God cannot be manipulated or reduced to something manageable; instead, He calls us to trust Him, even when His ways are mysterious or beyond our understanding. When we try to put a “steering wheel” on our relationship with God—by seeking control through rituals, rules, or even religious leaders—we miss the invitation to genuine trust and partnership. God’s refusal to be controlled is not a lack of care, but a loving desire for us to freely give Him our trust, just as a loving Father allows His children to choose relationship over coercion. In the places where you long for certainty or answers, God invites you to relinquish control and trust Him with what you cannot manage. [01:06:08]
1 Samuel 8:4-9 (NLT)
Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Reflection: Where in your life are you tempted to “put a steering wheel” on your relationship with God—trying to control outcomes or reduce Him to something manageable? What would it look like to trust Him with that area today?
Idolatry is not only about worshiping false gods, but about our desire to control God by making Him fit our preferences, expectations, or needs. The Israelites’ request for a king “like the other nations” was, in God’s eyes, the same as making an idol: both were attempts to gain leverage over God, to make Him more predictable and less mysterious. When we shape God into an image or system that we can manage, we lose sight of His true nature and miss the freedom and love found in surrender. God calls us to let go of our need for control and to worship Him as He truly is—uncontainable, holy, and loving. [48:44]
Exodus 32:1-4 (ESV)
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
Reflection: In what ways do you find yourself trying to “edit” God—making Him fit your expectations, rules, or desires? How can you surrender that impulse and worship Him as He truly is?
God created humans in His image to reflect His character and rule the earth with humility, justice, and love—not to replace Him or seek independence from Him. The true calling of humanity is to be God’s image-bearers, living in partnership with Him and stewarding His creation according to His will. When we seek to rule apart from God, or elevate human leaders to a place only God should occupy, we distort our purpose and lose the blessing of His presence and guidance. God’s desire is for us to be rulers who are shaped by His Word, humble in spirit, and dependent on His power. [51:57]
Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Reflection: How are you reflecting God’s image in your daily life—at home, at work, or in your community? Is there an area where you are tempted to “rule” independently rather than in partnership with God?
God’s intention is not just to empower a select few, but to fill each of His people with His Spirit so that we can bear His image and accomplish His purposes in the world. Just as the judges and kings were called to lead by God’s Spirit, Jesus has made it possible for every believer to be filled with the same Spirit, enabling us to love, serve, and witness in ways that point others to Him. This power is not for our own control or glory, but to participate in God’s mission and to be a “tripping hazard” of love and grace in the lives of those around us. [01:05:28]
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Reflection: What would it look like for you to invite the Holy Spirit to fill and empower you today—in your family, your church, or your neighborhood? Is there a step of faith you sense God calling you to take?
God’s story is not just something we read about; He invites us to actively partner with Him in His work—both individually and as a church community. Membership in the body of Christ is more than belonging; it is a commitment to collaborate with God and with one another, using our gifts and stories to build His kingdom. God gives us agency and authority, not to control Him, but to join Him in His redemptive work in the world. The question is not just what God is doing, but how you can join Him in it—right where you are. [01:07:28]
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV)
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Reflection: What is one concrete way you can partner with God and your church family this week—using your gifts, time, or presence to build up others and advance His mission?
Today’s gathering centered on the majesty and holiness of God, the call to worship Him with our whole lives, and the deep invitation to trust rather than control Him. We began by acknowledging God’s unmatched power—no force in hell, no earthly authority, can stand before the Great I Am. Our prayers reached out for the Holy Spirit’s presence, for hearts ignited with God’s passion, and for solidarity with persecuted believers worldwide. We recognized that our worship is not confined to Sunday, but is meant to overflow into every day, every relationship, and every act of service.
We celebrated new members joining our church family, affirming that membership is not about independence but about interdependence—committing to one another and to God’s mission in our community. Our mission is to connect people to Jesus and His mission, shining His light in Rexdale and beyond, and allowing His transforming power to change us from the inside out.
The heart of our reflection was a deep dive into 1 Samuel 8, where Israel asks for a king. This request, on the surface, seems reasonable—Samuel’s sons are corrupt, and the people want stability. Yet God’s response reveals something profound: the desire for a king “like the other nations” is, in His eyes, akin to idolatry. It’s not the kingship itself that is the problem—God had always planned for Israel to have a king—but the motive: a longing for control, for a mediator who could manipulate God on their behalf, just as idols were used in pagan cultures.
We explored how idolatry is fundamentally about control—reducing God to something manageable, predictable, and safe. Whether through physical idols, human leaders, or even our own religious routines, we are tempted to edit God down to our size, to put a steering wheel on our relationship with Him. Yet God refuses to be controlled or manipulated. Instead, He invites us to trust Him, to bear His image in the world, and to partner with Him in His work—not as passive spectators, but as active collaborators filled with His Spirit.
This is not just an ancient story, but a living challenge: Will we seek to control God, or will we trust Him? Will we settle for a manageable deity, or will we dare to be filled with His uncontrollable power, living as true images of God in our families, workplaces, and neighborhoods? The invitation is to relinquish control, embrace trust, and join God in His redemptive work.
1 Samuel 8:1-22 (ESV) — When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 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. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
(…continue reading through verse 22…)
Exodus 32:1-6 (ESV) — When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
(…continue reading through verse 6…)
Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV) — Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
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