Slay Your Goliaths: Self | John F. Hannah | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Slay Your Goliaths: Self

New Life Covenant Church Southeast • Jun 8, 2025 • 75 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

On Pentecost Sunday, Pastor John F. Hannah teaches that stepping into God's promised power and divine breakthrough requires believers to first confront and slay the personal Goliaths within self. Drawing from Matthew 16 and Acts 1–2, the message highlights that before entering chapter two's release of power, believers must close chapter one by surrendering bad attitudes, self-will, insecurity, inconsistency, and independence. By surrendering to God's divine order and remaining faithful through testing, believers position themselves to receive God's handpicked elevation and full promise.

Themes

Self-Denial and SurrenderDivine Timing and AlignmentOvercoming InsecurityFaithfulness and ConsistencyDivine Order and AuthorityPrayer and Unity

Pastor's Points

1.

Goliath 1: Insecurity

2.

Goliath 2: Inconsistency

3.

Goliath 3: Independence

Key Points

1.
To follow Jesus, believers must deny themselves by laying down selfish desires, wrong behaviors, and bad attitudes so that Christ can increase in their lives.
2.
Taking up one's cross requires faithfully bearing tough personal situations, supporting family and others, and remaining focused on following Christ.
3.
Stepping into God's promised Pentecost breakthrough (Acts 2) requires first closing former seasons and settling unfinished business in Chapter 1 (Acts 1).
4.
God operates through divine timing, divine order, and authority, filling open seats and calling handpicked believers into leadership positions.
5.
To slay the Goliath of insecurity, believers must reject the root of past rejection and trust that God qualifies those He calls regardless of their background.
6.
To slay the Goliath of inconsistency, believers must remain faithful and stay the course through quiet shadow seasons without quitting or stepping back.
7.

Sermon Moments

“Even Jesus says, 'If you want to be one of my disciples, you gonna have to slay you.'”

“That's some stuff you going to have to decrease so that he could increase.”

“I would rather get up dirty and right than wear white and be wrong.”

“Before you can get to two, you got to close chapter one.”

“12 is divine order, which means that you're not there just to be there, but you've been divinely ordered to be there.”

“Insecurity is only the fruit of rejection.”

“There's a blessing in the shadow... whatever is in the shadow is about to get on you.”

“When I step forward, let all insecurity be left behind, all inconsistency be left behind... I stepped into the promise of God.”

This Week

Identify personal areas of self—such as bad attitudes, pride, impatience, or wanting your own way—and commit them to daily surrender in prayer.

Choose grace and self-control when provoked this week, denying toxic reactions, gossip, or seeking the last word.

Evaluate your current spiritual life and close ungodly habits or baggage from past seasons ("Chapter 1") so you are clear and ready for God's promises in "Chapter 2."

Reframe feelings of inadequacy by meditating on God's Word, remembering that God handpicks and qualifies those He calls.

Maintain consistency in spiritual disciplines like prayer, gathering with believers, and worship, even when feeling tired or unnoticed.

Connect with fellow believers in your church community to stand together in unity, agreement, and mutual prayer support.

Trust God's refining process through current trials, standing firmly on Job 23:10 and thanking Him in advance for the transformation He is bringing.

Remember This

Before you can receive God's promised power and step into divine breakthrough, you must allow God to slay the personal Goliaths of self within you.

A Challenge for You

Step forward in faith, leave behind all insecurity, inconsistency, and independence, and boldly step into the divine promises and position God has prepared for you.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.