Hear "I Am" | Robert Madu | Social Dallas

Summary

Podcast Summary

Social Dallas Podcast

Episode: Hear "I Am" | Robert Madu
Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Social Dallas Church, Pastor Robert Madu

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Robert Madu continues the "Still Still" series, focusing on the theme of silence, solitude, and learning to recognize the voice of God. Drawing from 1 Samuel 3 and the story of young Samuel, Pastor Madu teaches on the importance of intentional quiet, spiritual discipline, and positioning oneself close to God's presence. He emphasizes that God is still speaking and desires a relationship with us—and that hearing God’s voice is the birthright of every believer.

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Main Themes & Purpose

• The discipline of silence and solitude amid a noisy world
• Recognizing and discerning the voice of God
• The importance of being “in the right place” (both spiritually and physically)
• Learning from Samuel’s first encounter with God
• Responding in obedience when God speaks

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Intro & Series Framing: Trust and Stillness

• Scripture Foundation—Hebrews 10:35–37 and 1 Samuel 3:1–10
• Annual theme for Social Dallas: “Trust”
• The necessity for Christians to balance loudness in worship with the discipline of stillness:

  “Maturity knows how to be loud in a crowd, but also how to retreat in solitude, in silence. Because there are some things that God can only do in your life when you get still.” (01:15, Lead Pastor)

• Notable quote on quiet:

  “Make time for quiet moments, for the world is loud. And God often whispers.” (05:12, Lead Pastor)

• The loudness of the modern world challenges our attention, making intentional quietness and focus essential.

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2. The Nature of God’s Communication

• God desires to speak to us

  • He is not withholding guidance; He is a “good, good father.”
  • Hearing God's voice is foundational to relationship:

    “Every relationship is predicated upon trust and communication. And you have a God that desires a relationship with you and he wants to talk to you.” (10:52, Lead Pastor)

  • Reference to John 10:27—Jesus: “My sheep hear my voice” (11:31)

• Familiarity breeds recognition:

  • Historical context: Shepherds and sheep distinguish their shepherd’s call, even among many.
  • Pastor Madu: “When my shepherd calls, I know where to go.” (12:30, Assistant Pastor)

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3. Samuel’s Story—Learning to Hear God

The Background:

• Samuel, whose name means "God Heard," is the child of Hannah, who demonstrates unwavering commitment by dedicating Samuel to God after years of barrenness and earnest prayer. (15:44–18:15)

  “Commitment is staying loyal to what you said you would do long after the feeling you said it in has left you.” (18:11, Lead Pastor)

• Samuel grows up amidst both the beauty and the brokenness of religious life:

  • Witnesses both reverence and hypocrisy (Eli’s corrupt sons, Hophni and Phinehas)
  • Key insight: Proximity to flawed people must not cause abandonment of divine assignment.

    “He does not allow his proximity to the imperfection of people to make him abandon his assignment in the house of the Lord.” (21:03, Lead Pastor)

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4. The Importance of Staying Planted

• Consistency and spiritual rootedness matter more than chasing “church experiences”:

  “We have a generation that doesn’t know how to stay planted in a place long enough to actually hear God speak.” (21:40, Lead Pastor)

  • “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish.” (23:00, Assistant Pastor)

• Word Play: "Here I Am"

  • “Here I am” (location) vs. “Hear, I am” (vocation/personhood)—a play on how stillness enables hearing the “I Am” of God.

  “The reason some of you can never hear I Am is because you never say, ‘Here I am.’” (25:05, Assistant Pastor)

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5. Positioning for God’s Voice

“Get in the right place” (27:59–29:50)

• Samuel is close to God’s presence ("the lamp of God," near the ark), while Eli is distant.

• Contrast: Samuel is near the presence, Eli is described as blind and lying in his "own place"—a spiritual metaphor for drift and dulled spiritual senses.

• Modern application:

  “Are you lying down in the right place? Are you lying down in your own place or his place or her place? And you’re not married and you’re wondering why you don’t have clarity.” (31:27, Lead Pastor)

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6. Learning to Discern God’s Voice

• It’s learned, not instant: Even Samuel mistakes God’s call for Eli’s voice; it’s a process to discern God (34:08–36:51).

• Seven primary ways God speaks:

  1. Scripture (most foundational; God’s Word never contradicts itself. (37:05, Lead Pastor))

     “Some of you are waiting for a voice when he already gave you a verse.” (37:01, Assistant Pastor)

  2. The Holy Spirit

     “Sometimes you just get an impression, a nudge.” (37:45, Lead Pastor)

  3. Prayer (not just monologue; listen for reply, not just petition)
  4. Stillness
  5. Circumstances (open or closed doors)
  6. Dreams and visions (not every dream, but God can use them)
  7. Godly counsel—having authoritative voices to help discern
  • Spiritual Authority: Even flawed leaders like Eli can help recognize God’s activity in your life.
    • Story of Pastor Jude Fuquay prophesying over Madu’s future church—example of God using others to bring clarity. (40:34–41:48)

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7. Responding: Obedience Is Essential

• It’s not enough to hear God; you must act.

  • Samuel’s first assignment as prophet is difficult: relaying a message of judgment to Eli.

    “The reason some of you haven’t heard the voice of God is because you didn’t do the last thing that he told you to do.” (45:37, Lead Pastor)

• Responding in obedience opens more of God’s voice; disobedience brings silence or stagnation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Make time for quiet moments, for the world is loud. And God often whispers.” (05:12, Lead Pastor)
• “God does not have a problem speaking. We have a problem getting still to listen.” (12:51, Lead Pastor)
• “Commitment is staying loyal to what you said you would do long after the feeling you said it in has left you.” (18:11, Lead Pastor)
• “You want to recognize his voice? Before hearing the voice comes being in the right place.” (25:58, Lead Pastor)
• “Some of you are waiting for a voice when he already gave you a verse.” (37:01, Assistant Pastor)
• “He is more committed to you hearing his voice than you are.” (43:39, Lead Pastor)
• “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Not speak, I’m listening. Speak, Lord, your servant. He understands who’s in charge.” (44:07, Lead Pastor)

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• Intro & Theme (“Trust”): 00:00–04:30
• The Call to Stillness & Quiet: 05:12–10:07
• God Desires to Speak: 10:07–13:00
• Samuel’s Background & Commitment: 15:44–18:15
• On Consistency & Staying Planted: 21:26–23:09
• “Here I Am” vs. “Hear, I Am”: 24:21–25:58
• Get in the Right Place: 27:59–31:00
• Learning to Discern God’s Voice: 34:08–36:51
• 7 Ways God Speaks: 37:05–40:04
• The Role of Spiritual Authority: 40:04–42:12
• Responding in Obedience: 45:37–47:00
• Altar Call & Response: 51:50–54:36

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Conclusion & Call to Action

Pastor Madu closes by challenging listeners to genuinely posture themselves in quiet and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” He reminds that God is more committed to our hearing than we are, but our job is to get still, remain rooted, and respond in obedience.

“Hearing your voice is the birthright of every believer.” (main point)

To truly hear “I Am,” God’s self-revelation, requires that we consistently say, “Here I am”—making ourselves available, humble, and responsive.

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TL;DR

This episode urges believers to reduce the noise of life, discipline themselves in stillness and solitude, and position themselves close to God’s presence in order to recognize and respond to His voice. Pastor Robert Madu teaches from Samuel’s journey in hearing God, shares practical ways God speaks, and emphasizes that action and obedience unlock deeper spiritual communication. God is waiting to speak; our role is to say, “Here I am.”

Transcript

[Lead Pastor]

Every single year, we start off with a word. And our word this year is trust. And it's not a random word. It comes straight out of scripture. Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 35 through 37. We declare this every single Sunday as a family. So let's read it together. Y' all ready? Come on. Do you like who you're standing next to? If you don't change your seat. You got time. You got time. Come on. Don't go until I say so, all right? So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised for in just a little while. The coming one will come and not delay. If you're glad about it, clap your hands. The coming one will come and not delay. Remain standing. We're gonna jump into our text for today. Last week, we kicked off a series called Still Still. It's a series on silence and solitude. And I kind of set the pace and the trajectory of this series last week to let you know that although we're a church that loves to get loud, I mean, we will turn all the way up. Maturity knows how to be loud in a crowd, but also how to retreat in solitude, in silence. Because there are some things that God can only do in your life when you get still. The psalmist writes, be and know that I am God. And it's not enough to just come around God if you don't get alone with God. And so we're learning the discipline. And it is a discipline of silence and solitude. And so I want to add another layer to that today. And look at 1 Samuel, chapter 3, verses 1 through 10. First Samuel, chapter 3. Samuel's. In the Old Testament, if you got a Bible, would you just kind of wave it in the air like you just do care? Amen. If you don't got a Bible, we will give you one for free. $99 at the Connect tent or go to a hotel. Check the second drawer on the right. You need a physical Bible. And we'll start at verse number one. And it says now, the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no frequent vision at that time. Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, here I am. And ran to Eli and said, here I am, for you called me. But he said, I did not call. Lie down again. So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again Samuel. And Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, here I am, for you called me. But he said, boy, I did not

[Assistant Pastor]

call you, my son.

[Lead Pastor]

Lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again, the third time. How many are thankful for a God that will keep on calling you and calling you and calling you Even when you won't pick up the phone, he'll call you and call you. And he arose and went to Eli and said, look, look, here I am. You called me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, go, lie down. And if he calls you, you shall say, speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood calling, as at other times, samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said, speak, for your servant is listening. Can you say amen? That's good stuff. That is good stuff. I want to tag a title to this text and just say what Samuel said when he first heard his name called. Here I am. Here I am. Would you look at your neighbor, Whichever one you like the best. Come on, get in their face. Get in their personal space. This is good for your soul. Talk to them. Say, neighbor, here I am. Look at your other neighbor and say, other neighbor. This word is for you. Here I am. If you believe God's gonna speak, give him some praise at the Texas Trust Theater. Father, thank you that you speak. Speak today. Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Relax, relax. Some of yalls feet were hurt. I could tell by your face. Here. Here I am. If you were to leave service today and go to my office at the Social Dallas headquarters, you would probably notice that I don't have any words or phrases on my office walls. I'm not sure what that design style is called. Maybe it's word art. I'm not a big fan of that. I don't have like hang in there on my walls with a little picture of a cat holding onto a rope. I don't have anything on my walls that says, live love and laughter. I don't even have. This is gonna mess some of y' all up. Any scripture on my walls in the office. I don't don't judge me. His word is hidden in my heart that I might not sin against him. But I do have one quote that is framed and is placed on my shelf, and I believe that it captures the very heart and the essence of this series still that we're in. And this is what it says. It says, make time for quiet moments, for the world is loud. And God often whispers, make time for quiet moments, for the world is loud. And God often whispers. Social fam. That is our series in one quote right there. Make time for quiet moments, for the world is loud. And God often whispers, first of all, it says, make time for quiet moments. I like that because it's letting you know that quiet moments will not come naturally in your life. You have to be intentional to turn down the noise and get alone with God. That's what this series is about. Remember, we define silence and solitude as intentional quiet time alone with ourselves and with God. And I'm telling you, that is not gonna happen naturally. You have to make time for quiet moments. Why? Because the world is loud. And last week we talked about how loud the world is. How many of you know it has never been as loud as it is right now. It is loud with opinions, loud with news stories, loud with podcasters, loud with newsreels. The world is so loud right now, it's hard to get silence. It's hard to have space. It's hard to have margin. And then when we do get silent space or margin, we immediately feel it by scrolling and looking at our screens and wonder why we can't hear the voice of God. Because the world has become so loud and noisy, and silence is rebellion against the tyranny of a noisy world. Ooh, it's loud. It's so loud that researchers are also showing us right now that the attention span of people is shrinking every single year. It's down to, like, eight seconds now. See, I already lost some of y' all right now. Already lost. You already lost. You shout out to communicators. We have the daunting task of trying. You leaned in because some of you. It's so hard for you to focus. That means the world is not just loud. We've lost our ability to actually lean in and focus for a long period of time because the world is loud. And then the last part of the quote, which is what I want to hone in on today, is God often whispers. Samuel. He whispers. That's critical for us to look at, because once you actually get quiet and get still and get silent, all of a sudden, A new question emerges. And here's the question. How do you recognize the voice of God? How do you recognize the voice of God? Like, how do you know when God is talking to you? How do you know? Because how many know? A lot of people say, God told me. God told me to tell you. And you listen to what they said. It's like, ain't no way God told you that right there. How do you know when God is talking to you? That's what I want us to consider today. Before we even jump into how we recognize the voice of God, we first have to start with this. You have to settle this in your spirit and know that God actually wants to speak to you. That's actually the first step to recognizing God's voice is first having the belief that you serve a God that desires to talk to you.

[Assistant Pastor]

Did you know this about your God?

[Lead Pastor]

That he wants to communicate with you? God is not playing a mystical game of hide and go seek. He's not trying to say, yeah, let me see her squirming. She not going to know my will. Yeah, look at her sweating. She ain't going to get it. Look at him. He don't know what the next step is. You should have prayed more last night.

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm going to hide my.

[Lead Pastor]

That is not the nature and the

[Assistant Pastor]

character of our God. He is a good, good father and

[Lead Pastor]

he wants to communicate. He wants to give you his plans.

[Assistant Pastor]

He wants to show you who your real boo is, wants to show you what door he wants to open. He has good thoughts towards you, a plan to give you a hope and a future.

[Lead Pastor]

Feel like preaching?

[Assistant Pastor]

That's the first step, is knowing that

[Lead Pastor]

God actually wants to communicate with you. We have a God that loves to talk to you. Every relationship is predicated upon trust and communication. And you have a God that desires a relationship with you and he wants to talk to you. You. I feel like preaching today. That's why every once in a while you got to dial 3 3, 3, Jeremiah 33, 3. Call to me, God says, and I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know. He said it best. Let's look at what Jesus words are. This is what Jesus said. He said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Don't miss that. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Jesus is connecting your identity to your ability to hear him. He said, if you are truly my

[Assistant Pastor]

sheep, here's one of the blues clues that I know you will hear my

[Lead Pastor]

voice and you Will follow me. That is a part of your identity as a believer is being able to hear the voice of God. I know it's been a while since you've been around some sheep, so let me tell you the context of that verse. Often shepherds would have their sheep herding and grazing rather at the same place. And so you had all these shepherds and here they are talking and all the sheep are getting mingled all together and all of a sudden you can see them and almost panic and say, hold on, how are these sheep going to get back to their shepherd? But don't panic because those sheep have spent so much time with their shepherd that as soon as each one of those shepherds give the distinctive call to those sheep, every single one of them know who their shepherd is. And they would go right back to their sheep. That's why I can graze and talk to anybody.

[Assistant Pastor]

But when my shepherd calls, I know where to go.

[Lead Pastor]

When he call, I know his voice. I know when he's speaking to me. My sheep hear my voice. And a stranger they will. Not my sheep.

[Assistant Pastor]

Not just the pastor, not just the prophet, not just super spiritual people, sheep,

[Lead Pastor]

ordinary sheep have the ability to hear the voice of the shepherd. So God does not have a problem speaking. We have a problem getting still to listen. Brings me to my text today in 1st Samuel chapter 3. This is an incredible moment in scripture. We read it earlier and I could tell when I was reading it you weren't really feeling the weight of what I was reading. Because when you are reading 1st Samuel chapter 3, understand, you are getting to eavesdrop into a conversation that Samuel, the very first prophet of Israel is having where he is learning how to hear the voice of God for the very first time. Think about the weight of that. The first prophet of Israel we're getting to read the moment that he's just a 12 year old boy, as some scholars say, and he is learning how to hear the voice of God, y'. All. This is like watching LeBron shoot a basketball for the very first time. This is like watching Lauryn Hill hit a run for the very first time before the. Y' all ain't saved. How you know that part?

[Assistant Pastor]

Can you imagine hearing her sing before that famous run? That's actually the moment that we're looking at in scripture.

[Lead Pastor]

We are listening and watching the first prophet of Israel learn how to hear the voice of God, the one who will pick out the next king of Israel. We're watching him learn how to do it. How many of you know we all have the Right. To hear God's voice. But if you are a prophet, come on, somebody. That is your only job description.

[Assistant Pastor]

You got one job when you're a prophet.

[Lead Pastor]

Well, really, too.

[Assistant Pastor]

Hear from the Lord and then boldly

[Lead Pastor]

declare what thus saith the Lord. And we're watching Samuel do it for the very first time. And I find it intriguing that as he is learning to hear the voice of God, something that he will do for the rest of his life, he does not learn in an atmosphere of noise, chaos, and activity. He learns in an environment of silence, of solitude, and in being still. Before I really give you the breakdown, let's get the background of his life. Samuel's name translates to mean God heard. So God heard is learning how to hear God. Why in the world would a parent named their child God Heard? Well, his mama is Hannah. That's his mama. She was married to a man named Elkinah. And this dude needs some serious prayer because he had two wives. Yes, Hannah and Peninnah. He's already messed up because the Bible says no man can serve two masters. So the brother's already in a bad spot. Come on, somebody.

[Assistant Pastor]

Two wives.

[Lead Pastor]

Anyway. And Peninnah, one of his wives, is

[Assistant Pastor]

able to produce children.

[Lead Pastor]

She popping them out every year. And Hannah is unable to have children. And Peninnah is, you know, nice, nasty. She's picking on Hannah because she's not able to have kids.

[Assistant Pastor]

Talking about, whoo, girl, this fourth child is really kicking.

[Lead Pastor]

You know how it is. Oh, you don't know how it is.

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm sorry.

[Lead Pastor]

And all of a sudden, there is friction in this household, and it makes

[Assistant Pastor]

Hannah start crying out to God, saying,

[Lead Pastor]

God, please give me a son.

[Assistant Pastor]

God, please give me a child. Have you ever been at a place where you are crying out to God for desp. With desperation, need.

[Lead Pastor]

This is where Hannah is.

[Assistant Pastor]

One time, she was crying out to

[Lead Pastor]

God with so much desperation that Eli, the priest, was watching her from a distance pray, and he thought the girl was drunk.

[Assistant Pastor]

You know, you praying with desperation when somebody just watching you from the distance thinks you are drunk.

[Lead Pastor]

That means she was not praying like this. No, no, No.

[Assistant Pastor]

I mean everything within her saying, God, please hear my cry, open up my

[Lead Pastor]

womb and give me a child. Because she wasn't afraid to get desperate with her prayer. God answered her prayer. And all of a sudden, she has a baby boy.

[Assistant Pastor]

Whoo.

[Lead Pastor]

And because God heard, she named him God Heard. Here's what's interesting. She makes a vow to God as she's crying out to God, she says, if you will Give me a son. I promise I'm gonna give him back to you. You ever prayed that prayer? Oh, God, I promise, if you just give me a job, please, I'm gonna tithe. I'll be in church every Sunday. God, please just open up a door. Ooh, God, I pray. If you would just give me the

[Assistant Pastor]

man of my dreams. I promise you, Lord, I'm gonna lift both hands in worship. I usually do one, but, God, I promise I'll do two. And it's easy to say that in

[Lead Pastor]

the moment, but then when God does it, isn't it funny how we forget our commitment? That is not Hannah. Hannah made a vow and she kept it. She had something. Ooh, I said it earlier. It's a cuss word today. Don't clip this. Don't judge me. Here it is. Commitment. That's what she had, commitment. Here's what a definition of commitment is. Commitment means this commitment is staying loyal to what you said you would do long after the feeling you said it in has left you.

[Assistant Pastor]

So she didn't say, God, give me a son. I promise I'll give him back to you. And then have the son. Would say, well, God, you know my heart.

[Lead Pastor]

I mean, come on. This is my child. No, no, no, no, Hannah. Scholars would say at 5 years old, takes Samuel to the temple and drops him off and dedicates him to the service of the Lord and leaves y'. All. This ain't no baby dedication. This is Take My Child. And can you imagine dropping your child off at church and leaving and only coming to see them once a year? Some of y', all, like, don't tip me with a good time. Have you seen my child? Don't do that. She had drops him off, comes back once a year to see him. And look at little Sammy. He is literally growing up in the house of the Lord. Growing up and seeing the beauty of the house of the Lord. Growing up as a little kid and images in his mind of watching people come with their sacrifices from far away to sacrifice to the Lord. As a little kid, he can see sandals moving on stone floors. Watching the sacrifice and the reverence. He can see the incense going up. He's watching the priestly duties. He is seeing the beauty of the house of the Lord, but he's also seeing the brokenness in the house of the Lord. He's seeing it all. He doesn't just see the reverence. He also sees the hypocrisy, the hypocrisy of the priest. Eli's sons. Hophni And Phineas. Yeah. They were in the house of the Lord. And they were in the house of the Lord. The Bible says they would take the sacrifices from the people and they would fatten themselves with it. They were corrupt, they were evil, they were wicked. They would sleep with the women right there at the temple. Sleep with them. And here they are supposed to be set apart and be priests. They had lost what some people have lost today. The fear of the Lord, the reverence of the Lord.

[Assistant Pastor]

Oh, it's not just Hofni and Phineas.

[Lead Pastor]

We see it today in church.

[Assistant Pastor]

Isn't it crazy how some people don't have the fear. Fear of the Lord?

[Lead Pastor]

On the serve team in sexual sin,

[Assistant Pastor]

sleeping around didn't come to church to get blessed. You coming to church to scope out,

[Lead Pastor]

to see who you can get with.

[Assistant Pastor]

Isn't it crazy? On staff in sexual sin. This is Hophni and Phineas. And God says, I will not sit back. I'm gonna judge them because they've lost

[Lead Pastor]

their fear and their reverence of me. I know you can't say amen, but people don't talk much when they're going through surgery. And so here is Samuel, seeing the beauty in the house of God and seeing the hypocrisy in the house of God for people that have lost their reverence and the fear of the Lord. But here's what I love about Samuel. He does not allow his proximity to the imperfection of people to make him abandon his assignment in the house of the Lord. Even though he has close proximity not just to the beauty, but to the brokenness of people, he does not allow that to make him abandon his assignment.

[Assistant Pastor]

He still shows up. He's still in the house of the Lord.

[Lead Pastor]

He's still seeking God's presence in spite

[Assistant Pastor]

of seeing all kinds of mess. He says, as for me and my house, I'm gonna serve the Lord. They've lost their fear. They've lost their reverence, but I haven't. Here I am. I'm gonna keep showing up. I'm gonna keep being in my spot. I'm gonna keep lifting up my hands. I'm gonna keep giving my. I'm gonna keep worshiping. I don't care what the culture does. I haven't lost my fear and my reverence. I'm gonna honor God. He says, here I am. Oh, let me tell you why some of y' all can't clap at that. Because we have a generation that doesn't know how to stay planted in a place long enough to actually hear God. Speak. But sometimes you won't stay in a place so you can hear what God is saying. I wonder if you can't hear. Cause you won't stay here. Please don't mix the message. Now, I'm not saying God can't call you to transition. I'm not saying you can't go to

[Lead Pastor]

another church and leave the right way.

[Assistant Pastor]

God transitions people to other seasons. But I'm talking to those y'. All like you go to three different

[Lead Pastor]

churches at the same time. Well, you know, I like to worship over there. And you know, I like to word over here. You know, PRB preaching. But then, you know, all the Q people go to that church.

[Assistant Pastor]

Can you pick a place and stay planted? No wonder you can't hear from God. You trying to be here and there. And God says, I'll speak to you if you'll stay in your place.

[Lead Pastor]

Why?

[Assistant Pastor]

Because those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in

[Lead Pastor]

the courts of our God.

[Assistant Pastor]

Stay here. Somebody say, here I am. Say it with your chest. Say, here I am. Here I am. When you stay in one place, here's where I am.

[Lead Pastor]

I'm trying to shrink the church today.

[Assistant Pastor]

Pick a place. You ain't gotta be social, but find you a place. Find you a church. Well, I done gone to her. I done something. Mama. If every church you go to, you got a problem with, guess who the problem is. Somebody say, here I am. Here I am. I know I'm tempted to go over there, but I'm gonna stay here.

[Lead Pastor]

And I'm gonna stay here even when I don't feel like it. I'm gonna stay here even when the silence is uncomfortable. I'm gonna stay here even when I get offended because maybe my miracle is on the other side of my offense.

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm gonna stay here even if they look past me. I know God is the one who orders my steps and he knows when

[Lead Pastor]

to get me into a position so

[Assistant Pastor]

I don't have to jockey for it. I don't have to advertise myself. I just stay here and stay available and keep showing up and trust God

[Lead Pastor]

to open a door.

[Assistant Pastor]

Somebody say, here I am. Here I am.

[Lead Pastor]

Here I am. Here, here, here, here, here. I see. I love that because I did something I normally don't do. Did you notice it? Typically, when I tell you my title, I have them put it on the screen. And I love the English language because I said my title was. And some of you, when you heard Here I am, here's what you saw. H E R E here I am. But there's another way to say here I am.

[Assistant Pastor]

Here I am could look like that, but here I am looks like that. One is a location.

[Lead Pastor]

The other one is a vocation.

[Assistant Pastor]

One is a place. The other one is a person. And the reason some of you can never hear I am is because you never say, here I am. Y' all confused. You don't know who I am is. That's the one that when Moses was on the backside of a mountain in silence and in solitude, and he asked God, who am I supposed to tell them sent me? And I can see God looking at Moses going, who do I tell him? I can say I'm a deliverer, but I'm not just a deliverer. I'm a healer. I can say I'm a healer, but I'm not just a healer. I'm a way maker. I can say I'm a way maker, but I'm not just a may waker. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. I am light. I am the bread of life. I am the good Moses. Just tell them I am that I am. I am everything that you need. Somebody say, here I am.

[Lead Pastor]

Yeah, they're connected. They're connected. I can hear I am. If I ever get still long enough and say, here I am. What if you left before he spoke? What if God was clearing his throne, getting ready to give you the direction, the position, and the miracle that you needed, but you got uncomfortable in the stillness, and instead of saying like, Samuel, here I am. You're like, well, there I am. Because there looks better, but you can't hear I am. Do you say, here I am. What is Samuel teaching us as a people who want to learn how to recognize his voice? You want to recognize his voice before hearing the voice comes being in the right place. How do you recognize the voice of God? Number one, you got to get in the right place. Look at your neighbor. Say, get in the right place. Look at your second option. Say second option. Get in the right place. God has a place, and you've got to get in the right place to hear him. What is the place? I'm so glad you asked. Let's look at it. In First Samuel, chapter three, verse number three. You got it. Look at what it says. It says the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down. Where? In the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. In other words, Samuel has positioned himself in the right place. And so when you position yourself in the right place, I'm not chasing the voice of God. The voice of God starts chasing me because I'm in the right place. Well, what is the place? Well, look where it was. It says that the lamp of the Lord had not gone out. That's not like a lamp from Home Goods. That is the candle that was in the holy place, which was next to the courtyard and right outside the Holy of Holies. And that candle, according to Exodus, had to always stay lit. And this is where he is. He's not beyond the veil. Where the Ark of the Covenant was, which represented the presence of God, only the high priest could go there. So he is right outside of it. In other words, he's getting as close as he can to the presence of God. When you get close to his presence, I'm telling you he will speak. That's his place. Are you in the right place to even hear? I'm not just saying come to church. Although that's a part of it sometimes, getting in the house of the Lord. It's the place where you hear one of the best compliments people give me whenever I preach a sermon like pr. Who told you that's exactly what I was going through this week. I love it because. No, when I'm preparing the Word of God, I'm doing everything I can to get in proximity to his presence. So I'm not here giving you kibbles and bits. I'm trying to give you a word from God. I take this so seriously. Do you get in the right place? Are you in the Word of God?

[Assistant Pastor]

You only open it up on Sunday. No wonder you don't hear.

[Lead Pastor]

I'm telling you, as you draw near to his presence, to his presence, which can show up any where, all of a sudden you'll hear him speak. He's in the right place. Get in the right place. You want to hear God's voice? Get in the right place. Which begs the question, where was Eli the priest? Where was he? Samuel's lying down near the presence of God. Where is Eli? Let's look at verse two. It says at that time, Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see. I love the Bible. The Bible is not putting his eyesight on blast just to tell you this man needed a new prescription. Remember what it opened up with? It said, in those days the word of the Lord was rare and there weren't many visions. The reason the Bible is telling you that his eyesight has gotten dim is because what has happened in the natural has also happened in the spiritual. He's lost his vision as a leader. He can't see right anymore. He can't see. That's why he won't correct the blatant spirit sin of his sons and confront them and say, you're wrong. And so he's losing his spiritual sight. Why are you losing your spiritual sight, Eli?

[Assistant Pastor]

Oh, I wonder if it's because of

[Lead Pastor]

where you're lying down. He's lying down in his

[Assistant Pastor]

spiritually blind cuz. You lying in the wrong place. Can I ask you a question?

[Lead Pastor]

I may as well. I'm out here.

[Assistant Pastor]

Where do you lie down?

[Lead Pastor]

Are you lying down in the right place? Are you lying down in your own place or his place or her place? And you're not married and you're wondering why you don't have clarity. Of course you can't discern if they're the one. You've already been sexually intimate. It's quiet in this Presbyterian church today.

[Assistant Pastor]

No wonder you.

[Lead Pastor]

You.

[Assistant Pastor]

You know they're not the one. But you've already been so involved.

[Lead Pastor]

Be careful where you lie down. Eli is blind because he's lying down in his own place. Samuel has the word of God chasing him because he's getting as close to the presence of God as he can. He hears God in the stillness of the night. And because he's laying down in the right place, as close as he can to the presence. Watch what happens as he gets still. Samuel. Here I am. Oh, Eli, he's calling me. Let me go see what he wants. Hey, Eli. Sir, you called me. No, boy, go lie down. Yes, sir. Man, I could have sworn I heard something. Back to my place, close to his presence. Let me get still. Samuel. Here I am, Eli. You called me. Boy, if you wake me up one more time. No, I didn't call you. Go lie down. Yes, sir. I know he losing his sight, but is he losing his mind too?

[Assistant Pastor]

I know I heard him.

[Lead Pastor]

Somebody called me, Samuel. Here I am, Eli. Do you see what's happening? He is confident that he's heard a voice. He just doesn't know the source. He knows he has a call. He just doesn't have clarity about the call. Who am I preaching to today? Does anybody know what it's like to

[Assistant Pastor]

have a call on your life? But you're walking through the hallway of your life just trying to discern God. Is this what you want me to do? Or is this what you want me to do? God, I know you're calling me. I know my time is up at this job. I know that this season here is over. God, I know you're calling me into something else, but I'm trying to discern what's the clarity. You know somebody's calling him. He just doesn't know who.

[Lead Pastor]

And so when you don't know who, you wonder what's familiar. Oh, it's sometimes frustrating and scary to know somebody's calling you, but you don't know who. Anybody. Like me. I'm one of these crazy people. If you call my phone and your

[Assistant Pastor]

number is not saved in my phone, I am not answering that call. If you don't leave a message or text and say who you are, we are never having a conversation. I got to know who calling me.

[Lead Pastor]

So what. What is the Bible teaching us? It's teaching us that not only do you need to get in the right place, the Word will come to you. You also have to learn to discern the voice of God. This is the first prophet of Israel. You would think he would have got it right on the first time. You would think as soon as God said Samuel, he would have gotten up and said, yahweh, thou have callest me, what shall I say? And where shall I go? No. So I'm telling some of y', all, relax. Don't let the enemy beat you up. Cause you're still learning how to hear. You actually have to learn to discern the voice of God. And God, in his goodness and grace, showed us that even the first prophet of Israel had to learn how to discern. It did not come automatic. He had to learn it. Why do you have to learn his voice? Because he can speak through anything. God speaks in surround sound. Here's. Here's some ways God speaks. I want to give you seven things that God will speak through. Number one, he speaks through scripture. There's a reason that's number one on the list. Because the primary way God will speak to you is through His Word. That's why I'm doing everything in my power to help you fall in love with your Bible. We'll give you a free Bible. How many times have you heard me say, read it? When you get to the cause, I want you to read it. God speaks through scripture. Some of you are waiting for a voice when he already gave you a verse.

[Assistant Pastor]

There's some things you don't need a voice for. He gave you a verse.

[Lead Pastor]

Get in the word of God. And while we're on topic, he will never speak something to you that is contradictory to what's in his word. Oh, God said, that's my husband, and he's married to somebody else, the devil is a liar. God said, that's my wife. But. But she married to somebody else, the devil is a liar. What God has joined together, let nobody separate. He ain't gonna tell you something that's contradictory to his word. He speaks through scripture. How else does he speak? He speaks through the Holy Spirit. You put your faith in Jesus, your spirit comes alive. The Holy Spirit is resident in you, and the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. If you get quiet enough, you would actually hear the voice of the Holy Spirit saying, don't take that job. But look at the pay. Don't take that job. Don't go there. Don't hire them. Sometimes you just get an impression, a nudge. Sometimes the Holy Spirit won't give you a piece about something and you'll say, I can't do that. He'll speak through his Holy Spirit. He'll speak through prayer. Sometimes God will speak if you'll stop talking. That's what I'm trying to teach you in this series, to not just have a monologue in prayer, but a dialogue. And after you speak, pause and sit in that silence and let him speak to you. He speaks through stillness. He'll speak through circumstances. Sometimes he'll shut the door, and that's him speaking. And some of y' all have wasted years of your life trying to pry it back open. He shut the door for a reason. Sometimes he'll swing it wide open. Sometimes the door is wide open and you're not supposed to go through it. Which one is it? You have to learn to discern. He'll speak through dreams and visions. Does that mean every dream and every vision is from God? Absolutely not. Sometimes because you had too much Chipotle the night before. Then he'll speak through godly counsel. Godly counsel. I want to know, who do you talk to to discern the will of God? Do you have anybody in your circle that is going after what you're going after that can help you discern God's will? If you're single? I know I'm not a relation series. I may as well just give some nuggets. If you're single, is your crew godly counsel to help you to serve or they just like they cute? You gonna need more than cute to be married and stay married. Godly counsel in community. Some of you have so isolated yourself from godly community, you don't have anybody around you to help you discern. And that is a scary place to be. Voices you trust, not just community, spiritual authority. I prove it in the text. The third time he goes to Samuel. I'm sorry, he goes to Eli.

[Assistant Pastor]

And Eli who is flawed, Eli who has his own issues and who God will judge still the third time perceives,

[Lead Pastor]

wait a minute, something is happening. God is calling you.

[Assistant Pastor]

When you go lie back down.

[Lead Pastor]

Here's what you're supposed to say. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.

[Assistant Pastor]

Eli, even in his flaw, but because

[Lead Pastor]

he had spiritual authority and was in the position, was able to give him

[Assistant Pastor]

a word of direction. Do you have anybody in your life that can give you direction?

[Lead Pastor]

That spiritual authority that can discern? My life has been guided and shaped by so many Eli's who have helped me to discern the word of the Lord. I want to shout one out. Shout out. Pastor Jude Fuquay In 2019, when I was getting in the shape of my life because I felt like I needed to prepare for something. And Pastor Jude saw me in California at a conference and he said, man, you've been working out. I need to get back to my 2019 body. And I was working out. He said, hey man, hold on. This is more than you working out. God is speaking to me. He said, you are pregnant with a local church and in the same way

[Assistant Pastor]

that a mother nests before the baby comes, you are nesting right now and you're getting ready for a church that

[Lead Pastor]

is about to be birthed through you. Then he hit me in my chest

[Assistant Pastor]

and say, I declare that three months from now you will know the name of your baby and you will walk in the fullness of it. I'm so glad he spoke that cuz you sitting in what he spoke in 2019. I'm telling you, you need a prophetic voice. You need somebody with integrity and spiritual authority to speak over your life. Away with this ideology. I don't need anybody to tell me to do anything. I feel like planning the church, I'll just plant it. I feel like stepping out.

[Lead Pastor]

I'm gifted, I'll do it. I'm scared of you. Is there anybody around you to help you discern? Eli says the next time you go, oh no, wait a minute, here's what he says. If he calls you, here's what you say that if messed me up. Because I would like for him to say when he calls you again, here's what he said.

[Assistant Pastor]

If.

[Lead Pastor]

Can you imagine being Samuel walking back to your place on an if, thinking like some of you are thinking right now? I already missed it three times. Maybe the kingdom of God is like baseball. Three strikes, you're in, you're out, some of you feel like you've already missed the voice of God and it's too late. But I came to tell you he is more committed to you hearing his voice than you are committed. Because look at what happens.

[Assistant Pastor]

Eli says if.

[Lead Pastor]

But he goes right back to his place.

[Assistant Pastor]

And the Bible says that the Lord came and stood where he was.

[Lead Pastor]

Hold on.

[Assistant Pastor]

You mean to tell me after missing it three times that God didn't run away from me? But it says that the Lord came in and stood and he didn't call his name once. He called his name twice after he missed it three times. I don't know who this message is for today, but God is about to call your name twice. He said, samuel, Samuel. When God calls your name twice, that means it's a moment. That means he's about to shift you into your purpose. That's why he said, moses, Moses. Take off your sandals. This is holy ground. Abraham. Abraham. Steady your hand. Don't sacrifice. Isaac. Martha. Martha. You're too busy doing work in the kingdom. You need to sit at his feet. Samuel. Samuel, I will speak to you. He'll call your name twice.

[Lead Pastor]

He is more committed to you hearing his voice than you are. All you got to do is get in the right place. Samuel.

[Assistant Pastor]

Samuel.

[Lead Pastor]

Now he's got a script. Let's put it on the screen. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. What if you prayed that prayer in silence and in solitude starting this week? Be careful. I heard those three claps. Don't clap too soon. That's a dangerous prayer to pray real soft spirit. If you get silent and still and say, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. You better be prepared to do what he says. I love that it Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Not speak. I'm listening. Speak, Lord, your servant. He understands who's in charge. He understands who's following who. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. And the word that God gives him is not to go tell Eli you bout to get a Mercedes Benz and a raise. He's not given a word to say, Ooh, blessing and favor is coming in your life. The first word that the first prophet of Israel got was to go tell Eli the man he had looked up to as a father figure his entire life. Judgment is coming to your house because you refused to correct the rebellion of your sons. Can you imagine knees knocking, 12 years old.

[Assistant Pastor]

Hey, Eli, I tell you what the Lord said.

[Lead Pastor]

What did he say? Oh, well, I says no. Tell me. God already gave you a word, Eli. He is judging your house because you refuse to correct the sin of your Sons, it's not enough to get in the right place. It's not just enough to learn to discern. When he speaks. Last thing, you have got to respond in obedience. Respond. The reason some of you haven't heard the voice of God is because you didn't do the last thing that he told you to do. But if you would quiet your soul and say, speak, your servant is listening. And then do what he says, no matter how difficult it is, no matter how scared you are, you will never go wrong obeying what he said. Respond in obedience. Some of us are educated in Scripture beyond our level of obedience. I just want to have the simplicity of a Samuel who says, lord, first of all, the answer is yes before the request. Because you are Lord, I'm servant, and I'm going to do what you told me to do. I'm going to ask every person that can. Would you stand to your feet and bow your head and close your eyes? Please honor this moment we're about to dismiss, but this is a series we're calling still. Would you just take a moment just to be still. And with head bowed and eyes closed in the quiet, in the stillness, Could you say what Eli told Samuel to say? Would you say, speak, Lord? Come on, say it. Say, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Father, thank you for being a good shepherd. Thank you that hearing your voice is the birthright of every believer. Thank you that you love us so much. You're not trying to hide your voice or your will from us. You're a good father. You desire relationship. So, Holy Spirit, I'm asking you to do what only you can do. Let this be a formative season for somebody today who's going to refuse to allow the noise of life and the busyness to drown out you calling our name. Father, help us to make time for quiet moments. This world is getting so loud, and you often whisper. So I pray right now for strength and grace over your children, to develop the discipline of silence and solitude, and to sit and wait and thank you that you'll call our name. You'll call it twice. Do that today. Head still bowed, eyes still closed, Samuel said, speak, Lord. Jesus is Savior, but he's also Lord. And with heads bowed and eyes closed, I want to give somebody an opportunity today to make him lord of your life. I'm not asking you, do you come to church? The text actually said that Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and yet he was doing activity in the house of the Lord. You can be coming to church and have no relationship with God. Don't let the enemy fool you. Being around God and being in church doesn't make you a believer. Just like sitting in a garage doesn't make you a car. Have you surrendered your life to him? Is he your Lord? Does he shape your decisions? And I want to give somebody an opportunity today, as we say a social, to come home. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. And I believe he's speaking to hearts today, saying, give me your life. If that's you, would you just lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it, saying, today's the day. I'm giving Jesus my life. I see that hand. I see that hand. Thank you, God. I see that hand. Anybody else? Wow. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Oh, this is. All your heavenly Father wants is for you to respond when you hear him say speaking. Some of you know he's tugging on your heart right now. Just respond. How do you hear more of God? Respond when he speaks. Obey when he speaks, and he'll keep on talking. Anybody else? Lift it up high enough and long enough to where I can see it. Thank you, God. I want to do something that we often do at social. This is not to embarrass you. I just think it's something powerful about leaving where you are and coming to a new place. It's nothing sacred about the front of this Texas Trust theater, but I do think it's something powerful about doing what your body, what God is doing in the supernatural. Because I believe when you leave where you are, it's a picture of saying, hey, the old me is in my seat, but the new me is stepping into what God has for me, a relationship with my shepherd. And I'm gonna follow his voice. Wherever he, he leads, I'll follow. So if you lifted up your hand, or you should have lifted up your hand, When I count to three, I'm just going to ask you. I don't care if you're all the way at the top. I promise every step is worth it. I just want you to come find a place right here at this altar. 1. Come on, your shepherd is calling you. 2. Don't worry about what anybody else is going to think. 3. Would you come? Would you come if you lifted up your hand or you should have lifted up your hand, saying, I'm giving my life to Jesus.

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm tired of running from the voice. I'm tired of fighting against the voice. I know he's calling me. I know he's calling me. I know there's a call. I know there's a call. Some of you are so tired from trying to fight the call. And this is a savior who's saying, I'm still gonna call you. I'm still gonna. I know you got offended at the last church, but I'm still calling you. I know they broke your heart, but I'm still calling you. I know you went through that painful situation. You thought I left you, but I never left you. I was right there. I'm still gonna call you. I'm still gonna call you. Come on. Come on. Come on. I wish I had a church that knew how to thank God for people who are responding to the call. To the call. Come on.

[Lead Pastor]

Come on. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Come on. They're still coming. They're still coming.

[Assistant Pastor]

Don't stop clapping till people stop coming. Come on.

[Lead Pastor]

Thank you, Jesus. Come on. Come on. Yeah. Come on. Thank you, jesus. Thank you, God. Speak, Lord. Your servants are listening. Speak to your children now, God. Let them know that you'll never leave them nor forsake them. Let them know, God, that you provide all of their needs according to your riches and glory in Christ Jesus. Let them know, God, that you are near to the brokenhearted. Let them know that whoever the son sets free is free indeed. Father. Speak. Speak. Speak. Speak. Speak to your children. Speak. Speak. Let them know that you work all things for the good of them that

[Assistant Pastor]

love you and are called according to your purpose. God. You're working it for our good.

[Lead Pastor]

Speak, God. Speak. Speak. Speak, God. Speak. Speak. Today. Thank you, God, those at this altar. I just want you to stay right where you are. We're gonna pray this prayer. We're all gonna declare it as a family, but especially those of you who responded, which, by the way, what you did just in this moment, walking from where you were sitting to right here, obeying the voice of the shepherd, that is how you continue to walk with the Lord. When he speaks, you respond. When he calls, you go. You don't have to understand it. It doesn't have to make sense. But do all of your life, what you did today. When he speaks, you respond. So I just want us all over this place, can we just lift up our hands as a sign of surrender to our shepherd who speaks? And I'm going to give you the words, but I want you to say it from your heart. Those of you who responded, say this. Say, jesus, thank you so much for loving me enough to pay the price for my sin. Jesus, I know you are the Son of God. You lived the life that I was supposed to live. And you died the death that I was supposed to die. You took my place. So today I'm responding to your voice. Come into my life. Forgive me of my sin. Make me brand new. From this moment forward, I'm walking with you. Wherever you lead, I will follow. Speak. Lord, your servant is forever listening. In Jesus name, Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on. Can we give God some praise today?