You may have lots of things you say you believe about God but, when push comes to shove, do you practice what you preach? Saul and David would both say that their God is powerful. But only David was willing to risk his life fighting a giant. In I Samuel 17, we see a stark comparison between the king and the king in waiting. While Saul says he believes God is all-powerful, when he sees Goliath, he wavers. David, on the other hand, acts as if what he says about God is actually true.

We also face Giants in our lives. They may not be nine-foot Philistine soldiers, but they cause us to second guess our beliefs. They are the situations that require us to take risks to live out our beliefs. Maybe you say God is a faithful provider. But what do you do when God calls you to give what you can’t afford to be without? You may say that God gives us the grace to forgive others. But are you enthusiastic about forgiveness when someone badly hurts you? David’s story reminds us of what it looks like when you practice what you preach. He faces down a Giant because he believes that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Questions For Reflection

1. How is David’s faith different than Saul’s?
2. What are your giants, the things that make you hesitant to put your stated beliefs about God into practice?
3. If someone asked me to tell them three things about God, how would I describe him?
4. Do I live like those descriptions are actually true? How might I change the way I live in light of them being true?

Other Sermons in this Series

1. The Anointing