Key points
- 1
1What looks like humility can actually be fear-driven pride — making it all about yourself whether positively or negatively.
“humility is the byproduct of trusting God. Meaning, you wanna know if you're humble or not, is are you trusting God right now? If you're not trusting God, you ain't humble”
“You can sacrifice without obeying. You can't obey without sacrificing”
- 2
2Saul's insecure pride kept him from doing what God had specifically called and equipped him to do, costing him his kingdom.
- 3
3God does not look at outward qualifications the way people do; He looks at the heart, as seen in His choice of David over his more impressive older brothers.
Related passage“He attacks us with the truth you're not qualified in order to get us to buy the lie. Since you're not qualified, you shouldn't trust God”
“I'm not qualified. Tell me something else I don't already know. Now get the HE double hockey sticks out of my way because I gotta go do what God called me to do”
Illustration
Photo from a personal visit to the Valley of Elah, showing how small and close the valley actually is
A story from life
The preacher describes how he tells anxiety-ridden worship team members to stop trying to feel qualified and instead acknowledge the call
- 4
4Faithfulness in small, unglamorous things — like David watching sheep — prepares and qualifies us for the bigger things God has planned.
A story from life
The preacher's father, a combat veteran, describes his home-defense philosophy — including taking an intruder's gun and using it against them
- 5
5The enemy uses the truth 'you're not qualified' to sell the lie 'therefore don't trust God' — the answer is to accept you're not qualified and obey anyway.
“Our problem is not too many Goliaths. The problem is not enough of us are willing to be Davids”
“I'm rattling your cage on purpose. You know why I'm rattling your cage on purpose? It's because you need to know you're in one, And I'm trying to let you out”
A story from life
The preacher's wife confronts him over a burrito in Big Bear, California, calling his plan to avoid church planting 'the dumbest idea ever' and naming it as fear rather than humility
- 6
6David faced Goliath not in arrogance but in the authority of God's calling, crediting the Lord for the victory while still personally entering the fight.
- 7
7God calls us to obedience over sacrifice — you can sacrifice (show up, go through rituals) without obeying, but you cannot truly obey without sacrificing.
Application
Pastor Bill's challenge is direct: identify the next wisest, most obedient thing God is asking you to do — and stop talking yourself out of it. For some, that is getting baptized as a first step of public faith. For others, it is showing up to serve, starting to give, or leading their family with courage instead of passivity. The point is not to wait until you feel qualified; God does not ask for qualification, He asks for obedience. Take what He has already given you — your time, your gifts, your resources, your story — and get into the fight He has called you to. Where He guides, He will provide. The harvest is plentiful; the question is whether you will be one of the workers.
