Failing, Not Failure (ft. Gerald Griffin) | The Story of Israel E2
Feb 17, 2025
auto_awesome
Gerald Griffin, pastor of Bridgetown Church and coaching coordinator at Practicing the Way, dives deep into the lessons from King Saul's life. He discusses how failures can serve as transformative opportunities, emphasizing the importance of identity rooted in faith. Gerald challenges listeners to view failure not as an endpoint but as a stepping stone toward growth and redemption. He shares his personal journey of finding value beyond accomplishments and encourages self-discovery through connection with God.
Saul's story illustrates the dangers of prioritizing societal approval over obedience to God, leading to disastrous consequences in leadership.
The podcast emphasizes that personal failures should be viewed as transformative opportunities, encouraging a return to one's true identity in God.
Deep dives
The Story of King Saul
The narrative of King Saul illustrates the flawed nature of leadership and the human tendency to seek approval from others over obedience to God. Initially presented as the ideal king—handsome and from a notable family—Saul's story begins with the Israelites' desire for a human king, rejecting God as their sovereign. The irony lies in Saul’s anointment; his name signifies 'the one asked for,' reflecting the people's choice rather than divine appointment. However, his story quickly reveals that despite an auspicious start filled with divine favor, his flaws would lead to a tragic downfall, highlighting the complexity of biblical characters who often represent our own life struggles.
Saul's Disobedience and Leadership Failures
Saul's first major failure as a leader comes after a pivotal battle, where he was instructed to wait for the prophet Samuel to offer sacrifices to God. When faced with the impending threat of the Philistines, Saul loses patience and performs the sacrifice himself, directly disobeying God's command. Samuel's arrival at the moment of Saul's sacrifice underscores the grave consequences of his actions, as he is informed that his kingdom will not endure due to his disregard for God's directives. This incident marks a significant shift in Saul's leadership trajectory, revealing a pattern of disobedience and the refusal to accept responsibility for his mistakes, which would ultimately lead to his rejection by God.
The Consequence of Fear and Blame-Shifting
Saul's leadership continues to falter as he confronts yet another directive from God, this time to completely annihilate the Amalekites. Instead of following through with the order, Saul spares the Amalekite king and the best livestock, ultimately prioritizing the desire of his men over God’s commandments. When confronted by Samuel, Saul resorts to blame-shifting, first insisting that he obeyed, then attributing the disobedience to the soldiers. This behavior illustrates a failure to accept God's sovereignty, illustrating the dangerous cycle of letting fear dictate actions and values, thus leading to a deeper estrangement from his divine purpose.
Identity Crisis and True Value
Ultimately, Saul's story reveals profound insights about identity and leadership, particularly how external pressures can distort one’s self-perception and purpose. Saul's fear of his men leads him to compromise his authority and God-given identity, allowing others to define him rather than standing firm in his divine calling. This notion resonates deeply in the context of modern struggles, where the challenge often lies in rejecting false identities placed upon us by society. The narrative calls for reflection on personal failures as opportunities for growth, urging a shift from self-doubt and blame towards embracing one’s true identity rooted in God’s acceptance and calling.
What should we do when we fail? Gerald Griffin, pastor of Bridgetown Church, looks at the story of King Saul. Through this story, Gerald encourages us to remain rooted in our God-given identities, and to turn toward God for transformation when we fall short.
Key Scripture Passages: 1 Samuel 9-15
This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Kyle from Renton, Washington; Bryson from Atlanta, Georgia; Erin from Midland, Texas; Jac from Cardiff, Wales; and Hudson from Nashville, Tennessee. Thank you all so much!
If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode