1st Samuel 3 | Pastor Harley Doneburg | January 22nd, 2023

In 1 Samuel 3 we meet a twelve-year-old boy serving in a dark spiritual time, and Pastor Harley shows how God can use one surrendered life to revive a nation. Samuel is simply “ministering to the Lord” in small, unseen tasks, surrounded by corrupt priests and a failing high priest—yet God sees his servant heart. From Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13 to a simple act of cleaning a gym after a basketball game, we’re reminded that serving is not about who notices, but who we’re doing it for. Followers of Jesus are meant to be living epistles—known and read by all men—so our quiet acts of service, our integrity, and our attitudes preach long before our words ever do.

At the same time, this chapter exposes why the word of the Lord was “rare” in those days: people were doing what was right in their own eyes, and leaders like Eli loved their children’s comfort more than God’s commands. Pastor Harley presses the urgency of anchoring our lives, homes, and priorities in Scripture—not just hearing sermons once a week, but personally living in God’s Word every day. Noah “did all” that God commanded, John the Baptist waited in the wilderness to hear God’s voice, and Samuel refused to let any of God’s words fall to the ground. Hearing from God is directly tied to a willingness to obey Him.

God’s message to Eli through young Samuel is sobering: repeated warnings had been ignored, his sons had made themselves vile, and he would not restrain them. Yet even here we see the mercy of God in sending a friend, not an enemy, to speak hard truth. Pastor Harley challenges us to welcome those “Nathans” in our lives and to respond with godly sorrow that leads to repentance, not worldly regret that leads to death (2 Corinthians 7). Through this passage, we’re invited to become people who serve like Jesus, listen like Samuel, obey like Noah, and let God’s Word shape every part of our lives—so that His voice is no longer rare in our homes, but regular, clear, and gladly obeyed.

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Audio edited & mastered by:

Michael Gross