Rooted || King David || November 2, 2025

What if the king we need isn't the king we expect? This powerful exploration of King David's story challenges us to reconsider our understanding of leadership, authority, and God's purposes. We journey from the shepherd fields of Bethlehem to the throne of Israel, discovering that God's metrics are radically different from ours. While we fixate on appearance, wealth, talent, and status, God searches for something deeper—the heart. David, the youngest son left tending sheep while his brothers feasted with the prophet, became God's chosen king not despite his humble position but because of the character it shaped in him. His experience protecting sheep from lions and bears prepared him to shepherd an entire nation. This narrative beautifully foreshadows Jesus, our ultimate Shepherd King, who didn't come on a warlord's horse but on a humble donkey. The Jews of Jesus' day wanted a political messiah to overthrow Roman occupation; instead, God sent a spiritual messiah to conquer hearts and defeat sin. We're reminded that Jesus reigns not through earthly power but from the cross, building not a territorial kingdom but the kingdom of heaven—a realm without borders where all are welcome. The promise God made to David wasn't just about an earthly dynasty; it pointed toward an eternal throne that Jesus occupies today. As we wrestle with our own expectations of how God should work, this message invites us to trust that God sends exactly what we need, even when it looks nothing like what we wanted.