As For Me and My House: A House of Welcome

Aug 09, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Gates Lifted High for the King’s Arrival

The dusty road to Jerusalem shakes as priests carry the Ark of the Covenant – God’s throne on earth – while David sacrifices every six steps. This isn’t polite applause for a visiting dignitary, but raw reverence for the Uncontainable One. True welcome begins when we stop treating God like a houseguest and start tearing down every barrier to His rule. What gates in our hearts remain half-shut, limiting His movement? Worship reshapes our vision until we see His glory as the only reality worth making space for. [49:00]

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (Psalm 24:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What practical decision have you avoided making – a habit, relationship, or mindset – that keeps God’s presence compartmentalized in your life? How might lifting that “gate” today shift your spiritual authority?

Day 2: Muddy Hands at the Fountain

Children track garden dirt across clean floors not to defile homes, but because they know where cleansing waits. God’s holiness doesn’t shrink from our mess – it pulls us toward the water. Welcoming His presence means letting conviction highlight stains we’ve ignored, not to shame us but to direct our steps to the One who scrubs deeper than soap. Repentance isn’t rejection; it’s the threshold of true intimacy. [57:17]

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. (Psalm 24:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What “innocent idol” (a good thing turned ultimate thing) has quietly claimed your trust this week? How would washing your hands of it free you to grasp holy things?

Day 3: Chasing More Than ChatGPT Answers

David’s pursuit of the Ark mirrors our choice: consult heaven’s strategies or crowd-source solutions. True seeking looks like sitting with empty hands when deadlines loom, choosing prayer over productivity hacks. Blessing flows not from our brilliance but from stubborn dependence – the kind that waits for God’s nudge before Googling answers. Vindication comes when we value His whisper over the world’s roar. [58:44]

He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. (Psalm 24:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you substituted human efficiency (apps, advisors, research) for divine encounter this month? What would it cost to silence those voices long enough to hear God’s?

Day 4: Interruptions as Holy Invitations

The Ark’s procession stops every six steps – not for logistics, but to recalibrate priorities. Modern worship often resists interruptions: crying babies, needy friends, inconvenient prompts. Yet Christ modeled stopping for one bleeding woman amid a crowd. Making room means seeing disruptions not as distractions but as divine appointments where glory leaks into ordinary moments. [01:05:28]

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! (Psalm 24:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: Who has God highlighted to you recently through an “annoying” interruption? What kingdom purpose might He have in that disrupted plan?

Day 5: Covering Offenses Like Nigerian Grace

When a friend’s “it’s okay” critique of cooking stings, we choose: fortify walls with offense or cover faults with love. Welcoming others means absorbing minor slights – odd comments, cultural misunderstandings, personality clashes – without tallying wounds. Like David dancing half-naked before the Ark, radical hospitality risks looking foolish to maintain unity. Closed hearts can’t receive or release blessing. [01:09:35]

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: What petty offense have you rehearsed this week that’s walling you off from community? How might covering it in prayer instead of nursing it release fresh spiritual vitality?

Sermon Summary

Joshua’s declaration in Joshua 24 stands as a line in the sand. Israel had received land, blessing, and inheritance, yet Israel had also picked up the idols of the nations. Joshua’s household would not follow the cool-looking gods of the land. Joshua’s house would serve the Lord, and that same declaration becomes a call for a house of welcome.

Welcome means desiring the arrival of someone. Matthew 22 gives the two great directions of that welcome: God and neighbor. A house of welcome desires the arrival of the King of kings, and it also desires the arrival of the neighbor God points out.

Psalm 24 gives the shape of welcoming God. David wrote it as the ark of the covenant came into Jerusalem. The ark was not just a golden box with manna, Aaron’s budded staff, and the stone tablets inside. The ark carried the manifest presence of God, the weight of his glory, the Shekinah. Israel had learned that God’s presence could not be treated casually, and David knew the ark could not sit on the outskirts while he reigned in Jerusalem. The true King had to be brought into the center.

Praise begins that welcome. Praise does not build God up, as if God needed human words to become greater. Praise awakens the spirit to the truth that the seen world was made by the unseen One. The physical senses may be overwhelmed by trouble, pressure, or disappointment, but praise reminds the child of God that the eternal throne is bigger than the natural realm. Corporate praise builds God a throne, and the King does not merely stand among his people. The King reigns and rules.

Psalm 24 then asks who may ascend the mountain of the Lord. Clean hands and a pure heart are not a barrier meant to keep children outside the house. The Holy Spirit shows the mud on the hands so that Jesus may wash it away. Repentance is the way into fellowship, not the way out of it.

Trust and pursuit follow. Blessing and vindication do not finally come from man, systems, positions, or powers. God has the final say. Dependence must not start with Google or ChatGPT, but with the Lord who gives strategy, direction, and timing.

The gates must be lifted all the way up. Halfway welcome is too small for the King of glory. Reverence looks like obedience in little nudges, in the secret place, where no one else sees. And when the King is welcomed, interruptions must also be welcomed. Jesus stopped for the one, and a house of welcome acts on the nudge, bears burdens, covers petty offenses in love, and deepens connections beyond surface talk.

Key Takeaways

1. Welcome begins with the King A house of welcome is not first a social idea, but a spiritual posture toward God himself. Psalm 24 shows that the King of glory must not be left on the outskirts while lesser things occupy the center. When God is welcomed fully, his presence reorders the whole house, including how neighbors are received. [42:18]
2. Praise awakens eternal sight Praise does not make God bigger, because God cannot be added to. Praise makes the spirit aware of the unseen throne that stands above the visible pressures of life. Even when circumstances do not change, praise can change perspective by placing the soul before the faithful God who is not limited by the physical realm. [49:51]
3. Repentance is God’s washing place Clean hands and a pure heart are not demands meant to shame God’s children away from him. The Spirit reveals what is unclean because Jesus has made cleansing available. Repentance is like being called to wash muddy hands inside the house, so fellowship can be enjoyed without pretending the dirt is not there. [56:44]
4. Reverence obeys little nudges Reverence is not only seen in dramatic sacrifices or public worship. Reverence often appears in the small hidden obedience of the secret place, when God says not to watch, not to go, not to take the second helping, or to stay a little longer. The little thing may not become a rule for everyone else, but it becomes holy because God has spoken it personally. [61:32]
5. Love covers petty offenses Welcome must make room for the irritation that comes with real people. Petty offenses can build walls until a person cannot receive from someone or give freely to someone. Love does not hide sin that must be brought into the light, but it does cover small offenses so that power is not traded for pity. [67:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[39:48] - Joshua’s Household Declaration
[41:30] - Welcome Means Desiring Arrival
[42:45] - Psalm 24 and the Ark
[45:16] - False Gods and God’s Separation
[48:14] - David Brings Glory In
[49:27] - Praise Sees the Unseen Realm
[56:44] - Clean Hands and Pure Hearts
[58:27] - Trusting God for Vindication
[60:34] - Lift Up the Gates
[63:37] - Making Room for Interruptions
[66:15] - Acting on the Nudge
[67:47] - Covering Offenses in Love
[72:40] - Deepening Connections and Declaration

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 24
“The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!” [42:45] [49:27] [56:44] [01:00:34] [01:25:55]

Joshua 24:15
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” [40:00] [40:02] [40:06] [40:55] [01:15:01]

Matthew 22:37-39
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” [41:44] [41:49] [41:55]

Observation questions

In Joshua 24:15, what two choices are set before Israel, and what clear decision does Joshua make for his house? [40:02]
In Matthew 22:37-39, who are the two directions of love that shape a house of welcome? [42:18]
In Psalm 24, what are some of the words and images used to describe the Lord and his coming into the city? [01:00:34]
What practical examples are given of making room for people instead of only protecting personal space or comfort? [01:03:37]

Interpretation questions

Joshua speaks after Israel had received blessing and inheritance, yet still picked up idols. Why is that warning still important for a blessed people, and what kinds of “cool-looking” substitutes might compete with devotion to the Lord now? [40:19]
Psalm 24 begins with praise before it speaks about clean hands, seeking God, and lifting up the gates. What does that order show about how a person welcomes the King of glory? [49:51]
Psalm 24 asks who may ascend the hill of the Lord, and the answer includes clean hands and a pure heart. Why should this be understood as an invitation to repentance and cleansing rather than a command to stay away until someone is perfect? [56:44]
“Lift up your heads, O gates” is a picture of making full room for the King. What might halfway-open gates look like in a person’s life, and why is partial welcome too small for the Lord? [01:01:21]

Application questions

“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” calls for a real choice. What competing loyalties or lesser gods most often try to occupy the center of life in this season? [40:42]
Praise helps the heart see beyond what the natural senses are reporting. When pressure, disappointment, or fear has been loud lately, what would it look like to begin with praise instead of beginning with worry? [53:27]
Clean hands and a pure heart are not about pretending to be fine. Is there any area where Jesus may be inviting honest repentance and fresh cleansing right now? [57:57]
Dependence should begin with the Lord before it begins with other voices. In a current decision, burden, or problem, what would it look like to seek God first for direction, strategy, and timing? [59:42]
Reverence often shows up in little acts of obedience in the secret place. What small nudge has been easy to ignore lately, and what might faithfulness look like there? [01:02:17]
Welcoming the King also means making room for interruptions and stopping for the one. Who might God be nudging attention toward this week, whether at church, at home, at work, or in public? [01:06:15]
Love covers petty offenses so that walls do not grow in the heart. Is there a small offense that has been quietly building distance, and what would it look like to choose love over self-pity in that situation? [01:07:47]

Sermon Clips

50s

#PraiseToTheThrone

“Praise awakens the spirit man within us that came alive in Christ. It helps us realize that there is a realm that sits above this physical realm that we see, this physical realm that is that is limited. It makes us understand that we belong to that eternal reality, that we belong to that throne that stands eternal. So when we praise, the Bible says that we enter into the courts of the king with praise. We enter into that before that eternal throne, the throne that stands everlasting to everlasting, that has existed before any kingdom, any power, anything. All that is of time, beginning and end, it stands before him. He sets things in place.”

42s

#CleanHandsPureHeart

“I am making it available so that they can be clean and they can enjoy what's in the house, and they can enjoy company with me. Okay? So now when we come in the presence of a holy God, the holy spirit reminds us of things that are sticking to our hands, things that we have spoken, things that we have thought. It is not to keep us away. It is for us to come to the fountain of life. Come to Jesus and allow him to wash us clean. So we stand with clean hands and a pure heart. We say that we will have nothing to do with idols. So that's what repentance,”

32s

#WorshipInLove

“There is no point in us singing, worshiping, dancing, hallelujahing, and all the wonderful things that we speak in tongues if we are not able to love. That's what Paul says in in a different version. He says it that we will be a noisy symbol. I don't wanna be a noisy symbol. I wanna be able to give in love. So therefore, I make room for offenses. I cover offenses in love. I choose to cover offenses.”

40s

#LetGoOfOffense

“Offense, the Bible says, can block us, can make us a fortified city. Proverbs says that, which means I become a place which is walled in. I am not able to receive from you and I am not able to give to you. So that means if there is something that God is bringing through you to me, I reject that because it's from you. I'm offended. And then that extends to other things too. So offense can keep us from receiving and worse still, I cannot operate in my giftings if I do not choose to love.”

45s

#ReverenceInTheDetails

“Reverence. Reverence. we forget who we are standing in the presence of. Holy, holy, holy God. We stand in the presence of the most high God. We we forget because now we have his indwelling in us. He dwells on the inside of us. We carry him. You know what reverence looks like? I've I've I'm learning in the secret place. It looks like obedience in the little things, not in the big things. Don't watch that video. I feel the nudge.”

37s

#BringGodToTheCenter

“Finally, in the time of king David now this man is all about the presence of God. He is someone who pursues God with everything in him. And he says, I can't let the ark of God sit there while I'm king in Jerusalem because guess what? He is the ultimate king. I receive my authority from him, so it cannot sit on the outskirts. It has to be brought on the inside in Jerusalem. It has to be in the center of Jerusalem. So the Ark of the Covenant is brought”

52s

#ObedienceBringsVictory

“This is something because when God says something to me, I feel I have to apply that to everybody. It's not a rule for every everyone else. What God is saying to you, choose to follow. Obedience in the little things and the big things. Reverence, that's what it looks like. I'm not going to play around with the presence of the holy God who is with me even in the secret place in the secret place. So obedience even in the little things. So and and David declares this and David declares this, when we choose to make room for him, you know what? We stand in his victory. The king of glory is victorious in every battle. We stand in his victory. That's why we obey. Quickly moving on.”

54s

#StopForTheOne

“Jesus was one who let go of the crowds to go and make space for the Samaritan at the well. For the man who had to be, had had to be dealt with with the demons, he had to make him whole. He stopped for the one while he was in the midst of the crowd to declare to a woman who who felt so filthy that you're not unclean. You're my daughter. He said that to her. So Jesus stopped for the one, and this is something he's teaching me. Because when we are in a church or when we are in a place where there are so many people, our minds can be so overwhelmed. I get really overwhelmed because sometimes you you can't smile at everybody. It is tiring. You can't talk to everybody. You can't talk to everybody not because they're not precious, because I don't have the capacity.”

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