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Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. 1 Sam 17:8-11

Hands down, no second thoughts, it has my vote for an Academy Award. It is probably the best movie I have ever seen and the story behind its production is incredible. I am going to see it again….. and again. It is a first class production, good cinematography, good sound, fine acting and a compelling presentation of the Gospel.

The movie is an action-packed, family-friendly drama about a high school football coach who draws up a new game plan for his team … and himself.

In his six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never had a winning season. Even the hope of a new season is squelched when the best player on his Shiloh Eagles decides to transfer schools. After losing their first three games of the season, the coach discovers a group of fathers are plotting to have him fired. Combined with pressures at home, Coach Taylor has lost hope in his battle against fear and failure.

However, an unexpected challenge helps him find a purpose bigger than just victories. Daring to trust God to do the impossible, Coach Taylor and the Eagles discover how faith plays out on the field … and off.

The basic theme of the movie is that with God, all things are possible, including a local church producing a major motion picture on a shoestring budget. Overt Christian messages are woven throughout “Facing the Giants,” which isn’t surprising since the film was co-written and co-produced by brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who are the “associate pastors of media” at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga.

A losing season turns around when a football team learns that their purpose is not to win football games, but to glorify God. It is a reminder that a revival can begin with one person and the positive message of Christ. It is a reminder that the major cause of defeat in all areas of life is discouragement.

God created us to be overcomers and the greatest enemy we often have is ourselves. Through God, all things are possible for those who believe in Him. We all have giants in our life, but the positive message of the Bible tells us that we can overcome the giants in our life and it begins when we determine that the purpose of our life is to glorify God.

Think about the giants in your life. Either you have faced a giant or are facing a giant or will face a giant, or a combination of all of the above. When David focused on God, giants tumbled. But when David focused on giants…he stumbled.

Goliaths still roam in our world. debt. disaster. dialysis. divorce. deceit. disease. depression. These super-sized challenges swagger and strut into our lives, pilfering our sleep, embezzling our peace and robbing us of our joy. And while these giants try to dominate our lives, we know what to do! We’ve learned what David learned, and we do what David did. We become God focused. We pick up five stones. We make five decisions. And we take a swing.

Questions: Are you facing a giant now? What is it? Have you faced a giant recently and triumphed? Let us know your story in the comments.

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalformen/authors/john_grant/