Midway Christian Church sermon for August 24, 2025

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY 

Worship Series: “Five Smooth Stones: Building a Relationship with God”

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17: 38-40

This passage is just a small bit of David’s story. It tells of David’s interactions and conversations immediately before he is to meet Goliath. Although David tried to put on armor to fight Goliath, it didn’t work. The need for unbendable hard metal to protect him was not who David was just as the hard and harsh ways of the world are not God’s ways. Instead, David chose five smooth stones to defeat the giant. He “was able to bring down Goliath not with sword and shield but with faith grounded in lived experience of God’s care and love”. And in doing so, he changed the world.

Part 4 - Obedience: Only Kindness Matters

1 John 5: 1-5

In our text, when the author of First John references obedience, he is not talking about coercive power. He is defining obedience through our experience of and with God’s love. He knows that “when we love one another as God’s commandments and Jesus’ teachings call us to do, we realize that it is no longer about us as individuals. Rather it is about us as community.” John is reminding us that obedience to God’s commandments, obedience to Jesus’ teaching always comes down to one question: In any situation, what is the loving thing to do?”

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