Over 335 guests passed through the front gates of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove on Friday for a weekend seminar called “Trusting God When Peace Is Shattered,” led by Will Graham.
The teaching focused on 2 Samuel 13–15, which tells the story of King David’s children Amnon and Tamar. This intense passage describes the brokenness of sin—and the restoration that God gives when we turn to Him in repentance.
As Will opened the Scriptures, he paused to explain how sin can mislead us, especially when our eyes see beautiful things in a wrongful way.
“Sin deceives us—beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden—and all of us today,” he said.
Friday evening, Will asked each guest to bow their heads and hearts in prayer. “Are you brokenhearted by your sin?” he asked. “It’s a choice we must make. Believers must seek God’s forgiveness, and we must forgive others who have wronged us.”
In this difficult portion of Scripture, Will helped participants see the Good News of Jesus Christ.
“Yes, we are sinners, separated from our Heavenly Father, but God has provided a way of salvation and that gift is the shed blood of His only Son.”
Will shared how Absalom was overwhelmed by guilt after murdering his brother Amnon. He fled from his father in shame, and yet, David longed to forgive his son.
Pointing to 2 Samuel 14:14, Will explained God’s great love for us—His children—despite our sin which separates us from Him. Through God’s mercy, Will said, He creates a way for “banished ones” (2 Samuel 14:13–14) to return home, pointing to our Mediator—the man Jesus Christ “who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5–6, ESV).
Read more about how King David’s life illustrates God’s grace and forgiveness.
Donny McLeod and his wife, Donna, said they appreciated Will’s line-by-line preaching at The Cove.
“Will explains more than I can see on my own,” Donny shared. “This is my third time in Samuel, and I will be back for more.”
Diane Homan could say the same. Seeking spiritual refreshment from a hectic job as a financial planner, she drove from Springfield, Missouri, to Asheville, North Carolina, for the seminar. It was just the latest of many she has attended since 2018.
“Listening and learning from [Will Graham] has changed how I read and study the Bible,” she said.
Find upcoming seminars and other Cove events, including intensive Bible trainings and retreats.
