Valley of Doubt

First Samuel chapter 17 and you know, I hope you do that is more

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

than just a an update on where our society is at.

I hope we don't just shake your head and say, wow, I can't

believe it. And and follow that same path.

I hope we are doing something about that.

And I was reading about this the other night, but that's the

that's the whole purpose of us coming to church.

Yes, we definitely learned the Bible, but we're also instructed

by our pastor, who I believe God gives an extra bit of wisdom.

I believe that to lead lead people.

He's not the oldest in the room. He hasn't been maybe have the

most experience in every aspect of life.

But I believe God gives a pastor a special wisdom.

And so be listening for that. You know, what's interesting is

I don't understand that either. How?

Well, I'll just tell you. So New Year's Eve, I was out on

a job and and one of the guys that is a subcontractor for us,

I asked him what he was doing New Year's Eve.

He said, well, we were going to go out to eat, but I, I cannot

get my 9 year old off the phone when we're out to eat.

I said take it away. Well, yeah, I don't want to.

I don't want to have that fight. It's just pretty amazing to me.

You know, parents are not parents.

You can't even force your 9 year old to get off the phone so he

can eat with you. But anyways, I say that to say

just make sure we're not falling into that same trap ourselves.

I just don't want to have that fight.

Have that fight and it'll be very good for you down down the

road in the long run. So first Samuel chapter 17,

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

brother Matt, can I get you to grab this mic here?

We're going to do some some, I'm going to have you all read some

verses because we got a bunch of them.

Is anybody in the sun with just you hiding behind the screens?

All right, we'll have that yellow mic that we use for the

offering. But First Samuel 17 is where

we're going to start. And if you remember, we are in

our valleys. And I want to just review

quickly because we are getting into them pretty far now.

We only have 3 left, including today.

And so we have looked at the valley of discouragement, the

valley of disobedience last week, the valley of deception,

which is exactly what he's talking about.

We are in this age of, of brother Cloud calls it the

pornographic age. It's just this visual, a age

that that we, I think sometimes just don't even really put our

guard up because we get so normalized to, to everything

that our eyes see day-to-day, especially on social media.

I believe and, and don't think for a second that that's not

Satan's plan to desensitize us. You know, some of the things we

see in our culture. How do we get there?

We get desensitized to where even the Christians aren't

shocked by it. We just, well, that's, that's

normal. Let's not get there.

But that's that valley of deception.

That's what happened with Samson, as we saw last week, and

we're going to look at this morning, the valley of doubt.

And I would say discouragement and doubt maybe go hand in hand.

We talked about discouragement a few weeks ago, the valley of

discouragement. But discouragement and doubt are

maybe not similar, but hand in hand.

And they are also doubt is very contagious as well.

And you can see that in in work, You can see that in sports.

You know, if a sports team doesn't have the confidence that

they're going to beat this team they're playing against,

everybody feels that even if one or two of them do have that

confidence, they get to the point maybe halfway through the

game and they're losing and their quarterback is I knew this

was going to happen or whatever. Then the whole team kind of and

you can see it. You can see it in their faces

and their body language. And so doubt can be contagious,

you know, even on a spiritual level or in, in our lives as

well. So we're going to look at that

this morning. First Samuel chapter 17, Brother

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

Matt, I will give you a verse here in just a second.

So you'll you'll know ahead of time.

And I'm going to, I'm just going to go right on down the line

around the auditorium. But the first Samuel chapter 17

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

and verses 2 and three. And we're not going to we're not

going to read this whole passage because we're very familiar with

the story of David. But we are going to pull a few

things out of this. In verse number two of First

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

Samuel chapter 17, it says, and Saul and the men of Israel were

gathered together and pitched by the valley of Elah and set the

battle in a ray against the Philistines.

And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel

stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley

between them. And then we get into the story

of David and Goliath. You know, and even even today,

people who don't know anything about the Bible, they might not

even realize the story of David and Goliath comes from the

Bible. We'll use that as a, as a way to

say, wow, this is a, this is a David and Goliath battle here or

whatever to say maybe an underdog that is going up

against a very, very good team, whether it's in college sports

or whatever, You'll see that fairly often.

But, but it's this, this story became a part of Jewish history

after it happened. I mean forever, even even now.

But in Jewish history, this was one of the things they look back

to their King David and the valley of Elah.

We've been, we've been giving you a definition on each one of

these. So the valley of Elah Elah means

oak or strong tree. And I think this is a fitting

valley to pick for the, for this idea of doubt, because doubt is

a strong thing in our lives. It, it really is.

If you well, we'll get into it. It is a very strong, very strong

thing in our lives. Just like last week, that this,

that vine, it's soft, but it's strong.

Oak trees are a little bit different.

They're just plain old strong and they're hard.

Run into them once and you'll find out all about it.

But they are, they're hard. And so is doubt in our lives.

Doubt is the enemy of the child of God.

I'm going to ask you this. What is the opposite of doubt?

Think, think about it. One word.

What it What would be the opposite of doubt?

OK, confidence. Who said that, Brother David?

Faith. That's what I'm looking for.

Faith Bible tells us the just shall live by doubt, right?

I mean, it's fine to doubt. No, it says the just shall live

by faith. Brother Matt, I'm going to give

you Romans 117. Miss Ariana, you good to read?

You good to read? Galatians, 311.

Galatians 311. Brother Johnny Hebrews, 1038.

Miss Sotol Habakkuk 24. Habakkuk 24 and I think I will

stop stop with those for now. We'll be in first Samuel 17 for

the most part. But yeah, the the opposite of

doubt is faith. And the Bible tells us the just

shall live by faith. And, and we've talked about this

many times in any kind of policy or standards or procedures in

work, shall is not an option. You will do that.

And so this is a very strong command.

The just must live by faith. Brother Matt.

Romans 117. Romans 117 For therein is the

righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is

written, that just shall live by faith.

As it is revealed the righteousness is is in that the

fact that the just are living by faith.

Miss Ariana Galatians, 311. But but that no man is justified

by the law in the sight of God, it is evident, for the just

shall live by faith. Very good brother Johnny, jump

right to to that next one. What did I give you?

Hebrews. 1038 Now that just shall live by faith.

But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in

him. That's a that's an interesting

verse and a strong verse. Bible tells us that too, that,

that in other places without faith, it's impossible to please

God. And we looked at that a few

weeks ago. But it my soul has no pleasure

in the one that's not living by faith.

Therefore, if we're living in doubt or lack of confidence or

whatever word we want to use for that, God is not pleased with

it. Miss Sotol.

Habakkuk. Behold, the soul which is lifted

up is not upright in him, but the just shall live by faith.

Just shall live by faith I got AI got a poem I want to read you

Doubt sees the obstacles Faith sees the way doubt sees the

darkest night Faith sees the day Doubt dreads to take a step

Faith soars on high doubt questions who believes faith

answers I and you know this is this is a very practical thing.

I think sometimes we think faith is kind of faith is this super

spiritual thing that only the, you know, the, the big giants,

we even call them that the giants of the faith.

That's not what faith is. Faith is a simple thing.

It's a daily decision, a a minute by minute decision.

Doubt sees the obstacles. Faith sees the way.

Doubt sees the darkest night. Faith sees the day.

Doubt dreads to take a step. How often do we see that we're

just frozen in, in fear. I don't know which way to go.

So I'm not going anywhere. And it says, but faith soars on

high doubt questions who believes and faith answers.

I and you know, we do, we do this with our kids often.

Now Emma's, Emma's 12 years old. She she has a brain.

God gave her a brain for a reason.

And you probably deal with this with your kids.

And so when they come to you with a very simple question and

very simple problem and say, I can't figure this out.

If you, you are teaching them to have that doubt, that fear, that

lack of confidence, everything when you just go do it for them.

What I do with Emma and I know probably many of you do is

figure it out. That's what that's the answer.

Go figure it out. And that's how faith is.

Doubt questions who believes I do based on God's word.

Doubt is afraid to take a step. And so we're going to we're

going to pray and then we're going to get right into this.

I'm not going to spend too much time on the story itself because

we know the story of David, but we're going to look at a few

things that we can pull from it and hopefully help us this

morning. So let's pray and we'll get

right into it. Father, I thank you for this day

you've given us. Thank you for another

opportunity we have to open your word.

God, I pray that you would meet with us this morning here in

Sunday school, but also in the morning service.

Pray that you would fill our hearts with the faith that we

need to work for you and to take steps forward for you.

God, I know there are things in our lives sometimes that

sometimes it's even sin that just freezes us in our tracks

and we're afraid to move forward for you God, I pray that we

would look at this story with David and some of the other bad

examples in this story and, and make changes in our lives to to

be living by faith as you command us to do in your word,

in Jesus name I pray, Amen. So let's look at some of the

events here in the story of David and Goliath.

And the first thing that I have is there was a commitment.

Look at First Samuel chapter 17 and verse 32.

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

There was a commitment from David, it says, and David said

to Saul, let no man's heart fail because of him.

That the, the, the giant they're facing, no, let nobody's heart

fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight

with this Philistine. David made a commitment.

And I think sometimes, you know, this is what David's brothers

definitely thought when he came to that battle.

They thought he was naive kind of misunderstanding of what's

actually going on at this battle.

You just want to see some blood and some gore.

I mean, we hear his brothers tell him that, but I think David

knew exactly what was going on here.

If you read the story and we won't take the time to do it,

but if you read the story, David is is he asked the questions

who, why are we just standing here and letting this giant,

this man, this Philistine curse our God?

And verse 26, David spake to the men that stood by him saying

what shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine and

taketh away the reproach from Israel.

For who is this uncircum Philistine, uncircumcised

Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David wasn't under any pie in the sky idea that well, I'll

just go out there and fight this 10 foot tall man.

I mean, it's almost as tall as this, as tall as this, this

building here. That's a tall, tall man.

And you know, he wasn't as as thin as I am and just 10 feet

tall. He's a big man.

And I don't think for for a second that David had zero fear

of Goliath, but I think his confidence, his faith in his God

that he would help him win the victory was more than that that

that fear. But he says thy servant will go

and fight with this Philistine. And, you know, it began with,

you know, David wasn't reluctant to step forward and face this

difficulty. We read, I read that poem, doubt

dreads to take a step. Faith soars on high.

How does faith soar? It doesn't just because I've

just decided I'm going to soar. It starts taking steps.

And the next thing you know, think about the story of David,

He, he starts running toward this Philistine.

That's faith, that's confidence that whatever God has in store

here, it's, it's about to happen because he's, he's committed.

He's running toward this Philistine.

And I think sometimes, you know, we will see maybe even our kids,

but other people in the church that really decide, you know

what I'm going to, I'm going to go forward for God and us or

some of us mature Christians, I've seen this before.

We'll see how long that lasts. Why are we do it?

Why? That's what David's brothers.

That's what even Saul was doing to David when David said, why is

this, this uncircumcised Philistine defying the armies of

the living God and nobody's doing anything about it.

They were afraid to take a step. And that's the next point.

In verse 33, we see not only commitment but cowardice.

Verse 33 of chapter 17. And Saul said to David, this is

the first thing Saul has said at this point since David has

gotten to this, to this battlefield.

The first thing you hears from Saul.

Saul said to David, thou art not able to go against this

Philistine to fight with him. Imagine if you imagine if you

went to your pastor and said, pastor, I've got this great

idea. I think in my neighborhood, what

I'm going to do is this summer, I'm going to start a Bible

study. And he said, yeah, that's not

going to work. I mean, imagine what that does

for for what you've been thinking and praying about and

planning for. Nah, that's not going to work.

That's what Saul just did to David.

Hey, I'm going to go and I'm going to kill this Philistine.

I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to fight him.

Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with

him. This cowardice, you know, and I

think I, I already kind of mentioned this, but I think how

often we, we do that we discourage our youth, you know,

parents especially, and I hope it's I hope it's not us, but you

know, if God is working in your kids hearts and they man, I

think I might be called in the mission field.

I'm not sure. Don't die.

You don't want to do that. I mean, I've literally heard

parents of kids that I grew up with when when we were young.

You don't want to waste your life doing that.

I mean, you have waste. It's not a waste.

This is this is for God. The just shall live by faith.

But David's brothers, Saul, all showing this cowardice and, and

really, you know, they were so discouraged day after day after

day, this giant comes out, mocks them, mocks their God.

And it's one of those things, you know how, how they say time

heals everything? I think sometimes time actually

prevents healing on especially on relationships and things like

that. Because if you're, if you and a

sibling are being stubborn, we're not talking.

The longer it goes on, does it get easier or harder to make

that phone call or that that meet up or whatever and say, you

know what, we need to squash this.

It gets harder. So I think as Goliath came out

the first day, you know, and then the second day and then the

third day and by day 5 or 6 or 7, now how do you now go, hey,

stop talking like that. I'm coming to fight you that I

think they just got frozen in this fear.

But then discouragement. What are we going to do?

We have no idea what we're going to do, in fact.

And you know, when this is going on, you have to remember that

Saul has already been cursed with this evil spirit.

And and you can imagine what's going through Saul's mind when

when, when Goliath is out there cursing his guy.

He's not a capable leader at this point.

He's afraid he was Bible even says that people that saw saw

Saul and Jonathan fight. They fought with the courage of

lions. I mean, these were some

warriors, but he's he's not even in his right mind.

So now he's afraid. He's got this doubt this this

discouragement and and he's acting like a coward.

David, you're not able to do it. You're not going to be able to.

And I hope you're applying this in in your own lives.

This doubt in our lives give makes us act this way toward

others that are having that are that do have strong faith and we

try to chop them down and I won't won't go into that this

morning. But you, they've done whole

studies with monkeys that you know, when, when they put two or

three of them in a in a room and when one of them tries to climb

this rope that's in the middle of the room, they, they swat

them down And eventually none of the three original monkeys are

in the room. But they've trained them that

when, when you climb that rope, swat the other one down, knock

him off that rope. He's not allowed to do that.

And they don't even know why, but they're knocking the other

one off the rope. We, we don't do that.

And I think we get like that as Christians, we get so full of

doubt that we're knocking each other down to that's, that's too

big of an idea. You let the pastor decide that

you let you let the, the deacons or whoever, you let them go do

that, that work. We don't do that, but the just

shall live by faith. There's nothing saying that the

regular old person in the in the church can't really live by this

faith that God gives them in their life.

And that leads to our next point.

David had confidence in his God. Let's see, Adeline, can you read

Romans chapter 8 and verse 31? When we get there, Romans 831,

Romans 8 · chapter mention

we're going to go to first Samuel 17 and 30, verse 34.

So here's David's confidence. And David said unto Saul, Thy

servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a

bear, and took a lamb out of the flock.

And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out

of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I

caught him by his beard and smote him, and slew him.

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear.

And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of

them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

David said, Moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw

of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me

out of the hand of this Philistine.

And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

But David had a confidence in his God.

Adeline Romans 831 If God be for us, who can be against us?

And you know, when we go out into our community to to knock

on doors or to whatever outreach we're doing, or even just, it

doesn't have to be scheduled or purposeful outreach, just

something where we're out in our community, we're out grocery

shopping or whatever. If God be for us, who can be

against us? And you know, that goes for

other things as well, depression, temptation, anxiety,

you know, and some are more prone to those things than

others. But if God be for us, these

things can't stand against us. And I, and I think if we would

get a hold of that fact, as we see in this story, Saul had not

come to grips with the fact that if God is for us, this giant

can't stand against us. But it took, as the Bible says,

a Ruddy youth to teach them God's on our side.

This, this uncircumcised Philistine doesn't have a chance

if, if God is God is on our side and if I go in the strength of

the Lord. But then we have this

confrontation, verses 40 through 48.

And we know that confrontation where David faces Goliath and

ends up killing him. And but the key here is his

faith in his God. And then finally, and we're

clipping through these because we know the story, but finally

we have the conquest. Look at verses 49 to 51 of First

Samuel 17 And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a

stone and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead,

that the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his

faith face to the earth. I don't remember the other

passage, but there's a passage that says that Golias forehead

became as water and the stone just went right in and it and he

smote him in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead

and he fell upon his face to the earth.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with

a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him.

But there was no sword in his in the hand of David.

He didn't fight with a sword. He had not proved that.

Remember he he was given that and he gives it back to Saul and

goes out with his sling. So David prevailed over the

Philistine with a sling. Oops, sorry, there was no sword

in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood

upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of

the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head

therewith. And when the Philistines saw

their champion was dead, they fled.

And I want to make one point here with David in this valley

of Elah running toward Goliath, there was only one way.

Once he got in front of that that giant.

And once he had made this claim that I'm going to feed your

carcass to the birds of the field and to the to the to the

birds of the air and the beasts of the field.

When he made that claim, there was one way to get out of this

forward. He had to go through this valley

and he went forward by faith. And we see that through this

whole chapter, how David, David was not David didn't go tell

Goliath, I've killed a lion before, I've killed a bear

before and I can kill you. He didn't tell Goliath that his

confidence was coming from that. But he tells Goliath, you've

defied God and God is going to give you into my hand.

So we finally have this conquest in in in this in this story.

But then we have something that is essential.

And we've already kind of talked about about this.

Hannah, could you read Hebrews 11/6?

I know I didn't give you time, but Hebrews Chapter 11 and verse

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

6, I already mentioned this verse, but there is something in

order to face this doubt that we must have.

And Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 6, is that on or do brother Josh

Hebrews 11:6

take it, says it's on. He must have took it down and

there's nobody back there. Thank you.

But without faith, it is impossible to please him.

And so then that says, I think sometimes we live our lives like

that. Well, I'm going to please God by

going out and knocking on doors with no faith.

I have no, no thought that, you know, we even say it sometimes.

I know it's a lot harder than it used to be.

You know, people just don't really, you know, want to talk

about their door. Where's our faith?

We're going out to serve the living and true God, the same

one that David was relying on to take this giant down.

And we even say it because it's acceptable.

Yeah. We'll see what happens when we

go out to serve him. the IT is impossible to please him without

faith. Take that in our in our more

practically in our own lives. Without faith, it is impossible

to please him. Without faith that I'm going to

wake up and I'm going to get in my Bible and I'm going to and

I'm going to ask God today to help me get me through this bout

of anxiety that I've been dealing with.

No, I'm just going to get up and I'm just going to deal with it.

And I know it's going to crush me all day long.

Without faith, it is impossible to please him.

And I'm being a little bit more practical because I think

sometimes we think this is just a spiritual thing.

It is spiritual, but it it applies to our very physical,

very practical lives, our faith that God can help us through our

daily lives. So without faith, let's see.

Let me give you some verses. Brother John, can you read

Hebrews 725 and Miss Marlisa John 637?

Did I skip somebody? OK, but I but if if if you can,

does anybody in here know how to use the the board?

Yeah, because I think the volume got shut down.

OK, that's fine. Just talk loud.

I'm doing it more for the live stream because brother knitting

watches this and everything. And he said when you do verses

they can't hear him, but just just speak loud and we should be

OK. But without faith there is no

pardon from sin. And we know that.

Ephesians 28 and 9 For by grace are ye saved through faith, and

that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of

works, lest any man should boast.

There is no pardon though, without faith.

Hebrews 725 brother John. And this is where this is where

maybe maybe we apply it a little bit more spiritually, but we

must have faith in God's power to save us.

OK. And that's what he just read.

He is able to save them to the uttermost.

He is able Hebrew. Sorry, John 637 is this is his

not only his power to save, but his promise to save those that

do come to him. Miss Marlisa.

John, 637. I will in no wise cast out.

That's a promise if you come to me, which is why, you know, we

don't just hound on Calvinism for the sake of hounding on

Calvinism. But when, when we are told all

that come to me, I will not cast them out.

That's a promise to those that come to God.

But we must come in faith, and it's a promise to save those

that come in faith to him, so that without faith there is no

pardon, but also without faith. And I have to hurry now there is

no peace. And let's see, Caitlin, can you

read John 1028? And Gray, can you read first

Peter 15? I'm going to give a few more

too, actually. Gray Romans 623, Sorry.

So John 1028, Romans 623 Brittany, are you good to read

first Peter 1/5 and then let's see, Miss Barbara, are you good

to read Second Timothy 112 and then Brother Scott Philippians

47 That one we know, but I'm going to have you read it

anyways. So without faith, there is no

peace in our lives either. And we talked about this, so I'm

not going to dwell on it too much, but pastor just did in one

of our discipleship courses, a couple lessons on eternal

security. And you know, when he, he, he

says this fairly often. I don't know how somebody can go

through their lives without Christ.

And I agree with that because not only do we have, does it

change our lives, but it gives us a peace in our lives knowing

no matter what happens, how can these martyrs go to the go to

the stake or go to the whatever torture they were going to?

How could they go there with this confidence in God and this

peace? It was because of their faith in

God. They were their souls were

eternally secure. And so we already, we already

mentioned this, but there must be a faith in God's promise to

save. Without it, there is no peace.

John, 1028. That brings a lot of peace,

knowing I'll never perish, not die, but perish and be separated

from God. I'll never perish.

There's a promise to save our soul.

Romans 623. We know this one, but go ahead,

Gray, that gift of God, a promise to save.

And then there's a we have faith which gives us peace in God's

power to keep us. And I think this takes takes

faith to to accept Christ, but then the faith that he can

actually keep us is what gives us that peace in our daily

lives. First Peter 15 and that's that's

so important. We are not kept by our good

works. You know, I think sometimes that

Lordship salvation where you know, OK, you accepted Christ,

but now you've really got to keep him Lord of your life.

We're not keeping our salvation. God is doing that.

Second Timothy, 112. Against that day, that day where

we stand before God and he says Christ kept you so you are

saved. That eternal security that gives

us peace and without faith we don't have peace.

Without that faith that he is able, as she just read, to keep

us, we don't have that peace. And then knowing that eternal,

our eternal security depends on God and not ourselves brings us

assurance which we we already have been talking about.

But Philippians 47 and the peace of God, which passes all

understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ

Jesus. Why do even Christians spend

their entire lives tossed around, not sure what they

believe, not sure because they don't, they don't have the peace

of God, which comes from a faith in God that he is keeping our

souls. It does pass all understanding

when you see a parent whose child is, is taken, you know,

through an accident or through murder or whatever else.

And they have this peace, how it passes all understanding, but

it's a, it's a peace because of the faith that they have in, in

what God promised he would do in keeping us until that day.

And then I'm going to, I'm going to have to move very quickly.

But without faith, we have no prayer life.

So remember, we're talking about what is this essential thing in

order to destroy doubt in our lives.

And it's faith. And so without faith, we have no

prayer life. Think about that.

It makes sense if you don't have faith that what you're praying

is actually going to be answer. What is the point of praying?

It takes faith. And Matthew 922 says that OFT

times it cast him into the fire. Remember this is the dad talking

to Jesus about his son. This demon cast him into the

fire and into the waters to destroy him.

But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help

us. And Jesus said unto him, if thou

canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth

and, and, and if we don't believe, what's the point of

praying? And I think that's why some of

us don't pray. We don't even we don't have

faith that it's going to be answered.

So what's the point? And practically that actually

makes sense. What is the point?

So then we are told without faith, it's impossible to please

him. So we need to have that

essential thing, faith in order to have a prayer life.

And I'll end with these couple things.

There is there is a directive here.

Then in Mark 11/22, Jesus tells, tells us, and Jesus answering

said unto them, have faith in God.

We can have faith in a lot of different things.

We can have faith in the fact that, you know, the time we've

spent in the gym will get us through certain things and it

will, but our faith is not put in ourselves.

Have faith in God and exercise that faith in God.

So if we are if we're told to have faith and Jesus himself

tells us to have faith in God, then how do we exercise that

faith? And I think it goes back to the

to the little kids song. Read your Bible, pray every day

and you'll grow, grow, grow. What's growing our faith, right?

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

And I'll leave you with just these two things because we're

out of time. How do we build our faith by

hearing the word of God. First of all, we, we read it

ourselves and hopefully y'all have made some kind of a

resolution to, to do that every day and are keeping it.

But that's how we grow in faith. We read and and study the word

of God and then we also come to church and I, I, it's simple.

It's so simple, but it's so important.

That's how we grow our faith. We attend the House of God where

the word of God is preached, and faith cometh by hearing that

word and hearing by the word of God.

And so how do we grow our faith? By hearing the word of God, By

being where the Word of God is being preached, By being where

the Word of God is being taught and read and reading it

ourselves. And so we'll end with this.

If we want to avoid defeat in the valley of doubt, we must

work to build our faith. It is through faith in the power

of God that we can achieve great victories in our lives.

And I would say it's true faith in the power of God that we

could achieve even small victories in our lives.

We have no victory without the power of God in our lives.

And I think David realized that and David took that with him

through his entire life. And we see David accomplish a

lot of things, all going back to, I know that God, that with

the power of God, I can do these things.

I've, I killed a lion, I killed a bear, I killed a Philistine.

And we see that in David's entire life.

But faith in God gives us confidence to go through that

valley, but also the power that we need to go through that

valley. And so hopefully you, you picked

up something from that this morning and apply it to our

lives. These are practical things, not

just spiritual that we can apply and, and make a big difference

in our lives. Let's pray and we'll be

finished. Father, thank you for this that

you've given us. Thank you again for the all that

we can learn from your word. Thank You that it is alive and

it's powerful. God, I just pray that for myself

and for all of us here in this room today that we would not

just take it as a head knowledge and something that we learn on

Sundays and then forget about through the week.

I pray that we would apply it to our lives so that we can have

faith and be able to please You with our lives.

Pray that you bless this next service.

Be with Pastor as he preaches. I pray you'd fill him with your

power and that you'd feed us from your word.

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

We're dismissed.