3 Weeks of Principles to Help You Defeat Your Giant

WEEK 1 - 1 Samuel 17:1-16
1. Giants are a matter of perspective.
2. Giants seem bigger when you are not following God.
3. Fear in contagious, so spend time with overcomers.
4. Giants don’t leave on their own; they must be defeated.

WEEK 2 - 1 Samuel 17:17-26
1. You are old enough to defeat a giant whenever you have learned to depend on God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. God uses unlikely heroes.
3. Deal with your giant immediately.
4. You will face your giant when you finally realize the cost of allowing it to remain.

WEEK 3 - 1 Samuel 17:27-37

1. Don’t let critics distract you from the cause.
2. Fight the right fight (fight the giant, not your critics).
3. Small battles are practice for big victories.
4. All giants, regardless of how they look to you, are the same size to God.
5. The ability to defeat giants comes from God.

Top 10 Things I Want to Say to Clarity

1. I am HONORED to be the pastor of this awesome church! I count it a privilege and a sobering responsibility to lead as I follow Christ.

2. I am thrilled that YOU are a part of this. Every single one of you represents a series of miracles that have led you here for this time.

3. As we unite around Jesus Christ, His Kingdom WILL come and shake our community with God’s love in ways that we can’t even imagine right now.

4. Pray for the people God has put in your life. Family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Get to know them. LOVE them. INVITE them to Clarity to hear the good news of Jesus... that they are LOVED beyond measure and are invited into the greatest journey of all time, following Him.

5. If you have recently become a follower of Jesus, I am SO pumped about your new journey. Talk to God, read your Bible (start with John), and stay committed to attending Clarity. I encourage you to get connected with a small group and get baptized on May 22nd. Email Info@clarity.la for more info.

6. You did an absolutely amazing job with the Eggstravaganza and our first four Sunday morning gatherings at McKinley! We have connected with over 1,100 new people, tripled the average size of our gatherings, and seen at least six people decide to become followers of Jesus! THAT is worth it all.

7. As we transition into this new season of our church’s life; even though there is a lot to do, it’s not that hard if we all just do our part. We are in this for the long haul, so set your pace for a marathon, not a sprint. Learn to LOVE the work, ENJOY the journey, and have JOY in the process. Good attitudes are contagious.

8. Support your team leaders like CRAZY! Nothing strengthens a church more than when the people encourage, believe in, pray for, and have the backs of their leaders.

9. Leaders, support your teams like CRAZY! Nothing strengthens a church more than when the leaders encourage, believe in, pray for, and have the backs of their team members.

10. Think right now about the “GIANT” you want to confront and overcome during this series. Now read 2 Samuel 17:1-51 and build up your faith! I can’t wait for Sunday as we take the next step in learning to defeat Goliath! See you then.

What to Do Every Day

Here’s a great principle I recently heard from John Maxwell. Every day you should wake and ask, “How can I add value to someone’s life today?” Here’s how I understand that...

To add value means to find something that you can improve or strengthen that will bless someone else. The most successful and happy people are those who make others successful and happy.

Many times, this principle is the only thing that can break you out of a rut because it will cause you to take your attention off yourself (and your problems) and seek the best for someone else.

The ultimate fulfillment of this is Jesus. Greater love has no one than he who lays down his life for a friend. Jesus did it for us. Try it now.