David's Other Giant

 Pastor’s Pen…

Probably every one of us could name the giant David thought and dispatched in the Valley of Elah.  In fact we often use the name Goliath is an adjective for something or someone very large. But there was another John David had to contend with. And after he had dispatched the Philistine giant, little did he know this other job that would pose a far greater problem. 

That other giant was King Saul, who as you may recall stood head and shoulders above all the people of Israel. (1 Samuel 9:2) But although he was a physical giant, Saul was a small man when it comes to relationships, particularly with David. The reason is a problem many of us have been faced with in our day. I'm talking about the problem of jealousy. What made this even more difficult was that Saul was supposed to be David's supporter, as David had become with the King, serving as his bodyguard.  

Jealousy can wreak havoc with friendships, bring disaster in families, and create chaos at work. It can destroy athletic teams and undermine businesses.  This weekend we will explore how Salz jealousy grew out of David's popularity, which ultimately came about because of God's sovereignty.


Special thanks to Bruce Moilan for sharing from his years of missionary experience in Western Africa, where he served in Liberia and Sierra Leone. His challenge from God's Word to our church family and those who join us on Facebook and through our website on “Being Missionary”  was a challenge we need to heed, individually and as a church family. 


As always, I want to remember and thank those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in preparation for Sunday worship. Also, to those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’  on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each Sunday’s message on our website (www.fccwylie.org) on Sunday afternoons. 


If you haven't come out to worship with us recently, we sure love to have you! We continue to hold our Sunday services with all safety protocols and pre-service sanitizing in place. No Sunday school yet, and the nursery is not available.  We will continue following the protocols as outlined by GA-18 guidance.  Face masks, social distancing, no physical contact. We use bulletins printed untouched by human hands, with songs, etc. printed therein, and pre-packaged communion elements. Offering plates are located at the rear, or giving can be done online at www.fccwylie.org.


If you still feel uncomfortable attending, feel free to join our live stream on Facebook, at 10:45 AM, which includes communion and the worship hymns. Or the message is available each Sunday afternoon on our website. (www.fccwylie.org)




“David’s Other Giant”                                                                                         1 Samuel 17:55-18:16

  • David’s popularity (17:57-18:7
  • With Saul (17:55-58)
  • With Jonathan (18:1-4)
  • With the people (18:5-7)
  • Saul’s jealousy (8-13
    • Suddenly exploded into anger
    • Grew out of jealous suspicion
    • Came from an unexpected source
    • Led to real danger
    • Motivated by fear
    • Can shift to a subtle form
    • Can lead to ongoing conflict
    • May lead to enlisting others in the conflict
  • God’s sovereignty (13-16)
  • David behaved wisely
  • God was with him
  • Saul feared…while the people loved David


Application questions:

What should Saul have done?


What could David have done?



*******


Prayer items: 


The family of Evelyn Henderson, and of Robert Shirley


Jimmy McDaniel 


Barbara’s step-daughter Angie and three children in the loss of Angie’s husband. 

Dennis Ramsey’s mother is battling two cancers plus other health issues. Kim would appreciate our prayers for her health and her son Kevin

Feel free to contact me with urgent prayer requests, and I will include them in my weekly ‘Pastor’s Pen’ texts

                                                             *******

RADIO THIS EVENING: Life Coaching is a valuable tool for encouraging those who are going through hard times, and certainly this year has been filled with multiple hard-time challenges. Rodney Love and Brad Smithart provide Faith-based life coach training through the Master Life Coach Training Institute, and they will join me on this weekend’s Encouragement Live to discuss the skills and benefits of Christian life coaching.

Encouragement Live can be heard tonight at 7:05 pm Central Time on American Family Radio (90.5 FM in Dallas), (www.afr.net) and on theworshipchannel.org. A rebroadcast of the program can be heard Sunday at 9:00 PM central time on theworshipchannel.org. 

May our Savior’s grace and peace continue to encourage you as you trust in Him during these challenging times.

Don Hawkins, D. Min.                                                                                                                          Interim Pastor


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Moses' Road Hazard

Image
  Pastor’s Pen , Sunday:     Moses’ Road Hazards                                                      Numbers 11:24-12:16  SUNDAY SCHOOL HAS RESUMED-- 9:45 AM SUNDAY IN THE SANCTUARY! Bruce Moilan will be preaching next Sunday as we will be returning from the ABHE (Bible Colleges) Convention It used to be that when you bought tires, they came with a road hazard warranty. As a result, when you were exposed to risks on the road such as obstacles that caused attire to blow, insurance would cover the cost of replacement tire. One day several years ago I was taking my son to a meeting in Omaha from his home in Lincoln, and I ran across a muffler in the inside lane of Interstate 80. But when I made it to the tire store, I discovered, “no more road hazard warranty.” There are no road hazard warranties in the Christian life either.  But we can be sure we will encounter hazards along the road, just as Moses did on the road from Mount Sinai to the promised land. ******* Stewardship is an importa
Read more

Epaphras: Faithful Service

Image
  Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday:  Epaphras: Faithful Service                                                                  Colossians 4:12, 13    I f someone were to ask you  to identify the most impactful servants of Christ, it is likely the names of Paul and Peter would come to mind. Certainly they and other members of the  apostles served our Lord faithfully.   However if you were to had the opportunity to ask the apostle Paul that question, I suspect he my name a man named Epaphras. A native of the city of Colossae,  Epaphras  likely played a key role in planting churches in Colossae, Laodicea and Hierapolis, the three key cities of the Lycus Valley in what today is Turkey.  After playing a key role in founding the churches there, he wound up spending time with Paul in Rome, where he was identified as a ”fellow prisoner.”  There is much to be learned from the life of this little-known New Testament saint.   *****   We appreciate those  who help sanitize our facilities for services e
Read more

Aquila and Priscilla: Family Ministry

Image
  Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Aquila and Priscilla: Family Ministry                                                        Acts 18:1-28   Thanksgiving is typically a time when we gather together with family. We eat turkey, watch football, maybe take a nap. Family is important to us, and family is important to God. As we continue our series of biographical studies of Biblical characters, this weekend we will consider a family engaged in significant ministry, partnering with the apostle Paul to spread the Gospel throughout the world.  Their names: Aquila and Priscilla. As we consider the various facets of their ministry, let's think about how God may use our families and service to Him. ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in in in in in in in in in in in preparation for Sunday worship as well as those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’ on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each Sunday’s message
Read more