{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvertical.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fteaching-aug-9-2026-OmW120bX","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"When Fear Takes Over | 1 Samuel 9 | Nathan Hughes","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/9689ac23-2320-4b64-bf07-a443a5ebe021/6b13efe6-cd0a-443e-98a6-445ce69aef3e/taleoftwokingspod.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/c6d5eb22-a2b3-4f41-b35d-ac1edf0b3306\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"When Fear Takes Over | 1 Samuel 9 | Nathan Hughes\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"What happens when fear takes over?\n\nSaul looked like everything Israel wanted in a king—strong, impressive, and capable. But beneath the surface was a heart increasingly controlled by insecurity and fear. When the pressure mounted and God asked him to wait, Saul chose control over trust.\n\nIn Week 2 of A Tale of Two Kings, we look at Saul’s rise to power and the moment that exposed what was happening inside his heart. His story confronts us with an important question: What are we trying to protect because we’re afraid to trust God with it?\n\nFear tells us that if we don’t take control, everything will fall apart. Faith reminds us that even when everything appears to be falling apart, God is still on His throne.\n\nBig Idea: Fear will always tempt us to seize control when trust requires us to wait on God.\n\nScripture: 1 Samuel 9:1–2; 10:20–24; 13:5–14\n\nThe contrast ultimately points us to Jesus—the King who never grasped for control, never acted out of fear, and trusted the Father completely, even when obedience led Him to the cross.\n\nWe don’t have to live controlled by fear. We have a King we can trust."}