My Family Loves Preaching | Pastor Trent Smith

Devotional

Day 1: Gladly Receiving the Word That Offends

When truth confronts compromise, transformation begins. The miracle of Pentecost wasn’t Peter’s preaching but the crowd’s willingness to receive correction. Like Nineveh heeding Jonah’s unwelcome message, lasting change happens when we embrace challenging truths rather than critique delivery. Families thrive not by seeking comfortable sermons but by letting God’s word dismantle idols in their homes. Revival starts when we stop measuring sermons by goosebumps and start measuring them by Tuesday night obedience. [46:02]

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
(Acts 2:38–41, NKJV)

Reflection: What uncomfortable truth have you resisted hearing lately? How might receiving it “gladly” dismantle an idol in your home this week?

Day 2: Preaching Over Personality

Faith grows through submitted ears, not charismatic voices. A sermon’s power lies in God’s word, not the preacher’s charm—Timothy needed Paul’s letters more than his presence. Healthy families prioritize the message over the messenger, knowing even a struggling preacher can deliver life-changing truth. When we judge sermons by their alignment with Scripture rather than the speaker’s relatability, we protect our homes from the shallow faith of the information age. [58:02]

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
(Romans 10:17, NKJV)

Reflection: When have you dismissed a hard truth because of how it was delivered? What Scripture could anchor you to receive it this time?

Day 3: Tuesday Night Revival

Altar moments become family legacy when lived at dinner tables. Deuteronomy’s command to “talk of God’s words when you sit in your house” turns daily routines into holy ground. A parent’s consistent modeling of received truth does more for children’s faith than emotional Sunday services. Lasting revival isn’t measured by raised hands in pews but by surrendered choices in living rooms. [01:11:11]

“These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
(Deuteronomy 6:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: What ordinary moment this week could become holy ground if you discussed Sunday’s sermon? What’s one truth your family needs to “talk of” repeatedly?

Day 4: Laying Aside to Receive

Meekness makes room for implantation. James’ call to “lay aside all filthiness” isn’t about perfection but creating space for God’s word to root deeply. Like farmers clearing rocks before planting, families must regularly remove distractions that choke truth. Receiving preaching requires more than hearing—it demands surrendering the habits, screens, and attitudes that compete for our soul’s soil. [01:20:33]

“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
(James 1:21, ESV)

Reflection: What “rock” have you tolerated in your family’s schedule that’s choking God’s word? What’s one practical step to remove it this week?

Day 5: Cut Hearts, Changed Homes

Conviction without response breeds hypocrisy. The Pentecost crowd didn’t just feel remorse—they asked “What shall we do?” and realigned their lives. True preaching always demands action: tearing down idols, repairing relationships, or recommitting to baptismal vows. A family’s spiritual health is revealed not by Sunday attendance but by Monday obedience to altar promises. [01:22:38]

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”
(Acts 2:37, ESV)

Reflection: What specific “What shall we do?” moment have you postponed addressing? What makes this Sunday different for your family’s response?

Sermon Summary

Acts 2:38 sets the foundation with Peter’s call to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:41 presses the point even harder: “those who gladly received his word were baptized,” and about 3,000 souls were added that day. The miracle on Pentecost was not just that Peter preached. The miracle was that people received what God said through Peter.

Preaching stands as God’s choice, not man’s invention. Information has never been more available, with podcasts, YouTube, social media, AI, and every answer one click away. Yet families still struggle, marriages still break, anxiety still rises, and people still search for hope. Information does not transform lives. God chose “the foolishness of preaching” to save those who believe.

The preached word does what no motivational voice, online personality, or endless stream of data can do. Preaching saves, warns, corrects, rebukes, edifies, and moves a life from where it is to where God intends it to be. Worship matters, fellowship matters, technology can be useful, but God did not choose those things as His saving method. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Peter’s Pentecost word also confronts the attitude of the family toward preaching. Healthy families do not merely attend church. Healthy families gladly receive the preached word and ask how that word must be applied. A lukewarm family asks, “Did that get enjoyed?” A sold-out family asks, “How does that change life this week?”

Acts 2 is not only about conversions. Pentecost produced Christian homes, Christian marriages, Christian parenting, and children shaped by apostolic doctrine. Revival cannot be measured only by goosebumps on a Sunday morning. Revival shows up when parents stay together, children resist rebellion, broken families reconcile, and the Bible is opened at the dinner table on Tuesday night.

Deuteronomy 6 brings the word into the house, on the road, at bedtime, and in the morning. The family calendar was never meant to compete with the things of God. Children may have to be dragged to church for a season, but grounding comes when parents love the preached word enough to build life around it.

James calls for filthiness and overflowing wickedness to be laid aside so the implanted word can be received with meekness. Preaching only bears fruit when response follows conviction. The difference is not merely hearing. The difference is glad reception, repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and a life that lets God’s word change the heart.

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Key Takeaways

1. Information cannot transform the soul Information can fill the mind and still leave the heart untouched. The age with the most access to answers can still be the age most starved for wisdom, peace, and holy direction. The gospel does not come as another data point to manage, but as God’s power that calls for surrender, repentance, and response. [49:41]
2. Glad reception opens the miracle Acts 2 does not present preaching as magic words floating through the air. The miracle came when hearers gladly received the word and acted on it through baptism and obedience. A hard heart can sit under truth and remain unchanged, but a meek heart lets the implanted word do saving work. [52:25]
3. Families are built by obedience Strong homes are not built merely by good salaries, good plans, or good intentions. The received word of God forms Christian marriages, Christian parenting, and children who know how to stand when storms come. A family becomes spiritually stable when God’s word is not only heard at church, but obeyed in daily life. [68:16]
4. Revival shows up at home Revival cannot be reduced to a powerful service or an emotional altar moment. Real revival reaches the dinner table, the marriage conversation, the parenting decision, and the week after the music stops. A family touched by God learns to reconcile, repent, start fresh, and refuse Satan’s claim on the home. [69:55]
5. Response makes preaching fruitful Peter’s hearers were cut to the heart, but conviction alone was not the end. The saving difference came when conviction became the question, “What shall be done?” Preaching becomes fruitful when the hearer stops critiquing, comparing, or dismissing and begins obeying what God has spoken.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:09] - Acts 2 and the Pentecost Promise
[46:02] - My Family Loves Preaching
[47:09] - Information Overload Without Transformation
[49:41] - The Foolishness of Preaching Saves
[52:25] - The Miracle Is Receiving
[54:11] - Preaching Is God’s Choice
[57:12] - Faith Comes By Hearing
[59:35] - God Has Always Sent Preachers
[66:49] - Gospel, Preaching, and Receiving
[68:33] - Families Built By The Word
[69:22] - Revival Beyond Sunday Emotion
[73:02] - Teaching Children God’s Word
[75:52] - Enjoying Versus Applying The Word
[82:13] - Responding To The Word Today

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 2:38-41
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” [44:43]

Romans 10:17
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” [57:12]

1 Corinthians 1:21
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” [50:03]

James 1:21
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” [01:19:44]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” [01:13:02]

Observation questions

In Acts 2:38-41, what responses did Peter call for, and what did those who gladly received the word do?
According to 1 Corinthians 1:21, what method did God choose to save those who believe? [50:03]
What contrast is drawn between simply hearing the word and gladly receiving it? [52:25]
In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, what are some everyday places and moments where God’s word is supposed to be brought into family life? [01:13:02]

Interpretation questions

Acts 2 says those who gladly received the word were baptized. What does “gladly received” seem to mean in real life beyond just listening politely? [01:17:35]
If faith comes by hearing according to Romans 10:17, why is hearing God’s word different from just gathering more religious information? [49:41]
James 1:21 connects receiving the word with meekness and laying aside wickedness. Why do pride, stubbornness, or cherished sin make it hard for a person or a family to receive God’s word? [01:20:17]
Deuteronomy 6 places God’s word in the normal rhythm of the home. What does that suggest about where revival and spiritual strength are really meant to show up? [01:11:11]

Application questions

When God’s word confronts something uncomfortable, is the usual response to get defensive, compare, critique, or receive it with meekness? What would glad reception look like this week? [01:20:52]
Many families ask after church, “Did we enjoy that?” What might change in the home if the better question became, “How do we apply this this week?” [01:15:52]
What is one practical way to bring God’s word into the home this week at the dinner table, in the car, at bedtime, or in the morning? [01:13:02]
Revival shows up in reconciled relationships, steady marriages, and children being grounded in truth. Where does the need for that kind of revival feel most urgent right now in personal or family life? [01:09:55]
Are there schedule choices, habits, or distractions that have been competing with God’s word in the home? What might it look like to reorder the calendar so spiritual life is not always being squeezed out? [01:13:23]
Acts 2 ties conviction to response. What is one clear response to God’s word that needs to happen now instead of being postponed? That could be repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, reconciliation, or simple obedience in one area. [01:22:38]
Children are often shaped by what their parents consistently honor. What are younger people in the home learning right now about the value of God’s word by the way the household lives each week? [01:14:42]

Sermon Clips

42s

“Healthy families are not built on emotional church services. That's that's we gotta get away from that, y'all. I'm not saying we gotta get away from emotional church services. I'm saying we have to get away from that being the barometer of what keeps us grounded in our faith. Because an exuberant emotional church service is what you feel. And we've already established today that our feelings are not enough to build faith in us. Healthy families are built by daily obedience to God's word.”

42s

“So let me tell a tale of two families. One family today will get in the car, and they will ask this. Did we enjoy the sermon? That's the lukewarm family, but the sold out family will get in the car and say, hey, guys. How are we gonna apply that sermon to our life this week? Because the best sermons I ever heard were the sermons that I did not enjoy hearing. sermon I needed most is a sermon that offended me the greatest.”

50s

“Faith comes when god's word does two things. When it's proclaimed, and number two, when we receive it. So in other words, someone has to submit and say what does say it the word of the lord, and then others have to submit and receive gladly as Luke said in acts chapter two, thus say it the word of the lord. That's why hearing a sermon doesn't change you. But when you receive a word, that word brings transformation. You can hear and not receive. But when you gladly receive, you apply that word to your life and deliverance and transformation comes to you. When”

49s

“acts two, we see now isn't just about conversions. No. Families are built by receiving the word of god. two didn't produce just people speaking in another tongue. No. It produced Christian homes. It produced Christian marriages. It produced Christian parenting. It produced Christ like children that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine that we find in Acts two verse 42. The miracle was not just in the preaching. The miracle was in the receiving and in the application of the preached word of God.”

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