Facing Your Giants - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God check out virtue our website for Christian women go to harvest.org/virtue joy as we race long will a problem will challenges we all (things that we will just go along today of a new beginning after Greg Laurie offers good reassurance.

Believers were facing some giant massage problem, got your job, your joy to see you soon. This world would confront danger may arm them so study martial arts in the legal arena will my high return. Put everything in a contract with their food. Some go organic and free lactose-free salt free vegetarian or vegan.

What we do with challenges in the spiritual today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie brings good encouragement are challenging. We know we all giant that we face a lot to me by John.

I mean, what appears to be insurmountable problem issue or difficulty something that may be dark and sinister crawling around the perimeter of your live or some challenge or difficulty that you don't see ever being resolved something that would you think about of your heart just kind of grip with panic and maybe it's what's gonna come your way. Maybe it's probably shirt hugging that all but there's something you're deeply afraid of or maybe you're just sort of a worrywart. What if this happens, what if that happens, it's not even a rational fear, but it's real nonetheless from idea giant of some kind of a personal sin, a certain area in your life or you are weak, a sin that you fall into over and over and over again 11 victory over it for a few weeks sometimes even a month but then it comes back with a vengeance. It might be pride or NVR gluttony or pornography or drinking or drugs or something like that but it's a giant that time to day in and day out or might be a giant of threats and by fraud I mean someone is threatening. Maybe it's a physical threat. Maybe it's threat of a lawsuit.

Maybe somebody is the bullying you online.

Maybe someone is writing or saying untrue things about you.

Maybe someone is coming said they're going to kill you.

But it's a real threat and it's a real giant might be a different kind of giant an unbelieving husband, an unbelieving wife a prodigal son or daughter is all kinds of giants we face in life and I want to tell you how you can overcome your giants how you can defeat your giant had to do that I'm going to a very familiar story. The story of David and Goliath Hebrews 11 that with me if you would.

Verse 32. What more can I say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon Barack and Samson and Jeff also of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms work right. Just as the team promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness, they were made strong and they became valiant and battle, they turned the fight. The armies of the aliens.

Women received their dead raised to life again. David stands out in Scripture fascinating thing that not a lot of ink is given to David in Hebrews 11, but in other passages there so much about really remembered as the greatest king in the history of Israel and it's worth noting that Jesus Christ himself said he was a son of David on more than one occasion David Ahmed of contracts. He was a warrior and he was a worshiper.

Sometimes we will say I'm a lover not a fighter, David was both. He was a fighter. He was a lover. He was a man after God's own heart. He was a sinner. We all know this story well. But of course you may recall that he was one of the sons of Jesse, and Jesse lived in Bethlehem and one day the Lord spoke to the prophet Samuel and the Lord said Saul's out and I'm a replace with another king to find that King in Bethlehem. So go so they told everyone. Samuel's coming here to the cities can offer a sacrifice or everyone show up is a big deal when a prophet came to tell, so incomes the legendary prophet Samuel and he doesn't know where this new king is so he says everybody bring out your sons.

I want to meet them and so Jesse proudly parade says seven strapping signs.

They truly were the magnificent seven and so Samuel down the line is looking at each one. The Lord says that's not the one that's not the one that's not the one. One stands out above the others. Eli up one of the seven sons and Samuel's taken with him because he's tall and handsome and that he thinks is the one Lord and the Lord said simply, will you stop already with judging by outward appearance. I look on the heart. He's not the one.

So I go to the whole line okay well I was going to come from the house of Jesse, do you have any other boys. Jesse says yeah there's one other. He's a little weird. Hangs out in the field. He's a musician. You see, so he sings songs to God and will bring them in. Okay, so he calls it, David. David comes bounding in with youthful energy. The Bible tells us that he was rudderless, which means he had reddish hair so his coloring was different probably than any of the other sons we would call him.

Maybe freckle faced today so he comes in here comes David is all excited and the Lord says that's my boy, so the prophet Samuel anoints David Wright that you are the next king of Israel okay got to go by and believes down they would like what I do now. Jesse says go back and watch her stink and she that's what you do. They just cannot hope there was some kind of a aberration, but it was reality.

So David tending the sheep.

One day her father comes and says son, your your brothers are out of the battle there facing up of the Philistines. I want you to go take them some food. I wanted to give him some bread and cheese. So David comes to his brothers were part of the Israeli army were in a face-off with the Philistine army and combining them as the Valley of the law and does so David arrives at the front lines with this well pizza delivery him and what is bread and cheese it's pizza so is delivering pizza right. How many of you love pizza razor hand how many of you heat pizza you hated get out there was like one person will you heat pizza.

I can imagine a look love pizza anyway so he makes his pizza delivery. This brother Eli about was the one that Samuel sort of favoritism. Oh, did you leave your little to sheep in the wilderness to come see with the big boys are doing. Meanwhile, David.

Here's some guy bellowing from the Valley of the law and he goes up there and looks in their stands. Goliath 9'6" of solid muscle.

He was as wide as he was tall, he was like a human tank and he was covered head to toe and body armor is yelling send someone to fight me down here in the Valley and if I read him you Israelis can survive pay but if he beats me will serve you and David's reaction was who is this guy and why is he allowed to get away with this. Why is someone not going down there to find him. So David volunteers to fight Goliath. Pastor Greg takes a fresh look. The confrontation between David and Goliath just a moment. It's reassuring to hear what the listener has been impacted by the ministry of Pastor Greg my story with Pastor Greg go back 25 years to a promised conference at the LA Coliseum and Greg was speaking I said through most of it but at the very end of that conference. I made a commitment to live a life during that time the hunger began to come into my heart to study the word began to be very convicted/some of the things that I has been doing music I was listening to the league I was watching the way I use my language although things began to change, but yet I was still in a very difficult situation I was in my mid-30s living in Southern California and I was at the corner of Oso Parkway and the 405 and Pastor Grace had a message around lunchtime.

I found his radio station. I was listening to him as he had a message about the battle between the flesh and the spirit and that is exactly what I needed is that time and so that's two events in a row.

Greg came as a my life and that message that I heard the radio really encouraged me and help me to understand.

I was going to be in a battle that Christ had the victories and so here I am 25 years later, my wife and involved in church to think Pastor Grace for being faithful. Blessings to you and your ministry. We hear from. It's not only a blessing.

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Once again, 866-7111 44 today and a new beginning. We are studying the familiar story of David and Goliath for good insights on how to face the Giants in our own lives.

Pastor Greg takes us to our text first Samuel chapter 17 organist start in verse 40 and redone the verse 51. By the way I'm reading from the new living translation.

Verse 40 he picked up five smooth stones from his screen and put them in the shepherds back then. Armed with his shepherd's staff and sling. He started across the fight Goliath though I have walked out toward David with this she'll bear ahead of him staring in contempt at the ruddy faced boy.

He reported David dog to come at me with a stick and he cursed David by the names of his gods.

Goliath yelled, come over here and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals. I love David's response. David shouted and replied, you come to me with a sword in the spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord God Almighty did not of the armies of Israel, whom you will define a look at David straight. Today the Lord will conquer you and I will kill you and cut off your head that I'll get the dead bodies of your men's of the birds and wild animals.

The whole world will know there's a God in Israel, and everyone will know the Lord does not mean weapons to rescue his people. It's his battle not ours. The Lord will give you to us notices as Goliath moved closer to attack.

David quickly ran out to meet him. Notice that he ran out to meet him.

Verse 49, reaching into his shepherd's bag and taking out a stone. He curled it from his sling and hit the Philistine in the forget the stone sink in and Goliath stumbled and fell face downward on the ground so now David finishes the job. Verse 50. So David triumphed over the Philistine giant with only a stone in the sling and since he had no authority ran over and pulled Goliath sword from its sheath used it to kill the giant and cut off his head when the Philistine saw their champion was dead. They turned and ran while what a story, and won a victory the will of the Philistines was broken, the will of the Israelites is reinvigorated.

So what do we learn in this story about facing our giants on life.

If you're taking no tears. Point number one we all have giants will of giant. By that I mean we all love obstacles we all are problems well and challenges we all have threats we have things that we face that well.

There's just a lot bigger than us, but I want you to know that whatever you're facing right now. You're not the first one know will you be the last one the face. It took over in first Corinthians 1013 it says remember the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful and he will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can set up against it when you are tempted, he will show you a way out. You will not give into it, everybody has giant, so having said that, let me also at this though everyone has giant. It is also true that every giant is the fetal. Every giant is debatable. By the way, Goliath was not always a giant remember what we say giant.

We just mean a really big dude okay 9'6". He was kind of a freak of nature. There were a lot of people his size when he was a human being and that means it was probably the biggest baby you've ever seen. Right MN when it came time to change Goliath diaper. I don't think anyone wanted you know that dad would say, I'm not. I did the last time. It's traumatizing you doing that one day the lizard giant. The giant baby became a giant toddler that I would've hated to a single live in this terrible twos right and then the toddler turned into a young man and then he became an adolescent. Now we send adults a massive man and I bring that up because giant start small and then they get big. Sometimes there are things that we think were managing in our life. Let's take alcohol as an example. You know maybe you like to have a drink, you know, a beer with the boys a glass of wine with dinner was no big issue for you.

You said you have the liberty it's great. But then, you found that well you know we get home from work. You need a drink to, relax and unwind and then fast-forward a little bit why am I going to need a drink to get to get up and go on the morning and well, now you need a drink to get through the day and one day you wake up and you have a problem with alcohol. In fact, you are a functioning alcoholic. Maybe not even functioning so well nursing. How did this start. How did this take place tended to become a giant so it's a problem and I'll tell you what. It's a big problem because I've seen a lot of lives ruined by alcohol, I mean you all know I was raised in an alcoholic home. Frankly, I've never seen one good thing come from drinking. Okay, not one good thing, but I've seen a lot about things I saw the marriage as my mom destroyed I know what it's like to be raised in an alcoholic home. I notice I can find my mother passed out on the floor. Night after night have to care for. I've seen this stuff up close and personal, but not just my childhood but as an adult you know the pastor I've talked to people who had issues with this. It's become a problem. I know of two pastors in particular that lost their ministry because they ended up with a drinking problem. This is something we have to take seriously and be very careful of. And here's my approach to it. I don't want to be under the control of anyone or anything, but Jesus Christ, nothing else. The Bible says don't be drunk with wine, where there can be access but be filled with the Holy Spirit so we don't need the spirits.

We need the spirit in our life but maybe a little thing like that is become a big thing right now all I can handle. You said they'll never get the best of me when out has the best of you and that little problem just became a giant Easter document my childhood a lot of stores with so little bunnies and chicks and people would buy them for Easter, which always thought was a curious thing just chicks turn into chicken strike. I mean, did you want a pet chicken they're not usually the best hats and walking a chicken down the road will be sent them usually work out that way and bunnies are pretty much the same. You know it.

And so you know you got the little bunnies and chicks for Easter.

It was so cute. The kids love them and you know, two months later you have chickens and rabbits and all of a sudden chicken McNuggets and rabbits do something very good little things that were cute became big things that are not so cute. Or you might be facing the giant of another kind like an unbelieving husband and wife or child and you've almost given up hope because you pray and you shared with them and you well know, and you pressured them and you've done everything you can, and they seem to be getting worse and further from the Lord, and you wonder are they ever going to come to Christ.

So we all have giants number one, number two, David knew the battle belong to the Lord, you know that your battle you're fighting your challenges that you're facing your temptations that you're experiencing.

Listen to this, the battle belongs to the Lord. Verse 47 David said to Goliath.

It's his battle not ours. So the Lord will give you to us.

That's why giants defeat us again and again because we face in our own strength and we lose it on a fees and six it talks about the armor of God so we can prevail in spiritual warfare talks about a helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness shield of faith is sort of the spirit, and so forth. But before a word is mentioned about armor were told this in verse 10. Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and of the power of his might know the words before you do anything else you need to lean on the Lord you need to trust in the Lord, Alexander McLaren, a great Bible commentator made this statement and I quote, he was a Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scripture in his hands is all he needs every Bible with you.

Grab your Bible right now. Grab hold in your hand. He that has a Holy Spirit in his heart in this Scripture in his hands. He writes has all he needs. All you need. God will never give you more than you can handle. You'll never be tempted above your capacity to resist, so it's God's strength that we need to lean on. Pray about it. Churn your worries into prayers. The Bible says in Philippians, don't worry about anything but pray about everything in the peace of God that passes all human understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, so this is how you approach a giant abide try to get it an obstacle problem. The challenge of temptation and addiction.

Whatever. Look at it in the light of God to look at God in the light of your giant ligature giant in the light of God.

Just what God is bigger than your giant God can defeat your giant because greater is he that is in you than he that is in this world. Pastor Greg Laurie about facing the Giants in our lives. And there's more to come as this study continues here on a new beginning. If you want to hear any part of today's presentation. Again, you can go online to harvest.org just look for the study called facing your Giants or call for a copy on CD. The number is 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24-hour number 1-800-821-3300 and then we will offer some help for families is on the subject of money, but it actually goes much deeper than that. It's it's a hot topic, sometimes even a controversial topic in this book is full of insight and practical help were talking about the books rising and love and money by Jeff and Chante fell upon Jeff and Chante are here with us today. You guys what you think this is such an emotional subject. You know you can talk about so many things from the pulpit. You can talk about faith and prayer. The importance of Scripture the family, etc. etc. but the moment you bring up the word money. I think everybody impulsively grabs their wallet or at least thought you going to ask us for money and it's very emotional and and people don't like to talk about this topic.

Do you think it's because this is an area that they haven't surrendered over to the Lord that they want control of. Do you think it's something else. What is that thing. And you know and as we know Jesus spoke so much about money. So many of his parables dealt with the money the Bible is very straightforward on this topic but for some reason we don't want to hear that message are we do want to talk about that topic. Honestly, it comes back to what Jesus sound is where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

It's it turns out that a lot of us have treated it like a technical ratio right like it's about budgeting or getting out of, or planning analyst that is important. That was what we were studying we were trying to figure out what's under new knowledge that that's the stuff that has to come before you can even be willing to talk with their spouse in the budget or plan that's very good you're listening to Chante and Jeff Phil Holland. They've written a book called thriving in love and money and this is our special resorts this month that we want to put in your hands what you know that when we offer these resources, it's because we want to help you.

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We want to strengthen you and this is one of the most important that we've ever offered, and I would remind you that I'm offering this to you for your gift of any size whatever you send large or small, will get your copy. But let me encourage you to invest in our ministry because this is a ministry that obviously teaches the word of God. But it's also a ministry that calls people to Christ and every year we see literally thousands of people make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ as will invite them to do so at the end of our program. So if you believe that people need to come to Jesus if you believe people need to hear the word of God, then we would appreciate your investment in our ministry and will get you your copy of this book by Jeff and Chante filled Hahn thriving in love and money five game changing insights about your relationships, your money and yourself. Yeah, that's right. And let me pass along your contact information. Thanks so much for your investment in this ministry is an investment that changes lives you could write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We are here to take your call around-the-clock, seven days a week. Should I 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org everybody Greg Laurie here and finding you to join me every weekend for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a church service. It's a worship service. It's a Bible study and its wherever you wanted to be in your home in your car sitting on a beach walking down the street watching it on your phone wherever you are taking with you and be ministered to every weekend. Join us for Harvest at Home@harvest.org/mission. Pastor Greg returns next time. With great insights on how to face the Giants in our lives will join us here on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email, devotions@harvest.org