What if your life is not a collection of random moments, but a carefully written story shaped by the hand of a faithful God? This new series from Unionville Alliance Church traces the powerful, honest, and often messy journey of David, a man chosen in obscurity and formed through worship, wilderness, courage, failure, and grace. This series follows David from the fields of Bethlehem to the throne of Israel, revealing how God shapes hearts long before He establishes kingdoms. Along the way, we discover a God who sees the heart, defeats giants, forms us in community, sustains us in caves, and calls us to integrity when no one is watching. We confront the cost of leadership, the danger of unchecked power, and the beauty of repentance that leads to restoration. Through covenant promises and broken family dynamics, we are reminded that God’s purposes are never derailed by human weakness. At every turn, David’s story points beyond himself to Jesus, the greater Son of David, whose kingdom is unshakable and whose grace makes new hearts possible. This series invites us to listen for God’s voice, live faithfully in the present, and center our lives on His presence and purpose. Ultimately, it is a call to trust God’s timing, surrender our plans to His promises, and find our place in the greater story He is still writing today.

God Sees the Heart

1 Samuel 16:1-3

What if the very place you feel overlooked is the place where God is doing His deepest work? In 1 Samuel 16 we are invited into a quiet moment in Bethlehem where God passes over the obvious choices and sets His heart on a shepherd no one expected. This opening message reminds us that God sees beyond appearances and chooses people not for their platform but for their heart. Long before David wore a crown, God was forming him in obscurity and empowering him with His Spirit for a future he could not yet see. Encounter the God who knows us fully, shapes us intentionally, and calls us faithfully. Ultimately this moment points us to Jesus, the greater Son of David, who was also overlooked, anointed by the Spirit, and sent to accomplish the redemption of the world. As this series begins, we are invited to rethink how we measure worth, embrace faithfulness before visibility, and lean into a story God is still writing. 

Facing Your Giants

1 Samuel 17

What do you do when something stands in front of you that feels bigger, louder, and stronger than you? In 1 Samuel 17 we encounter a familiar story, not about the size of a giant, but about the strength of a trust rooted in God’s faithfulness. While fear paralyzes an entire army, David steps forward with covenant confidence shaped by years of walking with God in hidden places. This message reminds us that victory does not come from denying the threat, but from believing the promises of a God who is always with us. The sweet Psalmist of Israel gives language to this kind of faith, a confidence that rests in the Shepherd even in the valley. Ultimately this story points us to Jesus, who crushed the enemy on our behalf and invites us to live in the freedom of His victory. As we continue this journey, we are challenged to name our giants, rehearse God’s faithfulness, and step forward with a faith that is rooted in the promises and purposes of God for us.

Covenant Friendship & Costly Loyalty

1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-7; 20

We often celebrate individual success, but Scripture reminds us that God rarely works in isolation. In 1 Samuel 18 to 20 we encounter the powerful friendship of David and Jonathan, a relationship marked by covenant love, costly loyalty, and deep spiritual unity. Jonathan chooses faithfulness over self-interest, laying aside his own future so that God’s purposes might advance through David. This message invites us to see that spiritual formation and calling are nurtured in community, not in solitude. God delights in unity and integrity among His people as we cultivate meaningful relationships. Ultimately this story points us to Jesus, who calls us friends and demonstrates the greatest love by laying down His life for us. We are challenged to build intentional relationships that encourage, protect, and propel one another toward the calling God has placed on our lives.

The Wilderness School & The God Who Sustains

1 Samuel 21-23; 24:1-7

What if the season you are trying to escape is the very place God is using to shape you? During David’s fugitive years, we find him running from danger, hiding in caves, and learning to trust God in ways a throne could never teach. Far from being abandoned, David discovers that the wilderness becomes a classroom where prayer deepens, character is refined, and mercy is chosen over revenge. The Psalms written from these caves give voice to honest fear, desperate hope, and growing confidence in a sustaining God. This moment in David’s story points us to Jesus, who also entered the wilderness, chose obedience, and trusted the Father for the sake of our salvation. We are invited to turn our own caves into altars, develop spiritual disciplines that anchors our faith, and become places of refuge for others while we wait on God’s timing, promises, and purposes.

Integrity Under Pressure

1 Samuel 24; 26

What do you do when you finally have the power to strike back and everyone around you says you should? David is given two clear opportunities to end his suffering by taking Saul’s life, yet he chooses restraint over revenge and worships God by waiting on His timing. This message reveals that true integrity is not proven in moments of ease, but in seasons of injustice and prolonged pressure. David leaves room for God’s justice and refuses to take into his own hands what God has promised to do. His posture points us to Jesus, who entrusted Himself to the Father, absorbed insult without retaliation, and opened the way for forgiveness and reconciliation at the cross. We are invited to pause and pray when wronged, bless those who oppose us, and trust that God is at work even when justice feels delayed.

Living in Your Calling

2 Samuel 2:1–4; 3:1; 5:1–10

 What happens when the promise you have waited for finally begins to unfold, but not all at once? David stepped into his calling gradually as God unites the kingdom through patient obedience and attentive listening. Rather than rushing ahead, David repeatedly inquires of the Lord and learns how to live faithfully in the present while trusting God with the future. This message reminds us that calling is not a destination we arrive at, but a way of life shaped by daily surrender to God’s voice. The Psalms echo this posture of waiting and worship, declaring a kingdom that is established by God and sustained by faithfulness. Ultimately this points us to Jesus, our King, whose kingdom is already present and still unfolding, inviting us to live with purpose as we pray and work for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

The Beauty of His Presence

2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 15–16

What if the greatest treasure God wants to give His people is not success, security, or strength but His presence? King David reorders the life of the nation around the presence of God as the ark is brought into Jerusalem with reverence and overflowing joy. This moment reveals a God who is both holy and near, inviting His people to approach Him with purity of heart and wholehearted worship. David’s unrestrained praise reminds us that worship is not about performance, but about delighting in the presence of the King of glory. This story points us to Jesus, the true meeting place between God and humanity, who fills us with His Spirit so that we carry God’s presence wherever we go. We are invited to draw close to Jesus, serve Him with humility, and rediscover the joy of a life centered on His presence.

The Promise of an Eternal King

2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17

What if the plans you are most excited about are not nearly as big as what God has in mind? David desires to build a house for God, only to discover that God is building a house for him that will last forever. This moment reveals a covenant keeping God whose grace rewrites human ambition and turns faithful obedience into future hope. God’s promise to David stretches far beyond his lifetime and points to a King whose throne will never end. These words ultimately find their fulfillment in Jesus, the promised Son of David who reigns forever and secures redemption for the world. We are invited to surrender our good plans to God’s better promise and worship with confidence that He is writing an eternal story that reaches far beyond us.

The Life of David

Performed by Jason Hilderbrant

A special performance by Jason Hilderbrant highlights the tumultuous life journey of David, through both valleys and mountains. Watch the story of The Man After God's Own Heart come to life.

When Kings Fall

2 Samuel 11–12; Psalm 51

What happens when the hero of the story becomes the cautionary tale? In 2 Samuel 11 and 12 we are confronted with one of the most sobering moments in David’s life as temptation leads to compromise and hidden sin gives way to devastating consequences. This message reveals how sin slowly deforms the heart, how truth inevitably exposes what is concealed, and how God’s grace invites genuine repentance rather than denial or despair. Psalm 51 gives us a window into David’s broken and contrite heart as he confesses his sin and pleads for inner renewal. This moment points us to Jesus, who bears our iniquity and makes it possible for clean hearts and restored lives through His sacrifice. We are invited to walk humbly, practice honest confession, rebuild rhythms of purity and presence, and trust that forgiveness and restoration are found in Christ alone.

A Broken House & A Future Hope

2 Samuel 13–19; 1 Kings 1–2; 1 Chronicles 28–29

What do you do when the consequences of past decisions collide with the pain of the present? In the final chapters of David’s story, we witness family fracture, rebellion, deep grief, and the heavy cost of leadership as his house begins to shake. Yet even in sorrow and transition God remains faithful to His promise and continues to move His purposes forward. Through lament, worship, and intentional preparation for the next generation David models how to lead when life is painful and unfinished. This closing chapter points us beyond David to Jesus, the greater Son of David, whose kingdom is not built on human perfection but on divine faithfulness and eternal power. As this journey concludes, we are invited to trust deeply, sow generously into the future, and fix our hope on the unshakable kingdom that Christ is   still building.

A Broken House & A Future Hope

2 Samuel 13–19; 1 Kings 1–2; 1 Chronicles 28–29

What do you do when the consequences of past decisions collide with the pain of the present? In the final chapters of David’s story, we witness family fracture, rebellion, deep grief, and the heavy cost of leadership as his house begins to shake. Yet even in sorrow and transition God remains faithful to His promise and continues to move His purposes forward. Through lament, worship, and intentional preparation for the next generation David models how to lead when life is painful and unfinished. This closing chapter points us beyond David to Jesus, the greater Son of David, whose kingdom is not built on human perfection but on divine faithfulness and eternal power. As this journey concludes, we are invited to trust deeply, sow generously into the future, and fix our hope on the unshakable kingdom that Christ is   still building.