Advent: Obedience | Loraine Davies | 7th December 2025

I opened with Daisy and Baloo because they remind me of me. They know my voice, and sometimes they still choose the sofa or the bacon. I know Jesus’ voice, and sometimes I choose selective hearing. That set the frame for looking at obedience—its beauty, its cost, and its consequences—through Moses and Mary. In Exodus 17, Moses obeys and strikes the rock; water flows. Forty years later in Numbers 20, in front of a different generation, God says “speak,” but Moses—tired, grieving, angry—strikes again. Water still flows because God is faithful, but Moses and Aaron lose the privilege of leading the people into the land. Obedience matters.

Why do we struggle to obey? First, vulnerability. Moses goes into the tent of meeting rightly, but he leaves as angry as he entered. Presence encountered, but heart unaltered. I know that pattern: I unload in prayer, but I don’t stay long enough for Jesus to reshape my heart. When we’re raw—tired, hurt, afraid—we must linger, receive, even weep, so we don’t pick up the same old weapons when we walk back out.

Second, community. Aaron is silent when a word of loving courage could have changed the story. There are moments to sit in quiet compassion; there are also moments to remind a bleeding friend of God’s word, God’s faithfulness, and their purpose. Accountable friendship is not passive.

Third, the heart’s credit-grab. Moses says, “Must we bring water from this rock?” The moment we take what belongs to Jesus—honor for his sovereign work—we lose sight of the plot. Fifteen baptisms since June? Praise God for every prayer, testimony, conversation—and praise Jesus for the miracle only he can do. He is building his church.

Fourth, seasons. What worked then may not be faith now. In one season, strike the rock. In another, speak. Prayer, worship, fasting, generosity—these are foundations. But the obedience of this season requires a fresh word, not yesterday’s method secured by today’s fear.

Then Mary. A teenager faced with a world-altering ask. No visibility on outcomes, no safety net, only the God who speaks. “Let it be to me according to your word.” Her yes points to the greater Yes—Jesus, obedient to death, for the life of the world. And for those weighed down by past no’s: God buried Moses with his own hands. The story is not over. Advent invites us to say yes again. I want to be known as someone who does.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Linger until presence changes you When we’re tired, angry, or grieving, we’re vulnerable to disobedience. Like Moses, we can enter the tent and leave unchanged if we won’t stay long enough for God to realign our hearts. Linger, receive, surrender, and let the Spirit disarm your anger before you pick up your staff. Obedience flows from a transformed heart, not a pressured will. [17:17]
• 2. Accountability speaks with courage and love Aaron’s silence shows that passive friendship can be costly. There are moments when love must remind, re-anchor, and re-commission: “This is what God said; this is who you are.” Wise accountability discerns timing and tone, but it refuses to let a bleeding wound shape the next season. Speak life that helps your friend obey. [19:33]
• 3. Give Jesus the credit, every time “Must we bring water…?” is subtle spiritual theft. We partner, pray, and labor, but salvation and transformation are God’s alone. Celebrate your part without confusing it for his power, so the awe stays where it belongs and your soul stays light and clean. Joy increases when glory goes to Jesus. [25:46]
• 4. Don’t repeat last season’s obedience Yesterday’s method can become today’s disobedience if God is speaking a new instruction. Foundations remain, but faith is always responsive, not nostalgic. Listen for the rhema word: in this season, strike or speak? Trust that God’s faithfulness doesn’t depend on your familiarity. [30:28]
• 5. Say a costly yes like Mary Mary consented without outcomes, guarantees, or a map—just the word of God. Obedience often asks us to embrace hidden costs and unseen fruit, trusting that God’s goodness exceeds our understanding. Her yes pointed to Jesus’ greater yes; our yes can open living water for others. [35:58]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:07] - Meet Daisy and Baloo: obedience metaphor
• [03:51] - We know His voice, selective hearing
• [05:09] - Framing obedience: Moses to Mary
• [05:58] - Exodus 17: Water from the rock
• [07:52] - Numbers 20: A second water crisis
• [09:39] - Why disobedience? Context and audience shift
• [12:47] - Recognizing vulnerability in leadership
• [14:27] - Glory encountered, but heart unchanged
• [18:02] - Aaron’s silence and accountable friendships
• [22:55] - Check your heart: who gets the credit?
• [27:22] - New season: speak, don’t strike
• [32:26] - Mary’s staggering yes in Advent
• [39:10] - Grace after failure: God buries Moses
• [40:40] - Call to say yes this Advent

1. In Exodus 17, what did God tell Moses to do at the rock, and what happened when Moses obeyed?
2. In Numbers 20, what did God tell Moses to do this time, and what did Moses actually do? What was the stated consequence?
3. What detail at the start of Numbers 20 shows Moses and Aaron were in a tender, vulnerable place as leaders?
4. How does Moses address the people in Numbers 20, and what does that reveal about his inner state? ([15:16])
5. In Luke 1, what is Mary’s exact response to the angel’s announcement?

1. “He goes in angry. He comes out angry.” What might this suggest about the difference between entering God’s presence and actually lingering until the heart is reshaped? ([15:16])
2. Aaron remains silent. In a moment like Numbers 20, what could loving, courageous accountability have sounded like, and why might silence be costly? ([18:45])
3. “Must we bring you water…?” Why is that line a form of subtle spiritual theft, and how does giving Jesus the credit guard the soul from pride and heaviness? ([25:46])
4. If one season called for striking and another for speaking, how can someone discern the difference between timeless foundations and a fresh, specific instruction for this season? ([30:28])

1. Where are you tired, angry, disappointed, or grieving right now? What would it look like to linger with Jesus until presence changes your posture—practically, this week? ([17:17])
2. Who has permission to speak with loving courage into your life? What clear, faith-filled sentence could you offer a hurting friend this week to re-anchor them in God’s word and purpose? ([19:33])
3. Think of a recent “win” (at church, work, home). How will you celebrate your part without stealing Jesus’ glory? Try voicing a one-sentence doxology that puts the awe where it belongs. ([25:46])
4. Is there a method or habit you’re clinging to because it worked before—but may not be obedience now? What step will you take to listen for a fresh “speak, don’t strike” instruction? ([30:28])
5. Where might God be inviting you to a costly yes like Mary’s—without full visibility on outcomes? What would “Let it be to me according to your word” look like this month? ([33:41])
6. Is there a past “no” or failure that still weighs on you? How does remembering that God himself buried Moses free you to offer a new yes today? What practical act will mark that fresh start? ([39:10])
7. As a group, what rhythms help us tune in to the rhema word of God in this season (not just yesterday’s methods)—listening and then moving together in trust? ([29:12])