It Is Written

David and Goliath

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW019201A


00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:22 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me.
00:24 ♪[Middle Eastern instrumental music]♪
00:27 Walk around Jerusalem and you're walking
00:29 in the footsteps of Jesus.
00:31 When Jesus was alive, the temple, which was destroyed
00:34 in 70 AD, was right there on top of the Temple Mount.
00:40 It was built by Herod the Great.
00:42 And although it likely wasn't as magnificent as the temple
00:45 built by Solomon, it was still impressive.
00:48 Archaeologists believe it looked something like this.
00:51 ♪[Eerie music]♪
00:53 So it was here that Jesus turned over
00:56 the money changers' tables.
00:58 They left the temple,
01:00 and the disciples showed Him the temple buildings.
01:03 And Jesus shocked them by telling them,
01:06 "Do you not see all these things?
01:08 Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here
01:12 upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
01:15 That seemed like an impossibility.
01:17 The temple was the symbol of Jewish greatness,
01:19 of God's favor towards His people.
01:22 And here in Jerusalem,
01:23 Jesus told His followers that it would be destroyed.
01:27 Today you can see some of the stones of the temple
01:29 that were cast down.
01:31 The prophecy was fulfilled.
01:33 And, of course, it isn't only Jesus who came here.
01:36 This was the city of David.
01:39 And the location of David's ancient city has been uncovered.
01:43 It's hard to imagine how people cannot have faith in the Bible,
01:47 given all the evidence in favor of the Bible
01:50 provided by a place like this.
01:52 ♪[Soft music]♪
01:54 At the location of the ancient city of David,
01:56 which is essentially right behind me,
01:58 archaeologists have found many seal impressions.
02:02 A seal is something that in ancient times
02:05 functioned much like a signature.
02:07 One of those seal impressions bore the inscription,
02:11 "King Hezekiah."
02:13 Another said, "Isaiah the prophet."
02:16 These were real people,
02:18 and archaeology has provided evidence for the existence
02:21 of these people hundreds and hundreds of years laster.
02:26 Now, surely, finding seal impressions here in Jerusalem
02:29 has to be even harder than finding a needle in a haystack.
02:34 It seems God directed those archaeologists to make
02:37 those discoveries to encourage us to have faith in the Bible.
02:40 ♪[Soft music]♪
02:45 Daniel lived here in Jerusalem, along with his friends,
02:49 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
02:52 Them and others were taken from here down to Babylon.
02:56 Nehemiah returned from Babylon to here in Jerusalem,
03:00 where he rebuilt the wall and re-established society,
03:04 and so on.
03:05 Jeremiah, here in Jerusalem. Ezekiel lived here.
03:08 King Solomon reigned from right here in Jerusalem.
03:13 ♪[Instrumental music]♪
03:15 But when it comes to the stories of the Bible,
03:17 you know that there's a lot more in Israel than Jerusalem.
03:21 And today I want to take you to the site
03:23 of one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible.
03:26 The story of David and Goliath took place not far from here
03:31 in the Valley of Elah.
03:33 It's about a 45-minute drive from Jerusalem southwest,
03:37 and there's no doubt that it's the legitimate site
03:40 of where David's encounter with the giant took place.
03:43 The background of the story is this.
03:46 King Saul had been king of Israel.
03:48 The Philistines, who may originally have come
03:51 from Europe--Crete, some archaeologists say--
03:55 had developed quite an advanced and sophisticated society.
03:58 For a while they were a constant thorn in the side of Israel.
04:02 And you read in 1 Samuel 13 that there was no blacksmith
04:05 in Israel.
04:06 The Philistines had prevented them from making swords
04:09 or spears, so if an Israelite wanted something sharpened,
04:13 he had to go to the Philistines to get that job done.
04:16 You can imagine how well that worked out for them.
04:20 In chapter 15,
04:21 Samuel the prophet instructs Saul, the king,
04:23 that he should go to Amalek and eradicate the Amalekites.
04:28 But he didn't.
04:29 Instead he saved the king and much of the livestock.
04:32 Samuel said to King Saul,
04:34 "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today,
04:38 and has given it to a neighbor of yours,
04:40 who is better than you."
04:42 When we get to chapter 17, Saul is still the king,
04:46 but he's a shell of a man.
04:49 Verse 1 says,
04:50 "Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle,
04:54 and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah;
04:57 they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim."
05:02 Where I am right now is Azekah.
05:05 It was here that Joshua defeated the five kings of the Amorites,
05:09 large hailstones falling on the kings and their men
05:13 right in this vicinity.
05:15 There's some real history here.
05:17 Verse 2:
05:18 "And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together,
05:22 and they encamped in the Valley of Elah,
05:25 and drew up in battle array against the Philistines."
05:28 I'd like to point out for you some of the locations here.
05:31 Now, Sochoh, or Sochoth, that's over there in the distance.
05:35 You'll see the lighter green, uh,
05:38 the plains, uh, the valley.
05:40 Beyond that, the trees going up on the hills the other side,
05:43 that's Sochoth right there.
05:45 Where I am now is Azekah,
05:48 and in between, that's the valley floor, Ephes Dammim.
05:53 So it was right there that all the action took place
05:57 in the David and Goliath story, right there.
05:59 Verse 3 says,
06:01 "The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side,
06:04 and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side,
06:07 with a valley between them."
06:09 Verse 4 says,
06:10 "And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines,
06:13 named Goliath, from Gath,
06:16 whose height was six cubits and a span."
06:20 Now, I'd like to show you where Gath is.
06:22 Remember, I'm on Azekah, a hill, really.
06:26 Interestingly, it's now a national park.
06:28 In Israel, a lot of these significant old
06:31 archaeological sites have been turned into national parks.
06:34 So I'm on Azekah, over there Ephes Dammim,
06:38 where the fighting took place, where Goliath lost his life.
06:41 But where was Goliath from?
06:42 He was from Gath, and Gath is out there.
06:46 Now, if the weather was cooperating with me
06:48 a little bit better, I'd be able to show you the hill
06:49 that really marks the location of Gath.
06:51 But the weather isn't, and so it's in that direction.
06:55 Not very far, actually.
06:56 So Goliath's home town was over there,
07:00 and he fought David over there.
07:03 He was really pretty close to his home town when he fought.
07:06 Now, Goliath, according to the Bible, six cubits and a span,
07:10 he was more than nine feet tall.
07:13 That's tall.
07:14 Now, some people have tried to explain
07:16 why Goliath was that tall.
07:17 They've said that he suffered from something
07:19 known as gigantism,
07:21 and that that's the reason that he was so tall.
07:24 You know, I don't think you need to believe that.
07:26 The Bible simply says that he was a giant, and so he was.
07:30 And he certainly isn't the only giant mentioned in the Bible.
07:34 Now, I'm six feet one.
07:36 Goliath was all of me and then half of me again.
07:40 That's a big guy.
07:42 I'll be back with more in a moment.
07:44 ♪[Music]♪
07:53 >>Announcer: A sling, a stone,
07:55 and one of the greatest underdog uprisings of all time.
07:58 Explore the incredible true story of David and Goliath.
08:01 Discover the motivation, the courage,
08:03 the immovable faith that shaped a hero.
08:07 Receive today's free DVD offer, "Taking a Stand,"
08:09 by calling 800-253-3000
08:13 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com.
08:16 Get "Taking a Stand" on DVD today.
08:20 Call 800-253-3000.
08:23 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today
08:25 on It Is Written.
08:26 The story of David and Goliath is one of the great stories
08:29 in the Bible.
08:30 Now, you could say it's a story of the little guy
08:32 beating the big guy.
08:33 And sure, it is.
08:35 But really, it's a story of great faith,
08:38 and it's a story of a lack of faith.
08:42 We're at the site of where the conflict took place
08:44 between David and Goliath,
08:45 between Israel and the Philistines,
08:47 in the Valley of Elah in Israel.
08:50 David and Goliath squared off against each other right there,
08:54 just right over there.
08:56 Now, this Goliath was an interesting character.
08:59 Tall, more than nine feet tall, in fact.
09:02 He came from just over there, a place called Gath,
09:07 not very far away at all.
09:08 Verse 5 of 1 Samuel 17 says,
09:11 "He had a bronze helmet on his head,
09:14 and he was armed with a coat of mail,
09:16 and the weight of the coat
09:18 was five thousand shekels of bronze."
09:21 The coat of mail weighed 150 pounds.
09:25 The Bible tells us,
09:27 "He had bronze armor on his legs
09:30 and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.
09:33 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam,
09:36 and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels;
09:41 and a shield-bearer went before him."
09:43 Everything about this man was big,
09:46 especially his attitude.
09:49 "Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel,
09:52 and said to them, 'Why have you come out to line up for battle?
09:56 Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul?
10:00 Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
10:04 If he is able to fight with me and kill me,
10:07 then we will be your servants.
10:09 But if I prevail against him and kill him,
10:12 then you shall be our servants and serve us.'
10:16 And the Philistine said, 'I defy the armies of Israel this day;
10:21 give me a man, that we may fight together.'"
10:25 So who should have fought?
10:27 Well, Saul, of course. He was the king.
10:30 He stood a head taller than anyone else in Israel,
10:32 and as God's handpicked leader, he should have gone forward,
10:36 totally trusting that God was with him.
10:38 But no. Remember? He'd been disobedient, significantly.
10:42 He evidently hadn't repented,
10:44 and God had told Saul that He'd rejected Saul as king.
10:48 Saul was dispirited.
10:51 It's as if he had no fight in him.
10:52 And at the time when he should have been courageous,
10:55 there was no courage to be found in him at all.
10:58 Verse 11 says,
10:59 "When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine,
11:02 they were dismayed and greatly afraid."
11:06 David is introduced to the story in verse 12.
11:09 We're told that he was one of eight sons,
11:11 and that his father was elderly.
11:13 Three of his brothers, the eldest three,
11:15 were in Saul's army,
11:17 squaring off against Goliath and the Philistines:
11:20 Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah.
11:24 Davis was the youngest son in the family.
11:28 Jesse sent David from their home in Bethlehem,
11:31 which is about 16 miles away, as the crow flies.
11:34 But back then, there weren't highways or well-paved roads.
11:38 David would have walked over hills
11:40 and some pretty rough terrain.
11:41 In fact, his dad told him to run to where the fighting
11:44 was taking place.
11:46 Jesse commissioned David to take food to his brothers
11:48 and to bring back a report regarding how things were going.
11:52 And when David arrived right here in this place,
11:55 at the scene of the battle,
11:56 the two armies were set in array against each other.
11:59 When David met up with his brothers,
12:01 Goliath was coming out to taunt the armies of Israel.
12:04 The Bible says, "And all the men of Israel,
12:06 when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid."
12:10 He learns that Saul would give the man who killed the giant
12:13 great riches.
12:14 His brothers actually rebuke him.
12:16 One of them says, "Why did you come down here?
12:19 And with whom have you left those few sheep
12:21 in the wilderness?
12:22 I know your pride and the insolence of your heart,
12:25 for you have come down to see the battle."
12:28 That wasn't very nice.
12:31 David comes into the presence of King Saul.
12:33 Now, think about this.
12:35 A young shepherd boy standing before the mighty king.
12:38 A shepherd.
12:39 Not a warrior, not a fighter, a humble shepherd.
12:43 But as we're about to see, your standing in this world
12:46 doesn't need to be measured by your age or your occupation.
12:49 Your usefulness for God isn't measured by,
12:52 you are not restrained by your station in life
12:55 or in this world.
12:56 What God was looking for was a man of faith,
12:59 someone who would rely on Him alone.
13:01 That man wasn't Saul; it wasn't any of David's brothers,
13:05 or any of the soldiers in Israel.
13:07 If no one would stand up to this giant,
13:10 what would end up happening?
13:12 ♪[Music]♪
13:15 You shouldn't make the mistake of thinking
13:17 that you're not well enough equipped
13:19 to do something great for God.
13:20 Now, when I say "something great,"
13:22 really what I mean is "something faithful."
13:25 There's a certain baptized egotism that sees people wanting
13:29 to do something great for God, but truly their motivation
13:32 is simply to do something great for them, to be noticed.
13:35 And that's a trap, and you want to avoid that.
13:37 But God is still looking for men and women and boys and girls
13:41 everywhere to allow Him to use them.
13:45 So here was David, a boy, a shepherd, a teenager,
13:50 the last person you would have thought
13:52 would take down a giant.
13:54 But when God called David,
13:56 David surrendered to God and let God use him mightily.
14:04 "Then David said to Saul,
14:05 'Let no man's heart fail because of him;
14:08 your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.'"
14:11 And Saul pretty much stated the obvious in his answer to David:
14:15 "You are not able to go against this Philistine
14:17 to fight with him;
14:18 for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."
14:24 Now, David doesn't argue, but he explains to the king
14:28 that when he was keeping his father's sheep,
14:30 a lion and a bear attacked the flock and took a lamb--
14:34 on different occasions, no doubt.
14:36 He killed them both.
14:38 David was a young man of courage,
14:40 and courage was in short supply here in the Valley on Elah
14:43 that day.
14:44 And David said this: "The Lord, who delivered me
14:47 from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear,
14:50 He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
14:52 Now, notice what David's doing.
14:55 He pointed to a time when God had done something great,
14:59 and based on that, he believed the same God
15:02 was able to do something great again.
15:05 Let me encourage you.
15:06 When God answers your prayer,
15:08 no matter what it's about, remember that.
15:11 Don't forget it.
15:12 You might even want to write it down.
15:14 And then you can always say to God,
15:16 "Last time, you did this, so therefore I'm believing in You
15:20 to do some great thing again."
15:22 Answered prayers aren't powerful only in the moment;
15:25 they're evidence that the God who was faithful before
15:28 will be faithful again.
15:30 "And Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you!'"
15:34 Saul put his armor on David,
15:36 thinking it would be a help to the young man.
15:38 Surely he wouldn't want to go up against the giant with no armor.
15:42 But he did.
15:43 It seems to me that David wanted the credit for his victory
15:45 to go only to God.
15:47 Wearing armor might have led some to think that it was
15:50 the armor or, or his preparation that secured his victory.
15:54 And what happened next?
15:55 Well, in a moment, we'll go to the very creek, the very stream,
16:01 where David found the stone he would use
16:03 to take down the giant.
16:04 I'll be right back.
16:06 ♪[Music]♪
16:14 >>John: Thank you for remembering
16:15 that It Is Written exists
16:17 because of the kindness of people just like you.
16:20 To support this international life-changing ministry,
16:23 please call us now at 800-253-3000.
16:27 You can send your tax-deductible gift
16:29 to the address on your screen,
16:30 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
16:34 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support.
16:37 Our number again is 800-253-3000,
16:41 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
16:45 >>John: December 21, 2012, was when the Maya calendar
16:49 was set to expire.
16:51 Many said with the expiration of this calendar
16:53 would come the end of the world.
16:57 [Birds twittering]
16:58 The Maya were remarkable builders,
17:00 but they did not predict the end of the world.
17:03 So where can we find predictions that we can trust?
17:06 Recent reports state that more and more people are embracing
17:11 witchcraft, tarot card reading, and astrology.
17:15 People are grabbing on to this,
17:16 even though there's absolutely no evidence that it's valid,
17:20 and they're rejecting the Bible.
17:23 Now, the Bible isn't simply a book of predictions.
17:26 It's the story of God's love for the human family.
17:29 But it's true that the Bible does contain predictions.
17:33 In fact, God stakes His reputation on His ability
17:37 to forecast the future.
17:39 "Predictions You Can Trust."
17:41 Watch now on It Is Written TV.
17:46 >>John Bradshaw: This is the Valley of Elah,
17:47 about a 45-minute drive from Jerusalem in Israel.
17:51 It was here that the children of Israel camped on the hills
17:54 on one side of the valley, and the Philistines camped
17:57 on the hills on the other side of the valley,
18:00 when Goliath taunted Israel.
18:03 It was here that David traveled from his home in Bethlehem.
18:06 And even though he was only there to bring food
18:09 for his brothers and to take back a report to his father,
18:12 David soon found that he was in much deeper than he expected
18:16 when he left home.
18:19 David went down to a brook.
18:20 In fact, it was this very stream.
18:23 [Sounds of traffic] Busy road nearby right now.
18:26 Assuming, of course, that the stream hasn't changed its course
18:28 over the years, and maybe it has.
18:31 But there was a stream here in David's day
18:33 about 1000 years BC.
18:35 And this is the stream that survives today.
18:37 And as you look around,
18:39 you see there are many...
18:42 rocks that would have been suitable,
18:46 enabling David to do the job that he needed to do.
18:49 And so he went armed with a staff--that's a stick--
18:53 and a sling--that was all.
18:55 Of course, with five of these.
18:57 Goliath was covered up in armor and had an armor-bearer
19:00 that went before him.
19:02 David went with virtually nothing,
19:04 except he had what mattered most.
19:07 He had God on his side, and he knew it.
19:10 When Goliath saw that Israel had sent a youth out to fight him,
19:14 he was disgusted.
19:15 He said to David,
19:16 "'Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?'
19:20 And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
19:23 And the Philistine said to David,
19:25 'Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds
19:28 of the air and the beasts of the field!'"
19:31 Now, notice what David said in verse 45:
19:35 "You come to me with a sword, with a spear,
19:37 and with a javelin.
19:39 But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts,
19:42 the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."
19:45 Verse 47: "Then all this assembly shall know
19:49 that the Lord does not save with sword and spear;
19:53 for the battle is the Lord's,
19:55 and He will give you into our hands."
19:59 The Bible tells us that when Goliath came out to meet David,
20:03 David ran towards Goliath.
20:05 Then, without a sword, using only a sling and stones,
20:10 David ended the life of the Philistines' champion.
20:14 A stick, a bag, a sling, and five stones.
20:18 Now, why five stones?
20:20 Certainly not because he thought he would miss,
20:21 although maybe he was intending not to appear presumptuous.
20:25 It would take a lot of confidence
20:27 to go out there with just one rock.
20:30 Now, what about the idea that Goliath had four brothers?
20:33 Well, the passage itself doesn't say anything about that.
20:36 Now, there is a story in 2 Samuel 21
20:38 that speaks about four other Philistine giants.
20:41 Does this mean they were Goliath's brothers,
20:43 and they were there that day?
20:44 No, not necessarily.
20:45 Seems to me that's just speculation.
20:48 Could be right, I guess.
20:49 But really, probably a bit of a stretch.
20:52 The Philistines, of course, did not keep their promise
20:55 that they would serve Israel, but instead turned and fled,
20:59 pursued by the army of Israel,
21:01 which was now feeling pretty confident.
21:03 It's interesting the effect that one person of faith
21:06 can have on a group of people whose faith is flagging.
21:08 [Birds twittering]
21:10 ♪[Soft mysterious Middle Eastern music]♪
21:12 The wounded fell along the road to Shaaraim,
21:15 which means "two gates."
21:17 It's believed that that is the city,
21:19 the old city of Khirbet Qeiyafa,
21:21 which is right where I'm standing now.
21:25 And also they fell along the road to Gath,
21:27 where Goliath is from, and Ekron.
21:30 In the most unlikely of circumstances,
21:32 God's people were victorious.
21:34 And why was that?
21:36 Because a young man, well, a boy, really,
21:39 believed God was with Him.
21:41 He was jealous for the honor of God,
21:43 not for his own honor.
21:45 David was motivated by causing people to see that Israel's God
21:48 was the true God, and that was clearly seen that day.
21:52 I'll tell you this;
21:53 if we are more concerned with the honor of God
21:55 and less concerned with the honor of ourselves,
21:58 both the world and the church would be a better place.
22:01 David wanted to see God honored.
22:04 The pagans at the time, the Philistines and others,
22:07 believed that a military victory demonstrated that their god
22:10 was the true god, the most powerful god.
22:13 David couldn't stand the thought of the God of heaven
22:16 coming off looking second-best.
22:19 Sometimes it's right to take risks,
22:21 but when God is with you, it's not a risk; it's a sure thing.
22:25 Now, let's switch this up just a little bit because all of us
22:28 are in the midst of our own David-and-Goliath battle,
22:30 every person alive.
22:33 Goliath would be an adequate representation of the devil
22:36 coming against God's people, taunting, threatening.
22:40 So what do you do when the devil comes by?
22:43 What do you when, when temptation gets after you?
22:46 And let's remember temptation is stronger than we are.
22:50 "All have sinned," the Bible says.
22:53 Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17:9 wrote that,
22:56 "The heart is deceitful above all things,
22:58 and desperately wicked; who can know it?"
23:01 He wrote a similar thought in Jeremiah 13:23 when he said,
23:04 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
23:09 Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil."
23:13 In other words, we have this problem heart,
23:16 this broken character that wants to do wrong
23:19 and doesn't want to do right.
23:21 And that causes dissonance between us and God.
23:24 We're easy pickings for the devil.
23:26 We're like the little guy against the big guy.
23:29 So what do we do?
23:31 You know what it's like to fail and to fail again.
23:33 You know what it's like
23:34 when temptation gets the better of you.
23:36 It doesn't feel good.
23:41 Now, what weapons did David have in his fight against the giant
23:45 right there in the Valley of Elah?
23:47 Well, he had a sling and stones.
23:51 A sling and stones.
23:53 You wouldn't think that would guarantee him success.
23:56 Now, what weapons do we have in our fight against sin
24:00 and temptation?
24:01 Well, Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians chapter 10,
24:04 when he said,
24:05 "For though we walk in the flesh,
24:07 we do not war after the flesh:
24:10 for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
24:13 but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."
24:17 So, what are the weapons that we wield in our battle against sin
24:21 and temptation?
24:22 Faith, the Word of God, the promises of God,
24:26 the presence of the Holy Spirit.
24:29 Live close to God. Invite God into your life.
24:31 He will live in you, bring His power into your life.
24:35 Read the Bible.
24:36 Do what Jesus did when He was confronted by temptation,
24:39 and quote Scripture.
24:42 You can let the Word of God be your defense.
24:45 ♪[Soft music]♪
24:50 Now, here's how this works.
24:52 You have a need in your life,
24:54 and you claim the promise made by God to you
24:57 that you find in Philippians 4 and verse 19:
25:00 "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches
25:03 in glory by Christ Jesus."
25:05 You lack wisdom about a certain situation in your life,
25:09 and you remember that God made a promise to you
25:10 that you find in James 1 and verse 5:
25:12 "If any [man] lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
25:16 [who gives] to all men liberally,
25:17 and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
25:20 These are promises.
25:22 God made them to you.
25:25 And when you claim those promises,
25:27 you're simply taking God at His word.
25:29 God has said, "I will do this."
25:31 You are saying, "Okay, I'm calling You on that.
25:34 I'm believing You on that. I'm expecting You on that."
25:36 In other words, "I'm having faith in You on that.
25:40 And I'm anticipating, I'm believing
25:43 that You are going to do what Your Word says."
25:46 And in your battle against sin and temptation,
25:48 that is powerful.
25:51 David defeated the giant right here in the Valley of Elah.
25:57 Satan, the "giant," will be defeated
26:01 right here in your heart, right where you are,
26:05 when you call on God and expect God to do great things for you.
26:13 >>Announcer: A sling, a stone,
26:15 and one of the greatest underdog uprisings of all time.
26:18 Explore the incredible true story of David and Goliath.
26:21 Discover the motivation, the courage,
26:24 the immovable faith that shaped a hero.
26:27 Receive today's free DVD offer, "Taking a Stand,"
26:30 by calling 800-253-3000
26:33 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com.
26:36 Get "Taking a Stand" on DVD today.
26:40 Call 800-253-3000.
26:44 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together in this historic place.
26:46 Our Father in heaven, we're thankful that we've been able
26:49 to come here to the very site where a great victory of faith
26:53 was won, an unlikely victory.
26:56 We thank You for inspiring us to know that victory is certain
27:00 when our lives are in Your hands,
27:02 when we're following Your will.
27:04 We thank You that You are with us today
27:06 as You were with David then.
27:08 Lord, be close to us in our battle.
27:11 Be close to us as evil threatens us.
27:13 Be our defense and our shield.
27:16 We thank You for blessing us and keeping us.
27:19 Friend, have you opened your heart to God and asked God
27:23 to be your God, your guide, your defense?
27:26 Why don't you do it now?
27:28 Father, would You take that heart and make it Yours?
27:32 And give that person assurance now that as her life or his life
27:36 is in Your hands, the gift of eternal life is certain.
27:42 And we thank You in Jesus' name. Amen.
27:45 Thanks so much for joining me.
27:47 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
27:49 Until then, remember:
27:51 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
27:55 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
27:59 ♪[Theme music]♪
28:09 ♪[Theme music]♪


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Revised 2019-05-19