Dennis Jernigan - Giant Killers: Crushing Strongholds, Securing Freedom in Your Life

Praise for
Giant Killers

I love Dennishis words, his music, his story. My hunch is, if you dont already, you will soon.

M AX L UCADO

Fighting great giants demands great courage. Dennis Jernigan is a man of tremendous courage who will help you learn to fight the giants in your life.

S TEVE F ARRAR , author of Point Man and Finishing Strong

Dennis Jernigan knows from experience what it means to confront and defeat the giants most of us would rather not face. Now, having lived out these principles in his own life, he wants to help others free themselves from the besetting sin and paralyzing guilt that keep them from realizing their potential in Christ. Liberated and equipped with the truths theyll discover in this resource, readers will be empowered to go forth and conquer the giants that the world too often glorifies.

M IKE H ALEY , Director of Gender Issues for Focus on the Family and author of 101 Frequently Asked QuestionsAbout Homosexuality

There is no one better equipped to minister to those needing hope in slaying the giants in their lives than Dennis Jernigan. You will find this book honest and vulnerable as Dennis shares his heart with you. Dennis is the real deal!

D R . G ARY R OSBERG , author of Divorce-Proof YourMarriage and cohost of Americas FamilyCoaches LIVE! radio program

In Giant Killers, Dennis is revealing and sensitive, yet realistic and tough in his approach to waging war on the giants of sin in our lives. This book is useful for anyone in the midst of a struggle who wants keys to deliverance and growth. Read and reread this text! Your life will be changed, your mind eased, and your spirit strengthened.

N ICOLE J OHNSON B AKER , Miss America 1999, television host, and author

Dennis Jernigan draws upon his own experience to show how we can overcome the real giants in our lives. He reminds us that freedom is knowing and walking in Gods will. Dennis also exposes us to the tools we need to walk in that freedom.

T OM C OBURN , MD, U.S. senator, Oklahoma

This book is absolutely a life-changing tool! We know that God will bless Denniss transparency and his willingness to expose the Enemys lies in his own past, bringing truth and hope to the hopeless, with the testimony of Gods grace and power! Dennis, his precious family, and this amazing book are living proof that God heals, restores, and gives us victory over every giant in our lives through Jesus Christ!

N ATHAN AND C HRISTY N OCKELS , Watermark

G IANT K ILLERS
P UBLISHED BY W ATER B ROOK P RESS
2375 Telstar Drive, Suite 160
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920
A division of Random House, Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) . Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org).

Song lyrics for I Cant Live Without You, Giant Killers, Mighty Man of Valor, I Believe, You Are, We Win, and J-E-S-U-S are taken from the album Giant Killers: A Heart Like David, copyright 2002 by Dennis Jernigan. Administered by Word Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2005 by Dennis Jernigan
Interior images: property of Jupiter Images/Photos.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer design logo are registered trademarks of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jernigan, Dennis.
Giant killers : crushing strongholds, securing freedom in your life / Dennis Jernigan.1st ed.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-55132-0
1. Christian life. 2. LibertyReligious aspectsChristianity. 3. Jernigan, Dennis. 4. HomosexualityReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.
BV4509.5 .J48 2005
248.4dc22 2004027052

v3.1

To Melinda, Israel, Ann, Hannah, Glory,
Judah, Galen, Raina, Asa, and Ezra.
To those who have helped me slay the giants in my life.
To those who actively desire to slay the giants in their own lives.

Thanks to Eric Stanford who faithfully edited my words to sound like my heart.

To Bruce Nygren who helped guide me through the editorial process.

To Melindaone of the best giant killers I know. Thanks for standing with me against so many giants.

To Steve Farrarfor the spiritual attaboys.

To Mom and Dad, Peggy and Robertfor helping me lead others to confront the giants of life.

To Trish and Robinfor being armor bearers.

To Kathy Lawfor making the journey so joyful.

To Tom P., Denny, Robert, Brian, Tim, and Tom H.for being there for me.

To Kevin and Pamfor helping me enjoy life.

To Mattfor the shelter of your heart.

D avid, aiming his sling at the towering Goliath, set the pattern for every one of us. Oh, you and I dont face real giants who threaten our physical well-being. But then, giants dont always have to be physical.

Are you overwhelmed by a craving for alcohol, drugs, or food?

Does your desire for sexual fulfillment take you places you were never meant to go?

Are you bogged down in depression and despair?

Is fear or anxiety paralyzing you?

Is anger, pride, or laziness spoiling your relationships?

If in honesty you would have to answer yes to one of these questions, or to a similar one, then you are facing a giant, and this book is for you.

Are you aware of a spiritual problem in your life, and do you want to fix it, if you can?

Do you feel as if youre getting nowhere in lifeand hate that fact?

Are you weary of the failures of your past dictating your present?

Do you have visions and dreams and want to see them come to pass?

Do you sense that the answer to your problem might lie outside yourselfin God?

If any of these questions resonate in your spirit, then you are ready for victory, and again, this book is for you.

If you will dare to read this book, I will challenge you to apply godly principles of freedom to your own giant, whatever it might be. Why? Because the strategy for defeating the giants in our lives is always the same: relationship with God Almighty through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ and the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit.

Does that sound thrilling to you? Or maybe a little like a letdown?

Today, it seems that most people want a quick fixa fast-track how-to guide that will let them get on with life. But if youre like me, you have grown skeptical of self-help guides that promise much and deliver little. While step-by-step instruction can be helpful, it can also be misleading. How many times have you gone through all the steps, only to find yourself just as entrenched in your problem as when you began the program?