Awe & Odd: The Fear of God in an Age of Arrogance. The Flight Deck 9-17-2026

Sep 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Sundown Starts the Story: God’s Time Resets Our Rhythms

Human calendars fracture time into arbitrary fragments, but God’s rhythm begins at sundown—a completion of one day before the next unfolds. His calendar anchors to creation’s pattern: evening precedes morning, rest precedes labor. Seasons align with His acts, like Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, not cultural convenience. To live in God’s time means surrendering our frantic "productivity" to His rest-first design. What if ending well—releasing today’s burdens—is the only way to begin anew? [02:36]

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
(Genesis 1:5, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your daily rhythm prioritize human efficiency over God’s rest-first pattern? How might surrendering tonight’s anxieties prepare you for tomorrow’s dawn?

Day 2: Recalibrating in the Seventh Month: When God’s Calendar Disrupts Ours

Human new years fixate on self-improvement; God’s starts with awe. The seventh month—Rosh Hashanah—shifts focus from resolutions to reverence. Trumpets blast a wake-up call: life hangs on His mercy, not our plans. This recalibration isn’t about fixing habits but recentering on the One who holds our breath in His hands. What dies when we trade self-driven striving for awe-filled surrender? [05:10]

This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
(Exodus 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life resists God’s recalibration? How would embracing His "seventh month" reset your priorities this week?

Day 3: Blood on the Mercy Seat: When Holiness Demands Everything

Nadab and Abihu carried holy fire but forgot holy fear. Their deaths scream a warning: intimacy with God demands trembling reverence. The high priest entered the Most Holy Place only once a year, blood-soaked and incense-shielded. Today, Christ’s blood grants bold access—but never casualness. What "strange fire" do we offer, mistaking familiarity for faithfulness? [20:17]

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.
(Leviticus 10:3, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you substituted religious routine for raw reverence? How does Christ’s blood both invite you near and demand your awe?

Day 4: White Garments, Scarlet Stain: The Paradox of Cleansed Worship

Aaron’s plain linen tunic hid no pretense—just a man stripped of rank, bathed in blood. Our worship wears similar paradox: robes washed white in crimson, boldness born of brokenness. The blood that justifies also humbles; the access it grants forbids arrogance. What part of your spiritual life still clings to performance over purity? [25:51]

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
(1 John 1:7, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you secretly trust your “spiritual resume” more than Christ’s blood? How does His scarlet stain free you from both guilt and self-righteousness?

Day 5: Lions in the Room: When Awe Shapes Every Step

A lion’s presence rearranges a room—postures shift, whispers still. So the fear of God transforms ordinary moments into holy ground. This isn’t terror but tectonic reverence: every choice, word, and thought bends toward His majesty. What if living “boldly” before the throne means trembling at His whisper? [42:44]

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
(Hebrews 12:28–29, ESV)

Reflection: What mundane task or relationship would change if you saw God’s “lion-like presence” in it? How does awe protect you from both complacency and cowardice?

Sermon Summary

God’s calendar is not random, even if modern timekeeping can feel completely bizarre. God begins a new day at sundown, when the old day stops, and He marks months by the moon and the seasons He put in the universe. God places His new year, Rosh Hashanah, in the seventh month, not to center people on resolutions and personal plans, but to recalibrate them around Himself.

The fall feasts form a twenty-one-day reset. Trumpets sounds the wake-up call. The Days of Awe bring an invitation to examine the heart and recover the fear of God. Atonement brings everything back to the blood, and Tabernacles commands joy, because God’s glory dwells with His people even while they are still moving through temporary shelters.

The book of life confronts presumptuous living. Moses, Jesus, Paul, and John all speak of names recorded or blotted out, and that reality makes the Days of Awe more than a religious custom. The Day of Atonement also carries the memory of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, who had seen God, eaten before God, been consecrated by blood and oil, and still offered strange fire immediately after God’s fire fell in glory. God’s holiness does not permit posing, presumption, or casual treatment of His presence.

The blood answers the problem of coming near. Aaron entered behind the veil in white, without pretense or religious fluff, and the sacrifice for himself came first. Christ’s blood now brings those once far off near, cleanses those who walk in the light, justifies them, and gives them boldness before the throne. The throne of grace remains a throne, not a taco stand. Bold intimacy and reverential awe must stay together.

The fear of God is not Adamic fear. Adamic fear hears God’s voice, becomes afraid, and hides from the very One who can heal the condition of sin. Mosaic fear draws a person toward God in love, obedience, service, wisdom, life, and rest. Christ Himself delights in the fear of the Lord, and the Spirit resting on Him includes the fear of the Lord.

The fear of God confronts an age of arrogance. God becomes the center that adjusts every position, like a full-grown lion walking into the room. The blood removes fear of punishment, but reverence remains. God’s fear frees a person from fear of everything else, from offense, entitlement, self-rule, and the demand that life must revolve around personal feelings.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s new year recalibrates the heart [04:41] God’s appointed times do not begin with self-improvement projects or a fresh attempt to control the future. God calls people to remember who He is and who they are before Him. The movement from awe to atonement to commanded joy establishes a better order for the soul. God-centered recalibration restores joy without making joy shallow. [04:41]
2. Presumption cannot stand before holiness [20:41] Nadab and Abihu had privilege, calling, consecration, and extraordinary encounters with God. Their history with God did not give them permission to treat His presence casually. God’s holiness exposes the difference between genuine nearness and religious familiarity. The warning reaches every person tempted to pose, pretend, or assume that God is safe to manipulate. [20:41]
3. The blood brings the distant near [25:17] Christ’s blood does more than cover a past failure. The blood relocates those who were far off and sustains fellowship as believers walk in the light. God does not invite people behind the veil because they have cleaned themselves up. Christ’s blood gives boldness, while also keeping the heart honest about the cost of redemption. [25:17]
4. Mosaic fear draws hearts toward God [27:43] Adamic fear runs and hides because it is afraid of sin’s consequences. Mosaic fear bows near because it knows God’s commands are for life and good. This reverence does not compete with love, intimacy, or confidence on the day of judgment. God’s fear becomes a healthy orientation that drives the heart deeper into relationship with Him. [27:43]
5. God’s fear breaks the rule of self [42:44] The lion image shows how true awe changes every movement, thought, word, and response. God’s fear shifts the central question from personal offense and entitlement to God’s assignment and purpose. Hurt may still be real, and difficult circumstances may still need to be addressed, but self cannot remain the metric for every decision. Reverence makes God the center again.

## [42:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - Why Modern Time Feels Bizarre
[02:36] - God’s Calendar and Sundown
[04:06] - Rosh Hashanah and Recalibration
[05:10] - The Fall Feasts and God’s Reset
[07:40] - The Meaning of Seven
[09:48] - Awe, Atonement, and Tabernacles
[11:20] - The Book of Life
[15:05] - Nadab and Abihu’s Strange Fire
[22:01] - God Is Not Safe, But Good
[23:18] - The Veil, White Garments, and Blood
[26:56] - Adamic Fear and Mosaic Fear
[31:18] - The Freedom of Fearing God
[35:21] - Avoiding Fear and Familiarity
[42:18] - The Lion Image of Holy Fear
[45:53] - The Blood, Reverence, and Boldness

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Leviticus 10:1–3
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the LORD has said: “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.”’ And Aaron held his peace.” [[15:05]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=905s) [[20:41]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1241s)

Exodus 28:34–35
“They are to wear these when they minister in the Holy Place; they are a most holy part of their regular duties before the LORD. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.” [[23:18]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1398s)

Ephesians 2:13
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” [[25:17]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1517s)

Deuteronomy 10:12–13
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?” [[27:43]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1663s)

Observation questions

In Leviticus 10, what did Nadab and Abihu bring before the Lord, and what does the passage specifically say was wrong with their offering?
What two purposes does Moses give in Leviticus 10:3 for the way God’s people must approach Him: among those near Him and before all the people? [[20:41]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1241s)
According to Deuteronomy 10:12–13, what actions are connected to fearing the Lord, and how does the passage describe God’s commands?
What change does Ephesians 2:13 say the blood of Christ has made for people who were once “far off”? [[25:17]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1517s)

Interpretation questions

Nadab and Abihu had been close to the work of God, yet they offered what God had not commanded. What does their story show about the difference between being familiar with spiritual things and truly honoring God as holy? [[38:01]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=2281s)
Deuteronomy connects fear of the Lord with love, service, obedience, life, and good. Why is this kind of fear different from the fear that makes a person hide from God because of sin?
Ephesians 2:13 says believers are brought near by Christ’s blood. How does this keep a person from both trying to earn access to God and approaching Him casually? [[25:36]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1536s)
Scripture calls believers to approach God with confidence, yet God remains holy and glorious. What does it look like for a Christian to hold bold intimacy and reverential awe together? [[41:34]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=2494s)

Application questions

God’s appointed times call people to recalibrate around who He is rather than beginning again with self-focused plans. What has been at the center of your thoughts lately—God’s purposes or your own goals, fears, and preferences? What might recalibration look like this week? [[04:41]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=281s)
Nadab and Abihu warn against presumption before God. Are there any places where you may be relying on church background, spiritual experiences, serving, or knowledge instead of a humble and obedient heart before God? [[20:17]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1217s)
The blood of Christ brings those who were far off near. When you become aware of sin, failure, or weakness, do you tend to hide from God, try to clean yourself up first, or come honestly through Christ? What would it mean to come near without posing or pretending? [[47:40]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=2860s)
Adamic fear runs away from God, while reverent fear draws near to Him in love and obedience. What situation currently makes you tempted to withdraw from God, and what would it look like to turn toward Him instead? [[27:43]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=1663s)
God’s fear puts God at the center rather than making personal offense, entitlement, or emotions the final measure of everything. Where have hurt feelings or a sense of being owed something been shaping your decisions more than God’s assignment and purposes? [[43:24]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=2604s)
Reverence for God can free a person from being ruled by fear of people, circumstances, and the future. What fear have you been carrying that may reveal your fear is “in the wrong spot”? How can you deliberately place that concern before God this week? [[46:40]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLVwc_lnXM&t=2800s)

Sermon Clips

35s

#FearOfTheLord

“And he looked around at you. There there would be a fear of the lion. And what would happen as a result is everywhere he went, you would adjust your position. Right? Hello? You would you would attend where you went, what you thought, how you breathed, what you say would all be affected by your attention to him. He would become the center for all of your behaviors. That that is the fear of the Lord.”

39s

#SpiritualRecalibration

“That's kind of our new year thing. When we get to God's new year, when it comes right now and we're in the seventh month, his idea is really about recalibration. Okay? And for the most part, the new year is really centered around you. Well, what are my resolutions? What am I gonna do? And God's like, yeah, no. That's not gonna work. There's no presumptions here. It's not all about you. It's about me. I'm the god. You're not. So let's get you reoriented to who I am, and it's about resetting and recalibrating all around him.”

57s

#PowerOfTheBlood

“And then, of course, there's the necessity of the blood. And what I love it is for Aaron and his sons, their sacrifice goes first and it's a bowl. I mean and when it comes to the people, it's a couple of goats. And I just think it's Woah. What is that telling you? Yeah. Different infection. It's just telling you, okay, the level of the sacrifice has to be upped the closer one is to being before a holy god. Will you say that one more time? The closer we are to the almighty and awesome god, the greater the level of blood, the cost of it that is there.”

38s

#FallFeasts

“And so because of that, we run into what are called the fall feasts, the appointed times that God set up on his calendar. And by the way, he said these are my feasts, my appointed times, not the Jewish ones, mine. And so the fall feasts or the feasts of trumpets, the day it's of awe, the atonement, and the tabernacles are effectively a wake up call, a time to examine yourself, draw near, focus again on the centrality of the blood, and then celebrate. So you get this. There's a celebration in there, and the total process for him is twenty one days.”

37s

#RejoiceAlways

“It's the only time when God commands you must rejoice for seven days. You just it's just the other ones, he said, you can celebrate, do this, but for this one tabernacles, you gotta rejoice. I don't care how sick you are, how grumpy you are, how whatever. Okay? Be funny getting the seven dwarfs. Okay. You have to rejoice. Sorry. I was thinking about grumpy. Okay. And then it also recognizes the fact that about being in Socot in temporary shelters, that we're still on the move, but we dwell because God's glory is with us.”

46s

#NoPretense

“And I won't go into all the scriptures about what happens, but you know that he has to wear a simple white garment. He's gotta set aside the fancy dress of everything, right, with the breastplate and the special turban. Basically, he's all in white because this garment is about the fact that there's no pretense, there's no posing, there's no fluff, there's no bull. It's just straight up you. And then the incense. God is very specific about in this instruction that he is to get this thick incense going in there so that he does not look directly on the mercy seat. It's to save his life.”

41s

#CelebrateGod

“Yeah. So Penny's gonna dive more into that in a week or two. We gotta work out the schedule on that. So we are in this time. So we had the wake up call, the trumpets, Yom Tarah, and the head of the year, And that broke out. And we are right now in the days of awe, which is really about we're gonna hit up here some more about being in the fear of God. And then it comes the atonement, Yom Kippur, that one time when Aaron would go behind the veil, and it's really about how our relationship is sustained by the blood. And then we get into the fun thing, tabernacles, sakat. And it really is a command to party hearty.”

32s

#ConsecratedLife

“So I just I just wanna get you however God worked that out and didn't smoke them, I just need you to get that the two sons of Aaron had seen something profoundly powerful. You tracking with me? These guys were just they understood some more than the rest of Israel what they were dealing with. Hello? Not only that, but they were consecrated and anointed both by the blood and by the oil.”

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