Relying on God's Word to Talk Ourselves Out of Complacency | Soul Talk | Pastor Randy Goldenberg

Devotional

Day 1: God will test and reward our works.

Every ordinary act matters because on the Day the quality of each person’s work will be revealed by fire; faithful, lasting service built on Christ will bring reward, while efforts that crumble will result in loss even though the person is saved — so steward time, talent, treasure, and tiny unseen acts as auditions for eternal function and joy. [09:27]

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV)
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Reflection: Review the last six months and list three small, faithful actions you consistently do for God’s kingdom; choose one of those and schedule it deliberately for the next seven days (time, place, and a way to measure it).

Day 2: Christ will return and judge our deeds.

Knowing that the Son of Man will come in the Father’s glory and repay each according to their deeds should make one feel watched — not in terror but with holy clarity — prompting a choice to live with accountability, to let the awareness of Christ’s return shape daily attitudes, decisions, and unseen faithfulness. [08:31]

Matthew 16:27 (ESV)
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Reflection: This week, whenever you are tempted to cut a corner or stay passive, pause and ask, “Am I living like someone who knows Jesus is watching?” Pick one specific situation (work task, family moment, or chore) and do it today as an offering to the Lord — with extra care — and note how it changes your motivation.

Day 3: Worldly cares choke spiritual growth and maturity.

When the seed of God’s Word is crowded by life’s worries, the lure of bigger‑better‑newer, and the pursuit of pleasures, spiritual growth is choked and fruit fails to mature; growth is a discipline of removing those thorns so the Word can take root and produce lasting character and service. [26:52]

Luke 8:11-15 (ESV)
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Reflection: Identify the single “thorn”—a worry, a spending pattern, or a pleasure—that most often distracts you; choose one concrete action to remove or reduce it this week (e.g., set a $ limit, delete one app, or schedule a worry‑time) and practice that action for seven days.

Day 4: Loving the world erodes love for the Father.

When affection shifts toward pleasure, possessions, popularity, prestige, or power, love for the Father diminishes; guarding the heart from the world’s attractions preserves devotion and keeps priorities aligned with what truly endures. [25:03]

1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions— is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Reflection: Choose one of the “five P’s” (pleasure, possessions, popularity, prestige, power) that most entices you today; take one visible step to realign (give away one item, decline one prideful impulse, turn off social media for 24 hours, or refuse a pleasure you normally indulge) and ask God to reveal what that shift frees you to love more fully.

Day 5: Complacent, lukewarm faith will be rejected.

Lukewarm, complacent devotion—neither hot nor cold—dishonors Christ and deprives a believer of God’s best; hardening into convenience or pride can lead to rebuke and calls for earnest repentance, so one must choose zeal, honesty, and wholehearted change now. [43:27]

Revelation 3:14-19 (ESV)
And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: “The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”

Reflection: Honestly ask, “Am I lukewarm?” Then pick one concrete, courageous step to demonstrate zeal this week (sign up to serve in a specific ministry role, begin a daily 10‑minute prayer time and tell a friend for accountability, or confess complacency to a trusted believer and schedule a follow‑up).

Sermon Summary

For more than forty years I’ve watched people at different points on the journey with God. Some blaze with steady passion for decades; others, even with obvious God-given potential, stall and drift. The difference is usually not gifting, opportunity, or intelligence—it’s complacency. God’s intent is that we reconnect with Christ, trust Him, and let His Spirit form a Christlike character in us so that we become and do what He made us for. But formation never happens by accident. Deterioration is easier than development; growth requires deliberate cooperation.

Scripture is clear: grace brings us into God’s family, but our lives will be evaluated and rewarded according to what we’ve done. That isn’t legalism; it’s love that dignifies every moment. We are being watched, not as suspects but as beloved children whose Father counts every unseen act of faithfulness. The Kingdom keeps score differently. Taking out the trash with integrity, working hard for an unkind boss, serving when no one notices—these things are an audition for the roles we’ll carry into eternity. Rewards won’t make anyone jealous; they deepen capacity for joy and responsibility in a way that fits how we cooperated with His grace.

Complacency rarely crashes in; it drifts in. Love of the world’s five Ps—pleasure, possessions, popularity, prestige, power—along with worries, riches, and pleasures, slowly choke maturity. Add to that the shaping power of bad company, and we can wake up entangled in a life we never meant to choose. God warns us not to be lukewarm because complacency lies about His worth; it tells the world He isn’t that good. Instead, He calls for a life of value-based decisions, priorities we actually schedule, practices we keep, and a perseverance that refuses to quit. Intentionality and intensity are not anti-grace; they are how we raise the sails to catch the wind of grace.

So I’m asking you to make honest course corrections. Serve the Lord enthusiastically. Do whatever you do for Him. Repent of lukewarm rhythms and embrace Paul’s holy discontent—pressing on because there is more of Christ to know and more of His kingdom to bring. Your Father sees. Nothing you do for Him is in vain, and He longs to reward you fully.

Key Takeaways

1. Grace saves; rewards assess faithfulness. Grace brings us into God’s family, but our lived choices still matter. Scripture says Jesus will return with rewards according to what we have done, not merely what we intended. That accountability dignifies our days and awakens urgency without erasing mercy. It calls us to live gratefully and responsibly before the One who loves us. [11:35]
2. Complacency grows by slow distraction. We don’t abandon God overnight; we get choked by worries, the lure of more, and a thousand tiny pleasures. These are not always evil, but when they steal attention and affection, maturity stalls. The soil can be good and the seed true, and still thorns win if left unpulled. Guard focus, or drift will do your deciding for you. [27:23]
3. Growth demands intentionality and intensity. Spiritual entropy is real; left alone, the soul declines. We need value-based decisions, priorities on the calendar, practices we keep, and perseverance over time. “Let go and let God” is not in the Bible; raise the sails, and grace will fill them. Choose a pace that matches your calling, not your comfort. [35:33]
4. Ordinary faithfulness shapes eternal capacity. Heaven notices the hidden things: dishes washed, emails answered kindly, trash taken out with a thankful heart. These moments are auditions for future responsibilities and deeper capacities for joy. God rewards disproportionately—not to flatter us, but to enlarge us for His life. If it’s done for Him, it’s never wasted. [13:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:23] - Seeing God-given potential
[03:59] - Naming and defining complacency
[05:13] - Why deterioration is easier
[06:39] - Growth needs intentionality
[08:08] - Scriptures on judgment and reward
[13:29] - Everyday faithfulness counts forever
[15:03] - Feeling watched: fear or love
[24:38] - How souls drift into complacency
[33:18] - Countering spiritual entropy
[35:33] - Intentionality and intensity
[38:37] - Never be lazy; serve enthusiastically
[43:05] - Laodicea: the danger of lukewarm
[46:34] - Paul’s holy discontent
[49:01] - Prayer of surrender

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Luke 8:14-15

And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Observation questions (look carefully at the text and the sermon)

In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, what kinds of materials (gold, wood, straw) does Paul use to describe works built on the foundation — and what is the practical difference between work that “remains” and work that is “burned up”?
In Luke 8:14-15, what three things does Jesus name that choke the seed? How does the passage describe the result when those things win?
The pastor said hearing the judgment-and-reward verses often makes people feel “watched” in two very different ways. Which two images did he use to describe that feeling, and which one did you feel first when you read the passages? [15:03]
The sermon called ordinary duties (taking out the trash, doing unpopular work) “auditions for eternity.” Which specific everyday actions did he point to as examples? [13:43]

Interpretation questions (think about meaning and immediate implications)

How should Paul’s image of the Day testing our work by fire (1 Cor 3) affect how a Christian evaluates time, money, and energy spent on short-term comforts versus kingdom investment?
Luke’s parable connects hearing the Word with keeping attention and affection. What does “being choked by cares, riches, and pleasures” suggest about the heart’s allocation of attention and affection?
The pastor rejected the phrase “let go and let God,” arguing for intentional cooperation with grace. How should this balance between dependence on God and deliberate effort change how a believer plans spiritual growth? [35:48]
Jesus’ letter to Laodicea uses strong language about being lukewarm. How does that rebuke sharpen the definition of complacency beyond simply being “busy” or “comfortable”? [43:05]

Application questions (personal, specific steps)

Identify one “thorn” from Luke 8 — a worry, a desire for more, or a regular pleasure — that is stealing your attention from Christ. What one concrete step will you take this week to remove or limit that thorn? (Example: set a budget, remove an app for a week, set a bedtime to cut late scrolling.) [27:23]
Choose one everyday task this week (a chore, an email, a difficult conversation at work). How will you do it “for the Lord” and how will you remind yourself that God is watching those small acts? (Consider logging it, saying a short prayer before doing it, or telling a friend you’ll do it sacrificially.) [42:21]
What priority (Bible reading, prayer, serving, mentoring) needs to be moved from “good idea” to your calendar? Pick a specific day/time this week and put it on your calendar now. What will you do if something conflicts? [34:39]
Think about your closest friends and regular hangouts. Who in your circle tends to pull you toward complacency or compromise? What boundary or accountability step will you take to protect your spiritual growth this month? (Examples: limit one-on-one time, invite them to church, ask a mature believer to meet with you monthly.) [29:07]
Identify one place in church or your neighborhood where you could serve enthusiastically for the next six weeks. What will you sign up for, and how will you show up differently (punctuality, attitude, extra preparation) so it’s an intentional offering, not just routine? [38:50]
Using Paul as an example (Philippians 3), pick one long-term goal for Christlikeness to press toward this year (for example: learn to lead a small group, develop a habit of daily Scripture and journaling, mentor a younger believer). Name one measurable sign of progress you will check after three months. [46:49]
The sermon said “nothing you do for the Lord is in vain.” What small, hidden act from the past month can you thank God for and deliberately reproduce as a spiritual habit? How will you keep yourself from slipping back into drift? [13:43]

Sermon Clips

But here's the catch. It won't happen without your, my, our intentionality. In other words, if I don't intend to grow, intend to develop, Scripture supports this, I'm not going to grow. I'm not trying to be critical or mean spirit here, but I'm just curious. How many of you have ever known people that they've been in church world for 20, 30 years? Can I just see some hands? You know some 20, 30-year people have been in church world. Have you also noticed that if you were honest, you're not trying to be hypercritical, you're not trying to be judgmental, but if you were honest, those same people that have been in church in some cases, not in all cases, but in some cases, they have 20, 30 years, they haven't grown any measurable way at all. [00:06:47] (40 seconds) #IntentionalGrowth

So we read that one verse in 1 Corinthians 3. It says that some people when they stand at the judgment seat of Christ and their life is observed, they're going to suffer loss. And it says that they're going to be like somebody that comes running out of a burning building. They themselves will be saved, meaning that their sins are forgiven. They're going to be living in the everlasting kingdom of God. But their reward will be different from those who in this life have faithfully used the time and talents and treasure and opportunities and life learnings and gifts and so forth that God's given. [00:12:09] (37 seconds) #FaithfulStewardship

So God is going to judge in kind of two ways. On the one hand, grace says that anybody who puts their faith, their trust in Christ and becomes his follower of track with me now, you've got to separate these two in your mind. Grace says that anybody who puts their trust in Christ and becomes his follower, your sins are forgiven. You're given the free gift of everlasting life. God will never leave you. He'll never forsake you. His spirit will continue to work in us to help us to grow and develop to the degree that we are intentional about cooperating with him. [00:12:46] (27 seconds) #GraceTransformsLife

So how does this happen? How is it that some people develop, and they just keep growing and growing and growing, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years? How is it that some people, they start out pretty good, and then they fizzle out, and some of them just go completely the opposite direction? How come some people develop, some people never develop? We want to look at it because it's the commonality. It is a danger we all have with this thing called complacency. And we now know what that is. Because it is our tendency to be minimalist, to do the least we have to do, and then hope that everything is going to be okay. [00:20:07] (37 seconds) #BeatComplacency

You're familiar with the term entropy? I'm just curious. Anybody? Entropy, it's second law of thermodynamics. It's a real simple concept. It's just the idea that everything left to itself, it's not going to improve, it's going to deteriorate. Okay? That's a very simplistic view of entropy. So I want you to understand something. I'm going to call this spiritual entropy. Okay? And so we want to counter. What I'm trying to say is you and I will deteriorate spiritually. We will not spontaneously grow and get better without two things, and these will be repeated later on, intentionality and intensity. [00:33:18] (35 seconds) #FightSpiritualEntropy

You're going to catalyze dormant capacities for peace, for love, for joy, for compassion. I mean, I could go on and on, but they won't happen until this happens. Serving the Lord enthusiastically counters that entropy that we have toward, you know, spiritual complacency. Let me share a couple more scriptures with you. On a land of plain, 1 Corinthians 15, it says, So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable, which means you're going to be tempted to get complacent. You're going to be tempted to stop. [00:39:06] (32 seconds) #ServeWithPassion

Whatever you do, this is taking out of the trash, cooking dinner, you know, disciplining kids, you know, whatever you're doing, mowing your lawn with the stripes. You've got to have the stripes. Whatever you do, whatever you do, keep, keep on, keep working at it with how? This tells us God's watching. He's that parent in the audience. He's watching with loving eyes. And the smallest thing we do that nobody else even knows about, one act of kindness, one act of faithfulness, just something we're doing for the good of others and so forth and because we care about God. He's registering that stuff. [00:42:00] (35 seconds) #FaithfulInTheSmall

So Christ is assessing people that were complacent. They thought they had it going on. They thought spiritually they had it nailed. And Jesus is saying, you don't even know how bad a condition you're in. I'm not saying that applies to anyone in here today. But it did apply to someone then and some now. And maybe it does apply to you today. Maybe you are lukewarm. Maybe you got one leg on one side of the fence and one leg on the other side of the fence. And maybe you love it so. And you think you're being clever. And you think you're getting over. But all you're doing is depriving yourself of God's best. [00:45:11] (34 seconds) #AllInForGod

When I, you, we are complacent, we are dishonoring the Lord. He deserves our all wholehearted devotion. We are advertising a fallacy to other people when we don't devote ourselves passionately and fully to the Lord. We're telling them he really doesn't matter that much. He's really not that good. He's really not that worthy. And that's a lie. If my life is lying about Jesus, that's problematic. And that's why Jesus talked about spitting them out of his mouth saying, you know, I'm not even going to associate. I'm not going to own you guys since you're so disowning me. [00:45:49] (33 seconds) #WholeheartedDevotion

``Now, let's get real intensely personal. You know where you're at. I know where I'm at. You're going to answer at the judgment seat of Christ. I'm going to answer at the judgment seat of Christ. Jesus wanted us to hear this today so that we could make course corrections and that we can be fully rewarded. We read about that. That can still happen to everyone in this room, which is why God gathered us here today. It's going to matter. When we get one glimpse of eternity, we're going to see this mattered way more than we could possibly picture right now. So why not take God at his word, trust him entirely, and throw ourselves into his work, into his will, into his kingdom, because it's really going to matter both now and it's going to matter a whole lot in eternity to come. [00:47:56] (51 seconds) #EternityMatters

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