STORIES YOU SHOULD KNOW | JULY 27, 2025

God Uses the Unlikely – Chip Henderson

Sermon Highlights

Key Passage: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

God loves to take the highly unlikely and use them as part of His plan. In 1 Samuel 16, God sends Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel. One by one, Jesse’s older sons are passed over. The one God had chosen was out in the field tending sheep, completely overlooked. God tells Samuel, “The LORD looks at the heart.” David didn’t look the part, but he had a heart God could use.

4 Qualities God Looks for in a Person He Chooses to Use:

  1. God is looking for a person with a godly heart. David wasn’t chosen for his looks or his stature. God looked at his heart, a heart that was humble, repentant, and willing to follow. To be a person after God’s heart is not about perfection; it’s about direction.
  2. God is looking for a person who finds their identity in Him. David didn’t let rejection or criticism define him. He listened to what God said about him and stood firm in that truth. You don’t have to live FOR an identity. You live FROM your identity in Christ.
  3. God is looking for a person who is faithful in little things. Long before he became king, David was tending sheep. In obscurity, he learned to lead, protect, obey, and worship. Faithfulness in small things is how God prepares you for greater things.
  4. God is looking for a person who gets their strength from the Holy Spirit. What made David useful was his dependence on the Holy Spirit’s presence in his life. As a Christ-follower, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, wants to fill you, and will lead and empower you.

God still works this way today. Don’t count yourself out because of your past, your position, or your limitations. Chase after God’s heart. Stand in the identity He’s given you. Be faithful where you are. And daily depend on the Holy Spirit’s power. In God’s hands, the unlikely become world changers.

INTRO

Icebreaker

What’s your favorite underdog story from a movie, book, or real life, and why does it stick with you?

Transition to Discussion

It’s easy to cheer for underdogs in stories, but sometimes it’s harder to believe God might use us in real life. Today’s passage shows how God sees what others don’t and often works through the people no one expects. Let’s look at David’s story and talk about what it means for us.

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Read or review 1 Samuel 16:1-13 together.

Can you think of someone in your life who seemed unlikely to be used by God but was? What impact did they have on you or others?

David was the youngest, overlooked even by his own family. Why do you think God chose him? What details in this story stand out to you or challenge your assumptions about who God uses?

In 1 Samuel 16:7, God says He looks at the heart, not the outward appearance. Where do you notice yourself spending more time or energy—on how you look to others, or who you are before God? What do you think that reveals about your priorities?

Scripture describes your heart as the source of your thoughts, emotions, will, and awareness of God. How would you honestly describe the state of your heart right now? (See Matthew 12:34; Proverbs 4:23)

Have there been voices, past or present, that have made you feel disqualified, unseen, or “not enough”? How have those voices shaped how you see yourself?

Colossians 3:12 says you are chosen, holy, and dearly loved by God. What would change if you believed that was true of you? What would stay the same?

David was faithfully tending sheep when God called him. What’s something small, hidden, or behind-the-scenes that you’re doing right now that might matter more than it seems? (See Colossians 3:23–24; Proverbs 22:29)

What does it look like in your day-to-day life to be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, not just in big moments, but in the small ones too? (See Romans 8:14; Ephesians 3:20)

NEXT STEP & PRAYER

As we wrap up, I want to give us a chance to slow down and really reflect, not just on what we’ve discussed, but on what God might want to say to each of us personally.

Take a moment to grab a journal or open your notes app on your phone. At the top, write these 3 questions:

  • God, when You look at my heart, what do You see?
  • What are You pleased with?
  • What needs to change?

I also want to give you two verses to look up on your own: Psalm 139:23-24 and Proverbs 4:23

Once you’ve read, just spend the next few minutes silently asking God to speak. Listen. Reflect. If He brings something to mind, write it down. If it’s encouragement, receive it. If it’s a conviction, respond with honesty. He already knows your heart. He just wants you to see it, too.

We’ll stay quiet for about 5 minutes, and then I’ll close us in prayer.