Promise of Life Church Podcast

Episode: Don't Be A Sleeping Chicken Pt. 1 – Know God & Resist!

Speaker: Pastor Craig Field
Date: August 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This message, delivered by Pastor Craig Field at Promise of Life Church, centers on the urgent need for Christians to wake from spiritual slumber, develop intimate knowledge of God, and actively resist the schemes of the enemy. Pastor Craig uses a humorous but profound personal story about being a “professional chicken catcher” to illustrate how easily believers can become complacent, spiritually asleep, and vulnerable to the devil’s subtle attacks. The sermon challenges the congregation to assess their spiritual motives, prioritize genuine relationship with God, and resist religious routine and lethargic Christianity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Chicken Catcher Story: A Parable for the Modern Church

• [03:30 – 15:50]

• Pastor Craig shares an amusing story from Bible school days when he worked for a night as a “professional chicken catcher.”
• The job involved sneaking into a warehouse full of sleeping chickens, carefully catching them without waking the flock—otherwise, chaos ensued.
• Pastor Craig relates this scenario to the spiritual state of many Christians:

“He said, ‘My church are just like those chickens. They’re sleeping, they’re all cozy. And the devil is just like you were—he comes in nice and quiet, sly, cunning...he will turn your life upside down while you’re still sleeping.’” [17:13]

• The point: Being spiritually “asleep” makes the church easy prey for the enemy who moves subtly and cunningly.

2. Scriptural Exhortation: Be Sober, Be Vigilant

• [28:00 – 35:45]

• Pastor Craig turns to 1 Peter 5:8-9:
  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith...”
• “Be sober” means don’t allow anything to dull your spiritual senses—alcohol, complacency, or comfort.
• “Be vigilant” literally means to stay awake and alert. Spiritual lethargy makes us easy targets.
• Pastor Craig emphasizes:

“The sleeping chicken is not alert...that’s why the enemy can come in and turn their life upside down. But if you are awake, he can’t, because you see him coming.” [33:45]

• Steadfast resistance—actively pushing back against the enemy—is essential.

3. The Foundation: Knowing God Personally

• [37:16 – 55:40]

• Daniel 11:32 – “But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
• John 17:3 – “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”
• Genuine strength and spiritual exploits come from knowing God personally—not through secondhand knowledge or religious duty.
• Pastor Craig unpacks the Hebrew & Greek meanings:

“That word ‘know’ means to ascertain by personal observation—being in the same room, learning firsthand. You don’t really know someone from a distance or by reputation.” [44:10]

• Spending time with God (daily prayer, studying the Word, worship) is how believers know Him, not just through church attendance.

4. Motives: Why Do You Seek God?

• [1:16:40 – 1:34:20]

• Pastor Craig challenges listeners to interrogate their spiritual motives:

“What is your motive? Are you at church because it’s your religious duty or do you actually want to know Him?” [1:23:00]

• Recounts personal and pastoral experiences where people’s actions (attendance, participation) revealed their true hunger or lack thereof for God.
• Shares the “attic moment” in India, where God tested his willingness to serve with nothing:

“Will you preach for me if you have nothing? ... And I said with tears in my eyes, ‘Yes, Lord, I will.’ That’s a motive moment—every Christian needs one.” [1:34:20]

• Outlines how God’s blessing follows right motives but warns against pursuing God for what He can give rather than for who He is.

5. Spiritual Lethargy vs. Spiritual Fire: Practical Application

• [1:36:10 – 1:50:00]

• Spiritual alertness is demonstrated by daily habits: waking up early to pray, prioritizing time with God, participating fully in church life.
• Stresses the importance of “checking your spiritual temperature,” refusing to settle for a Sunday-morning-only routine.

“If you really want to know him, you’ll be here every time the doors are open...If you really want to know him, it’ll show up in what you do in the mornings.” [1:41:15]

• Cautions: “Don’t get offended—check your heart. If you’re not seeking him, you’re drifting into religious sleep.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Chicken Parable:
  • “The devil will turn your life upside down while you’re still sleeping...He’ll put you in prison and send you to the slaughterhouse.” [17:45]
• On Genuine Knowledge:
  • “This is life eternal, that we may know Him. Everything you do, you must weigh it against that: does this help me know Him?” [54:10]
• On Motives and Sacrifice:
  • “If you really want to know Him, you’ll be up before your alarm, longing to talk to Him. Is He your everything?” [1:21:05]
• Testing the Motive (Attic Story):
  • “If you never have anything—will you still preach for me?...And I said with tears, ‘I will serve you and preach if I never have anything.’” [1:34:35]
• On Wakefulness:
  • “Do you want to be a sleeping chicken, or do you want to walk in the strength of those who know God and do exploits?” [1:48:25]

Key Scriptural References

• 1 Peter 5:8-9 – The call to vigilance and sober-minded resistance. [28:00]
• Daniel 11:32 – Strength and exploits flow from knowing God. [37:16]
• John 17:3 – The essence and goal of eternal life: knowing God. [53:10]
• Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first the kingdom...” is referenced throughout.
• Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous”—applied to spiritual resistance.

Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening and Chicken Catcher Story: [00:00–18:00]
• Lesson from the Chicken Parable: [18:00–28:00]
• Exhortation from 1 Peter & Spiritual Resistance: [28:00–37:00]
• Knowing God: Daniel 11 & John 17: [37:16–55:40]
• Motives, Duty vs. Desire, and “Motive Moments”: [1:16:40–1:34:35]
• Practical Application & Final Challenge: [1:36:10–1:50:00]
• Closing Prayer and Impartation: [1:50:00–end]

Summary: The Core Challenge

Pastor Craig’s message is both humorous and deeply convicting. Using the vivid metaphor of the sleeping chickens, he urges believers:

• WAKE UP: Refuse spiritual lethargy. Don’t let the enemy catch you sleeping!
• KNOW GOD: Make personal intimacy with God your life’s priority—this is the foundation for true spiritual strength.
• RESIST ACTIVELY: Don’t just “let life happen.” Be vigilant, and steadfastly oppose every work of the enemy.
• CHECK YOUR MOTIVES: Are you doing spiritual things out of routine, or is there a genuine, burning desire to know God behind your actions?
• LET IT SHOW: Your pursuit of God should be evident in your daily choices, not just your Sunday attendance.
• REMEMBER: Out of knowing Him comes the strength to resist—religion, complacency, sin, and all of the devil’s strategies.

Final Encouragement from Pastor Craig:
“Knowing Him is everything—it is life eternal...Let fire rage again! Let them have a love and a hunger to know you as they did when they were first saved. Because knowing you is everything.” [1:54:00]