𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣
• What is one exam, project, or task you did, even though you weren’t ready for it? What happened?
• Name a person who saw more in you than you did. Who is this person, and what did he or she say about you?
• Share about a time when you were promoted or given a new responsibility. How did your previous tasks prepare you for the new ones?


𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴; 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘣 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟴:𝟳𝟬–𝟳𝟮

In the Bible, David is known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Though he began as a shepherd at a young age, he became a biblical model of servant leadership, with a humble heart and noble character. This week, we’ll talk about how God chose David and formed him into a servant leader. We hope this will encourage us and the generations after us to submit to God’s purpose and transforming grace.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗺.
𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 . . . 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟴:𝟳𝟬

David started very small. He was the youngest of eight sons in his family, and he took care of the sheep (1 Samuel 16:11). Neither the prophet Samuel nor David’s own father expected him to be the anointed king of Israel. But God corrected them, reminding them that while “man looks on the outward appearance, the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). More than outward appeal and social popularity, God chose David because of his heart. How does the prophet Jeremiah describe our hearts (Jeremiah 17:9)? Why is it so hard to make sure one’s heart remains pure?

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.
. . . 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘣 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟴:𝟳𝟭

David started by shepherding sheep, but God’s plan for him was to shepherd people. Even before this, David was equipped with the exact tools he would need to get where God intended. God had molded David in both skills and character. Saul, who was king at the time, unknowingly took the future king into his service because David was skilled with the lyre. When David faced Goliath, he was unafraid and declared by faith, “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦” (1 Samuel 17:37). He struck down Goliath by God’s power, not his own. This was the same way he would lead God’s people as king. Have you ever looked back on your life and realized why certain things had to happen? How do you believe God is preparing you for His next task for you? How do you think God is preparing the next generations for the future tasks He has for them?

𝟯. 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀.
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟴:𝟳𝟮

Because God had chosen David and molded him, he was able to lead God’s people. Above all, David let God lead him as he led the people. The word 𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 means pure, perfect, and innocent. This does not mean that David was perfect; in fact, he sinned more than once against God. But, he always responded in humility and had a repentant heart. Being upright meant that David led God’s people with no personal agenda. Aside from looking at and molding David’s heart, God also blessed David with skillful hands. Our hearts must be teachable and humble as well. We should continue to let God lead us, even as we lead others. What is our role in raising servant leaders? How can we believe and invest in the next generation?


𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• Reflect on the times you judged others based on physical attributes or appearances. Take some time this week to ask God to see people through His eyes and to approach others without bias or favoritism, as Jesus did. Consider also how you can encourage the next generation to do this.
• Years alone as a shepherd helped mold David into a man of upright heart and skillful hands. How might God be molding you in this season? Starting today, how can your perspective change regarding your future?
• No matter how young you are, there is a next generation to whom we can encourage servant leadership. What can you start doing to believe and invest in the next generation?


𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Thank God for raising you up to prepare you for His greater purpose. Ask God to give you the skills and the right heart to do His will.
• Acknowledge that all you have and all you’ve accomplished is because of God. Thank God for all He has blessed you with—tangible and intangible.
• Believe that by God’s grace and strength, you can inspire the next generation toward servant leadership. Pray for the next generation to love God and lead others to Him.