Introduction

Good morning, dear friends. It's a blessing to be here with you today. We gather in love, in faith, in hope. We gather to share the word of God. To listen. To learn. To grow.

Our Scripture today comes from the book of Numbers. Chapter 13, verse 33. It reads, "We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

This is a verse that speaks to perception. To fear. To self-doubt. But it also speaks to promise. To faith. To God's unwavering love and power.

G.K. Chesterton once said, "The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." This is a call to courage. A call to stand firm in our faith, not because of the giants we face, but because of the God who stands behind us.

In life, we face many giants. Problems that loom large. Fears that feel insurmountable. Situations that make us feel small. Like grasshoppers. But we are not grasshoppers, my friends.

Rejecting a Grasshopper Mentality

In the scripture we read, the Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to the giants they faced. This mentality, this self-perception, was a significant obstacle in their path. It's a mindset that we, too, often adopt when we're confronted with challenges that seem insurmountable. We see ourselves as small, insignificant, powerless. But this is not how God sees us.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, He sees us as His children, as individuals of great worth and potential. He has equipped us with everything we need to overcome the giants in our lives. But to do so, we must first reject the grasshopper mentality. We must stop seeing ourselves as small and start seeing ourselves as God sees us.

The first aspect to consider is the power of perception. Perception shapes reality. If we perceive ourselves as small and insignificant, that's how we'll behave. We'll be intimidated by the giants we face. We'll feel overwhelmed, defeated before we even begin. But if we perceive ourselves as God perceives us - as capable, as valuable, as more than conquerors - we'll act accordingly. We'll face our giants with courage, with determination, with faith.

The second aspect is the importance of faith. Faith is not just about believing in God. It's about believing in what God believes about us. It's about trusting in His promises, in His power, in His love. It's about stepping out in faith, even when the giants seem too big, the problems too complex, the fears too deep. Faith is the antidote to the grasshopper mentality.

The third aspect is the role of courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. It's the decision to act in spite of fear. It's the determination to face our giants, to fight our battles, to overcome our challenges. Courage is what enables us to reject the grasshopper mentality, to rise above our fears, to claim the victory that God has promised us.

The fourth aspect is the power of God's love. God's love for us is unconditional, unchanging, unfailing. It's a love that sees beyond our flaws, our failures, our fears. It's a love that believes in us, that empowers us, that lifts us up. It's a love that reminds us of our worth, our potential, our purpose. It's a love that helps us reject the grasshopper mentality, to see ourselves as God sees us - as His beloved children, as conquerors, as overcomers.

In the face of our giants, we must remember who we are and whose we are. We are not grasshoppers. We are children of God. We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. But to do so, we must reject the grasshopper mentality. We must see ourselves as God sees us. We must believe in what God believes about us. We must trust in His promises, in His power, in His love. We must step out in faith, act with courage, and embrace the power of His love. Only then can we truly overcome our giants. Only then can we truly live the abundant life that God has promised us.

Focusing on the Promise Not the Problem

As we turn our gaze from the grasshopper to the promise, we find ourselves in a place of divine assurance ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO