of having one.  In this story, I believe we can relate it to how God and Satan fight over us.

God is the loving mother who wants us alive. He cares for us. He doesn’t want anything bad to happen to us.  Just like children, we sometimes don’t always have a clue of what is going on.  So, just like the baby needed someone to fight for it, we need God to fight for us too!
Satan is the “other mother”.  The one who doesn’t really love us.  The one who only wants to steal from the righteous.  The one who enjoys hardships arising in our lives.  And instead of fighting for us; he is fighting against us.
Therefore, Solomon came up with what would seem as an insane idea to split the baby in half.  When the mom who resembles Christ heard this, she did not like it.  She said that she would rather the other woman win for the sake of her child.  Kind of like how Jesus had to send his son for the sake of us.  Solomon knew automatically that the mother who would rather give the baby away than kill it was the true mother.  Satan is good at hiding. Solomon had to do a test to even see who was the right mother.  Satan can be tricky.  But in the end, love always wins.  It always will.  My prayer is that you’d ask yourself who your with and who’s holding you?
Last night, here in Georgia we washed each others feet, just as Jesus did for his disciples and friends.  Love was evident in this room.  Tears rolled down my face as I stood in awe by seeing the love, hearing the love, and feeling the love. Love is powerful.  Love is intoxicating.  The evidence and the extinction of love were both noticed in the story.  In your hearts and in your life, where do you get love?  How do you give love?  But most importantly, which one of these mothers love you?  And which one do you love?  Which one do you worship?

Guest Blog written by: Colin Raynor

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. (‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ESV)

Sometimes in life we feel as though we have committed a terrible sin and God doesn’t forgive us. David in this case has committed this “horrible sin” of adultery and murder, yet God through his prophet Nathan tells King David that He has put away your sin and you shall not die. What a great reminder for when something comes up in our life that God loves us no matter what is done.  He his faithful and just to forgive.