This sermon emphasizes the vital role of studying the Word of God in shaping a life that is pleasing to God, especially for the young. Drawing from 2 Timothy 2:15, the apostle Paul’s exhortation to Timothy highlights that the goal of study is not human approval but divine approval. Timothy, who was likely converted as a teenager, was encouraged to become a diligent student of Scripture so that he might rightly divide the word of truth and serve God without shame. This establishes a foundational principle: anyone who desires to be used by the Lord must be rooted in the disciplined study of God’s Word.

The sermon explains that study begins with humility. To study is to admit personal inadequacy and a need for divine wisdom. King Solomon exemplifies this posture when, at only twenty years of age, he acknowledged his inability to lead God’s people and asked for an understanding heart. God’s wisdom is revealed to those who first recognize their limitations and seek instruction. Many adults later regret not acquiring wisdom earlier, realizing that much pain could have been avoided through godly understanding.

Studying Scripture also functions as a safeguard against trouble. One cannot easily fall into gossip, idleness, or sin when occupied with purposeful learning. Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians to “study to be quiet” shows that disciplined focus promotes order and spiritual maturity. Moreover, study develops self-control and discipline—qualities especially crucial for young people. Modern neurological insights confirm that adolescents are still developing the brain regions responsible for decision-making and impulse control, reinforcing the wisdom of grounding youth in Scripture.

The sermon concludes by highlighting the profound benefits of studying God’s Word: clarity, peace, moral purity, and spiritual understanding. As Psalm 119 declares, God’s Word brings light, wisdom, and peace. Ultimately, studying Scripture cultivates humility, discipline, and wisdom unto salvation, equipping the young to live godly, stable, and fruitful lives before God.

This sermon presents the story of David and Goliath as a powerful reminder that God often uses the faith and wisdom of the young to awaken a forgetful generation. Though wisdom usually comes with age, David—likely only around sixteen years old—demonstrated a faith that surpassed that of Israel’s seasoned warriors. While the Philistine giant Goliath terrorized Israel for forty days, the adult soldiers were paralyzed by fear. David, however, acted from memory: he remembered what God had already done.

David’s confidence was not reckless courage but faith forged through personal encounters with God’s power. As a shepherd in Bethlehem, he had already slain a lion and a bear by supernatural enablement. These experiences taught him that deliverance comes from God, not human strength. When David faced Goliath, he viewed the giant not through fear, but through the lens of past victories—just as God had delivered him before, He would do so again. While Israel forgot how God defeated giants through Caleb and Joshua, David remembered and acted.

The sermon also highlights David’s wisdom in refusing Saul’s armor. David understood that victory must belong entirely to God. Wearing Saul’s armor could provoke jealousy, shift credit to human strength, or associate the victory with a backslidden king. Instead, David chose the simple attire of a shepherd, showing Israel that God saves not by sword or armor, but by humble faith. This moment became a living illustration of Psalm 23—God as the Shepherd protecting His flock in the valley of death.

Ultimately, the sermon challenges young people to embrace who God has made them to be. God does not require borrowed identities, weapons, or approval from compromised leaders. He uses the young as they are—faithful, obedient, and dependent on His Spirit. The victory over Goliath declares a timeless truth: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD.”