Before the Giant: Lions, Giants & Bears — But God (Frank Santora)

Just because someone didn't choose you, doesn't mean God isn't going to use you. Just because someone didn't see value in you doesn't mean that God hasn't placed value on you. Why? God sees differently. What does God say to Samuel? Don't look at his outward appearance. I don't look that way. Man looks on the outward appearance. I see the heart. See, people see what is visible. God sees what is hidden. People saw a shepherd. God saw a king. People saw a failure. God saw success. People see mistakes. God sees a masterpiece. [00:09:51] (31 seconds)  #GodSeesTheHeart

Rejection is a spiritual decision. You can't pretend like it doesn't hurt. That's not gonna fix it. You can't blame everybody else. That's not gonna fix it. The only thing that you can do with rejection in order to for it to to to turn you in the right direction is for you to give it to God. Because the only one that knows what rejection feels like and can help you overcome it is Jesus. Rejected by his friends, rejected by his family, rejected by creation. But how many of you know that rejection did not stop him from fulfilling his destiny? And when you give your rejection to Jesus, can I tell you what he does? He puts you on the fast track to your right direction. [00:15:31] (43 seconds)  #GiveRejectionToJesus

They think that God is only choosing the people who have status, and God only chooses the people who have followers, and God only chooses the people who are making a difference. But I want you to know that your selection, that God God chooses you long before anybody ever knows you, and that God has an assignment for you, even when nobody, even you doesn't think there is one. And we love the part of the story where David's got the victory, and as we said, the bragging rights and the giant falls. But most people don't realize that Goliath didn't make David. Goliath revealed what was already in David. [00:05:12] (32 seconds)  #ChosenNotByStatus

How do we handle when God permit begins to promote us? Some people get one compliment and become unteachable. One opportunity and suddenly they're too important to serve. One prophetic word and now they don't think they need to be accountable anymore. One financial blessing and all of a sudden they don't need God anymore. They're not praying anymore. David understood if God opened a door for him, then God was responsible for the timing of the door and David was gonna handle success with a humble heart. [00:23:33] (27 seconds)  #HumbleWithPromotion

And these table lands were places that the shepherd had prepared so that the sheep would have everything they need during the hot summer months. And that shepherd would go to these table lands way before he brought the sheep there, and he would prepare it. He would make sure that the greenery was plush, and that there was no predators and no insects, and he would prepare this wonderful place. But the only way to get his sheep to the mountaintop was through the valley. Listen to me. Listen to me. Down is often the way up. Y'all missed that. Down is often the way up. Lest a kernel of wheat fall to the ground and die, is often a way up? Because valley experiences do something to your trust. [00:35:20] (70 seconds)  #ValleyIsTheWayUp

They measure it the way the world measures it. And so when they have a lot, and when they're driving good, and when they're they're living good, and when they're eating good, and when their bank account is full and good, they think I'm successful. You aren't successful in God's eyes if you have forgotten the God who gave you the gifting for you to get there. How you handle success is you remember God every single If your success keeps you away from church, you're a failure. If your success makes it so you rob the tithe, you're a failure. I'm a preach real good right now. I'm not gonna worry about what anybody thinks right now. If your success keeps you away from what God says are priorities in your life, your family, your children, you are a failure. It doesn't matter how much stuff you have. [00:22:34] (55 seconds)  #DontLetSuccessDefineYou

We have to understand that God is practical, and what we have to always understand is God gives us the gift. But what we do with the gift is our gift back to God. You need to develop your gift. You need to develop and when you do, guess what happens? Conversations are happening about you that you don't even know about. David was playing the harp. He had no idea somebody saw him. You know how you get noticed? Be faithful with your gift. Faithfulness is not just showing up, it's being prepared when you do. Some people will say, pastor, I'm here every single week. I know, but half the time you don't know what you're doing. See, what we have to understand is there are dimensions to faithfulness. [00:31:08] (49 seconds)  #DevelopYourGift

Don't forget the Lord your God when you have eaten and are full. Stop. I think this qualifies for almost everybody. It goes on and says, and when your herds and your flocks multiply Well, let me say it to you this way, when your business is doing real good, and your silver and your gold multiply, or your bank account is fat, and you have multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, and when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, and you say in your heart, my power and my might, and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth, you shall remember that it is the Lord your God, for it is he that gives you the power to get wealth that he may establish his covenant. [00:21:43] (39 seconds)  #RememberGodInSuccess

way. I must have not heard God, so on and so forth. See, we we think we control when God says it's time for the door to open. God is preparing you and some of y'all God may have a great plan for your life, but some of y'all need fifteen years of training. Some of y'all need fit. You know why? Because you had fifty years of all the wrong stuff, and God needs to train you because what God has for you, God wants to make sure it doesn't destroy you. And so God training you. Do not despise ordinary moments. David didn't understand that when he was carrying out a task, he was about to walk into his destiny. David understood that God hides destiny in routine faithfulness. [00:24:40] (42 seconds)  #TrainingBeforeBreakthrough

and there he is. He's keeping the sheep. And the first thing God develops in David is how to handle rejection. Because when Samuel arrives, David's not even in the house. David isn't even invited into the process. He's not considered a possibility. He's not even thought of someone who belongs. Jesse presents seven sons and David is not one of them. That means David wasn't rejected by strangers. He was rejected by the people who are supposed to care for him. And that hits different, doesn't it? That hits a little different when somebody you don't know, you don't really have any investment, doesn't reject. So you you could shake that off. [00:06:17] (38 seconds)  #RejectedByFamilyNotStrangers

Gifting is what God gives you. I got news for you. Everybody's gifted. Every person in this world is gifted. How do I know that? The Bible says that God has given gifts to everyone so that we can all do certain things well. God doesn't create junk. Every single person has a gift from God. Gifting is what God gives you. Skill is what happens when you are responsible responsible with with your your gift. Gift. And if all you do is stay gifted and never become skillful, First Samuel chapter 16 verse 14 says, but the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. Then one of the servants answered and said, look, I have seen a a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, [00:27:18] (61 seconds)  #GiftsNeedSkill

See, it's before the giant shows up that God forms in us what it takes so that we can defeat the giant when it does. And I wanna show you today what God forms in every person so that we are ready for the assignment that he has for us. And so before your giant goes down, number one, you need to learn how to handle rejection. This is where your identity is tested. Let's go back to the painful part of the story. First Samuel chapter 16 verse 11, Samuel said to Jesse, are all the young men here? And then he said, there remains yet the youngest [00:05:44] (33 seconds)