Key Verse - 1 Samuel 16:7b – The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.   

VIDEO Clip #1: David plays the harp for Saul (Season 1, Episode 4) -

1 Samuel 16:15-16 & 21-23 – 15 Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”………. 21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” 23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

1 Samuel 18:5-15 - 5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well. 6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”

8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. 10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14 In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.

VIDEO Clip #2: Saul throws spear at David (Season 2, Episode 7) -

5 STEPS TO DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE, WITHOUT BECOMING UGLY OURSELVES 

1. ACCEPT THE FACT WE’RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE IN LIFE. (Sometimes WE are Difficult People)

John 15:18 - “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  • David’s promotion didn’t protect him — it provoked Saul.

2. DON’T STOOP TO THEIR LEVEL & TRY TO GET EVEN, BE KIND & BE THE BETTER PERSON.

1 Peter 3:9 - Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.  • To kill Saul would have been to become like Saul. Time after time David chose NOT to kill Saul. 

3. DON’T BE STUPID – PROTECT YOURSELF & SET HEALTHY BOUNDARIES WHEN NEEDED – THAT’S NOT UNLOVING.

Matthew 10:16 - “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

• David ducked. Then he got out of town. Sometimes we have to love from a distance, for awhile anyway. 

4. DON’T STOP LOVING PEOPLE SO YOUR HEART CAN’T BE BROKEN, BECAUSE THEN IT CAN’T BE LOVED EITHER.

John 13:34 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  • David still Loved.

5. KEEP DOING WHAT GOD IS LEADING YOU TO DO, EVEN WHEN IT’S HARD, BECAUSE GOD WILL BLESS IT.

Galatians 6:9 - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

• David never quit, but kept following & honoring God. And when he did mess up, he fessed up.