Episode 17

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Published on:

23rd Mar 2023

What's With all the Tragic Endings?

Whoever started writing stories with the "and they lived happily ever after" ending might have read the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. Why? They were desperate for a happy ending after reading this book!

Eli's story ends with the death of his sons, capture of the Ark of the Covenant, and his death by broken neck.

Samuel ends well as a faithful prophet, but his grown sons don't follow in his footsteps of faithfulness to God. After he dies, he has to come back and give one last prophetic word of doom!

Abigail's story may be the closest to a fairy tale, but let's not forget, while she becomes David's wife, he is a polygamist!

Saul and his sons die in battle and have their corpses mutilated before being retrieved and given a proper funeral by heroic men.

David's on the run for years and 1 Samuel ends with his army retrieving all the wives and children and property the Amalekites had captured while David's band was off trying to fight -- against their own people!

The Bible tells the whole story, not just the beautiful and fun parts. Protagonists and antagonists alike are complex and complicated.

As we wrap up our study of 1 Samuel, we'll look at

  • how you handle 1/2 in, 1/2 out people
  • reasons God may be gracious when people are making bad choices
  • faithfulness does not equal perfection
  • the cost of not dealing with fear and insecurity

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Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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About the Podcast

Living Wide and Deep
Growing a life of spiritual strength, emotional health, and relational wisdom
You want to be the best possible person, parent, or spouse. Yet sometimes you may not know how. You may feel alone. I understand.

The "Living Wide and Deep" podcast helps you grow spiritually strong, emotionally healthy, and relationally wise. Your good intentions and abilities will thrive through learning and applying principles from research, real-life experience, and the Bible.

You don't have to choose between deep and narrow or wide and shallow. You can live wide and deep! Stephanie brings depth and winsomeness, authority and vulnerability. A wife, mom, mother-in-law, and Nana, Stephanie is a speaker and writer who loves helping others flourish.
Learn more at her website, https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

About your host

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Stephanie Smith

Stephanie knows from experience good intentions aren't enough to be spiritually strong, emotionally healthy, and relationally smart--or to raise kids who are. She shares powerful Scriptural principles and science-backed insights into human behavior to equip people to grow good intentions into godly impact.

Stephanie's authenticity creates immediate connection with audiences both virtual and on the stage, while gracious authority provides clarity and confidence for listeners. Her leadership experience includes being a certified Primal Question coach, Christian school founding board member and teacher, homeschool cooperative founder, and Teen Theater Director.

Stephanie is a wife, mother of five grown sons, mother-in-law of four, and Nana to a growing tribe of awesome grandkids. She is committed to Psalm 17:17-18, proclaiming God's power to generations through wisdom forged in real life.