Where You Go, I Go, Ruth 1
Where You Go, I Go (Ruth 1)
A famine drove Elimelech and his family from Bethlehem into Moab, but the refuge they sought soon became a place of profound loss. After the deaths of her husband and two sons, Naomi returned home bitter and empty. Yet Ruth refused to abandon her, declaring that Naomi’s people would be her people and Naomi’s God would be her God.
Ruth 1 reminds us that we cannot see the fullness of God’s plan. What appeared to be hopeless ruin was already becoming the setting for God’s gracious provision and redemptive purpose. Trusting God’s sovereignty does not mean knowing how everything will turn out. It means obeying Him before we know the outcome.
Suffering may tempt us to flee from God, blame Him, or pursue relief outside His will. Instead, suffering should drive us toward the Lord in repentance, surrender, and renewed trust. Our circumstances do not diminish God’s power, alter His character, or prevent Him from accomplishing His purposes.
Ruth’s faithfulness in disappointment points us to the faithfulness of God. Even when circumstances appear bleak, we can remain faithful to our calling because God is always faithful to His Word.
More sermon resources:
Enhance your sermon engagement with this comprehensive 3-page study resource and listening guide for "Reflect the True Light" on 1 John 2:7-14.
Christians who understand God’s holiness and recognize their own sin often wrestle with a painful question: How can I know that Christ is truly my advocate and that my sins are forgiven? The gospel neither minimizes sin nor grounds assurance in personal effort. It directs believers to Jesus Christ the righteous, whose atoning sacrifice satisfies God’s wrath and secures forgiveness for His people.
In this expository sermon on 1 John 2:1–6, Ben Smith explains how Christians receive assurance through an abiding relationship with Christ, obedience to God’s Word, and the transforming work of sanctification. The sermon distinguishes gospel obedience from legalism and encourages believers to find peace in what Christ has accomplished for their salvation and what He continues to do in their lives.
Enhance your sermon engagement with this comprehensive 3-page study resource and listening guide for "Abide in the Light" on 1 John 2:1-6.
Counterfeit faith is eternally dangerous because it can look genuine while leaving a person in darkness, deception, and destruction. In 1 John 1:5-10, the apostle John writes with pastoral urgency to help believers discern the difference between empty profession and true fellowship with God. Because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, those who know Him must be transformed by His truth, brought into fellowship with the saints, and led into honest confession of sin.
Enhance your sermon engagement with this comprehensive 3-page study resource and listening guide for "Walk in the Light" on 1 John 1:5-10.
A Comprehensive Study Through the Foundation of Scripture
Dive deep into the opening chapters of Genesis with this collection of 11 expository sermons by Ben Smith, Sr. This resource provides both profound theological insight and practical application as it explores God's creation, man's nature, the curse of sin, and the foundation of redemption.
Physical Format
This 291-page booklet is printed on 5.5 × 8.5-inch pages and bound with durable plastic comb binding (6.25 × 8.5 × 1 inches), making it easy to lay flat for study, teaching preparation, or note-taking. The convenient size fits perfectly in a Bible study bag or on your desk.
A Comprehensive Study Through the Foundation of Scripture
Dive deep into the opening chapters of Genesis with this collection of 11 expository sermon manuscripts by Ben Smith, Sr. This resource provides both profound theological insight and practical application as it explores God's creation, man's nature, the curse of sin, and the foundation of redemption.
What's Inside
This 291-page volume contains complete sermon manuscripts and study materials covering:
God Created (Genesis 1) - Exploring God as creator, sovereign, and good
The Nature of Man (Genesis 1:26-31) - Understanding humanity as God's image bearers
Goodness of Work and Rest (Genesis 2:1-3) - Biblical foundations for labor and Sabbath
Breath of Life (Genesis 2:4-17) - Man's unique creation and purpose
Blessing of Marriage (Genesis 2:18-25) - God's design for the union of husband and wife
Fall of Man (Genesis 2:25-3:7) - How sin entered the world through deception
Curse of Sin (Genesis 3:8-19) - The devastating consequences of rebellion
Death for Life (Genesis 3:20-24) - The first glimpse of redemption through sacrifice
Right with God (Genesis 4:1-7) - What makes us acceptable before God
Sin's Ruinous Rule (Genesis 4:8-16) - The progression of sin without repentance
Purposeless Prosperity (Genesis 4:17-24) - The emptiness of worldly success without God
A Comprehensive Study Through the Foundation of Scripture
Genesis 5–11 traces the spread of sin through the generations, God's grief over man’s wickedness, the judgment of the flood, the grace shown to Noah, God's covenant faithfulness, the Table of Nations, and the prideful rebellion at Babel. These chapters confront us with the depravity of man, the seriousness of judgment, and the unfailing faithfulness of God to preserve His redemptive promise.
Physical Format
This 294-page booklet is printed on 5.5 × 8.5-inch pages and bound with durable plastic comb binding (6.25 × 8.5 × 1 inches), making it easy to lay flat for study, teaching preparation, or note-taking. The convenient size fits perfectly in a Bible study bag or on your desk.
The manuscript collection includes eleven expository sermons from Genesis 4:25–11:32, each written to help believers understand the text, trust God’s promises, and live faithfully in a world marked by sin and rebellion.
Call On The Name of The Lord (Genesis 4:25–5:32) - Encouragement that God preserves His will and knows those who are His.
The Depravity of Man (Genesis 6:1–8) - Exposing the total corruption of man and the grace of God shown to Noah.
Trust and Obey (Genesis 6:9–22) - Considering Noah’s righteous obedience in response to the word of God.
Repent and Be Saved (Genesis 7) - Warning of God’s judgment and the only refuge found in salvation.
Great is Thy Faithfulness (Genesis 8:1–19) - Rejoicing that God remembers, preserves, and delivers His people.
Holy Worship (Genesis 8:20–22) - Examining Noah’s worship after the flood and the faithfulness of God’s promise.
Amazing Grace (Genesis 9:1–17) - Seeing God’s gracious covenant with Noah and His mercy toward the world.
Righteous Response to Sin (Genesis 9:18–29) - Learning how righteousness responds to sin with truth, sobriety, and faithfulness.
God of All Nations (Genesis 10) - Tracing the nations from Noah’s sons and seeing God’s sovereign rule over all peoples.
The Deadly Pride of Man (Genesis 11:1–9) - Warning against the prideful attempt to make a name apart from God.
Forever Faithful (Genesis 11:10–31) - Seeing the faithfulness of God as He preserves His redemptive promise from Shem to Abram.
A Comprehensive Study Through the Foundation of Scripture.
Genesis 5–11 traces the spread of sin through the generations, God's grief over man’s wickedness, the judgment of the flood, the grace shown to Noah, God's covenant faithfulness, the Table of Nations, and the prideful rebellion at Babel. These chapters confront us with the depravity of man, the seriousness of judgment, and the unfailing faithfulness of God to preserve His redemptive promise.
What's Inside
This 294-page sermon manuscript collection includes eleven expository sermons from Genesis 4:25–11:32, each written to help believers understand the text, trust God’s promises, and live faithfully in a world marked by sin and rebellion.
Call On The Name of The Lord (Genesis 4:25–5:32) - Encouragement that God preserves His will and knows those who are His.
The Depravity of Man (Genesis 6:1–8) - Exposing the total corruption of man and the grace of God shown to Noah.
Trust and Obey (Genesis 6:9–22) - Considering Noah’s righteous obedience in response to the word of God.
Repent and Be Saved (Genesis 7) - Warning of God’s judgment and the only refuge found in salvation.
Great is Thy Faithfulness (Genesis 8:1–19) - Rejoicing that God remembers, preserves, and delivers His people.
Holy Worship (Genesis 8:20–22) - Examining Noah’s worship after the flood and the faithfulness of God’s promise.
Amazing Grace (Genesis 9:1–17) - Seeing God’s gracious covenant with Noah and His mercy toward the world.
Righteous Response to Sin (Genesis 9:18–29) - Learning how righteousness responds to sin with truth, sobriety, and faithfulness.
God of All Nations (Genesis 10) - Tracing the nations from Noah’s sons and seeing God’s sovereign rule over all peoples.
The Deadly Pride of Man (Genesis 11:1–9) - Warning against the prideful attempt to make a name apart from God.
Forever Faithful (Genesis 11:10–31) - Seeing the faithfulness of God as He preserves His redemptive promise from Shem to Abram.
Ben Smith
Originally from Columbus, GA, pastor Ben Smith has served churches in Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia. Ben and his wife, Dana, make their home in Waycross, GA.
An audio podcast of Ben’s sermons is published weekly. Pastor Ben also hosts the podcast View From the Pulpit, dedicated to helping the church recover an understanding of expository preaching.
How can Christians know that their faith is genuine? False teachers may claim spiritual knowledge while their lives remain marked by disobedience, pride, and hatred. John teaches that genuine salvation produces visible evidence: a growing desire to obey God’s commands, love others as Christ has loved us, and mature in the faith.
This expository sermon from 1 John 2:7–14 explains how Christ gives believers a new understanding of God’s commands, a life that increasingly reflects God’s character, and encouragement toward spiritual growth. These evidences do not earn salvation; they reveal the transforming work of Christ in those who walk in His light.