Many people are familiar with the story of David vs. Goliath. In 1 Samuel 17, we see a young man—more like a young teenager—named David take on a hulking giant in a champions battle. David ends up defeating Goliath, giving the country of Israel a military victory. This story is regularly referred to during cultural events where an underdog outperforms expectations to achieve their destiny. It is an encouraging account that provokes us to pursue our dreams, face our fears, and believe in ourselves.

However, that’s not what the story is about at all.

We culturally get this story wrong in our assignment of David’s responsibility for the victory. As we provision his victory for our challenges, we assume that David had something to do with the outcome. But David never prepared for this fight beforehand.

To be sure, David had experience confronting ferocious animals while protecting his family’s flock of sheep. Warding off bears or lions is undoubtedly intimidating, but it was never done with preparation for a wartime role in mind.

Diving into the text, David only quotes his experience as a shepherd when convincing King Saul to let him go as Israel’s champion before Goliath. David is not relying on his experience in preparation for this battle. Instead, David depends on the God of the armies of Israel (v. 45) to grant his victory. This story is not about the secular achievement of your dreams through hard work—it is instead about glorifying God’s ability to overcome any worldly obstacle for His glory. David is merely the vessel—not the subject.

This may feel semantic, but let’s go one step deeper. We have many historical records of champions dueling to settle larger military affairs. Egyptians, Greeks, Assyrians, and (here) the Philistines and Israelites let chosen champions decide the outcome of the confrontation. One army’s best warrior was elected to confront the other army’s best. Whether one-on-one or in smaller groups, these champions represented each army’s god(s), believed to be fighting and determining the battle supernaturally. The human outcome was merely an earthly extension of the heavenly conflict.

What’s striking here is that Israel’s “best” representation was represented as the “ruddy” youngest son from a family in Bethlehem. Though handsome, he was not impressive. Though skilled, he was not honored—even his own father barely recognized his importance, while his older brothers condemned him for showing up to the battle in the first place.

This story isn’t about believing in yourself—it’s about believing in God.

In verse 43, Goliath—representing his gods—curses David by them, who responds by declaring victory in the name of the Lord Almighty.  Like Elijah upon Mt. Carmel before, this is a confrontation between the fake and the real. It is also poignant that these champions are facing off in the Valley of Elah, which spans East and West between Gath—where Goliath is from—and Bethlehem—David’s hometown. This arena is squarely between the stronghold of the enemy and the barely known city destined to be the birthplace of the everlasting King.

David is the diminutive, unassuming forerunner to a later king; a king from Bethlehem who also conquers a dastardly enemy with too much bravado. Both kings faced certain death while exulting God the Father. The success of both kings saved their people from enslavement. Israeli leaders doubted both of these coming kings. Both kings were condemned by their brothers at points in their journeys. Both of these kings were considered the least within their ranks.

These kings are not set apart by good fortune, nor is it hard work and determination. Only their faithful belief and trust in God allowed David to defeat Goliath and Jesus to defeat Satan.

Similar to David, Jesus arrived in the gulf of mankind’s separation from God—a valley between secular death and the unrecognizable kingdom of God. Jesus unassumingly stood in the gap and took on a champion we could never defeat on our own. Jesus faced an enemy with a track record of victory while enduring the jeers, doubts, and taunts of his own side. His coming made no earthly sense, and yet it was our only hope. Despite His dread of the cross, he overcame death by His reverence for the God of the armies of Israel.

David does not represent us facing our fears. David represents what Jesus will do several hundred years later. We are merely the onlookers—the soldiers watching what is to become of our fate. We cannot influence the battle. We cannot win the war. We can merely pick a side and hope our side wins.

Fortunately for us, we know who wins—the King from Bethlehem.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prodigalsonline.substack.com

Ask any parent their favorite child, and they’ll likely dodge the question. Sure, each kid is different, but to rank them feels improper. Now, there are certain activities I would rather do with one of my kids over the others, but there is enough variety that each of them has a unique and special place in my heart.

As God our Father looks upon our world, we must wonder if He feels the same about us. In the United States, it’s popular to suggest that both Israel and the US are especially anointed; such beliefs heavily influence Conservative political agendas, and the recent rise of anti-semitism is entrenching those values in response. Surely, all the telltale signs point to God’s providence over these two countries, right? YHWH uniquely chose Israel; see Malachi 1:2. Israel’s stunning victory during the Six-day War was providential. Perhaps America’s “Manifest Destiny” sets us apart, too. The United States is the most prosperous country to have ever existed, and both countries are in the top 15 for GDP per capita. Both are undoubtedly blessed.

Yet, are these the best metrics by which we should measure God’s favor? There is a theology in Christianity called “Calvinism.” One of the Calvinists’ core beliefs is that salvation comes through God’s Holy providence alone, meaning that each person is destined to either accept or reject Jesus before they are ever born; God singularly picks who is saved and who is not. This doctrine is known as predestination, and you can read more about it in Ephesians 1 and Romans 8:29. Many evangelical denominations subscribe to this notion, especially Presbyterians and Southern Baptists. 

Setting aside the centuries of controversy around the doctrine, suppose we adopt it for the sake of conversation. In that case, the nations most blessed by God would not necessarily be those with the greatest worldly riches but would have the largest population of elected believers, right? Think about it: The countries with the most citizens who are called and protected (Joshua 1), who know the shepherd’s voice (John 10:27), and who can ask anything of God (John 14:13) would be exceptionally blessed, right? 

Under these auspices, Israel and the United States don’t look so great. Only 2% of Israel’s population is Christian, compared to 74% Jewish and 18% Muslim. While Israel was chosen to bring about the Savior, they have not welcomed Him. As the Apostle John says, “No one who denies the Son has the Father.” (1 John 2:23, ESV) The United States is approaching a similar end, though it has a much longer runway. According to the Pew Research Center, the US population professing Christianity has dropped 30% over the last 50 years. Pew and Gallup confirm US adults are flocking to a “non-affiliation” of spiritual beliefs, now representing a third of the country. Under the Calvinist doctrine, these trends suggest that God is removing His blessing from these countries at an accelerated rate.

I am not going to declare either the US or Israel as damned or saved; my suggestion is that using worldly gain to measure God’s favor is insufficient. While both countries have the right to chase prosperity, their success does not equate to God’s blessing. The Apostle John reminds us, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15, ESV), so we cannot use worldly prosperity to assume the Father’s joy. I’ll even go one step further and suggest that God doesn’t favor any country more than another. Instead, He favors the faithful, not flags.

Instead of thinking in worldly measures, let’s look at the question in biblical terms. In His covenant with Abraham, God declares Abraham will be the father of many nations in Genesis 17:4. God foretells that He will welcome those outside of Israel into salvation (Hosea 2:23). John’s revelation included a great multitude of the elect from every nation (Revelation 7:9). Paul declares that the blessings of God belong to those of Abraham’s faith, not just his nation (Romans 4:16).

Jesus first revealed Himself as Savior to an estranged Samaritan, who were the despised cultural antagonists of Judea (John 4). He praises the faith of a Roman “colonizer” in Luke 7. Paul was chosen by Jesus not to evangelize to his fellow Israelites but to the innumerable Gentiles (Acts 9:15).

God does not care about our nationality because many are saved across country lines. Indeed, our Great Commission is to go to the ends of the Earth (Matthew 28:19). He does not care about our bloodlines because He could create descendants of Abraham from the rocks if He desired (Luke 3:8). The nations mean nothing to God because they only plot in vain to usurp God’s authority with their own (Psalm 2:1).

So, what do we do with this realization? How does it change our politics? How does it affect our hearts toward our political or national enemies? Perhaps we should stop taking God’s providence and protection for granted. We are NOT to hold up a flag to elicit God’s favor, but we are to hold up God’s Son (John 3:14).

If I can return to Calvinism for a moment, we don’t have the bandwidth here to assess the Scripture around it, but I will mention there exists an alternate doctrine known as Arminianism. To roughly summarize, Arminians still acknowledge that faith alone provides salvation, but every person has the free will to accept Jesus or not. 

So, I ask you, which do you choose: your country or your God? Where do you put your faith: the flag or the cross? Choose Jesus. Radically love those with different political or national interests because Jesus first radically loved you. As Isaiah prophesied, “All mankind will see God’s salvation.” (Isaiah 40:5). That includes you and your enemy. 

What’s my choice? I pledge allegiance to the cross.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prodigalsonline.substack.com

Popularity is a continually enticing prize. Whether being popular in school, winning a political election, or “going viral” today, the appeal of mass appeal is baked into our Western culture. Indeed, popularity is a democratic form of society’s approval.

Yet, popularity is fickle. As social networks have grown, there is an ever-increasing pool of people or content to draw our attention. What’s trending today can be forgotten tomorrow. That is the struggle of chasing popularity—it’s never permanent and never satisfies.

The church is not immune to these desires, either. Lots of time, planning, and resources are spent on making faith seem more approachable. Whether through contemporary music, world-class A/V equipment, or the latest technical immersion, churches, and ministry organizations desire to be popular—a pressure resulting from the need to pay for large building mortgages or paid staff members.

I do not mean to insult church leaders, you, or myself for wanting to be popular. Indeed, even God is jealous for our attention and faith, as seen in Exodus and Deuteronomy. There is nothing inherently sinful in wanting to be valued or liked, so long as those desires do not overtake us in obsession. Instead, we should prepare ourselves to be unpopular bearers of Good News within our mission field, wherever that is.

Jesus sends us on a mission to evangelize the world with the news of His death and resurrection. While the news is joyous, it requires each hearer to submit in humility to receive Jesus’ gift—that is the unpopular message. We are intentionally sent to live, speak, and act differently throughout a world built on the self: self-love, self-truth, self-righteousness, self-identity. Ours is an unpopular, contrary message.

It has always been the case that God’s message is met with scorn. We see it when Moses leads the enslaved Hebrews out of Egypt. Jonah fears the unpopularity of his assignment so much, that he tries to run away from his task (before being swallowed by a large fish). We also see it as Jeremiah prophesied against Israel for its sins and proclaimed Jerusalem’s impending doom from the powerful Babylonian army.

In Jeremiah 37, we read about Jeremiah being imprisoned as a result of a false accusation stemming from his unpopularity. Why was he so unpopular? Jeremiah regularly warned the Israelites that they needed to renounce their sins, while false prophets told the king and the people self-affirming lies. Jeremiah foretold Jerusalem’s fall and was seen as a traitor despite the fact that this revelation came from God. Therefore, when an angry military sentry found Jeremiah leaving Jerusalem, this was the opportunity to frame him for desertion. The leaders seized that opportunity to beat Jeremiah and falsely imprison him. 

Does that sound like anyone else’s experience in the Bible? While foreign to Western cultures, many who have lived in cultures antagonistic to Christians know Jeremiah’s feelings. Many are experiencing it today in the global south, where Christianity is booming.

God often speaks as a loving Father who instructs His children in the way they should go, including warnings, cautions, advice, and promises of consequences. Humans do not like receiving those kinds of messages, so we rebel. Those are the messages Christians are called to share with our families, friends, and communities.

It’s a hard assignment.

Like Moses in the wilderness, Jeremiah in jail, or Jesus on the cross, our advocacy of God and His perfect ways will invite scorn and resistance. Dare I say, if we are not encountering resistance to our faith, we may not be living it visibly enough. This is not to say we are each called to condemn and judge the world—that’s not our role—but the conviction of our faith and its message of humility are counter-cultural. We cannot escape that.

No one wants to be jailed, but is imprisonment as bad as living an unmeaningful life? Jeremiah’s identity and purpose is as God’s messenger—it is not worth giving that up to avoid hardship. In the end, Jeremiah ends up fine, but others, like Jesus and His disciples, face gruesome earthly ends. 

That’s the kind of faith, however, that changes the world and alters eternity.

How much does your faith mean to you? Enough to be unpopular? Perhaps it is time we band together in our common unpopularity as one corporate church body to live our earthly purpose for the heavenly king.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prodigalsonline.substack.com

Why would God want a ruthless, egotistical, maniacal person like Nebuchadnezzar to declare His glory? Doesn't God resist the proud?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prodigalsonline.substack.com

First, if you're an existing subscriber from God @ Work,

* I’m pivoting the messages to be broader than simply work-related applications of theology. I took time away to finish Seminary—and survive the holidays—but now I’m back to a more regular schedule.

* It’s still (entirely) Christian but will look at broader topics, as directed by Scripture.

* I’m also adding audio/video options as the world moves in that direction.

* The (eventual) goal is to build an in-person community around Central Kentucky. Online-only is welcome to participate and share, but future references to in-person events will be focused on my home state.

* I would love it if you stay subscribed—the encouragement and convictions in these upcoming messages (Tues & Fri) apply to us all equally.

Let’s consider this episode a bit of a “prequel.” It will be short, only 3 minutes or so, but it is critical to set expectations for what you’ll hear from this newsletter/podcast/video series (however you choose to consume it).

prodigals.online is a digital-first Christian organization. What does that mean? We will use technology to reach people instead of purchasing or renting a building. However, our goal is to grow a community so that we can coordinate in-person events. Such events could be large barbeques at a park, coordinated evenings at a local event, or smaller house groups for deeper study. While anyone, anywhere, is welcome to subscribe or listen, the goal is a genuine Christian community in central Kentucky that loves each other in the ways Christians–nay, humans–were created in the first place.

Second, we want to be convenient and effective. These messages are quick enough for you to listen to while walking your dog or to read during a break at work. My hope is to provide a mid-week supplement to make Christian faith the center point of your life. That’s why messages will be posted multiple times during the week.

Third, we are not a church–at least not yet. Our goal is not to compete with other churches but to supplement where church communities feel stale or are non-existent. I would very much like to coordinate visiting different churches as a group to understand our denominational differences better. The world is charging hard into pluralism, so let’s ground ourselves in all the biblically-based forms of Christian worship. 

Lastly, we want to be innovative. I lament so many tithes funneling to mortgage companies and land purchases. I am exhausted from seeing so many roadside signs welcoming strangers in–we should be going out to invite them personally. From a non-believer's perspective, all our welcoming signs look the same. They are ineffective, yet churches regularly spend money on them because we are afraid to confront our antagonistic culture. We shouldn’t be provoking others to anger, but we should be boldly sharing the Truth of Christ in love. That’s why community is so critical, so we can bolster and harbor each other through the Great Commission we are called to. Considering how much time the average American spends on their device, an online-first strategy feels prudent.

Prodigals.online is not about doctrinal differences; we’re a non-profit with a board representing multiple denominations. Since I’m creating these messages, you can check out www.prodigals.online to see the list of beliefs I generally carry and what you may hear come through the messages. That said, my goal is not to convince you away from your doctrine; my goal is for all of us to live all-out for Jesus that we won’t care about the secondary or tertiary topics. Perhaps we’ll learn something from each other along the way. 

I suppose that’s a good segue to introduce myself. I’m Brad Farley. I grew up in Ohio but now live in Lexington, Kentucky. I have three young children from a previous marriage and am engaged to a lovely woman named Sara. We regularly attend a Church of God denomination church, but I periodically drum for worship services in various cross-denominational settings. I have a few degrees, but the most relevant is a Master of Art in Christian Ministry from Liberty University. 

I’m doing this because I really love Jesus and am hoping to inspire others to love Him deeply too. I won’t go into my whole testimony here, but there was a time in my life when the Holy Spirit was pressing hard on me. I could not reconcile an omnipotent, omnipresent, sacrificial God with how we casually praised and taught about Him on Sundays. My heart wanted more, and God has led me on a wild journey since. I would love to share more about it in-person sometime. 

Thanks for checking this out. Subscribe to the substack to receive new messages whenever they are posted. I hope we get to grow in Christian community together.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prodigalsonline.substack.com