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Faith Fellowship Church Louisville, Kentucky

The Trouble With Success

·33 min·3 clips
After David kills Goliath, King Saul's jealousy turns to violence as he tries to pin David to a wall with a javelin.
The episode is a sermon from Faith Fellowship Church in Louisville, Kentucky, delivered by Pastors Michael and Brenda Brunzo during a regular service. It continues a Wednesday evening study series on the life of David, specifically part four titled 'The Trouble With Success.' The pastors open with a welcome and a scriptural reference from Romans 10:17, setting a faith-based tone. They introduce the main passage, 1 Samuel 18:1-16, which recounts events after David's victory over Goliath. The sermon outlines six lessons or consequences of success derived from this passage: favor, praise, jealousy, violence, fear, and distraction. The pastors read the biblical text, which describes Jonathan's covenant with David, Saul's initial favor turning to jealousy after women praise David more highly, Saul's attempt to kill David with a javelin, and David's continued wise conduct. They provide context, noting that David's life changed dramatically after killing Goliath, moving from shepherding to palace life. The analysis highlights Jonathan's unusual support for David, who was God's chosen successor to the throne Jonathan might have inherited. It delves into Saul's jealousy, sparked by the women's song comparing David's ten thousands to Saul's thousands, and how this led to violence and fear. The pastors connect these ancient events to modern experiences, discussing how jealousy can arise in churches and lead to conflict. They reference other scriptures, such as Proverbs 27:21 on praise testing a person and Romans 12:15 on rejoicing with others. The sermon also touches on Saul's deceptive tactics, like demanding Philistine foreskins for marriage, and how David's success brought both promotion and peril. It concludes with a prayer and blessing, emphasizing the need to handle success and criticism through faith. The format is primarily expository, with the pastors explaining the biblical narrative and applying it to contemporary life, without guest interviews or panel discussions.

As heard by us

Jonathan's support for David gives this sermon its sharpest test of faithful success.

David's rise is treated here as a victory that quickly becomes spiritually costly. In Faith Fellowship Church's fourth study of his life, the focus stays on 1 Samuel 18:1-16 and the jealousy that gathers around success, even among those who might be expected to rejoice.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Bible study about success that remembers jealousy can arrive beside the applause.

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