Lionhearted People I Lions, Giants & Bears, But God I Frank Santora

May 26, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Fighting Lions in Life’s Slippery Pits

Benaiah’s snowy pit battle reveals how God uses impossible conditions to forge unstoppable faith. When every natural circumstance screams defeat – unstable footing, limited mobility, mortal danger – spiritual conviction becomes our anchor. These moments aren’t accidents but divine training grounds where our “pit” becomes God’s gymnasium. Through relentless trust, ordinary believers become warriors who transform adversity into advancement. The same God who empowered Benaiah turns our struggles into strength-building equipment. [42:25]

“He also killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.”
(2 Samuel 23:21, NKJV)

Reflection: What current “pit” situation feels like a trap could actually be God’s training equipment? How might leaning into this struggle develop spiritual muscles you’ll need for future victories?

Day 2: Firstfruits Faith in Last-Ditch Moments

True trust isn’t giving God leftovers after calculating risks – it’s surrendering the first 10% when budgets feel tight. Like tithing before bills are paid, lion-hearted faith obeys when logic says “wait.” This raw dependence activates heaven’s economy, turning scarcity into supernatural supply. Every act of front-loaded obedience – whether finances, time, or vulnerability – becomes a declaration that God’s promises outweigh earthly conditions. [13:33]

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
(Proverbs 3:9-10, NKJV)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to wait for “leftover” resources to obey God? What one area requires you to put first things first this week, trusting His multiplication?

Day 3: Crash-Through Rhino Faith

Like rhinos charging through obstacles with limited vision, God-hungry believers move before full clarity emerges. This isn’t recklessness but radical responsiveness to Holy Spirit nudges. When David ran toward Goliath or Peter stepped onto waves, their momentum activated divine partnership. Stagnant over-analysis often quenches miracles, while bold forward motion invites God’s intervention. [36:16]

“So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.’”
(Exodus 14:15, NKJV)

Reflection: What specific step have you been overanalyzing that requires rhino-like forward movement? What’s one action you can take today that demonstrates trust over calculation?

Day 4: Failure’s Hidden Curriculum

Benaiah’s lion-killing expertise came through previous battles, not avoidance of risk. Like Edison’s 1,000 failed lightbulb attempts, God uses setbacks as wisdom deposits. Each “loss” teaches kingdom strategy – how to grip the spear better, dodge the lion’s swipe, or leverage slippery conditions. Unsuccessful attempts aren’t final grades but progress reports from a patient Teacher. [14:44]

“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.”
(Proverbs 24:16, NKJV)

Reflection: What past failure still whispers “quit” that God actually wants to redeem as training? How could revisiting that experience with new perspective fuel future courage?

Day 5: Pit-Stop Promotions

Benaiah’s pit victory led to commanding David’s guard – his trial became a trust test for greater responsibility. God constantly audits our faithfulness in small battles to release larger territories. Like NASCAR pit crews optimizing performance mid-race, our darkest moments often prepare us for highest callings. What seems like a demotion becomes divine repositioning. [46:21]

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.’”
(Matthew 25:21, NKJV)

Reflection: What current assignment feels insignificant that God might be using as a leadership audition? How does embracing today’s tasks with excellence prepare you for tomorrow’s throne?

Sermon Summary

Second Samuel names Benaiah and lets a picture do the preaching. Benaiah goes down into a pit on a snowy day and kills a lion. The text sets the tone for a kind of discipleship that is not faint hearted, but lion hearted. God is the decisive factor in every story, not the size of the enemy, the slickness of the conditions, or the timing on the clock. The contrast between conviction and conditions carries the weight. Conviction says step; conditions say wait. Conviction moves; conditions manage. Conviction trusts; conditions tally. Faith that trusts God moves before outward alignment, because God often aligns after obedience.

Real faith risks, because trust is the backbone of walking with God. Safe faith is an oxymoron. The tithe becomes a live illustration of first-trust. First, not leftover, because if the giving waits for surplus, there is no trust in play. Conviction reshapes conditions, not the other way around. Failure does not disqualify lion hearted people. Failure often tutors them. The Spirit then teaches the difference between godly resistance that says stop and godly persistence that says push. The church that talks back to the what if with God will learns to move toward the roar.

God gives a word and expects it not to be wasted. The word carries the power to change the season if the hearer obeys. The Spirit gives an unction, a know-so in the belly that out-voices the head. Wise counsel confirms, and plain right and wrong require no extra praying. Rhino faith puts its head down and runs on a clear word, an inner unction, sound counsel, and a righteous cause. Double minded hesitation dries up heaven’s response. Action precedes intervention. David runs, then God guides the stone. Moses stretches, then the sea parts. Benaiah goes down, then the lion dies.

The pit functions as a gym, not a grave. God turns the enemy’s tools into weights that build muscle. Even pit stops that feel like delay become development that wins the race. The battle becomes a divine audition. The reward for lion hearted obedience is a name, honor, and assignment. The lion is not the point. Who Benaiah becomes is the point. Responsibility hides destiny. Work the window in front of the face as unto the Lord, and God entrusts more. Promotion belongs to the Lord, and evaluation for elevation happens in chicken coops and snowy pits alike.

Key Takeaways

1. Real faith risks before alignment [10:19] Faith that waits for perfect setup never leaves the dock. Trust moves first, then God orders the steps and the seasons. First-trust in money, time, and calling cuts against the grain of conditions and puts God where he belongs. When conviction leads, conditions bend. [10:19]
2. Conviction outruns conditions every time [25:31] A word from God, an inner unction, wise counsel, and plain right-versus-wrong carry more weight than weather reports and headcounts. Watching the wind only guarantees empty fields. Conviction does not deny reality; it obeys God within it. Over time conviction remakes the landscape that once looked immovable. [25:31]
3. Failure becomes a teacher, not a tomb [14:44] Lion hearted people are not allergic to losing; they are allergic to quitting. The Spirit trains them to discern when resistance is God’s stop and when persistence is God’s go. Even public misses become material for wisdom, humility, and endurance. When the enemy whispers what if, faith answers God will and keeps moving. [14:44]
4. Run toward the roar with rhino faith [36:16] Aggressive trust does not demand full visibility, only a clear word and a clean conscience. Double minded drift forfeits help, while decisive obedience draws heaven’s power. Scripture’s pattern is action before intervention, obedience before the miracle. Squirrel skittishness scatters; rhino faith crashes through for the glory of God. [36:16]
5. The pit develops and promotes character [42:25] Low places become lifting places when endured with God. What feels like delay is often a pit stop that saves the race and builds muscle for the next lap. God turns battles into divine auditions, measuring faithfulness under pressure. Responsibility stewarded today opens doors tomorrow, because promotion belongs to the Lord. [42:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:23] - Benaiah and the lion hearted call
[02:03] - The heart of a champion
[05:27] - Conviction over conditions
[08:47] - Risk is baked into faith
[10:19] - Trust moves before alignment
[12:03] - Tithing as a first-trust test
[14:44] - Failing forward and Spirit discernment
[20:29] - Answering “what if” with “God will”
[25:31] - Word, unction, counsel, and right/wrong
[35:30] - Run toward the roar
[36:16] - Rhino faith vs squirrel faith
[42:25] - The pit as gym, not grave
[45:06] - Promotion, audition, and responsibility
[51:50] - Work the window; chicken coop grit

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Samuel 23:20 (NKJV)
"Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day."

Observation Questions

What specific challenges did Benaiah face in 2 Samuel 23:20 (lion, pit, snowy day), and why are these details significant?
The sermon mentions that "failure often tutors" lion-hearted people ([14:44]). What examples of failure leading to growth were given in the sermon?
According to Ecclesiastes 11:4 (referenced in the sermon), what happens to those who wait for perfect conditions? How does this connect to Benaiah’s story?
What four factors does the sermon identify as guiding conviction over conditions (e.g., "a word from God")? ([25:31])

Interpretation Questions

Why might the snowy day and pit in Benaiah’s story symbolize more than just physical obstacles? How do these conditions mirror spiritual or emotional challenges?
The sermon states, "Your conviction changes your conditions" ([11:31]). How does this principle contrast with the world’s approach to risk and obedience?
How does the analogy of the pit as a "gym, not a grave" ([42:25]) redefine our perspective on adversity? What biblical examples support this idea?
Why does "rhino faith" require acting without full visibility, and how does this align with Hebrews 11’s definition of faith?

Application Questions

Identify one area of your life where you’ve been waiting for conditions to align before obeying God (finances, relationships, service). What step could you take this week to act on conviction instead?
Reflect on a past failure. How did it teach you about God’s faithfulness or refine your character? What would it look like to "answer what if with God will" in a current struggle? ([20:29])
The sermon challenges believers to "work your window" faithfully, even in mundane or difficult assignments ([51:50]). What "chicken coop" responsibility has God placed in front of you right now, and how can you steward it with excellence?
Where do you need "rhino faith" to "crash through" fear or analysis paralysis? What specific word, unction, or counsel could guide your next move?
The tithe is called a "first-trust test" ([12:03]). How does prioritizing God first (time, finances, gifts) cultivate lion-hearted trust in your daily life?
When have you experienced a "pit stop" that later proved to be divine preparation? How can this memory encourage you in a current challenge?

Sermon Clips

37s

#PitToGym

“The pit is not just a place of darkness, it is a place of development. So when you go into a pit, you have a decision to make. And the decision is, are you gonna get bitter, or are you gonna get better in that situation? Are you gonna resign or refine? You gonna give up, or are you gonna go through? Because the enemy wants to use your pit to stop you, but God wants to use your pit to strengthen you. The enemy wants the pit to become your grave. God wants the pit to become your gym. What I mean the gym, the place where you get muscles.”

44s

#FailForward

“There's a lot of people who are paralyzed simply because they are afraid to fail. Failure is not proof that you should stop. Many times failure is proof that you are courageous enough to try, and God often uses failure as our greatest teacher. Henry Ford said it this way. He said failure is the ability to begin again more intelligently. I know what not to do next time. I'm smarter now than I was before. Remember last week we talked about as you mature in God, you begin to fight smarter and not harder. And so when you fail in a certain area, it doesn't mean quit. It means now I'm smarter to keep on going. And of course, you have to discern between godly resistance and godly persistence.”

48s

#CrashThroughFaith

“And you what God is saying? God is saying that's the kind of faith that he's looking for. He's looking for people who have rhino faith. You get a word from God, you get an auction from the holy spirit, you get wise counsel, you know what's good, you know what's right, and you know what's wrong. Put your head down and go for God. Crash through whatever you have to crash through. Sadly, most Christians have squirrel faith. You're all skittish. Little circumstance comes up. You're like, oh, I guess I can't pray anymore, because I can't go to church anymore, because I can't read my bible anymore, because I can't get my tithe this week. Squirrel face. God's looking for aggressive faith.”

35s

#ObediencePrecedesMiracle

“God ran David ran toward Goliath, then he guided the stone, God. Joshua marched around, then the walls fell. Moses stretched out his rod, then the sea parted. Benaiah went down, then the lion died. The action preceded the intervention. The obedience preceded the miracle, because God often does not send power to the paralyzed by fear. He sends power to the rhinos who walk toward the roar. Run toward your roar. Number four, lion hearted people are perfected in the pit.”

40s

#ServeForPromotion

“Why I gotta be the one out here taking care of the lions, risking my life for that? Why can't I be part of the inner circle? Why can't I be part of the 30? Why can't I be part of the three? You know what he said? This is where God has put me. Can I just tell you something? Promotion belongs to the Lord. God raises up and he brings down. God will bring you before kings. God will bring you before great people. But can I tell you the people that God brings to those places? It's people who understand that what is in front of them, they have to do as on to the Lord as if it was the ultimate assignment because God has more. Would you stand to your feet?”

39s

#SpiritualSight

“Faith is I'm not exactly sure why I feel compelled to do this here because my mind is saying, don't do that there. What I'm seeing is different from what I'm seeing. What I'm seeing in my spirit is different from what I'm seeing with my eyes because faith is a spiritual eye that sees beyond the conditions and is motivated by the conviction. An unction on the inside. A a no so on the inside. How do I know that? What do you feel here in your spirit? Why do I go by my spirit? Because guess where the holy spirit lives?”

41s

#TryDontSitOut

“And some of you need to hear this today because failure doesn't disqualify you from future opportunities in God. Matter of fact, sometimes it's a sign that God can give you more opportunities. You say, what you mean pastor? Well, because you tried. There's a whole host of other people who play it safe. They sit on the sidelines. They never step out. They never attempt to do anything great for God. And so of course, they don't fail, but they never accomplish anything anyway. They are what we call comfortable Christians. They're not they just wanna just I just wanna be comfortable. I don't want any pain. I don't want any resistance. I don't want any pressure. I don't want any of this. And so they never do anything. They're like the one talent guy in the parable of the talents.”

30s

#RiskInvitesPromotion

“And because I was afraid to risk, what does God say? He says, take it from the one who I gave the one to, so that he has nothing, and give it to the ones who are willing to step out. Can I tell you what what failure, even if you if risk, even if you fail actually does? It tells God that you will at least step out and try. And here's what God will do, God will make you smarter through it, so the next opportunity that comes your way, you won't fail, but that you'll succeed, and God will trust you with more.”

47s

#FirstfruitsFaith

“See, my relationship with God is based upon trust. And so my mind says, how can giving away 10% of what's already not enough cause me to have more than enough? My mind says I gotta wait for my conditions to align in order for my conviction to kick in. But my conviction says, if I trust God with what I have at the beginning, God will open up the windows of heaven and pour me out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive. So I give God not the last portion, but I give God the first portion. See, God is always into first. It requires our trust, and people who understand, lion hearted people who who live by convictions, understand that that's why faith is never safe.”

22s

#RiseAndTryAgain

“Yet every one of them, what did they do? They got back up and they kept going. Why? Because lion hearted people are not afraid to fail. Failure is not always proof that God said no. Sometimes failure is simply part of God teaching you how to win. God wants you to win. And ultimately, failure teaches us how good God is.”

25s

#WhenTheySayWhatIfSayGodWill

“And because the fear of failure and the fear of all sorts of other things often paralyzes us, so many people, they stop, they get they get caught, they get stuck. The enemy is always saying, what if? Well, what if you step out and you fail? What if you step out and this doesn't work? What if you step out and you look foolish? You know what I've learned? That whenever the enemy says what if, I say God will.”

Ask a question about this sermon

FaithChurchCC & Frank Santora Ministries This sermon · AI assistant

What defines lion-hearted faith versus safe faith?

How do conviction and conditions interact in obedience?

How are pits used for refinement and promotion?

Lionhearted People I Lions, Giants & Bears, But God I Frank Santora

Devotional

Day 1: Fighting Lions in Life’s Slippery Pits

Day 2: Firstfruits Faith in Last-Ditch Moments

Day 3: Crash-Through Rhino Faith

Day 4: Failure’s Hidden Curriculum

Day 5: Pit-Stop Promotions

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Lionhearted People I Lions, Giants & Bears, But God I Frank Santora

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