Not for Sunday Mornings
When the Sunday sermon isn't enough. Join us as we unpack what was spoken about on Sunday with all the extra stuff that didn't make it.
Not for Sunday Mornings
Why can't I hear God?
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Send us a message. We’d love to hear from you!
This video is about Episode In this episode of Not for Sunday Mornings, Chris and Steve unpack one of the most personal questions in the series. Does God still speak? Should we expect to hear an audible voice? How can we tell the difference between God’s leading, our emotions, and something we simply want to do?
They talk about Samuel and Eli, the importance of spiritual mentors, what to do when God seems silent, and how Scripture and Christian community help us test what we believe God may be saying. They also wrestle with whether sin affects our ability to hear God, whether following Him is always difficult, and how spiritual habits can bring us closer to God without becoming another religious checklist.
Plus, Steve receives a turtle from God, Chris questions Steve’s singing career, a baptism discussion appears out of nowhere, and the podcast welcomes a brand-new grandpa.
Subscribe, join the conversation, and keep asking good questions.
Ready?
SPEAKER_03All right. Welcome back. Um, here we are at another episode of uh Not for Sunday mornings. And we are five, right? Uh is this five?
SPEAKER_04I think week five.
SPEAKER_03I think it is so this is um our question is why can't I hear God? I didn't have to look at it this time. I had a I thought about it. Um so uh I'm Chris and this is Steve. And um yeah, so Steve preached this week. This is the first time in two weeks that Steve has preached. I did. So this was um It was fun. It was fun. You did really good.
SPEAKER_04Like I got complimented to have lots of energy.
SPEAKER_03You did have a lot of energy.
SPEAKER_04I didn't think I had a lot of energy.
SPEAKER_03Um no, I think you did. Like you came up differently. I was excited. You were excited, you could tell. Um, and and then I don't know how many people ever pay attention to this with us, but like you went no notes. Well, well, no iPad. No iPad.
SPEAKER_04My glasses had notes, but I had no iPad. Yeah, I had no iPad. Yeah, I tried to memorize, but I have a story I can usually so I had a few stories I'm new, so I can memorize those. And then the opening I had kind of memorized because that was kind of just a riff on on that verse from David, and so yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so it was good.
SPEAKER_04It was fun. Thank you.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so um, yeah, let's let's talk about it. Yeah, how do you want to do it?
SPEAKER_04You want to do your part first or my part first?
SPEAKER_03I I don't know. Talk about what you kind of like. Didn't make it a lot a little bit, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah, I had a few things. So I had some fun things. First of all, I think I love um after Samuel hears from God, he gets up the next morning and he begins his service again. And I think that's like a really subtle, beautiful thing of like the humility that comes when you really hear from God. Like sometimes I would think, like, um I know a lot of younger folks who like, God told me this, and then there's like almost like a pride and they're too good to clean the floor type thing, you know. And here's this kid who who heard, I mean, audibly heard from God, right? And said, and then gets up the next morning and cleans the toilet and like goes back to work, you know. And like I think that's just such a beautiful um posture that he carried. Um at the beginning of the story, there's two, like, oh, they're so cool. Um, they talk about Eli being blind and the uh light of the Lord uh going dim. And uh so the light of the Lord was they would light um light a candle or a light um at at nighttime and they would burn all the way through day up to morning, and then it would go out. And so this basically means like it was close to morning when this all happened. But I also think of it as like um how the light was was going out in Israel, like it's like a subtle little like mad, like and then Eli being blind to like missing all that God is doing. I mean, for three times he is the priest, and it takes him three times to realize God is speaking, you know, and he's in a bad place and he's he's allowed his sons to do some pretty terrible things. And we didn't get into any of that either.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there was no like background really on uh what's going on. You can't do that on the stage.
SPEAKER_04I think it was needed for that part because it would have been the story I don't think it was needed for this for what what I think the hard part for Samuel was that he had to say hard things to his his boss. Yeah. And so why he had to say the hard things. I don't know if that was I thought it was a little extra. Um and it just plus I was heavy on words, so I didn't I just thought that would have messed me up there. And then um oh the proximity part, being close to the Lord. I had a whole little blurp that I ripped out about uh the disciples and how they were close to Jesus and how Jesus would tell a parable and then they would go back to him and be like, Hey, what did that mean? Yeah, right. And then he would explain it to them because they because they were close to him, so they could hear him more clearly. And I thought that was kind of a neat little thing. It it felt like a little extra to throw in there with the rest of the sermon, so I just I tore that out the kind of the night before. But but that was like the stuff that didn't didn't make it.
SPEAKER_03There was a lot in there, so I was a lot, like a lot didn't you're um I I really appreciated you saying feelings matter, but they make terrible foundations.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, isn't that awesome?
SPEAKER_03That's I mean it yeah, because I think I think there comes a point where um I don't know if everybody goes through it, but like the idea that my feelings are important and they're dict they dictate how what's really going on around me. They're my way of saying this is what and and it's you're it's not a good foundation build on because feelings change so much. You don't want a foundation where it changes all the time, and so they can be manipulated. A hundred percent feelings are easily manipulated, people don't realize how easily they're manipulated, yeah. And um, yeah, so I thought I thought it was important that you really put that out there um and just kind of you know, I hope I hope people grasped onto that because I think they like my singing and the um you did sing, that's true. I forgot. We should like put an album together of all the songs you sing, like it would be a top-selling album because I would buy it. Um yeah, your proximity part um was I was trying to think of a way to rhyme that better.
SPEAKER_04I couldn't come up with a and I didn't want to go to Chat GBT, so I think to rhyme what? Like to make it like catchy, like proximity equals posture or something, something like real catchy, but I uh I wasn't like I'm not going to Chat G B T for any rhyming. And so I'm like, proximity is what I got. I like that word though.
SPEAKER_03Proximity?
SPEAKER_04It's fun to spell.
SPEAKER_03Oh, because it has an X in it?
SPEAKER_04P-R-O-X.
SPEAKER_03M-I- Um so I here is something that I was thinking too when you were talking about this, because you talked about how Samuel needed Eli, right? Um, and so this is an old testament story. And so um long time back, there was a preacher, and I can't even remember who it was, um, I heard on the radio, and he was talking about um how much Timothy needed Paul, but um the opposite's true too. Paul really needed Timothy, and so like um his message was more to spur on like who are you discipling and who are you being discipled by, essentially, right? But but it's the same concept, and I think I think it's an interesting old testament way of showing that that need that that's there, like that's yeah, reminding people that there's Samuel's out there, there's Timothy's out there, and they need they need that. Um and you know, I know we don't like to chastise from the from the pulpit, but like to go after people, like, hey, you should be Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think it was funny. Uh like um I always hope people will respond, but I also so I have a prayer I pray right before I get up, and I always pray uh that I approach I approached it with a uh a spirit of gratefulness, and I'm giving a gift to the audience and not asking for anything in return. And because sometimes I didn't like need the audience to respond or whatever. But I was a little taken aback when I challenged the old or Christian second service and nobody said anything. And then I kind of I kind of threw a little dig in where I was like, I said uh your uh silence says more than you realize because it's like I don't know if I don't know if folks in the church will rise up and and say I will be willing to listen with somebody.
SPEAKER_03Um Yeah, I think and I'll I'll not segmenting yet, but but just to push back, like it's hard sometimes, I think, when we're in that room because the demographics are changing right now. So it's hard to know when older crowd is there. And I know like when I know you you specifically said not the the geriatrics, but um the mature Christians, yeah, yeah. But that's a common theme throughout the Bible, right? I mean, think how many times in the New Testament are people told stop drinking milk, you should be eating bread at this point. Like I could think in Hebrews there's at least one letter of Paul's where he says something very similar, right? Like it's a common chastisement, you know, that goes out there. Um, but yeah, it's it's tough to like when you don't get that response and you're expecting it or at least anticipating or hoping.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but also maybe it was a chance for the people to be a little like, who maybe I I mean, I really hope I I just I I know how impactful it is to walk alongside of a like a Sandy for me or Wanda or Mike or these people that are le uh elder to me and but also more mature Christians, you know. And like who can who can listen with me? Who can say I mean Chuck did that? Oh my gosh, how many times I go to Chuck? One of my favorite things of like sitting with people that have experienced life is when my world's on fire, they're like, it's not like they have perspective and they're able to again see things that I don't see and and give me words that I don't have. And it I can't tell you how many times they've helped pull me out of a spiral. So for me personally, I that has been so impactful for my life, and so I would love other people to experience that as well.
SPEAKER_03No, 100%. Like I feel that way anytime someone who is strong in the restoration movement is nearby. So like when Silas was nearby, like like I just want to drink from that fountain. Like I just want to it's I know that sounds weird, but like, but there's but there's knowledge that they have. Like, like I have not I have not uh had a lot of experience around that. Or it um uh Jim, like the one time I talked with Jim on the phone, like or I sat in one of his, like he talked to our group once, and like it that's just so impactful to me to have someone who has that knowledge and like you can just you can pull off that and and and it just adds to who you are and helps you to grow better. So like it's it but it's that maturity, like they just have that maturity, and so they can talk about what this means from a mature angle. Yeah, we need each other, we need each other.
SPEAKER_04So I try to yeah, I try to drive on that as much as I can and and and encourage the folks to step into that, you know.
SPEAKER_03So and young people too to to reach out, and so well and and that's the thing too, like it's it's one thing to say to the to the more mature and the older is like hey, you need to step down, and but but the but the younger and and and it because they're less mature, it's not as you can't hold the other thing. Yeah, I think it's more on the older folks. It is because the younger folks are there doesn't need to be like it needs to be a will to grow too, right? Yeah, so that will to grow should be part of that. Like, hey, I I want to be better at this, and I need to I need someone to help me.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I agree. I agree.
SPEAKER_03But anyways, all right. So um I've got a few pushbacks because as deep as last week's was, I think this is super shallow. I think this actually has some more deeper aspects to it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, stylists, hear that.
SPEAKER_03I remember that. So I think last week was a harder, uh like a more difficult topic. I think this one's not a difficult topic, but I think it's got deeper ramifications. So so my first pushback is this it and it's a a question Is Samuel's experience a normal model for every Christian?
SPEAKER_04I mean, I don't know, what do you mean? Like his experience.
SPEAKER_03So like um Samuel receives direct verbal revelation, right? To become prophet. Sure, sure. And so I or my question is is coming from a person sitting in the audience and they're saying, should I expect God to speak to me this in the same way that he spoke to Samuel? Is it do I need direct verbal revelation? Do I need something specific to happen? Do I put the do I put the lamb skin out and you know?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, no, I don't think so. I don't think that I don't I think more of like the principles behind it are what I tried to drill down on. So like, is it you know, again, it got a little goofy with the proximity part, because but but I mean, but still that idea of like when you're close to something, you're aware of it. Um, that posture of here I am, Lord, your servant or your your servant is here, you know, I'm listen speak, Lord, your servant is here. Um, and then asking people to walk alongside of you. I think those principles on a whole uh make us our ears more open to hear. God's always speaking, and it and maybe audibly, verbally, I don't for me. I don't hear an audible voice. I've never heard an audible voice. I've I've felt uh some things, and again, I don't know if we're ready to do that now, but I've like, and I've I've really felt some things to step into and and to and to do. Um and I believe that's God's leading, um, but I've never heard an audible voice. And I know people have, and but just not me. So I don't know if it's a my like, yeah, I I hope people don't think God's gonna speak to them in the middle of the night. Maybe he will, but but maybe he's doing it other ways as well.
SPEAKER_03Well, and and this might bleed into my other question, but I think whereas there's a direct communication generally when we read in scripture, I think like you said, God's continually speaking to us, um, but it's through his word, right? And yeah, yeah, through his word.
SPEAKER_04But also I but uh no but yeah, of course, of course. I think any okay, anytime God speaks, I probably should have talked about this. Anytime God speaks, uh, whatever he's gonna say to you, his world, his word will never go against. Right. And so I think that's always like a mirror to hold it up to. Like God's not gonna tell you to go kill that dude or whatever. Like, you know, I'm like, it's not gonna be stupid. Like, but like, so I think that but I also don't think we should limit it to like, well, this is what I read in the Bible. You know what I mean? I I do think he speaks directly to us. Like one of the stories I didn't share um was the New Lennox Ministerial Association. I oversee that organization. It's all the local ministers, and I I lead it right now. And at the time before I let it, the leader uh was stepping down, and uh, he had asked all of us, would someone of us like to lead this group? Now um I have never felt more strongly that than anything, even being a pastor here. No, no, no, no, no, no. That I felt like like he said that and immediately I like jumped. And like I I jumped. I never I never never I never felt that before. Like it was like, you need to do this. No, I don't it's been fun and all that, good and but it's hard and all that, but but that's neither here nor there. But like that was like a moment of like I remember I went home and I I emailed him right away. I said, hey, I like to. And he was like, I was hoping it would God would tell you that or something. Like he'd he'd been praying ahead of time. I don't think he may he might have said it to anybody, I don't know, but like but like I really felt like that was God you know, step into this. Now that's scripture. I don't I mean we can pull scripture, but like that felt like that inside of me. Um there's times when I'm I'm felt led to give or or um serve a family in a different way or do things um you know you know, things that I feel, you know. So I think that's I don't know if that's answering your question.
SPEAKER_03No, I think you are, and you kind of blend into like the second question I was gonna ask, which was how do we test what we think we can do.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, always against scripture. I think always against scripture. Well, first I think always against scripture, but then always with that's where the the community comes in. You know, because if I'm like, hey, I think God might be leading me to do this, and then the people you're walking with are like, are you more out of your mind? Like, what do you or not even not even out of your mind? But like uh not out of your mind, because I don't want to say that because I think that there's always gonna be a point where it's like Sounds a little crazy. Whoa, because it is crazy usually, you know. I mean, think about what Daniel hit.
SPEAKER_03That's exactly what I was thinking. Like our Daniel, right?
SPEAKER_04Who's a good job here, doing well. I mean, you know, and then uh comes and says, Hey, God's leading me to do this thing in Chicago where there's not gonna be any money and it it's it's gonna be hard, and I I don't know, I don't want to do it. And he didn't want it, he left crying, you know, like I don't want to do this.
SPEAKER_05Right.
SPEAKER_04And it took him a long time to leave, and I probably should have kicked him out sooner, helped him, you know. But that's like a and on the outside, I'm like, dude, are you crazy? This is the dumbest thing in the world. But also, I also know like if got if God's leading him, who am I to stop it? You know, and it's not unbiblical what he's doing, you know. And so, um and I trust him as a mature Christian that he hears God in this and so for sure, for sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I think like because you you get a lot of people who say, well, you know, God told me I need to do this or whatever. And and the question is like, have you discerned it properly? Have you taken it through, like you said, the scripture, mature believers and all that? Like, I I think that's important for people to realize, like again, it goes back to feelings are not foundations, right? Like they make bad foundations um and go from there. Okay, so this is a tough one. Um, what about faithful people who still hear nothing?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's that's interesting. And and again, I so uh scripture says in Isaiah, those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, though man up with wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, though walk and not faint. Or something. I'm saying that I'm saying that incorrectly. But the idea of that we wait upon the Lord, and I I always say this, and this is from an old sermon I heard when I was in high school from a guy, and it was like when we wait on the Lord, we wait with our arms crossed, or we wait like a server, like we're in the season of maybe waiting or season of quiet. Um are we waiting, like, come on, God, what are you doing? Or are we actively serving him and still following the last thing he said to do, you know, whatever that last thing was, still being faithful in that. Um I'd hate for somebody in the crowd to feel like they're less than because they don't hear God or they haven't heard God or they're trying. And I would really and I probably and I probably didn't, I know I didn't probably in my head I thought that the church as a whole is not at a level of maturity where that's a problem. Like people aren't even trying to hear God. And maybe I should have thought, like, maybe there are people in here who are trying and haven't. And so I probably should have addressed that. I didn't, though. Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah, no, I mean in in my Saturday morning.
SPEAKER_03We didn't talk. I know, I didn't know, I know. So no, I I uh it was it was just something like I think it took two times for me to hear the message to realize like it just wasn't addressed. And and it's again, this is why we do this podcast, because we can't put everything in there. No, yeah but but like I mean you look at like you read the psalms, right? You read Job, like there's these times where God is silent. Oh, yeah, yeah. It's not the fault of the person that's involved.
SPEAKER_04And and I I do think though when he's silent, I think a mature Christian, I would hope still recognize that he's there though. Like David says, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, like there is that idea, even uh St. John uh Dark Knight of the Soul, there's still this idea that even though he's quiet, he is still there though.
SPEAKER_03And I think that's my maybe where that that's where I just don't want I just don't want immature Christians or Christians who are trying you know to get that well, I'm doing some again. It goes back to that I've earned idea. And and it's it's a tough, it's a fine that's a fine line to walk sometimes. I know. Um uh okay, here's an interesting one. Was Eli really a trustworthy spiritual mentor?
SPEAKER_04Um, I think at one point he was. And I think he was. I think he was so I think God put him in that position. Um, he was the priest at the time. Um, did he fall? And and was there punishment for that fall? Yes, of course. Um, but he was um he was mature enough to give Samuel a prayer that we would still pray today. I mean, and and and mature enough to recognize maybe slow, but still like, hey, this is God speaking, you know, and and mature enough to know what God was gonna say. Because when he says, Eli, tell me, he knows. He knows he's not dumb. He knows He knows what's coming, and so he accepts that. He says he he understands, like, yeah, I this is where I'm at, this is what I do I deserve, you know. And and so um, is he perfect? No, I mean, of course not, you know.
SPEAKER_03And that's really where I think I was pushing on that question, is is again to to expound a little bit more for the audience that we have to remember that no one's perfect, right? And so, like you have these, even the a priest, right? And and so you have this deeply flawed individual, and yet God still uses that person, yeah, and is able to that's good insight.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because I could see like an older folk being like, Well, I'm not good enough. And so I'm not good enough to lead somebody, or I'm not good enough to walk with somebody or listen with somebody. Yeah, for sure. I mean that's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it it I mean think about it, because I think that's the biggest fear most people have is like I'm not I don't know enough, I don't I can't do enough, I'm not and so um or I've done enough bad that that it's a you know major problem, but that's not that's not ever the case. Like that and that's the best that that really that's a the probably one of the most beautiful messages that strung throughout the entire Bible is that's never the case. Like no, no.
SPEAKER_04But one of my favorite stories I've told is about a mom who was who was just a new Christian. This isn't quite a pub, a new Christian, and so she was learning about God, and her daughter wanted to learn about God. Her daughter was little, and so the mom would read in the morning and then she would teach her daughter that at night. So she was just one lesson ahead of her daughter.
SPEAKER_03That's how some teachers are. It was awesome though, but it was like I just just stay a little bit ahead and just it was neat, like again, not now you're not apples apples here, but no, I I think but but I love that because it you and it's beautiful on multiple levels because a newer Christian, b younger individual, and C, they were they were trying. And that was the thing. Like they were putting forth the effort and working through that and and work not just working through it for themselves, but working through it for someone else. Whether that was their child or not. Like it's just that that there's that really cool idea of of that. But yeah, so um, yeah, that's those are my pushbacks.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I got better pushbacks.
SPEAKER_03Oh, do what do you got?
SPEAKER_04So I have two pushbacks that didn't make the sermon. These are these like questions that I had that I didn't I had a hard time answering. And so one of those was uh does God ever withhold Does God because of sin ever withhold his voice?
SPEAKER_03Well, I you have a Bible on there or uh I have I could use mine on there. What verse you got?
SPEAKER_04Oh you can look up Jeremiah 2913. I'm gonna look up Hebrews 3 12.
SPEAKER_02Oh you're going for my book.
SPEAKER_04Well you do Hebrews then, I don't care.
SPEAKER_02Alright, I'll do Hebrews.
SPEAKER_04Oh I already found it. All right, I'll go to Jeremiah then. So, um so what do you think? Can't God with Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so my answer is um it's dependent. So um I think I don't think he generally does because again, I'll go back to look at all the deeply flawed people that he spoke to and whether they, you know, were in their sin at that time or not, like um they they still God still used them or or or would speak to them, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I don't I don't so uh what I what I've settled on and uh we'll get these verses in a second I don't think I don't think he does, but I think uh sin absolutely affects our ability to hear. Um and so like uh Jeremiah the Jeremiah verse is uh if you seek me you'll find me when you seek me with your whole heart.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_04And so that idea of that um if there's sin, uh I can't hear, right? Um and so what is your verse?
SPEAKER_03Your verse is uh watch out brothers so that they won't be in in so there won't be in any of you evil, unbelieving hearts that depart from the living God, uh, but encourage each other daily while it's still called today, so that none of you are hardened by sin's deception.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so you it hardens, right? So it hardens so sin hardens our heart. It's like um it doesn't silence God, it's like the radio is still broadcasting, but the receiver is broken. And so I think like sin dulls our ears, basically. I think, and so we don't so God is still speaking, not like he withholds his voice, but we can't hear it. And maybe I'm wrong on that.
SPEAKER_03I am I would agree with that because I I think especially like with this Hebrews verse, um, I think it's specifically when we see that hardening of hearts, um, it's generally that it's a choice that we've made. It's not because I think there's only one exception in the Bible I can think of where it tells us God hardened.
SPEAKER_04If you go to Pharaoh, you're going to Pharaoh?
SPEAKER_03That's the wrong, it's the wrong use of that, but that's what most people go to.
SPEAKER_04But it's not because Pharaoh hardened his own heart. He did. Right.
SPEAKER_03Okay, I'll make sure because there's a there's verses, there's lines in there that say God did. I said and I just want to point out, like, even though it says that it was Pharaoh who did it first. Yeah, yeah. Right.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And um, and so yeah, I think I think I think when we talk about hardening of hearts, it's it's our own doing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And in our own doing, we're we're we've heard God, we've just blatantly chosen to ignore him. Yeah. And then I think it I think it becomes more like a fine-tuned skill. Then we can learn just to slowly tune him out more and more and more, and that's where our heart hardens, hardens, hard, hard more and more and more. And so that's why, like, here in like Hebrews, where it says, um, be encouraged uh, but encourage each other daily, right? Um, because if you're in with other people, again, this goes back to that relationship, right? That's why Eli and Samuel are important, it's why Timothy and Paul are important. Because when you have that other person, they can walk with you and say that you're doing I look at it in this verse saying encouraging, saying, Hey, you're doing the right thing, you're doing the right thing. You know, it doesn't mean that you don't ever tell them they're doing the wrong thing, right? But but you keep encouraging them to do the right thing that's going to help them to not have that hardened heart in the in the end. But yeah.
SPEAKER_04So my other pushback was um uh so I give a list of things for people to do, right? So uh get close to God, walk with, listen with somebody else, have the right how are you asking those those good things. And my concern is um this becomes a checklist of things I have to do. So it's like checklist Christianity. So how do I how does it how do these steps not become things that I have to do? You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I get what you're saying. I I think I think it's easy um to to try to classify everything as a checklist. So like in in my thoughts I I the way I see it is this is that um uh it everything that we want to do is is really the in the lines of we want to form spiritual habits.
SPEAKER_05Yes. Right?
SPEAKER_03Yes. And so um I think I think if we understand that so I would say like it's easy to say, yes, it sounds like a checklist. I think how we we see that though as an individual. So if we go in and say, I just have to do this, I just have to do this, I just have to do this, and that's our only mental attitude about it, then yes, then it becomes checklist Christianity.
SPEAKER_04Especially if we say I have to do this to earn God's voice.
SPEAKER_03Correct.
SPEAKER_04Like I don't think I think these steps they just position us in a place where we're more we're able to recognize his voice.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_04I think it's kind of like in a marriage, like you go on a date night, um, not to make my wife love me, but to help me stay connected with somebody who already does. Yeah, right. And so it's like it's like, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so so I think like I think if you need to think about what it is that we should be doing, right? And I think that's the way it it should be looked at. These are the things we should be doing, right?
SPEAKER_04Or we get we get to do maybe. It's not i I don't want to I don't want to be a lot of people. We never have to earn his life. I think I think but I just want to be sure it's not like I do this to earn something from him.
SPEAKER_03Correct.
SPEAKER_04That's that's my concern. I think I I hear that a lot, especially amongst teenagers. Like, I I didn't read my Bible enough this week. And so like it was just like this, I have to do this to earn this thing, and that's not the case. And I just it's just a writer.
SPEAKER_03I think I okay, so how I would look at that from a mentor standpoint is if I heard a kid say that, I'd be like, okay, well, how much do you think you need to read the Bible?
SPEAKER_05Right.
SPEAKER_03And why do you think that? Like what is what does that mean, you know, and and and what happens when you don't read the Bible? Like and and and go through that with them and walk this is again, and this I know you know, but um for our audience, like this is why it's so important to have a Timothy and a Paul. It's so important to have Eli and a Samuel. It's it's because when you have that, then you can, especially when you're the mentor side of it, you can be saying these things like it's okay. Like it's it's all right if you're not, if you didn't pray every day five times a day, you're you're okay, you're okay. Like that that's almost like you know, Islam where it's like you have to if you don't pray at this time in this exact manner in this exact way. And Christianity and and really in all honesty, even Judaism never really was about that. There was some very prescriptive things in Judaism, but there was a lot of freedom in how how that religion was ran as well. And so it's like but but once you get to Christianity, the freedom is just abounds. Yeah, yeah. And and and I think as humans, we we're we're truly afraid of real freedom. And so because then we're then we're self-responsible at that point, yeah. And we don't like self-responsibility.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no, I know.
SPEAKER_03And I think so then we try to throw it back somewhere, and I and and so then it's like if I don't do this, then someone's gonna be mad at me, and that's yeah, that's the downfall. And it I think it's hard to break that. I think it's just a it's a gentle reminder every time. I think it's it's listening to those voices from the people who are saying them, and then catching that moment and just saying, it's it's okay. Like, yeah, you know, you call them out when you need to call them out, and but like if someone's like, Yeah, I never read my Bible, it's like still be gentle, but it's like, well, why not? Yeah, you know, why are you never looking in the word? Why are you never trying to grow? And and I think my favorite verse always is is the when Christ says love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And and and those four, you know, your heart, mind, soul, and strength are those four concepts, I think give us the complete picture of how it should look. Yeah. And if and if we and if we strive to do those things, we're doing the right thing. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04So that's what I got. Are you got anything else? Or I got some.
SPEAKER_03Actually, I did I did have one more.
SPEAKER_04Um then I have a question from the crew.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, we gotta do that one. Okay. Um uh is every difficult assignment from God? So so is it is does God only give us challenging, difficult tasks to do?
SPEAKER_04Well, that's two different questions. Does God only give us challenging things to do? Well or is every difficulty to do that?
SPEAKER_03Every difficult assignment from God is how I phrased it originally.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I have to I'm constipated in going to the bathroom. That's so you can it's a difficult assignment. I don't know if it's from God.
SPEAKER_03No, like you said, Samuel's first assignment was painful and frightening. Yeah, it was. Right. Okay. So um so my question is I don't want that over applied.
SPEAKER_04But I also don't want to underapply. Jesus says, uh take up your cross and follow me. He says you're gonna die to yourself. I don't know if it gets more harder than that. And so I don't want to I I want us to understand, I think that whenever we are going to follow God, it uh it's always gonna be a death of self because it it has to be about him and not us. And so it always is gonna take us to the end of us because at the end of us is the beginning of him. And so how do we um so what does that look like for each of us? I mean, for the the rich young ruler, he says, sell everything and then follow me. He didn't he didn't say sell everything, give me the money.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_04He said, Sell everything and follow me. Like that was what's crazy. We we read that story, we think like it's about the church getting money or not.
SPEAKER_01No, it's not. No, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Because that was what that was in that guy's heart, right? You know, get it, you know, do the you know, and so it was like even with the woman at the well, go get your husband, you know, like because she had put her life in this um relationship and and all that and and all these and like that's who she was. It's breaking of getting us at the end of ourselves is is I think where that that is. And so will he ask you to go to Africa and be a missionary? May maybe that's where your point is, but it also he might just so it's all relative. So I I'm all but like when I ask like a a a three-year-old who can't tie your shoe, like the biggest problem in the world for him. Right. For me, it's what are you talking about? Tie your shoe.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_04But it's and I think it's very similar here. Like it depends where you are. For you, it might be go and take your neighbor's garbage in. That might be a for you, that might be something that's way beyond yourself. And it's and so yeah, I don't I don't know what it is for each of us, but I do think it's gonna push us beyond ourselves.
SPEAKER_03Well, I I think okay, and I agree a hundred percent with what you're saying. Uh the the point I was trying to make was that um where God is leading may be difficult, but not everything that's difficult is coming from God.
SPEAKER_04Right, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and making that discernment, like just because something's difficult doesn't mean it's godly.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Something just again to point out. All right. Uh you want to do your your crew question? What do you got?
SPEAKER_04Question from the crew. As you know, you can send questions in. You can use a little button on somewhere. I don't know. I think it's down below. Um, or you can if you can't.
SPEAKER_03Or you can come to church and write it on a card.
SPEAKER_04Write it on a connection card with little pictures and really bad handwriting, but that's okay. This kid wants to sign up for emails, but there's no email address. That's cool.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_04Um, so I'm gonna ask these questions. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_04Does God really hear me all the time?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. That's an easy one. Next. Do I have to expound?
SPEAKER_04No, no. Well, that's a good answer. Okay. Why don't angels come down to earth much?
SPEAKER_03Um they do. They do. I I agree. I think um so so that that's an interesting thing because that has nothing to do with hearing God. It has nothing to do with hearing God. But I think some people do think that it does, in all in all reality. Like I think um, I think that some people have I would say the wrong view that angels are intercessors um for us in prayer. Um but it's funny because um we rarely at least our church rarely ever does talk about angels and demons, right? Like it's it's it's almost like a known topic, but it's it's a semi-taboo topic. I think.
SPEAKER_04I've been talking about a demon this week. A different dude, though. I got another here's the last question. Uh this is a good one. Do you need to get baptized to get to heaven?
SPEAKER_03So that is a great question. No, I think that's great. My answer is no. You don't oh yeah. So I I didn't see it. Kicked out of the church.
SPEAKER_04I kicked out of the restoration church.
SPEAKER_03Um, no, because I think when when we talk about salvation, salvation is from grace. Right? Um, I think though that there's a prescription as to how um what God wants us to do when we're saved. And I think that prescription brings about the full effects of salvation. Um, so like if somebody were to say accept Christ and have a heart attack on the way to the baptismal. Sure, yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_04God's grace is okay. But then how do you center, how do you circle uh uh Peter's words, either believe and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. Repent and be baptized for your sort of sort of sort of sort of site, repent and be baptized for for the forgiveness of your sin.
SPEAKER_03So so I think there there's the so first of all, number one, salvation and baptism are never separated, right? So but um I think it's so the restoration church is rest very haughtily on and and it's become the central, it became so important and centralized that it almost forgot about the grace aspect of of salvation. So so when when you it definitely is a part of that, and it because there's several components that go along with it, so we we ex Paul tells us in um I think it's in Romans, it's Romans or uh Corinthians. One of those books. It's it's one of the two letters. No, I just can't remember which one it is, because there's one he tells us that we experience um we we essentially experience the uh death and the burial and resurrection of Christ. And so so we're born into that, right? And then um uh there's the Peter says, right, for the uh cleansing of our sins, right? Um uh there's there's the aspect of the Holy Spirit gets imparted on us, right? So there's all these various parts. Now, I can tell you and point out very particular points to the Bible where I think the Holy Spirit was present before the person was baptized, right? Um, we also know that people were baptized, like um John's followers were baptized, right, and didn't have the Holy Spirit, right? And so Paul baptizes them right away. So I think baptism is a very important aspect to it. Can you get to heaven without it?
SPEAKER_04Um, I think Yes, you get to heaven by the grace of God.
SPEAKER_03You can, but I think that if you are going to be a Christian, you should follow the prescripts that God assigns for us. And so I think um to to deny yourself the baptism um is denying what God has wanted for us.
SPEAKER_04Okay. I'm glad I I'm glad I uh I shouldn't ask that question.
SPEAKER_03You shouldn't have that's that's a that's a that's a heavy question, like in all real. It has nothing to do with how you hear. Sorry about that.
SPEAKER_04No, all right now we finish our time with my favorite section.
SPEAKER_03Quick fires.
SPEAKER_04Quick fire questions. I've got some good ones. You want to go first?
SPEAKER_03No, you go. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_04Okay. What's one way Christians confuse feelings with God's voice?
SPEAKER_03One way. Um because they want to do something and they just say, Oh, God told me to do it. And so um it I don't know if it's confusing. I think it's more one okay.
SPEAKER_05Okay.
SPEAKER_03Sorry. Is that not what you wanted? Yeah, quicker answers. Sorry. Um, okay, I've got some fun ones for you. Is the Sarah McLaughlin commercial still effective on you?
SPEAKER_04Uh no.
SPEAKER_03No, it's lost all meaning.
SPEAKER_04No. In fact, I really I thought it was the other song. I will remember you. Oh, that's a different one. No, no, they do not. They do not. I I when I first wrote it, I wrote it like that and I was singing it all week long, and then I went and watched the video, and it's not that so.
SPEAKER_03Well, I knew it was on I thought there was another one that was like Let your life. This is why we don't have that album with Steve.
SPEAKER_04That's I just that was awesome. Okay. Uh why do you think God called Samuel three times instead of one?
SPEAKER_03Uh there's this cool thing with threes in the in the Bible.
SPEAKER_04Cool thing with four?
SPEAKER_03There are four. Why'd you have three?
SPEAKER_04Because I just went silly. I thought you were gonna say some fun numbers.
SPEAKER_03You know, I did. You lied to me. You got me on that one. Uh, why do you call him four times? Um, because he wanted to make sure that Samuel heard him.
SPEAKER_05Like Okay. I don't know.
SPEAKER_03I don't know. Do you have do you have a good reason for that? Oh, okay. Um uh news, podcast, YouTube, or social media, hardest voice to turn down um podcast, social media, news, podcasts.
SPEAKER_04Those are the four. Yeah, those are choices, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Oh, podcasts. Podcasts, okay. Yeah. Um Yeah, I heard you throw Rogan in as one of the voices.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I don't listen to Rogan too much. I listen to Theo Vaughn a lot.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay. He's hilarious.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I listen to Nate Land and or not Nate Land to the yeah, Nate Land and all those guys. But yeah, I listen to a lot of podcasts. But um, has God ever surprised you by speaking through someone unexpected?
SPEAKER_03Um so yeah, because I think that um man, I think you can hear God in a lot of different places, and so I think like it's never when?
SPEAKER_04Now I'm not asking, has I think it's you for you for me?
SPEAKER_03I yeah, because I've I've heard I've heard God's message and in places where you wouldn't expect to hear God's message. Um I think in pop pop cultural songs, I think um MM. Uh The Real Song J I don't know of that one. Um the one that always gets me every time, and it's older, but uh all you need is love by the Beatles. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like to me, like that that's my thought is like just it's just a reminder to me of of that. But yeah, there's a lot of places like we're like, oh, that's that hit hard, you know, as an idea. Um You can't tell me which one, but well, I think a lot of places you you're pulling me, putting me on the spot. I know that's the point of this. And you want specifics, I can't I can't have that one. Okay. Um gosh, oh that was a good one, but I'm not gonna ask that one. I'm ready. Okay. Uh cold baptism water or delayed baptism?
SPEAKER_04Cold.
SPEAKER_03Okay. I didn't even say that. Yeah, that was a new one.
SPEAKER_04Okay, if someone says, I think God is telling me, blank, blank, blank, what's the first question you ask them? Uh these too deep.
SPEAKER_03You are. You're getting hard. Um I think how how do you know? Like, how do you how do you know? Um, who's more likely to overthink God's leading, Steve or Chris? I haven't had an answer for that. Oh, that's interesting. You like that?
SPEAKER_04Um I mean, I question everything, so I would think me. I also thought you two. Oh, good.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, I had to for that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because I don't because I don't believe in myself enough. I um I I doubt I I know what a sinful person I am. And so I don't, I doubt it takes a lot for me to really believe God is leading me somewhere. I need a lot of confirmation. I just am afraid I'm not like Moses is not a mountaintop. God said I just don't hear that way. I don't maybe mainly because I don't trust myself. So um, but yeah, so probably it's me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I just was thinking how you just overthink everything.
SPEAKER_04And so overthink. I think it's called preparation.
SPEAKER_03And that's that's that's why we disagree on some things.
SPEAKER_04Okay, what's one Bible verse that has guided a major decision in your life?
SPEAKER_03Um It's Matthew. Umb. No, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna quote the number, but it's from Matthew. It's the um uh the why worry verse uh Bobby McFarland. Yes, Bobby McFarland. No, that's where don't worry, be happy. Um the uh Sparrows? Yeah, Sparrows of the Field, Lily Sunday.
SPEAKER_04I think it's Matthew 17. I'm not gonna look at it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think you're right. But but I think that one um because at any point like when I make a decision like why worry about what the outcome is, you know, there's not like that I hung that verse up sometime in high school on my wall. And I it just it was always impactful to me. And so it's one of those um, you know, we always talk about I'm not really I don't get excited about things or emotional about anything. And so part of it's because like I I don't feel like I need to. Yeah. Um I already know the answer to that one.
SPEAKER_04I got one more. Uh but I can wait, I can you don't have to, you know.
SPEAKER_03No, you want to ask me, and I'll see if I can pull. I got a whole bunch. I just trying to pick good ones for you.
SPEAKER_04Have you ever ignored what guy you knew God was asking you to do?
SPEAKER_03Have I ever ignored something that got of course not perfect? I have.
SPEAKER_04Good. You don't have to tell me what. I just took you long enough.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I what I was just thinking through everything. I'm like, was that an ignore or is that something different? Like um. Oh, this uh this one's actually an interesting one. What spiritual practice helps you to listen better?
SPEAKER_04Oh, um, going for walks.
SPEAKER_03Um I like that too. I yeah, when I'm writing sometimes, like I just stop because I can't and I just go out for a walk.
SPEAKER_04Collaborate and listen? Yep. I usually do that. I go outside and walk. I walk. I like been outside um walking. In fact, this week um I tried something new when I wrote. I wrote via um my mouth. And so I did like a dictated it? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And so I just I just I've tried that before.
SPEAKER_04Preached it. It I have very bad dictation. Me too. It took me a lot of editing to me too.
SPEAKER_03I did that once and I'm like, I'm never doing this again because it would be a good one.
SPEAKER_04No, but it was fun though, because it was like really free flowing, and like it was like and kind of it's But I did that out walking and doing that. So I like to I like to walk. I like to be physically moving. Um that's one spiritual practice. I think fasting too is another uh spiritual practice.
SPEAKER_03I've always struggled with that one. Like I can tell. Yeah, thanks. I'm working on that. No, uh I've I've done it like I d I I've never felt like it was if people get to the end of this, that is a funny line. That was a funny line. All right.
SPEAKER_04Um you know what we haven't told people to do? Like and subscribe. Smash the subscribe button.
SPEAKER_03Oh, we haven't said that.
SPEAKER_04That's why we haven't followers in. Darn it.
SPEAKER_03What's uh what in your opinion, best bad use of God told me? I've got I've got one in my brain. Oh do it then. Oh, okay. My mine, it's not exactly God told me, but it's like um you know Trump like God God wanted me here because I survived the assassination. Oh, okay. Like that that was that was my favorite best bad use of of that. Um I try not to be political, but it but that's just one that sticks out in my head.
SPEAKER_04Bad use of God told me. Um I think anytime you're in like a meeting and says and God tells me something, like that always like shuts everything down. Because there's no trumping it then.
SPEAKER_03Oh, when somebody says something.
SPEAKER_04So I just think that's really I don't know. But I don't know, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04That's right. Oh, I know a good one. Oh, okay. Oh, that's a really good one. Oh, yeah. Oh, this I forgot about this one. So, man, like 10 years ago, I was preaching, uh, maybe eight years ago, it was a long time ago. I was preaching here, and I gave a sermon. At the end of the sermon, a lady came up to me and it it was a sermon on hope, and she had a turtle named hope, and she told me God told her to give me that turtle, and she gave me this huge box turtle that I had to take home. And Noah actually lives with Noah now. Noah has adopted hope. And Noah has it, he pulled a whole home. But yeah, that was all yeah, God told her to give me this turtle.
SPEAKER_03I didn't know if you were gonna like turn that story into the time that I came up to you at the end of a sermon and talked to you about your jacket, but oh yeah, I wore a really cool jacket, I have very cool jackets, and Chris gets very jealous. I do.
SPEAKER_04And so he made fun of a jacket, and so I couldn't wear it. So I never wore it again. I wore it once. I I might wear it tomorrow. You did wear it once. I might wear it tomorrow.
SPEAKER_03I was not making fun of it. I was being legit. Like I was impressed that you were wearing it. Shut up. Okay, that was it, right? Uh that was it, yeah. So next week. Next week. I'm back up. Put me in, coach. All right, what's this topic?
SPEAKER_04Can I really trust the word of God? Okay. It's a very hard topic because I uh I looked through my notes and I preached this exact sermon February 5th this year.
SPEAKER_03So if I said I didn't remember it, you could just do it all over again. That would save you time and effort.
SPEAKER_04I'm like, well, I don't want to do that one again. And so I've uh it's been very challenging today. Today's been very hard. So I hope tomorrow will be easier.
SPEAKER_03Well, you know why it's actually been really difficult because you haven't slept today. Do you want to tell you our viewers why?
SPEAKER_04I I was allowed to I asked them. Okay. Yeah. Uh last night at 11 a.m. p.m., uh Zoe and Noah, my son and his wife, uh gave birth to our grandbaby.
SPEAKER_03Congrats.
SPEAKER_04His name is Warren Stephen Baker. Okay. Named after uh my father. No, my name's Stephen B. Uh, not Warren, but Stephen Furden.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I figured your name was Warren because I would never have dropped it.
SPEAKER_04This is gonna be funny, but you know why he's named Warren? One of the reasons why.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_04You're not gonna believe me.
SPEAKER_03Warren Buffett.
SPEAKER_04Warren G. Not even hand of God, yeah. I love Warren G. Warren G fans. Yeah, no one, it's only both. Oh, both? Regulate, man.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, regulators mount up. Um, yeah. So that'll be next week or this week.
SPEAKER_04Hopefully it'll be fun. Uh, I'm excited and nervous because it's gonna take some work, but yeah, it'll be good.
SPEAKER_03Um worst case, you'll hear a February sermon. This is fun.
SPEAKER_04And nobody will know.
SPEAKER_03At least you got one in your back pocket if you needed it.
SPEAKER_04Nobody will know.
SPEAKER_03Um, all right, and then we have our um devotion.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah, yeah. If you want to follow the Devo, you download the Lincoln Way Christian Church app.
SPEAKER_03And you keep forgetting to announce that from the stage too. You gotta get you.
SPEAKER_04Well, because it was broken for a week and nobody knew it. So that tells me nobody goes using it.
SPEAKER_03So well, it was broken for one week, right? One week, yeah. So it people might have been using it, they're just like, yeah. Yeah, maybe. Maybe.
SPEAKER_04Anyways, no, I I think I think it's cool. So it's it's fun, it's simple. It's like just just keep your mind in the game, you know, if you want.
SPEAKER_03No, I think I think it's good.
SPEAKER_04Like I've been sending out an emails three times a week, most of every email people. I don't know if I actually look and see if they're opened.
SPEAKER_03I don't want to though it yeah, I don't because I don't ever open them. That's nice. Yeah, but I see the title, I'm like, but I also have the insider baseball and what's going on, so that's part of the reason why I don't ever open them.
SPEAKER_04So um there's been a lot of production behind the scenes for this sermon series. Doing the blog, doing the podcast, doing the uh emails.
SPEAKER_03Man. You've put putting forth the effort.
SPEAKER_04I don't know if it's really landing, but hey, it's it's been fun for me.
SPEAKER_03You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take. Wayne Greske. Where the ball is Michael Scott.
SPEAKER_04You skate where the football is. All right, yeah, it's gonna be a great week. Um yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Me too. Me too.
SPEAKER_03All right. Well, congrats on uh being a granddaddy.
SPEAKER_04I didn't do anything, but okay.
SPEAKER_03I know. Um, and and don't applaud because I can't hear you. That's that joke just uh it kills every time. I know it does. You catch them every time on that one.
SPEAKER_04I know, I know. It's too easy.
SPEAKER_03All right, keep asking questions. Thanks for watching. What do you got? Keep asking good questions, and don't forget to subscribe and smash it.
SPEAKER_04See ya.
SPEAKER_03All right, take care.
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
