I walk by Faith and not by Sight!
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A faith-building message on walking by faith, overcoming giants, and discovering how every step of trust activates the miraculous power of God.
Description
Walk by Faith Overview
In this powerful message from NTC Ministries, the pastor continues a series on walking by faith and not by sight, drawing from 1 Samuel 17 and Hebrews 11 to challenge believers to take bold, deliberate steps of faith in their daily lives. The sermon opens with a foundational truth: as new creations in Christ, believers are no longer bound to operate by natural instincts alone but are called to walk in the spiritual reality of who God is. Using the vivid account of David and Goliath, the pastor illustrates how David’s confidence was never rooted in personal ability but in his intimate knowledge of God, forged through smaller unseen battles against a lion and a bear while shepherding his father’s flock. That same pattern applies to every believer today. Hebrews 11 anchors the message, reminding listeners that faith is the substance of things hoped for, and that without faith it is impossible to please God. The sermon closes with a stirring call to action: show up in faith, pursue God wholeheartedly, and allow Him to show off in your life. Whether facing spiritual opposition, personal doubt, or missed opportunities, the path forward is the same — press in, keep your eyes fixed on Christ, and take the next step.
Walk by Faith Outline
- 00:00 – Opening and Series Context: The pastor introduces the continuation of the walk by faith series, explaining the heart behind pastoral preaching and the importance of being ready to receive and apply the Word of God.
- 05:30 – Faith Starts with Showing Up: Drawing from a children’s ministry illustration, the pastor establishes that faith is as simple as showing up. Just as a hunter must enter the field, believers must position themselves to receive what God has for them.
- 11:00 – James 1 and the Double-Minded Man: A look at James chapter one warns against double-mindedness. The pastor explains that a wavering believer should expect nothing from God, and calls the congregation to ask with full confidence rooted in who God is, not in personal merit.
- 17:00 – David and the Lion and the Bear: The sermon dives into 1 Samuel 17, examining how David’s earlier battles as a shepherd prepared him spiritually and practically for the confrontation with Goliath. Each small step of faith built his confidence in God.
- 25:30 – David Runs Toward Goliath: The pastor highlights the moment David ran full force at the Philistine giant, declaring that the battle belongs to the Lord. This act of radical faith is presented as a model for how believers should confront every spiritual opposition.
- 33:00 – Hebrews 11 and the Hall of Faith: The pastor walks through Hebrews 11 verses one through six, unpacking Abel, Enoch, and the elders who obtained a good testimony through diligent, effort-filled faith, emphasizing that pleasing God requires active trust.
- 39:00 – Hebrews 6 and the Promise to Abraham: Hebrews chapter six is opened to show that patient endurance in faith leads to inheriting the promises of God. The pastor connects Abraham’s story to the congregation’s daily call to bless others and trust God’s multiplication.
- 43:30 – Closing Exhortation and Prayer: The sermon concludes with 1 Corinthians 15:58 from the Passion Translation, calling believers to stand firm, serve diligently, and trust that their labor in the Lord is never in vain. A corporate prayer of rededication follows.
Scripture References
James 1:6-8, 1 Samuel 17:32-51, Psalm 1:1-3, Hebrews 11:1-6, Hebrews 6:9-15, 1 Corinthians 15:58
Key Takeaways
- Faith is not passive — it begins with the deliberate act of showing up and positioning yourself to receive what God has promised.
- David’s confidence before Goliath was not in his own skill but in his personal history with God, built through smaller unseen battles as a shepherd.
- A double-minded believer who wavers between trust and doubt should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, according to James chapter one.
- Without faith it is impossible to please God, and every believer has been given a measure of faith to grow and exercise daily.
- When God’s people take steps of faith, the enemy flees — just as the Philistine army scattered the moment Goliath fell.
- God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and no act of faithful service goes unnoticed or unrewarded in His sight.
- Standing firm, serving consistently, and keeping your eyes fixed on Christ rather than on your problems is the lifestyle of a believer who walks by faith and not by sight.
Walk by Faith Notes
Faith as a New Creation in Christ
The pastor grounds the entire message in 2 Corinthians 5, reminding listeners that accepting Jesus Christ as Lord means becoming a brand new creation. Old patterns of thinking, old ways of reacting to the world, and old dependencies on natural instincts must give way to a new spiritual identity. Walking by faith is not a religious exercise but the natural expression of who a believer now is in Christ. This identity shift is the foundation upon which every other point in the sermon is built, and it answers the question of why Christians are called to a higher standard of living than the world around them.
Shepherd Fields That Built a Giant Killer
One of the most compelling illustrations in this sermon is the backstory of David’s formation as a man of faith. Long before the valley of Elah, David fought a lion and a bear to protect his father’s sheep. These were not publicized victories. No one cheered him on. Yet each confrontation deepened his confidence in God’s faithfulness. The pastor draws a direct line between those private battles and David’s public courage. Believers who want to stand boldly in great trials must first be faithful in the smaller, invisible moments where God is building their spiritual history and track record with Him.
Eyes Fixed on God, Not the Giant
The armies of Israel failed not because they lacked training or weapons but because their focus shifted entirely onto the size of the problem. The pastor contrasts this with David, whose gaze remained fixed on the living God whom Goliath had dared to defy. This same principle applies to modern believers facing financial pressure, health crises, or relational conflict. When attention is consumed by the magnitude of the obstacle, faith shrinks. When attention is anchored to the unchanging character and power of God, every obstacle becomes the backdrop against which God’s glory is displayed.
Effort Is Required to Obtain the Promise
Drawing from the word obtained in Hebrews 11 verse two, the pastor unpacks its dictionary meaning: to gain or attain by planned action or effort. This is not a passive receiving but an active pursuit. Abel offered a sacrifice with intentionality. Enoch walked with God consistently. Abraham endured patiently. None of them stumbled into their testimonies. The pastor applies this directly to the congregation, urging believers to move beyond simply hearing the Word and begin doing it with diligence, pressing into God’s presence and acting on every opportunity He provides.
God Rewards Those Who Diligently Seek Him
Hebrews 11 verse six provides one of the sermon’s anchor promises: God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The pastor emphasizes that this is not performance-based favor but relational pursuit. God sees every quiet step of faith, every prayer prayed in obscurity, every act of service done without recognition. Just as David was overlooked by his brothers but noticed by God and ultimately crowned king, believers who remain faithful in seasons of invisibility will find that God’s reward system is both unfailing and generous. The call is to seek Him first and trust the multiplication to follow.
Stand Firm and Labor with Confidence
The sermon closes with 1 Corinthians 15:58 from the Passion Translation, a verse that ties every thread together. Believers are called to be stable, enduring, and unshakable in their confidence, knowing that every act of service done in union with Christ produces fruit that lasts. The pastor’s closing prayer declares freedom from demonic distraction and releases the congregation to go out as the church, taking steps of faith every single day. The final exhortation is simple and memorable: we show up, God shows off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to walk by faith and not by sight?
Walking by faith means making decisions and taking action based on the promises and character of God rather than on visible circumstances. Second Corinthians 5:7 captures this call, and the sermon illustrates it through David’s willingness to confront Goliath not because the odds favored him but because he knew the living God stood with him. It is a daily, active choice to trust what God has said over what the natural world presents.
How can I grow my faith according to the Bible?
Romans 10:17 teaches that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and Hebrews 11 shows that faith grows through consistent, deliberate action. This sermon emphasizes that faith is strengthened every time a believer takes a step of obedience, whether that means showing up to worship, praying for a stranger, or standing on a promise when circumstances look impossible. Small, faithful acts compound over time into deep spiritual confidence.
What is the significance of David and Goliath for believers today?
David’s victory over Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 is more than a historical account — it is a pattern for faith-filled living. David’s courage was not self-generated but rooted in a track record of God’s faithfulness built through previous private battles. Today’s believers face their own giants in the form of fear, doubt, sickness, and opposition, and the same principle applies: fix your eyes on who God is, declare His word, and run toward the challenge rather than retreating from it.
What does Hebrews 11 teach about faith?
Hebrews 11, often called the hall of fame of faith, teaches that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It demonstrates through figures like Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham that God rewards those who diligently seek Him and who act on His word even when circumstances offer no visible confirmation. The chapter makes clear that without faith it is impossible to please God, making active, trusting belief central to the Christian life.
Why is double-mindedness spiritually dangerous?
James 1:6-8 warns that a person who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, and that such a person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Double-mindedness creates instability in every area of life because it reflects an underlying uncertainty about God’s character and faithfulness. The sermon calls believers to cultivate single-minded confidence in God’s ability, which frees them to act boldly without being paralyzed by circumstances.
How does showing up connect to faith?
The sermon teaches that faith often begins with the simple act of showing up — coming to worship, taking an opportunity to pray for someone, or stepping into a new area of service. Just as a hunter who never enters the field will catch nothing, a believer who never positions themselves in obedience will rarely see the miraculous power of God at work. Showing up is the first step that activates everything God has already prepared.
What does it mean that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him?
Hebrews 11:6 declares that God rewards those who diligently seek Him, meaning that faithful pursuit of God never goes unnoticed or uncompensated. This is not about earning salvation but about the relational dynamic in which God honors sincere, persistent faith with His presence, provision, and the fulfillment of His promises. The sermon connects this to Abraham’s story in Hebrews 6, showing that patient endurance in seeking God leads to obtaining the very promises He has sworn to fulfill.
How did David’s private battles prepare him for Goliath?
Before facing Goliath, David had already killed both a lion and a bear while protecting his father’s sheep. These encounters were not witnessed by armies or celebrated publicly, but they forged a deep personal confidence in God’s power to deliver. When Goliath appeared, David could point to a concrete history with God and declare that the same God who delivered him from the paw of the lion would deliver him from the hand of the Philistine, as recorded in 1 Samuel 17:37.
