Growing in the House of God

Last updated on December 17th, 2024 at 04:49 pm

Today, we’re going to spend a few minutes going through what “Growing in the House of God” means. Let’s dive right into 1 Samuel to start getting a good overview!

¹¹ And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.

¹² Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.

¹³ And the priest’s custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

¹⁴ And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

¹⁵ Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

¹⁶ And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

¹⁷ Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

¹⁸ But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

¹⁹ Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

²⁰ And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home.

²¹ And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

²² Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

²³ And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

²⁴ Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress.

²⁵ If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

²⁶ And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.

1 Samuel 2:11-26

To catch everyone up to speed before we begin… 

Hannah was a barren woman who desperately wanted to have a child. She told the Lord that if He saw fit to give her one, she would dedicate the child to Him and offer Him to the ministry of the Lord. God allowed her to conceive and her firstborn was Samuel. True to her word, she placed Samuel in the tabernacle under the care of Eli, the head priest, where Samuel grew up.

This is what the Bible means in verse 21 when it says Samuel grew before the Lord. He was in God’s house, day in and day out, serving. He had his own little uniform and everything. I imagine as a child he probably helped with general cleaning. Perhaps he played cymbals for the services, or put out the shewbread.

However, we are also introduced to some other children who grew up under the care of Eli… his sons. 

Part of what we are going to be exploring this morning is the contrast of the two different sides. Although there was somewhat of an age difference, I think it’s safe to say that all of these boys came from the same background. They were what we’d call today churched.

As we quickly see though, just because you’re churched doesn’t mean you’re saved. Eli’s sons were a trainwreck.

The Bible says that they were sons of Belial. This was an insult reserved for the worst of the worst. Son of Belial means useless, unrighteous, wicked, and good for nothing

You know who else were called sons of Belial?

1. In Judges 19, The men of Sodom who wanted to rape the angels sent to rescue Lot 
2. In 1 Samuel 25, Nabal, the man who unrighteously refused to reward David and his men for protecting his flocks
3. In 1 Kings 21, Jezebel told two men, who the Bible calls sons of Belial, to falsely accuse a man named Naboth of blaspheme. The men did and Naboth was put on trial and wrongly stoned to death 

Eli’s sons were wicked. The Bible says that they took the meat that THEY wanted from the offerings of the people, rather than the breast and should that they were supposed to have.  They took it raw so that they could roast it, which was against God’s command.

They slept freely with the women. They were angry with the people, taking what they wanted. They were reprobate and evil. True children of Belial.

What was the difference between them and Samuel?

Well Sam, Samuel knew God and evidently Eli’s sons didn’t .

This is just always what I assumed, but when we dive deeper and study the text, we see a different story.

1 Samuel 2:12 – Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.

1 Samuel 3:7 – Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

In the original text, the word for know in both of those verses is exactly the same. It means “to realize and become known”

At this time in the story, Samuel didn’t know the Lord in the same way that the Eli’s sons, wicked as they were, didn’t!!!

So I ask again… at this point in time, what was the difference between Samuel and Eli’s sons.

It was how they grew in the house of the Lord. Both sides were given the exact same starting point of information. They were placed in more or less the same environment, but we see that their paths diverged DRASTICALLY.

And it is here where I want to challenge us today folks. Growing in the house of the Lord. What was the house of the Lord designed for? What was it not designed for? What was to be gained by following the expectations in God’s house? What was lost if you didn’t?

WHAT WAS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD DESIGNED TO BE

What was the purpose of the house of the Lord? Why did the Lord feel it necessary to create a place where the people could go to commune with him?

First, we had the tabernacle. This was the place that God told Moses to create in Exodus for the people to worship Him while they were in the wilderness. This was a portable structure that they would set up whenever they camped in the wilderness

Then, later on, we had the temple. This was the grand structure that was set up when the Jews were established in their cities. In 1 Kings 6, we see king Solomon set up the first temple.

• These were the places where God met with His people, 
• These were the places where God’s people worshiped Him, 
• This was where the world caught a glimpse of who God was.  There were sacrifices and teachings and celebrations, all devoted to God.

That’s what the house of God offered the people. It was a place to come to meet with the Lord. Yes, God was everywhere, just as He is today, but this was a symbolic place that offered and stood as a reminder to the power and the presence of God in the community

The house of the Lord offered the people an opportunity to come and do business with God in a public manner for a variety of reasons,

• Hannah did business with God from a place of sadness. The Bible says in 1 Sam 1 that she wept sore, praying in the house of God

• King Hezekiah did business with God from a place of desperation. The Bible says in 2 Kings 19  that he went into the house of the Lord and spread out a message of evil that he’d received from Assyria, praying to God for guidance and direction, as he’d reached the end of his rope
• King Solomon did business with God from a place of joy and praise. The Bible says in 1 Kings 8:64 that he offered so many offerings that the altar couldn’t contain them all!

The house of God was a place where all of this could take place. It was a reminder of God’s presence among the people. When they saw the Lord’s house, it reminded them that there was a place that they could go to get relief, or counsel, or joy. That’s what it was. 

Is that what the house of the Lord is today? We can’t speak to other churches, but I want us to stop for a minute and think about the churches we are in physically. Are we that light in our community? There’s churches on every corner, but I’d wager to say not all of them are shining that light. Are we? Is there evidence of us impacting our community in that way? 

• Do people come here to get a glimpse of the Lord?
•  Do people leave here convicted of their sins and encouraged to walk closer to the Lord day by day?
• Do we help the hurting? Do we counsel the broken? Do we rejoice with and uplift our fellow believers?

What is the evidence of all these things? Is it visible in our church and our lives today? I know I’m asking a lot of questions, but it’s not my place to give answers. These are the types of questions in which God lays the answer, the convictions, and the burdens upon the hearts of all of those who listen. What is He telling you?

God’s house was designed to be a beacon of light and hope. Are we fulfilling that design?

WHAT WAS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD NOT DESIGNED TO BE 

In the old testament in Ezekiel 44, we can see list of rules and regulations that were set up for God’s house 

Much of that doesn’t apply to us today, as we don’t live in the Jewish culture, but there are still some key things that we see that are not supposed to be in God’s house. 

Firstly, it is not designed to be a place for consumerism and commercialism.

What did Jesus say in Matthew 21:12-13?

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Matthew 21:12-13

What was going on here? Well… some cats were getting pretty fat in the house of the Lord. The leaders of the Jews saw an opportunity to go into business. Not only were they selling the animal sacrifices at inflated prices, but they invented their own coin, and required the Jews to exchange their coins for temple coins otherwise they could not buy sacrifice offerings.They had turned it into a marketplace. 

It probably wasn’t exactly like this, but in my head, if we modernized this a bit,  I walk in and hear someone say…

• “Hey. You sinned but forgot to bring two doves for atonement and sacrifice? Today’s your lucky day. We’re doing a two for one special today in the vestibule. Grab ‘em while supplies last. Those sins won’t forgive themselves!”
• “Hey. All your money in Euros?  We only take US Dollars here. I’ll get you straightened out.”

Jesus was essentially cleaning his house. He was returning it to what it should have been all along. What was Jesus doing here?

He was saying that his house would not be a place of consumerism and commercialism. It was not a place for buying things and selling. 

What about our churches today?

How many churches have made God’s house a commercial enterprise? They sell branded music albums and devotionals, and mugs and t-shirts. They have their international missions outreach branch and their home missions branch. They have their social media campaigns and mailer ministries. They’re on billboards and on TV and on the radio. 

Now… there’s nothing wrong with these things in and of themselves. I believe we have a responsibility to utilize every avenue we can for the gospel and for ministry. But, when those become the focal point over God’s Word being given, there is an issue with that.  When the church becomes more of a business, and less of a lighthouse, there’s a problem with that

Secondly, God’s house wasn’t designed to be a place for shows of wealth and opulence and riches. Remember when Jesus watched the woman put two mites into the offering plate. (Essentially two pennies today)

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Mark 12:42–44

Not only was Jesus applauding the woman here, he was also saying something about the rich. They cast in of their physical abundance. When I read this, it almost seems as if Jesus was saying the widow had something figured out that the others didn’t. There was something she was doing right that they were doing wrong.  Perhaps it was that they were pridefully giving? “Look at all these riches I have to give!” 

In the house of God, the woman’s heart was aligned with the Lord. In giving all she had, she was showing God that she was relying on HIM for her sustenance. In giving of their abundance, the rich were showing that they had a fall-back plan in place in case God didn’t work out for them. Now… I’m not saying we’re to give every last dime we make to the offering plate, but our heart should never be “God, here is your bit and the rest is mine. Leave it alone.” 

What about our churches today?

Is there a focus on physical abundance? Is it possible people in the house of God place too much pride in a nice property, or a fully equipped outreach ministry, or a debt-free facility, or a big number of attendees? Is our heart saying, “God, you we are relying on you for our sustenance, growth, and future” or is it saying “Lord, we’ve got it handled with what we’re doing currently. We’re giving enough, doing enough, saying enough. We’re in a good spot. We’re abounding just fine. No need to rock the boat further.”

Thirdly, it wasn’t designed to be  a place to capitalize off the plights of people. 

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Matthew 23:14

In this time, it wasn’t uncommon for husbands to make scribes and Pharisees, the respected legal and spiritual leaders, executors of their estate in their wills. Some of these men took their positions in the courts and in the house of God and used it to cheat widows after their husbands’ passing.

What about our churches today?

Are we, as members in the house of God, seeking to tell people about Jesus (who is the solution to their spiritual plight) or are we capitalizing on it for selfish gain?

This point is more of a referendum on those who lead the flock, as it is our primary responsibility to push people towards Christ and encourage them to have a deeper walk.

1. There are “churches” where physical weaknesses are taken advantage of. Benny Hin and Kenneth Copeland pioneered a whole church model related to this called the Word of Faith movement. Name it and claim it. Have a need, plant a seed.  The prosperity gospel. Any pain that afflicts you, you can buy some miracle spring water, a prayer package, prayer cloth, or miracle manna and it’ll fix you.  You got aches and pains? Financial debt? Don’t settle for less than God’s best. Call toll-free and get your miracle today.
2. Some don’t only prey on those with physical ailments, but they also prey on those with emotional ailments. Seems like we regularly hear on the news about pastors becoming engaged in acts of infidelity and adultery, preying on the emotional instability of a congregant. Often it begins when the counselee comes to them for some sort of spiritual guidance or counseling one-on-one and then inappropriate relationships form. They capitalize on the emotional weakness of the counselee. Steve Lawson and Ravi Zacharias are glaring examples of this.
3. Lastly, and most prevalent in America today I’m afraid, are those who prey on spiritual weaknesses. These are the churches that tickle people’s ears. They don’t preach on God’s justice, or hell, or homosexuality. They don’t stand against drunkenness and adultery and child mutilation and gender confusion. It’s all about love and acceptance. 

These churches muddy up God’s word. They selectively choose what verses to preach and which to ignore. Their congregants are mostly comprised of nonbelievers who think they’re saved and spiritually weak babes in Christ who are stunted because they are being fed nothing but spiritual milk week after week. 

These churches don’t shine as a beacon of light in a dark world. 

It’s so important that the house of God not be a place where the struggles of people are capitalized on.

So… now that we know what the house of God was designed to be and what it isn’t designed to be, let’s look back at Samuel and Eli’s sons to determine what is to be gained if we grow in the house of the Lord properly and what is to be lost if we don’t.

WHAT WAS TO BE GAINED BY GROWING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

1 Samuel 3:19–20

The word grow there means to advance, exceed, and excel. Samuel advanced and excelled in his relationship with the Lord as he continued to grow in the house of the Lord. The Bible sayings that “none of his words fell to the ground”. What does this mean? This meant that everything that Samuel ever prophesied from God came true. 

Samuel was so in tune with God that God revealed things to Him for him to prophesy to the Jews. Samuel did this faithfully, and it all came true as God had said. Samuel’s track record was flawless, and all Israel took note.

What importance does this hold for us today? When you grow in Christ, people will notice and God will be glorified. 

When you get to a place where you are communing with God, and he with you, your life will change. The house of the Lord becomes a place you want to be more and more. You will begin to grow and excel spiritually, as Samuel did. 

 Till the day that He takes  us from this earth, God is in the process of refining and restoring us. He calls us to task. He corrects us. He blesses us. He molds us. Doesn’t matter if you’re 8 or 80. He tirelessly works in our lives to bring us closer to him. 

As you grow in Christ, it becomes evident. You don’t go to the same places you used to. You don’t take pleasure in the same things. You don’t think the same way, talk the same way, act the same way. There is noticeable change in your life. You want to get a feel for how close you are to God? Look at your life a year ago and see how you’ve grown in your walk with Him. 

• What trials have you relied on Him for?
•  What people have you ministered to in His Name, telling them about the power of God working in you?
• What baggage, guilt, or regret have you given to Him to take care of, not content to let it rule in your life anymore?
• What new challenge or opportunity have you stepped out on in faith, trusting in Him to guide and direct?

If you can’t think of anything, then the next point applies to you specifically. It is the warning given to us all in the lives of Eli’s sons. The warning of what is to be if you refuse to grow in Christ and squander the opportunity He gives you. 

WHAT WAS TO BE LOST BY REFUSING TO GROW

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 

28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 

29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 

30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 

33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 

34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

1 Samuel 2:27–34

God essentially told Eli, “I chose your lineage, the lineage of Aaron, to be my priests, but you’ve treated that privilege with contempt and disdain. You haven’t done as I commanded. You’ve given priority to your sons over me, allowing them to live sinfully and riotously. I told Aaron that his lineage would always be my priests, but now, I’m taking a different route. Those who honor me, will I lift up, but those who despise me will I pull down. As punishment, I will end your family line. You’ll no longer be my priest. I’ll raise up someone else. For a sign that this will all come to pass, your sons will die on the same day.”

True enough, this came to pass..

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

1 Samuel 4:10–11

So… what happens when you refuse to grow? You die. Hophni and Phinehas grew up in God’s house physically, but they never grew spiritually. They were dead spiritually long before they were physically slain on the battlefield. 

It’s very simple and very cut and dry. There are only 3 categories in life. 

1. Things that are growing.
2. Things that are deteriorating.
3. Things that are dead.

We see this across the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms of life. 

• A person’s bones grow and strengthen until one day they reach a peak, then, with time they begin to deteriorate.
• A person’s brain grows as they learn and develop, then it reaches a peak. Then, with time, memory and function deteriorate.
• Relationships wax and wane. Some people grow closer to each other and others grow apart from each other. Sometimes passion grows and sometimes it deteriorates. 
• If you’ve never been saved you are spiritually dead. When you accept Christ and walk with him, you begin to grow. As a saved person, when you pull away from Christ and make the decision to live for yourself, you damage and deteriorate that spiritual relationship.

APPLICATION FOR US TODAY

Are we growing in the house of the Lord today? It’s a continual process. As the year comes to an end, I want you to reflect on how God has used you this year. How have you allowed yourself to be used by Him? Are there opportunities that you have squandered?  How is this church? Are we seeking to grow physically? Are we seeking to grow spiritually? What is the evidence of that in our lives and in our church? Are people being called to task? Is growth taking place?  Are we comfortable where we are at, or are we seeking more?

You don’t have to turn there, but I want you to briefly think on the events of 1 Samuel 3.  Samuel didn’t have rest in the house of the Lord. He laid down to sleep and the Lord called Him.

1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

1 Samuel 3:1–4 (KJV 1900)

Of course, if you know the story, you know that Samuel originally thinks its Eli but later comes to find that the Lord is calling Him. 

I want to pull that example out and look at it a bit differently. I read this passage, and God brought a thought to my mind.  Something for the church to hear. 

Samuel grew up in the house of the Lord. He knew the sounds of the prayers and the cymbals and the offerings and everything else. It was his home. It was a place of work and a place of rest.  There came a day though to where, when he tried to sleep in the house of the Lord, the Lord awoke him.

Are you asleep today in the house of the Lord?

I want you to think about it spiritually. And this question applies to unbelievers and believers alike. Babes in Christ and Giants in Christ alike. Are you asleep?  When’s the last time you got so burdened, and God spoke into your life in such an evident way, where you just had to respond? You couldn’t continue to sleep. You couldn’t continue to be stagnant. You couldn’t be content to do what you’d always done. You had to get up and move. You had to get up and seek an answer for God’s call in your life.

I’m afraid today Christians by and large have gone to sleep in the Lord’s house. They’re here, but they’re not listening. Part of it has to do with preachers not preaching, but there’s a whole ‘nother section that solely relates to church folk content to be stuck in the spiritual mud. 

Our pulpits and our congregations smolder when they should be aflame with the power and might of God moving and working!

It’s incredible to me sometimes how Satan manages to worm his way into the Lord’s house here in America and prowl among the sleeping sheep. In the new age contemporary church, he wraps everyone up in emotionalism.  He gets them hooked on milky inspirational Ted talk sermons and lightshow productions and feel-good fellowship. Church becomes a social cult devoid of the Holy Spirit, fueled by flashy music and catchy sermon slogans.

We’re quick to judge the Seacoasts and the Hillsongs and the NewSprings of the world, but we forget how Satan worms his way into our conservative traditionalist churches. He wraps us up in our traditionalism and our pride of “we’ve always done this”. We come to worship the legacy and the history of our churches, rather than the Creator who ordained them. We grow comfortable with our order of service, our music, our fellowship meals, and our faithful few. We don’t seek to really grow, expand, and challenge ourselves because, if we’re honest, we like how it is because that’s how it’s always been.

Whether we like to hear it or not, the only thing that has to remain constant is the Word of God being preached with conviction and power. Everything else is variable to a degree of change, and THAT’S OKAY.

Hold up Sam, doesn’t the Bible say in Jeremiah 6:16 to cling to the old paths?

The verse says

Thus saith the Lord: “Stand ye in the highways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk therein.’

Jeremiah 6:16

The path that is being walked there refers to the teachings of the Lord. That verse is talking about Jerusalem not departing from the Word of God. It’s not talking about mode of dress. It’s not talking about whether we can have drums in the sanctuary or sing contemporary music and hymns in the same service. It’s not talking about social media campaigns versus door knockers, or live streams versus recordings. 

It’s the same path (the statutes and judgements) mentioned in Malachi 4:4

Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Malachi 4:4

I struggled with what the old paths meant for a long time. I grew up in a hardcore traditional church. Only hymns. Fellowship meal once a month. You were highly encouraged to wear a red shirt and black pants at the Christmas cantata every year if you were singing in the adult choir. It was steeped in tradition. When the pastor of 20+ years retired a new pastor came in, the new pastor didn’t cling to the old paths. He didn’t seek God’s voice each week in his sermons as the men who’d come before him had. He ripped other men’s sermons off the Internet and passed them off as his own.

When my family found out, a fallout ensued, and we eventually left the church.  There were those who stayed though. People who knew of the transgressions, but who were too comfortable to make a change.  Too comfortable to rock that boat. It was more important to do what they’d always done than it was to make sure they were spiritually growing.

They were spiritually asleep. As a result, the church is all but dead now. The growth has stagnated. The people come, but the challenge isn’t there. It’s sad. 

We came to a new church that had that challenge after we left. That church also had youth worship, and drums, and a website and branded merch. I was a bit confused. In my traditionalist background, I’d always associated those things with weak new age churches. However, the Lord showed me differently.  He showed me that the heart of ministry and worship relies in how the people call out, cry out, and rely on the Lord, not on the externals. 

Is that what we’re doing? IS THAT REALLY WHAT WE’RE DOING?

God has blessed His church abundantly. He’s given churches financial opportunities. He’s given his churches local opportunity. He’s rooted us in solid doctrine and Biblical background. Are we utilizing all of this? Are we doing our part to grow? 

• What does our church look like this time next year? Are there more people, are there stronger relationships, are there new ministries and dreams and goals?
• How will your personal walk with Christ look? Are you taking steps now to propel yourself forward in that walk? Will evidence of growth be present?

It’s important that we grow as believers. There is a very real spiritual war that is happening all around us. We are a pivotal part of the battle, yet many of us go day to day ignorant of it. 

• We think some crazy liberal teacher is responsible for the gender confusion in our school classroom.
• We think some wicked media celebrity is responsible for the sexual and profane filth that’s in our movies and music.
• We think that some corrupt politician is responsible for laws that drive racial divisions deeper in our country, and stokes tensions and wars in our world
• It goes much deeper than that.
• Choose today to shake off that ignorance and take the next step you need to take in your walk with Christ. It’s so important that we continually grow, so that we’re better equipped to fight against the devices and wiles of Satan.

If you don’t know who Christ is, the Bible says that today is the day of salvation. 

• There’s no such thing as being too far gone.  
• God can wake you up today spiritually. 
• You can know today that you are saved and that you have new and eternal life in the Savior Christ Jesus. If you feel that calling in your heart right now, don’t hesitate. 
• Contact me. We can go through what salvation is. You can accept Christ today. 

If you are saved, Make a commitment today to growth. 

• Make it a prayer in your life that God wakes you up as he did Samuel. 
• Heed to the warning given to us in the life of Eli and his sons
• As the old year comes to a close, I’m praying that even now that God would begin to burden us and challenge us, both individually and collectively, for what 2025 will hold.