We’re kicking off a 6-week series on one of the most recognizable figures in the Bible—David. But before we meet the shepherd who became king, we have to meet the man who came before him: Saul, Israel’s first king. Saul looked like a king on the outside, but his heart drifted from God on the inside. His story reminds us that it’s possible to look the part but lack the power.

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We’re kicking off a 6-week series on one of the most recognizable figures in the Bible—David. But before we meet the shepherd who became king, we have to meet the man who came before him: Saul, Israel’s first king. Saul looked like a king on the outside, but his heart drifted from God on the inside. His story reminds us that it’s possible to look the part but lack the power.

Israel wanted a king “like the nations.” God warned them it would bring problems, but they insisted. Saul looked the part—“a head taller than anyone else”—but he didn’t have the heart. 1 Samuel 13:14 (NLT) says, “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.” Sadly, that man wasn’t Saul.

Today we’ll contrast Saul’s heart and David’s heart to see what it takes to have a heart after God. Saul’s downfall exposes three spiritual drift patterns we all face: fear, expedience, and pride.

1. A heart after God moves from fear to trust.

When God doesn’t show up when or how we expect, will we still wait?

Saul couldn’t. Surrounded by enemies and losing soldiers, he panicked and offered a sacrifice himself instead of waiting for Samuel.

1 Samuel 13:12 (NLT) – “So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

Fear always tries to justify disobedience. Saul’s math was simple: scattering soldiers + late prophet + looming enemy = act now, ask later.

Samuel’s response cut deep: “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you… The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:13–14)

Every sin begins as a failure to trust. Faith waits when fear wants to rush. Trust trades the best I can do for the best God can do.

2. A heart after God moves from expedience to obedience.

Expedience means taking the convenient shortcut even if it’s not right. Saul did this when God told him to destroy everything from the Amalekites—but he spared what “appealed to them.”

1 Samuel 15:9 (NLT) – “They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.”

Saul tried to spin his compromise as worship: “My troops brought in the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 15:21)

But Samuel said it plainly:

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) – “Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

God’s commands aren’t arbitrary; they’re descriptions of reality. Break them, and you break yourself. Saul had titles but no truth-tellers. He was surrounded by people who agreed, not people who corrected. You can only be as accountable as you make yourself. Integrity means doing what’s right even when no one’s watching.

3. A heart after God moves from reputation to repentance.

Saul confessed, but even his repentance was about saving face.

1 Samuel 15:30 (NLT) – “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people.”

Even after rejection, Saul cared more about appearance than obedience. His pride valued reputation over repentance.

True repentance isn’t saying “I was wrong, but…” It’s humbling ourselves before God without excuses. Like a band leader who turns his back to the audience, we must learn to lead our hearts by listening to one voice—God’s.

The Man of the Moment: God’s Heart in David

1 Samuel 16:1 (NLT) – “Fill your horn with oil… I have provided for myself a king.”

God rejected Saul and raised up David. Saul had been anointed from a man-made flask; David was anointed from a God-made horn. The difference was divine. “The Lord was with David, but had departed from Saul.” (1 Samuel 18:12)

And centuries later, Jesus says in Revelation 22:16 (NLT), “I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne.”

Jesus didn’t just come from David’s line—He was the source of David’s heart. The same grace that anointed David flows from Christ to us.

Saul represents human effort—trying to please God by our own strength. David represents grace—trusting the power of God’s Spirit.

Every good thing that qualified David before God was rooted in Jesus.

When we fail, Jesus offers forgiveness, transformation, and power. He alone gives us a heart after God.