About “Giant Killers Are Learners”; (Final)

As long as I live I will remember the words that Dr. W. O. Voight said to me. You see this man never met me personally and we only talked on the phone a few times, but they changed my outlook on ministry. Therefore, what I’m going to share with you today could be life changing. It was for me. These words helped me kill several of my giants.

I was a rookie pastor, listening and learning from cassette tapes (that’s called pod cast today). Dr. Voight was pastor of a large church in Little Rock,Arkansas and Vice President of the SBC. The church God had called me to at the time was maybe 60 folks strong. I decided to just call this great man of God, like I could get him on the phone, since I listened to him on tape daily. I was naïve, but his secretary put me through to him. We talked for a few minutes on the major problems of pastoring a group of 60 folks. He was running 2,000 and the President of the United States was in his church. (I soo laugh about my naïveness back then.)

After a few months, quite a few calls later, I don’t know if it was the last time we talked or not, but it was then he gave me valuable advice. He asked me, “Mike, are you ever going to be great?”

I knew I wasn’t great, and quickly I thought, ‘now this is a smart man. He knows me and my heart said I should tell him the truth,’ so I said, “No Sir.” He quickly said, “Me either, but let us hang around great people and pray it rubs off!”

I have gone over that conversation a million times at least. My idea of a great person has changed a few times over these years but I am quick to say my God has put many in my life and most have come alongside me when giants came calling.

I need to talk, for the last time about how to expel giants in your life. Last time we had discussed the first three. See “been Thinkin about shingles.”

4. Speak against your giant. Briefly, that is a biblical principle out of Romans 10:8 that is like telling your oldest big brother about a bully. You quit sucking your thumb and thinkin ugly thoughts about your giant. Don’t speak against what caused it. Speak against the giant.

In 1 Samuel 17, It is clear that David comes after the giant like a chihuahua dog. Wow! Speaking against him.

5. Remember the proper Motivation. There is only one motivation for expelling giants, check out vs.47. The world needs to know that God is in charge and God is handling giants in your life.

You may have thought this whole thing was about “the bigger they are the harder they fall,” or how much faith David had. No Way! It was to show Israel that only God could save them.

6. Resist with Quick determination. The very next sentence says David ran toward the giant. That totally caught the giant by surprise. Because the last thing that our giant thinks about is you with all your weaknesses are going to run at it.

Because the world only sees us for who we are, they don’t see God for who He is. Ole David introduced them to Him.

7. Stay, in order to make sure of total annihilation. David did not quit until he had insurance against the giant coming back. He cut off the head of the giant.

You see many of you are fighting giants today that you have fought before. You got close and then got too busy celebrating. You never really got right with God, you got the giant out of sight but not rid of it. To expel, you must get honest with God.

Thank you great folks who are known by me. You have and are, those witness that are/have cheered me on with prayers and encouragement. Way too many to name but from time to time I will attempt to. You are definitely giant killers, so much so that like a western gun slinger, other giants show up to see if you can still do it. You Rock, literally.t