Karl Ihfe examines 2 Samuel 9, where King David seeks out Mephibosheth, Jonathan's crippled son, to show him kindness. This story reveals three essential qualities of compassion that made David a man after God's own heart. First, compassion is personal—David called Mephibosheth by name, restoring dignity to someone who saw himself as "a dead dog." Second, compassion is active—David didn't just feel sorry for Mephibosheth but gave him land, servants, and a permanent place at the royal table.

Finally, compassion is born out of love—David's actions flowed from his deep love for Jonathan that even death couldn't diminish. Ihfe connects this to Jesus's compassion in the Gospels and challenges the congregation to learn someone's name this week, take action for one person, and remember that true compassion flows naturally from those who understand how much they've been forgiven, as Jesus taught in Luke 7:47: "whoever has been forgiven little loves little."

https://bwaychurch.org

Jeremy Smith, the college minister at Broadway Church of Christ, shared how Atlas Campus Fellowship has been diligently preparing for returning college students with numerous welcome events planned. He presented Atlas's vision to become "the most welcoming college ministry in Lubbock, Texas through radical hospitality," where every student feels "personally invited and genuinely seen." This vision is summarized in their motto: "find home."

Jeremy highlighted the unique challenges college students face: newfound independence, forming identities, competing worldviews, and different pressures depending on their school environment. Using the example of Apollos from Acts 18, he illustrated how the early church didn't treat young believers as "almost Christians" but instead welcomed them, taught them "more adequately," and empowered them for ministry. Jeremy challenged the congregation to overcome the subconscious barrier of seeing college ministry as less valuable because students' time is temporary, reminding them that everyone shares responsibility for creating a welcoming church where people can find home.

https://bwaychurch.org

Karl Ihfe explores the devastating relational brokenness in David's family from 2 Samuel 13, where David's failure to act at critical moments led to catastrophic consequences. Despite David's love for his children, he failed at three crucial crossroads: he wouldn't confront Amnon after raping Tamar, he refused to truly listen to Absalom after years of estrangement, and he didn't speak the necessary words until after Absalom's death when all he could say was "my son, my son."

Ihfe challenges us to recognize similar crossroads in our own relationships, emphasizing that love requires more than feelings—it demands courageous action. Whether confronting difficult situations, truly listening to others, or speaking words that need to be said (like "I'm sorry" or "I forgive you"), we must act before regret sets in. The sermon concludes by pointing to Jesus as "the living Word" (John 1:14) who doesn't just feel love but actively intervenes in our lives.

https://bwaychurch.org