From “In the Beginning” to Amen // The Slide Towards the Casual

God is Holy, Not Ordinary

Isaiah 6:3 (ESV)

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts…”

Leviticus 10:3 (ESV)

“Among those who are near me I will be sanctified…”

Proverbs 9:10 (KJV)

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

God is Loving — But Deeply Worthy of Reverence

Casualness Can Lead to Spiritual Drift

Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV)

“God is not mocked…don’t sow to self… be about what He is about.”

Romans 11:22 (ESV)

“Note then the kindness and severity of God…”

The Balance

Irreverence Toward God has Serious Consequences

The Lord’s Presence - The Attack on Ai and the Defeat

Joshua 7:10-12 (NIV)

“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.’”

1 Samuel 4 (ESV)

“By the time of Samuel the Ark had become an amulet and was used casually as a good omen or good luck charm and God let’s it be taken.”

The Lord’s Portion - Achan’s Sin

Joshua 7:1 (NIV)

“But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.”

The Lord’s Counsel - The Gibeonites

Joshua 9:14-15 (NIV)

“The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.- it all looked right so they forgot to ask God for his counsel.”

James 1:5 (NLT)

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”

The Lord’s Name - Commandment

Exodus 20:7 (NLT)

“You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.”

The Lord’s Word - Every Word is God- Breathed and Useful

The Lord’s Church - His Body - His Representation

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // The Slide Towards the Casual // Tim Lovell // March 29th, 2026