Running with the Giants · 1 Samuel 17
Christian Life Church in Bensalem, PA, opens a new series, Running with the Giants, on the people of the Bible who still speak to how we live today. In week one, guest speaker David Kim, president of Valley Forge University, preaches on David and Goliath, and on remembering that the real Giant on the battlefield is God.
Key Highlights
What to Remember
God doesn’t choose the best of the best. He often chooses the overlooked to show His power.
Some of the biggest Goliaths we face are in our own minds.
No matter how big the giant, the greater Giant on the battlefield is God.
Our God always wins. The battle belongs to the Lord.
1 Samuel 17:1–11
A Valley Between Two Armies
The Philistines camped on one hill and Israel on another, with the Valley of Elah between them. Goliath, a champion over nine feet tall and armed for war, came out every day and taunted Israel: send a man to fight me, and the loser’s nation will serve the winner.
“On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”
1 Samuel 17:11
Think about how sports fans feel when their team plays. They aren’t on the field, but they celebrate every win and feel every loss. In the ancient Near East, it went even deeper: when nations went to war, the reputation of their god was on the line. If Israel lost, the world would say Goliath’s gods were greater than Yahweh. The name of God was at stake in that valley.
1 Samuel 17:12–20
God Chooses the Overlooked
If you were choosing someone to defend God’s name, you would pick the biggest, most seasoned warrior available. But God doesn’t operate by the world’s values. He often chooses the weak and the broken to display His own power, wisdom, and glory.
- He was the youngest son, likely somewhere between 13 and 19
- He was given the “unimportant” job of tending sheep
- His father sent his older brothers to battle and sent David on an errand with food
- Even Samuel almost passed him by
God chose the one everyone else overlooked.
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
1 Corinthians 1:27
Outside and Within
The Goliaths We Face
Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33). We all face Goliaths, and they don’t only show up outside of us.
- A health crisis or a loved one in the hospital
- Financial pressure or a sudden job loss
- Strained relationships with a spouse, children, or parents
- Conflict, even in the church
- Doubt, anxiety, worry, or depression in our own minds
David Kim shared that even with years of theological training, when prayers go unanswered or doors close, he can find himself asking, Did I do something wrong? God, are You with me or against me? Are You near, or did You leave? Sometimes one careless word from someone can ruin a whole day. Some of the biggest battles we fight happen in our heads.
1 Samuel 17:26–47
Remember the Real Giant
David arrived to deliver food and heard Goliath mocking Israel. While the soldiers trembled, this teenage shepherd asked a bold question.
“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
1 Samuel 17:26
His brothers told him to be quiet. But David told King Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him” (17:32). He refused Saul’s armor and took a sling and a few stones. The God who rescued him from the lion and the bear would rescue him again (17:37).
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty … for the battle is the Lord’s.”
1 Samuel 17:45, 47
David wasn’t bold because he thought he was a giant.
He was bold because he knew the greater Giant on the battlefield was God.
When we trust God in the middle of a battle, people around us may call it crazy and tell us to be quiet. But David had seen God’s faithfulness in the fields, and that made Goliath look small.
Romans 8:31
Know Who’s in the Room with You
After moving from Ghana to Washington State, David Kim was one of the only Asian students in his high school, and he was bullied constantly. So he trained in taekwondo and became a state champion. By his junior year no one bothered him, and he assumed it was because of his title.
Then a friend told him the real reason: he was best friends with Scott, a 6’2” national taekwondo champion. People weren’t afraid of David. They were afraid of who was with him.
We have made our God too small and our problems too big.
God holds the world in His hands, and He is with you.
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31
Whether you are sitting by a hospital bed, just lost your job, or facing something that feels catastrophic, the real giant isn’t your Goliath. The real Giant is the Lord who is with you.
The Victory of the Cross
Our God Always Wins
David Kim’s family was Buddhist for generations. When his father was 17 in Korea, he was diagnosed with leukemia and given six months to live. His uncle, the first believer in the family, told the family that if his father was healed, they would all believe. He carried his father up a prayer mountain and interceded for him. His father stopped breathing, but his uncle kept praying, and life returned to his body. His sight was restored, and they walked down the mountain together.
The whole family came to Christ, and today that family is full of pastors and missionaries. Years later the leukemia returned, and his father went to be with the Lord at 47 after serving God faithfully. The night before he died, he told his son, “I feel bad for you. You still have to live here.”
Whether in this life or the next, the battle is already won.
Because of the cross, death has lost its sting.
We may not know who will win every game, but we know who wins the story of our lives: Jesus. God will come to our aid in different ways, and He will bring glory to His name through our lives.
The Response
Name Your Goliath
Take a moment to name the Goliaths in your life, and then declare who is bigger.
- Lord, You are bigger and greater than this giant
- Work out Your purposes in my life
- Be glorified through this battle
- Give me Your strength, wisdom, and provision
- Help me remember who is with me
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Psalm 23:4
Questions About This Message
David and Goliath Explained
What is the main lesson of David and Goliath?
No matter how big the giant we face, God is greater. David wasn’t bold because he thought he was a giant; he was bold because he knew the true Giant on the battlefield was the Lord, and that the battle belongs to Him (1 Samuel 17:47).
Why did God choose David to fight Goliath?
David was the youngest son, a shepherd overlooked even by his own family. God often chooses the weak and overlooked rather than the strongest and most skilled, so that His own power and glory are displayed (1 Corinthians 1:27).
Why was David so confident when he faced Goliath?
David had already seen God rescue him from a lion and a bear while protecting his sheep. He trusted that the same God would rescue him again, and he was zealous for God’s name, which Goliath was mocking (1 Samuel 17:26, 37).
What does “the battle is the Lord’s” mean?
In 1 Samuel 17:47, David declared that God doesn’t save by sword or spear. Victory depends on God’s power, not human strength, so believers can face overwhelming situations trusting that God is with them and fights for them.
How can Christians face the Goliaths in their lives?
Name the giant honestly, remember who is with you, and remember God’s past faithfulness. Ask Him for strength, wisdom, and provision, and ask Him to be glorified through the battle. Because of the cross, the final victory is already won.
Name your Goliath.
Remember who is with you.
Stand in His name.
The battle is the Lord’s.
Life Group Discussion
Reflect and Respond
Use these questions to continue the conversation, reflect honestly, and let the message move beyond information into transformation.
The real Giant in the room
is the Lord who is with you.
