THE FOURTH CALL

Aug 16, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Sleeping Near the Ark – Closeness in the Unfamiliar

Samuel slept in the tabernacle’s shadow, physically near the ark of God’s presence yet initially unaware of His voice. Proximity matters, not as a guarantee of clarity, but as a posture of readiness. Like Samuel’s choice to dwell near sacred space, positioning ourselves in God’s Word, community, and worship creates fertile ground for recognition. The lamp of God had not yet gone out—a reminder that divine presence persists even in seasons where messages feel rare. Closeness isn’t about perfect hearing but faithful abiding. [30:58]

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.
(1 Samuel 3:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step could you take this week to position yourself “near the ark”—closer to God’s presence through Scripture, prayer, or community? How might this intentional nearness prepare you to recognize His voice?

Day 2: The Fourth Call – Persistence in Listening

God called Samuel’s name three times before the boy recognized it wasn’t Eli. Divine persistence meets human confusion, but the fourth call shifts everything: “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” Hearing God often requires repetition, humility, and the wisdom of others. Like Samuel returning to bed each time, we’re invited to keep showing up, trusting that God’s voice becomes clearer through patient obedience. The fourth call isn’t failure—it’s formation. [32:15]

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
(1 Samuel 3:10, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you dismissed a repeated nudge or circumstance as coincidence? How might God be using persistence to deepen your attentiveness to His guidance?

Day 3: Following God Is a Team Sport

Samuel needed Eli to name God’s voice; Nick’s wisdom redirected Julia’s housing obsession. Spiritual hearing thrives in community. Isolation breeds doubt, but shared discernment anchors truth. Like Samuel’s “phone jail” moment, removing distractions creates space to receive God’s whispers through others. The Body of Christ isn’t optional—it’s the scaffolding that holds us steady when our own ears falter. [35:54]

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
(Proverbs 11:14, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life functions like Eli—someone whose wisdom helps you discern God’s voice? How could you intentionally lean into their counsel this week?

Day 4: Bent Pizzas and Missing Screws – Obedience Over Assumptions

Ignoring divine instructions leads to “bent pizzas”—life’s messy outcomes when we force our own narratives. Samuel obeyed despite fearing Eli’s reaction; Julia surrendered her dream home. Obedience often clashes with comfort, yet it unlocks unexpected blessings. God’s roadmap isn’t a suggestion—it’s the difference between shaky self-reliance and steadfast purpose. [43:12]

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
(1 Samuel 15:22, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to “assemble life” your way rather than follow God’s instructions? What might surrender in that area look like today?

Day 5: A King Rejected, a Future Secured

Israel demanded a king, rejecting God’s leadership—and Samuel’s lifetime of service. Yet God wove their rebellion into redemption’s thread, culminating in David’s lineage and Christ’s kingship. Our feelings of rejection or futility are not final. Like Samuel, we’re called to steward obedience even when outcomes disappoint, trusting God’s eternal narrative over our limited sight. [41:59]

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”
(1 Samuel 8:7, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt overlooked or sidelined in your faithfulness? How might God be working through that tension to advance His greater story?

Sermon Summary

First Samuel sets Israel at the end of the judges, but not in the book of Judges, which is kind of funny once the story starts moving. Israel has been stuck in the same exhausting cycle for about four hundred years: evil, abandonment, oppression, crying out, and rescue. The tribes are scattered, the judges are messy, and nobody can finally fix what is broken. Samuel steps into that world, but his greatest weapon is not muscles, strategy, or a sword. Samuel’s greatest weapon is that he hears God.

Hannah’s anguish begins the story with bitter tears and a bold vow. Hannah asks the Lord for a son, and she promises to lend him back to the Lord for all the days of his life. Samuel’s Nazarite vow becomes an outward display of inward surrender, and his obedience stands in contrast to Samson’s messy version of the same calling. Samuel grows up near the tabernacle, close to the ark of God, close to the sacred place where God’s presence was known.

First Samuel 3 shows a boy who is close to God but still does not recognize God’s voice. God calls Samuel again and again, and Samuel keeps running to Eli because he thinks the priest is calling him. Eli, bless his heart, finally realizes that the Lord is speaking and tells Samuel to answer, “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” Samuel’s position matters: he is near the presence of God, around the people of God, and under counsel that can help him discern what he cannot yet recognize.

God’s voice does not come with a cute little pat on the back. God gives Samuel a hard word for Eli, and Samuel obeys. Later, when Israel demands a king, God tells Samuel that the people have not ultimately rejected Samuel, but have rejected God as king. Samuel stands in that lonely place of rejection, yet still listens and obeys.

Israel keeps looking for the biggest and strongest judge, but Israel really needs a king who can save them from themselves. Samuel anoints kings, including David, and David’s line points forward to Jesus, the King of kings. God keeps calling, even when people miss it the first time, the second time, and the third time. God wants relationship, and silence, Scripture, worship, wise community, and obedience make room for ears that can finally hear.

Key Takeaways

1. Closeness makes room for hearing Samuel was sleeping near the tabernacle, close to the ark, close to the place where God’s presence was known. Yet nearness did not mean instant recognition, because a person can be around holy things and still need help learning the voice of God. Closeness is not magic, but it does create the space where God’s call can be noticed, tested, and received. [33:36]
2. Discernment needs wise counsel Samuel heard the voice, but Eli helped him understand who was calling. Even messy Eli, bless his heart, still became part of Samuel’s discernment. God often uses other believers to send a person back to the quiet place with better ears and a humbler answer. [35:31]
3. Listening means surrendering the narrative The house story shows how desire can get so loud that God’s roadblocks sound like inconveniences instead of direction. God may speak through circumstances, through wise words, or through closed doors that frustrate a preferred plan. Listening becomes real when personal opinions stop filling all the silence. [37:06]
4. Obedience may feel lonely Samuel had to deliver hard news to Eli and later carry God’s answer to Israel when they wanted a king. The call of God did not always protect Samuel from rejection, grief, or feeling outnumbered. Obedience is not proved by comfort, but by staying close when God’s word is difficult. [41:06]
5. God keeps calling again Samuel did not recognize God’s voice the first time, or the second time, or even the third time. God called again because God wanted relationship, not a perfect first response. A missed call is not the end when the Lord is patient enough to call a fourth time.

## [46:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:56] - Meeting New People and Missing Voices
[26:10] - Israel at the End of Judges
[27:23] - Hannah’s Prayer and Samuel’s Vow
[30:31] - God Calls Samuel at Night
[33:08] - Near the Tabernacle and Ark
[34:21] - Getting Close to God
[35:31] - Following God Is a Team Sport
[36:21] - Missing God’s Direction in Daily Life
[37:46] - Samuel Listens and Obeys
[40:24] - Israel Demands a King
[42:26] - Rejection, Loneliness, and Obedience
[43:43] - Israel Needs a True King
[44:39] - Samuel Points Toward Jesus
[46:10] - God Calls Again and Again

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Samuel 3:1-10
“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 arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; 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. And he arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for 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 hears.’’ 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 hears.’” [30:31]

1 Samuel 1:10-11
“She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.’” [27:57]

1 Samuel 8:6-7
“But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.’” [41:59]

1 Samuel 2:27-28
“For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.” [29:25]

Observation questions

In 1 Samuel 3, what details show both Samuel’s closeness to the things of God and his confusion about the voice he is hearing? [33:10]
What does Hannah promise in 1 Samuel 1:10-11, and how does that shape Samuel’s life from the very beginning?
In 1 Samuel 3:4-9, how does Samuel respond each time he hears his name, and what role does Eli play before Samuel finally answers the Lord rightly? [35:31]
In 1 Samuel 8:6-7, what two things does Samuel do when the people ask for a king, and what does God say the people are really rejecting? [42:05]

Interpretation questions

1 Samuel 3 says Samuel was near the ark of God, yet he still did not recognize God’s voice. What does that suggest about the difference between being around holy things and actually learning to know the Lord? [34:22]
Eli was a flawed and messy leader, yet God still used him to help Samuel discern what was happening. What does that reveal about the way God can use imperfect people in someone’s spiritual growth? [30:04]
When Samuel brings the hard word to Eli and later carries God’s answer to Israel, obedience seems costly and lonely. Why does listening to God often become clearest at the point where comfort has to be surrendered? [41:06]
Israel wanted a king they could see, but their deeper need was a king who could save them from themselves. How does that help explain why Samuel’s story points beyond Saul and David to Jesus? [44:07]

Application questions

Samuel placed himself near the presence of God before he understood what God was doing. What is one simple way to place daily life closer to God this week—Scripture, silence, worship, or wise Christian community—and what tends to crowd that out? [46:25]
God often uses other believers to help someone discern what is hard to recognize alone. Who is a trusted person that could help test, clarify, or pray through something important right now? [35:41]
Personal desires can get so loud that roadblocks start to feel like annoyances instead of direction. Where might a closed door, delay, or repeated obstacle actually need a second look right now? [37:22]
Samuel’s first real word from God was not easy to carry. Is there a conversation, step of obedience, or act of honesty that has been avoided because it feels uncomfortable or costly? [38:03]
Rejection can make obedience feel isolating. When faithfulness has felt lonely, what has helped keep the heart soft toward God instead of bitter or numb? [42:29]
God called Samuel again and again before Samuel understood. Where is there a temptation to believe, “God speaks to other people, just not to me”? What would it look like to stay available instead of giving up? [46:06]
Silence helps make room for God’s voice because it quiets all the other opinions in the head. What would “making room” actually look like this week in a practical sense—less phone time, a short walk without noise, a Bible chapter before bed, or something else? [46:54]

Sermon Clips

57s

#OutnumberedSeries

“``Friends, for the entirety of our series, Outnumbered, we have watched Israel look for the biggest and the strongest judge ready to save them. But they really didn't need the strongest and most wise judge. They needed a king who would save them from themselves. A king who would save us all from our sin. The cool thing about Samuel is he went on to anoint the first two kings of Israel who would unite all these disbanded tribes into one nation. The most famous of these kings being king David, the man after God's own heart. His name might sound familiar because we see it listed later on in Matthew one in the lineage of Jesus, the king of kings.”

51s

#GetCloseToGod

“how do we hear from God? We have to get close to God. Now you might be asking, pastor Julia, how do we get close to God? What does that even mean? It means getting in your word, studying, turning on worship music, going to sign up for a grow group, meeting up with that grow group. Or if you're like me, putting your phone in phone jail. Anyone else trying to get that screen time down with me? Okay. Good. Good. I'm not alone in that. So when we are practicing these things, we are creating space or silence at times to listen.”

49s

#WillingToObey

“How do we hear from God? We have to be willing to obey. Samuel had been given tough news to deliver to Eli. He'd been given news to deliver that he didn't agree with or like. Like when the Israelites wanted a king. I can only imagine when we find him at this point in the story. He's feeling isolated, alone, and outnumbered. He had spent his life serving the Israelite people back to when he was brought to the temple to learn with Eli, prophesying, keeping his Nazarite vow, and then being their judge. And they wanted a king.”

69s

#SacrificialHope

“Samuel gave up so much of his comfortability, his life as a sacrifice to his people and to his god to see just a glimmer of the hope that we would get in Jesus. Today, friends, I know so many of you come in here with anxieties, fears, sadness, and pain. You feel isolated, alone, and outnumbered just like Samuel was in this moment. But God continuously chose those Israelite people even when they made mistakes, even when they felt alone and messy. Even a man like Samuel who may seem all that great, he was a person too. Okay? And he got it wrong. But God, God still gave them a hope for a future through the lineage of King David who would lead to their eternal life and paradise with our king.”

61s

#ListenAndObey

“So how do we hear from God? Number two, we had to listen to God. The fourth call was definitely the charm for me and our friend Samuel. He goes back and he says, here I am, Lord. And God gives him this message. And it's no, like, pat on the back. Good job, kiddo. It's, you know, the priest who mentors you? Yeah. Him and his family are living in sin, and I'm gonna bring judgment upon them. Now go tell him that. I don't know about y'all at the ripe age of 12, but I would have been like, oh, cool god. That's nice for you. But you you tell him, I don't wanna tell him. That's scary. But Samuel did the exact opposite. He went out to this priest. He told him what was happening, and Eli actually received it fairly well. He said, god will do what god will do, and won't he do it? Amen. Amen.”

34s

#GodCallsAgain

“If you are sitting in your chair today going, you know, Julia, I hear you, girl, but, like, I don't think I can hear from God. I would argue Samuel was in the same boat. God called him again and again and again, and he called that fourth time. And he'll call you that fourth time because he wants you to hear him. He wants to be in relationship with you. So today,”

39s

#RejectionAndLoneliness

“And asking for a king, the Israelite people are rejecting the appointed rulers. God heads up before them, and they didn't even consider or think about Samuel. I imagine a lot of you can relate to that feeling of rejection and loneliness right now. But it's important for us to look at the life of Samuel and the example that he set. He was close to God and he remained close to God. He listened to God and he was obedient to what he said.”

42s

#FaithIsATeamSport

“Samuel may not have recognized the voice of God on that first call, but he add Eli who told him to go right back. It reminds me of the saying we say here at the Point Church, following God is a Team sport. A team sport. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us along in our journey. But the funny thing is you can be reading your bible, you can be in a group, and sometimes you still don't recognize when God is trying to talk to you. It can be with bigger mega prayers or smaller ones too.”

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