As peaceful as this moment feels, the reality is that life is a bit chaotic for me right now.

I’ve been thinking about how God is using this weekly commitment to write to you. It’s given me some external accountability to stay in His Word, and I’m convinced that’s part of why, even with everything going on, my inner man is stronger than it’s been in a long time.

This week, I’m sharing two thoughts I’ve been carrying with me. I pray they’ll encourage and challenge you as they have me.

A Burdened Soul and a Fixed Heart

Have you ever felt weighed down by life’s circumstances, even while trying to trust God?

David did.

Not King David. At least not yet. Promised king, yes, but when he wrote Psalm 57, he was hiding in a cave.

In verse 6, David gives us a glimpse of his distress: “My soul is bowed down.”

But in the very next verse, he declares something twice that might surprise you:

“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed.”

David’s circumstances weren’t settled, but somehow, in the middle of the chaos, his heart was.

How could he be so confident?

Verse 3 may provide the answer. David trusted God to send help from heaven. What would that help look like? The psalm doesn’t tell us. But David knew something about the God he trusted:

“God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.”

Mercy speaks of God’s steadfast love and loyal kindness. Truth speaks of His faithfulness and reliability.

I doubt you’re reading this from a cave, but perhaps life is weighing you down today.

Keep looking to Heaven.

You may not know how your circumstances will unfold, but you can know the character of the God you’re trusting.

What I’m carrying:

A burdened soul and a steadfast heart can exist at the same time.

Generational Wisdom

In my line of work, I sometimes hear people talk about building generational wealth. They want their children and grandchildren to have a financial head start and long-term security.

I have no problem with generational wealth, but reading Proverbs this week got me considering generational wisdom.

Money can be transferred through an inheritance, but wisdom must be taught, modeled, and personally embraced.

What good is a financial head start if we haven’t helped the next generation develop the wisdom to use it well?

Proverbs 24:3–4 tells us:

“Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

A strong home requires more than the resources we leave behind. It requires wisdom in the lives of those who live there.

What I’m carrying:

How am I teaching and modeling wisdom to my children?

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me today!

I’d love to hear from you. Is there something God has been teaching you lately? Or maybe something you’re learning to trust Him with? Just hit reply and let me know. I read every response, and I’d enjoy hearing what’s going on in your life.

As many of you know, I’m teaching through 1 Samuel in our Sunday School class. This week, we looked at chapter 23 and discussed three responses to God’s will.

You can listen to the lesson on the Committed Way Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, or find it on our website.

Have a great week!

Brad

In 1 Samuel 23, David is running for his life, yet he continues seeking God’s direction. Jonathan encourages his friend by reminding him of God’s promises, even when those promises come at a personal cost. Meanwhile, Saul is so consumed by pride that he mistakes his own desires for God’s approval.

Through these three men, we discover the difference between seeking God’s will, submitting to God’s will, and presuming upon God’s will.

In this lesson, we consider the importance of prayer, the danger of confusing opportunity with God’s approval, and the humility required to follow God when His direction differs from our desires.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 23:1–29

Last week was a good week of study, but a hard week personally.

It’s a week I’m still trying to process.

I didn’t get all my thoughts together in time for this email, but I did manage to capture one. And it’s something I’m learning is more important than I realized.

What’s Guiding Your Compass?

Imagine you’re faced with a difficult decision at work.

Telling the truth could cost you your job. Lying could protect it.

One person chooses to lie because personal security matters most. Another chooses to tell the truth because honoring God matters more.

Both understand the situation. Both recognize the consequences. But they’re following different compasses.

One is guided by personal security. The other is guided by the fear of the LORD.

Every decision is shaped by something. Sometimes it’s comfort. Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes it’s the approval of others.

But Proverbs reminds us that wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD.

Before asking which direction seems best, perhaps we should ask what’s guiding our compass.

What I’m carrying:

Wisdom isn’t just knowing where a decision might lead. It’s knowing what should lead the decision.

Thanks for reading.

Brad

In this study of 1 Samuel 22, we follow David from the cave of Adullam as he cares for his family, waits on God’s direction, and learns to walk by faith. Meanwhile, Saul’s growing pride leads to a devastating tragedy at Nob.

Through these contrasting lives, we’re reminded that trusting God doesn’t mean knowing every step ahead. It means clinging to what we know about His character and promises, obeying what He has revealed, and humbly taking responsibility when we fail.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 22

Happy Columbus Day! It’s fall break around here, and I’m off work today with my kids. We may even go fishing.

Here are two thoughts from last week’s study that I’m still carrying with me. I hope they’ll be an encouragement to you, too.

1 – Wisdom is Calling

Wouldn’t it be nice if life came with an operating manual?

When you get married, the pastor hands you a manual explaining how to be a good spouse and navigate the hard parts of marriage.

Then, when your first child is born, the doctor not only hands you the scissors to cut the umbilical cord but says, “Oh, by the way, here’s a manual on how to raise this kid until they leave for college.”

Unfortunately, life doesn’t come with instructions for every situation.

But God hasn’t left us without guidance.

James tells us that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it (James 1:5).

And this week, I read in Proverbs 8 that wisdom is calling, inviting us to hear instruction and gain understanding.

Maybe the key to navigating life isn’t having an answer for every situation. Maybe it’s learning to listen to the One who does.

What I’m carrying:

Wisdom is calling; am I listening?

2 - A Teachable Heart

When you picture a wise person, maybe you imagine someone who looks like Gandalf—a long white beard, flowing robes, and a mind full of wisdom.

But what if wisdom looks like a teenager sitting down to read his Bible before school?

Or a young adult willing to listen to advice instead of insisting he already knows everything?

What if wisdom isn’t a destination, but the fruit of a lifelong pursuit?

Notice the wise person in Proverbs:

• Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser.”

• Proverbs 10:8: “The wise in heart will receive commandments.”

• Proverbs 10:14: “Wise men lay up knowledge.”

Did you catch it? The wise man is still receiving instruction, commandments, and knowledge.

Could a teachable heart be one of the marks of a wise life?

What I’m carrying:

The wise never outgrow their need to learn.

We had a guest speaker this Sunday morning, so I didn’t teach on 1 Samuel, but we will pick back up where we left off next week.

Have a great week!

Brad

Another week of reading, studying, teaching, and jotting things down has left me with a few thoughts I don’t want to lose. Here are three I’m carrying with me into this week.

1 – Who Gets the Final Say?

“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” — Proverbs 28:26

What do I do when what I see and feel seems to contradict what God has said?

Faith is the proper response, but it’s not always the easy response. Faith takes action. (Walketh) Faith steps into the Jordan River. Faith rolls the stone away. Faith lays his son on the altar.

Faith obeys what God has said despite what we fear.

Why?

Because God can be trusted.

What I’m carrying:

Wisdom trusts God’s view of reality more than my own.

**We talked about this from a different angle in this week’s Bible study through 1 Samuel 21—trusting God when we can’t see the way ahead. Listen here.

2 – One Time Won’t Hurt

“In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.” (Proverbs 29:6)

I talked to, two men this week who grew up in the same church. One chose a life of sin and for twenty years he hasn’t escaped it. No matter how hard he tries sin draws him back in.

Years ago he probably had a simple thought. One time won’t hurt. Now, years later, he’s caught in sin’s snare.

The other man called me excited. He had been listening to a sermon and wanted to tell me about it. This last Sunday, I saw his children singing with smiles on their faces.

What I’m carrying:

Sin is deceiving. It won’t be satisfied with one time.

3 – Look at Jesus!

Colossians 1:14–20

He is the image of the invisible God.

Everything was created by him.

Everything was created for him.

He holds everything together.

He’s the head of the church.

He conquered death.

He redeemed us through His blood on the cross.

Through Him we have peace with God.

The hymn writer had it right when he wrote,

“Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

What I’m carrying:

I was made for him. Is He pleased?

Thanks for reading.

What have you been carrying with you this week? Hit reply and tell me. I’d love to hear from you.

Until next week,
Brad

In 1 Samuel 21, along with Psalms 34 and 56, we see that fear and faith can exist at the same time. When we cannot see the road ahead, we can keep walking by what we already know about God: He cares for us, He hears us, He is for us, His Word can be trusted, and His faithfulness in the past gives us confidence to trust Him today.

Sometimes God doesn’t show us the whole road. He gives us enough truth to stay between the lines and keep walking through the fog.

I’ve spent some time this week in Proverbs, Job, 1 Samuel, and Colossians, and I jotted down a few thoughts from my study. Here are three I’m still carrying into this week.

1 – On Being a Scorner

Proverbs has a lot to say about scorners, but what is a scorner? We don’t use that word much today, so it’s easy to quickly read over those verses, ignoring the warnings. We sometimes can think scorner = lost person, but did you know scorners might just come to church with you? Let’s go a step further—could I be becoming a scorner?

A scorner is a person who has become so resistant to correction that he treats the correction—and often the person giving it—with contempt.

One of the clearest signs is how we respond to correction. Do I listen and consider what’s being said, or immediately defend myself? Do I resent the person correcting me? Have I started avoiding people who might tell me something I don’t want to hear?

Proverbs 21:11 says the wise is instructed and receives knowledge.

What I’m carrying:

How do I respond to correction?

2 – On A Good Name

Character and reputation aren’t the same. Character is who you actually are, while reputation is how others see you. It’s possible to have good character and a bad reputation. (See the lives of Joseph and Jesus.)

Solomon tells us that “a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1). In other words, reputation matters.

It’s tempting to think we must try to build a good name, but in trying, we can easily drift toward people-pleasing.

Instead, pursue wisdom, integrity, truth, faithfulness, and the fear of the LORD. Then you’ll find a good name grows out of good character.

What I’m carrying:

Pursue character, and let your reputation take care of itself.

3 – On Knowing God

Job knew God before his suffering ever began. He feared Him, trusted Him, and walked with Him.

But after everything Job experienced, he said:

“I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” — Job 42:5

Job hadn’t discovered a different God. His experience had deepened his knowledge of the God he already knew.

Paul prayed something similar for the Colossians—that they would be “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

There are truths about God we learn by hearing them. Then, there are seasons when we have to live on what we’ve learned.

We know God is faithful—and then life turns upside down and we have to trust Him.

We know God gives strength—and then we become weak.

We know God is sufficient—and then something we depended upon is taken away.

The truth hasn’t changed.

But through walking with God, our knowledge of Him deepens.

What I’m carrying:

Some things about God are learned in the classroom. Others are learned by walking with Him

Have a great week!

Brad

P.S. In Sunday School this week, we finished 1 Samuel 20 and looked at three very different responses to the will of God.

Saul was fighting it. Jonathan was surrendering to it. David was waiting on it.

Same God. Same plan. Three very different responses.

I recorded the lesson, Fighting, Surrendering, and Waiting: Three Responses to God’s Will, and you can listen to it here.

In the closing verses of 1 Samuel 20, we see three very different responses. Saul fights God’s will. Jonathan surrenders to God’s will even when it costs him. And David is left waiting on God’s will when he doesn’t know what comes next.

In this study of 1 Samuel 20:24–42, we see that submitting to God’s will doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, faith doesn’t eliminate grief, and waiting doesn’t mean God has forgotten His promises. The question isn’t whether God’s plan will always match ours. The question is how we will respond when it doesn’t.

1 – On Following Your Heart

Our hearts are too important to ignore. The world’s advice is to follow your heart, but before we follow ours, we must instruct it. Left to itself, our heart won’t follow God. Here’s how:

• Proverbs 2:1–2 — receive my words, hide my commandments, incline thine ear, apply thine heart.

• Proverbs 4:20–23 — attend to my words, keep them “in the midst of thine heart,” then “keep thy heart with all diligence.”

• Proverbs 15:28 — the righteous heart “studieth” how to answer.

• Proverbs 16:23 — the wise heart actually “teacheth” the mouth.

What I’m carrying:

Don’t blindly follow your heart; allow God’s wisdom to first form it.

2 – On the Impact of Words

Words are powerful. Their impact can leave a ripple effect that goes on for years. A child who’s constantly told they are a problem or worthless may stop taking those words as criticism and begin to think that’s who they really are. On the other hand, pleasant words can build confidence and help shape a healthy understanding of who they are.

The conversation may end, but the effect of our words may not. Children may be the clearest example, but all of us carry words people have spoken to us.

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”
— Proverbs 16:24

“...that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
— Ephesians 4:29

What I’m carrying:

What will my words leave behind in the person who hears them?

3– On Anger

The space between anger and action is where wisdom does its work—or folly does its damage.

One word that would have saved a lot of damage in relationships is “deferreth.” It carries the idea of delaying or postponing a response. How often have we seen people become angry and make foolish decisions that end up costing them money, embarrassment, or even time in prison?

“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.”
— Proverbs 19:11

What I’m carrying:

Give wisdom time to work before you act.

Thanks for reading. If something here is worth carrying into your week, I’d love to hear what it is.

— Brad

Listen to the Committed Way Podcast
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In 1 Samuel 20:1–23, David and Jonathan face God’s plan from very different circumstances. David must trust God’s promise while running for his life, and Jonathan must submit to a future different from the one he might have expected. Through their covenant friendship, we see loyal kindness, godly friendship, and the faith required to follow God even when His plan is uncomfortable or difficult to understand.

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I thought I’d start sharing a few of them with you.

1 — On Faithfulness

Proverbs 12:22 says that those who “deal truly” are God’s delight. If something delights the LORD, I want to know what it is.

That phrase describes more than simply telling the truth. It describes a life characterized by faithfulness.

What I’m carrying:
A life marked by faithfulness bears the likeness of Christ.

2 — On Speaking Up

Jonathan found himself in a unique situation. His father—and his king—had given him a command: Kill your best friend.

Standing up for David could cost Jonathan his life. Yet he found a way to defend his friend while still speaking respectfully to his father and king.

What I’m carrying:
Respect and Spirit-filled rebuke can coexist.

It reminds me of Proverbs 25:15: “By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.”

3 — On Humility

David was once a shepherd called up to play music before the king.

Now he was a war hero called down to play music for the king—the same king who had already tried to kill him.

What I’m carrying:
Is there anything I feel is below me?

One more thing:
Two of these thoughts came from my study of 1 Samuel 19. If you’d like to spend a little more time there with me, you can listen to this week’s episode of the Committed Way Podcast.

Brad

P.S. I’m trying something new with Worth Carrying. If you enjoy this format and think I should keep it going, leave a comment or let me know. I’d love to hear what you think.

While I haven’t been sending many emails lately, one thing that has continued consistently is the Committed Way podcast. Each week, I’ve been teaching through the book of 1 Samuel in our adult Sunday School class and sharing those lessons on the podcast.

I’m also beginning to write again, which means you’ll probably be hearing from me a little more often. But I thought a good place to start would be simply sharing this week’s lesson.

God Is My Defense — 1 Samuel 19

Saul’s private jealousy has become open hostility. He orders David’s death, throws another javelin, sends men to surround his house, and eventually goes after David himself.

Yet throughout 1 Samuel 19, David keeps discovering that God is his defense.

In this lesson, we see Jonathan model gracious but courageous confrontation, David serve humbly even after being mistreated, and the difference between merely restraining sinful behavior and dealing with the heart beneath it. We also see that trusting God doesn’t mean ignoring danger—David dodges the javelin and climbs out the window while continuing to trust God with the outcome.

The lesson concludes in Psalm 59, written during these events, where David looks beyond every human means of deliverance and declares, “God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.”

David, however, cannot see everything happening behind the scenes. He does not know all of Saul’s motives or plans. What he can do is remain humble, behave wisely, and faithfully respond to the situation God has placed in front of him.

This lesson explores the danger of manipulation, the difference between knowing God’s will and submitting to it, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to control every outcome. We may not know everything others are doing, and we may not understand everything God is allowing, but we can humble ourselves, seek wisdom from His Word, and trust Him with the results.

In this lesson, we look at what Jonathan teaches us about friendship, what it means that David “behaved himself wisely,” and why walking with God is not a guarantee of an easy or outwardly successful life. David became king; Jonathan died in battle. The goal is not to control the outcome, but to remain humble, faithful, and wise on whatever path God gives us.

In this lesson from 1 Samuel 17:31–58, we look beyond the giant and the sling to the deeper truths that have made David and Goliath more than an underdog story. David remembered God’s faithfulness in the past, depended on Him in the present, and was determined that God receive the glory in the victory.

Whatever challenges we face, the same principles remain: walk humbly, move forward by faith, depend upon God, and remember—“the battle is the LORD’S.”

While everyone else sees the size of Goliath, David sees the greatness of the living God. And when criticism comes—not from the enemy, but from his own brother—David refuses to become distracted from the greater cause before him.

In this first part of our study of David and Goliath, we look beyond the familiar underdog story to two qualities that prepared David for what was ahead: humility and faith. The same God Israel had trusted in the past was still with them in the valley—and the same God is worthy of our trust when we face the giants in our own lives.