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God Has Heard: Hannah’s Story of Faith in the Depths

From our Miracle Babies series exploring God’s promises wrapped in blankets

The Five Finger Game

Let’s start with a game. Put a finger down if:

  • You’ve ever felt ignored by everyone, including God
  • You’ve been hurt by dysfunctional family relationships
  • You’ve desperately wanted something that never worked out
  • You’ve tried making a deal with God
  • You’ve had to give up something precious to you

If you have no fingers left, you’re in good company. That’s exactly what Hannah experienced.

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A New Light: The Miraculous Birth of Samson

Part of the “Miracle Babies” series

We’re continuing our journey through miraculous births in the Bible, and today we’re looking at a baby born to a woman who wasn’t supposed to have children. Unlike Sarah from last week, this woman isn’t even named in Scripture—but I think there’s a powerful reason for that beyond simple oversight.

The Cycle of Darkness

The story of Samson’s birth takes place during one of Israel’s darkest periods. The book of Judges records a repeating cycle: the people rebel against God, God allows them to be conquered, they cry out for help, and God raises up a deliverer called a judge. For hundreds of years, this pattern continues.

But when we get to Samson’s story, something’s different. The text tells us that “the Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.” Notice what’s missing? There’s no mention of the people crying out to God. It’s as if they’d given up.

But God hadn’t given up on them.

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Laughter Is Born: The Ridiculous Promise of God

When God’s Plans Sound Absolutely Absurd

What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard of an elderly person accomplishing? Running a marathon at 100? Climbing Mount Everest at 80? Going skydiving at 103?

Now imagine this: having your first baby at 90.

That’s the story of Abraham and Sarah – and it’s so absurd that their son’s name literally means “laughter.” Because when God told them the news, they laughed. Not the joyful kind of laughter, but the incredulous kind. The “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me” kind.

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Do Not Fear Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

We are hardwired to seek comfort. For most of human history, this instinct kept us alive. Being uncomfortable from hunger meant you were starving. Your body demanded rest or it would break down from overuse. You sought acceptance from your tribe because being an outcast meant death—whether from enemy tribes, predators, or the psychological toll of isolation.

But here’s the problem: we don’t live in that world anymore. When was the last time you were chased by a saber-toothed tiger? Yet we still operate as if we are. We still avoid discomfort at all costs, and ironically, this instinct that once saved us is now killing us—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The philosopher Voltaire once said, “History is filled with the sounds of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up.” Hard circumstances create great figures, nations, and empires. Overindulgence in comfort leads to their demise.

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Do Not Fear Impossible Situations

When You’re Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

There’s a legendary story from the Korean War about General Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller. His battalion of Marines found themselves completely surrounded by enemy forces—outnumbered 29 to 1, outgunned, and out of options.

Instead of panicking, Chesty declared: “They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29 to one. They can’t get away from us now.”

He and his men fought their way out while losing very few soldiers.

Most of us would panic in impossible situations like that. When we feel surrounded and pressed in on every side, when every path seems like the wrong choice, we tend to panic, retreat, or give up.

But the apostle Paul had a different perspective: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. We are persecuted, but not abandoned. We are struck down, but not destroyed.”

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Do Not Fear Your Own Insecurities: Lessons from Moses

When Fear Warps Our Reality

We all know the feeling. That coat draped over a chair becomes a menacing figure in the dark. The small spider on the bathroom wall transforms into a life-threatening monster. Fear has a way of distorting our perception, making things appear bigger, scarier, and more threatening than they actually are.

A heavy metal band called Our Last Night says the acronym F-E-A-R stands for “false evidence appearing real.” That’s exactly what fear does—it warps our reality and makes us act irrationally.

But some of our biggest fears aren’t external at all. They’re not about spiders, snakes, or heights. Sometimes our most paralyzing fears are internal—fears about ourselves.

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Generosity that Transforms: 40 Years of Faith in Action

A sermon/presentation by Warren Crawford on behalf of Bryantsville Hunger Relief Project

When Hollis and Ila Sherwood planted their first corn crop in 1985 to support a medical missionary in Africa, they had no idea God had different plans. That first harvest was ready to ship when a devastating earthquake struck Mexico City, killing 20,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. Their mission partner asked: could they redirect the corn?

Without hesitation, they said yes.

That pivotal moment launched what would become the Bryantsville Hunger Relief Project (BHRP.org)—forty years of feeding the hungry and spreading the gospel around the world. And it almost didn’t happen. The Sherwoods initially thought, “We didn’t complete our original project,” so they planted a second year. By then, God had embedded this calling deep in their hearts.

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“Is That It?” Why Your Life Has Eternal Significance

Ever find yourself wondering if your daily grind actually matters? You’re not alone.

We’ve all been there—caught in the routine, wondering if we’re just spinning our wheels in an endless rat race. The midlife crisis hits, and suddenly we’re questioning everything: Is this all there is? Does any of this even matter?

I’m here to tell you: Yes, it absolutely does matter.

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For the Common Good: Using Your Spiritual Gifts

Why the church isn’t meant to be a spectator sport (based on a sermon by Lucas Johnson)

Every Team Needs Every Player

Think about the movie Ocean’s Eleven for a moment. Each member of Danny Ocean’s crew had a specific skill essential to pulling off their elaborate heist—the explosives expert, the tech guy, the con artist. Not everyone could be the explosives expert, and they wouldn’t succeed if they tried.

Or consider the ’90s Chicago Bulls, arguably the greatest basketball team of all time. Michael Jordan was there to win games, Scottie Pippen backed him up, Steve Kerr hit the crucial three-pointers, and Dennis Rodman dominated the rebounds while intimidating opponents. Each player had their unique role.

The same principle applies to your own life—you have specific roles in your family, at work, in your hobbies and organizations. Unfortunately, this understanding of roles and responsibilities doesn’t always carry over to the church.

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