Facing the Giants with Faith

Giants that Stand in the Way of the Promise

Series Introduction (use each week)

Every one of us faces giants — enemies that seem too big, too loud, too impossible to overcome. But giants aren’t just physical; they’re spiritual, emotional, and mental. That’s why this series is called “Mind Your Giants.” Because before giants fall in the field, they must first fall in our thinking.

In Scripture we see three kinds of giants:

Giants that stand in the way of the Promise — like the ones Joshua and Caleb faced in Canaan.

Giants that stand in the way of the Person God is shaping us to become — the battles in our own minds.

Giants that stand in the way of Promotion — like Goliath, whose defeat launched David into his destiny.

Three different giants. Three different battlefields. But the same God who conquered then is still conquering now.

Scripture Reading

Numbers 13:30–33 (NLT): But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” [31] But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” [32] So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. [33] We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Introduction

When Israel stood at the border of the Promised Land, the people could see the beauty of God’s promise — but they also saw the size of the giants.

The promise was real. The land was theirs. God had already spoken. But instead of trusting His Word, they trusted their fears. Instead of magnifying God’s power, they magnified the enemy’s size.

This is what giants do: they try to block your view of God’s promises. They stand between what God has declared and what you are willing to believe.

Joshua and Caleb looked at the same giants as everyone else — but their faith gave them a different perspective. They said, “We can certainly conquer it!”

The giant that stands in your way today may not carry a sword, but it may still be standing between you and what God has promised: peace, joy, provision, calling. Giants still rise up — but so does our God.

Point 1: God’s Promise is Greater than the Problem

Explanation:

The land was already promised (Numbers 13:2). The giants didn’t cancel the covenant. But the people allowed the problem to overshadow the promise.

Application:

What God has spoken over your life is greater than what stands against your life. But if you magnify the problem, you’ll minimize the promise.

Illustration:

It’s like trying to look at the stars through a telescope that’s focused on a speck of dust. The promise is still there — you just can’t see it because the problem is in focus.

Accountability Question:

If God asked you, “Why are you staring at the problem when I’ve already given you the promise?” — what would your answer be?

Transition: But it’s not just about knowing the promise. It’s about how you see the problem. That’s where perspective comes in.

Point 2: Your Perspective Determines Your Response

Explanation:

The ten spies said, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Num. 13:33). Their misperception determined their response: retreat instead of advance.

Joshua and Caleb saw the same giants, but with a different perspective. They said, “We can certainly conquer it!”

Application:

Perspective is powerful. If you see yourself as defeated, you will live defeated. If you see God as greater, you will live in victory.

Illustration:

It’s like two people looking at a glass of water. One says it’s half empty. The other says it’s half full. The reality is the same; the perspective changes everything.

Accountability Question:

If God measured your perspective this week, would He find you looking through the lens of fear — or through the lens of faith?

Transition: But perspective isn’t just about sight. It’s about strength — where your strength comes from and how you sustain it.

Point 3: Faith Sees Giants as Bread, Not Barriers

Explanation:

In Numbers 14:9, Joshua and Caleb said, “Do not rebel against the Lord. And don’t be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us.”

To Joshua and Caleb, the giants weren’t barriers. They were bread — nourishment for their faith, fuel for their trust.

Application:

Faith doesn’t just endure the fight — it feeds on it. Giants are opportunities for God to show His power. The bigger the obstacle, the greater the glory.

Illustration:

It’s like resistance training. The weight you push against doesn’t stop you — it strengthens you. What feels like opposition becomes the very thing that builds endurance.

Accountability Question:

If God asked, “Are you letting the giant block you, or are you letting the giant build you?” — what would you say?

Transition: When you see the promise as greater than the problem, and your perspective aligns with faith, then you can face giants as bread — and walk into the land God has already given.

Conclusion

The first giant Israel faced wasn’t in the land — it was in their minds. They believed the wrong report. And because of that, they wandered instead of walking into the promise.

But Joshua and Caleb teach us this: you can’t control the size of the giant, but you can control the size of your faith. When God has promised, no giant can prevent it — unless you let fear stop you from stepping forward.

Object Lesson Props

Telescope/binoculars – show how focusing on the wrong thing distorts perspective.

Loaf of bread – symbol of “giants as bread” for strengthening faith.

Map of the Promised Land – visual reminder of promise already given.

Pep Rally Closing (≈4 minutes)

So rise up, church! Don’t let giants block your promises! When God says the land is yours, step into it. When the enemy whispers, “You’re too small,” shout back, “My God is bigger!”

Giants may look strong, but the strength of the Lord is stronger. Giants may sound loud, but the voice of God speaks louder. Giants may try to stop you, but faith says, “We can certainly conquer it!”

Joshua and Caleb stood before the people and said, “The Lord is with us; do not be afraid of them” (Num. 14:9). That’s the cry of faith! The giants may be tall, but they are already toppled. They may be fortified, but their protection has departed. Faith doesn’t deny the fight; it declares the outcome.

So don’t settle for wandering when God has called you to winning. Don’t settle for delay when God has destined you for deliverance. The wilderness may feel safe, but the wilderness is not your home. Your home is the promise. Your inheritance is the land. Your destiny is on the other side of the giant.

Lift up your eyes, lift up your faith, lift up your shout — because the same God who split the Red Sea is the same God who will flatten the walls of Jericho. The same God who brought manna from heaven is the same God who will give you milk and honey. The same God who gave courage to Joshua and Caleb is the same God who is giving you courage today!

Church, hear me: the giants may stand in front of you, but your God stands above you. The giants may threaten you, but your God has already promised you. And His promises are “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ Jesus.

So march forward, child of God. Take the step. Claim the ground. Hold to His Word. Because when you face your giants with faith, you don’t just inherit the promise — you inspire others to believe again.

The giants will fall. The promise will stand. The victory will be yours!