More Than Moments | Pastor Cody Castongue

Devotional

Day 1: Saul’s Panic at Gilgal

Saul gripped his sword as Philistine shadows crept closer. The people scattered like sheep. Samuel was late. His hands trembled as he seized the priest’s role, arranging burnt offerings himself. Smoke rose just as Samuel arrived, exposing Saul’s fear-driven disobedience. Pressure had overruled patience. [01:04:15]

Saul’s crisis revealed his heart: he trusted his instincts over God’s timing. He preferred control to surrender. Jesus faced greater pressures in the wilderness and Gethsemane but chose trust. God tests our delays to reveal whom we truly rely on.

Where does impatience hijack your obedience? Do you manipulate outcomes when God’s timing feels slow? Identify one situation where you’re tempted to “help” God. What would it look like to wait actively instead?

“Saul waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come…so Saul said, ‘Bring the burnt offering here to me’… As soon as he had finished…Samuel came.”
(1 Samuel 13:8-10, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where fear drives your decisions instead of faith.
Challenge: Write down a current pressure point. Pray over it before acting today.

Day 2: Fat Rams and Empty Obedience

Samuel stared at the bleating sheep Saul had spared. “What then is this noise?” he demanded. Saul spun excuses: “To sacrifice to the Lord!” But God had ordered total obedience, not selective piety. Saul’s rituals were hollow, preserving what he valued most—his reputation. [01:10:30]

God rejects worship that coexists with rebellion. Jesus warned the Pharisees about cleaning cups while hearts rotted (Matthew 23:25). Partial obedience is disobedience. Saul’s compromise with the Amalekites mirrors our habit of clinging to pet sins while performing spirituality.

What “good thing” are you using to justify disobedience? Is there a command you’ve diluted to fit your comfort? Ask the Spirit to spotlight any divided loyalty.

“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.”
(1 Samuel 15:22, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to sever your attachment to one compromise you’ve rationalized.
Challenge: Delete or throw away one item that symbolizes a half-surrendered area.

Day 3: Charging Stations and Dry Souls

A phone battery dips to 10%—panic sets in. We scavenge for chargers, desperate for a quick fix. Saul lived at 10%, scrambling for God only in crises. David, by contrast, stayed “plugged in,” writing psalms in caves and fields. His soul thirsted like parched land for God alone. [01:30:32]

Spiritual dryness comes from disconnection, not God’s absence. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that worship isn’t a place but a posture (John 4:21-24). We drain ourselves on distractions, then wonder why prayer feels empty.

When did you last feel fully “charged” spiritually? What daily habit could keep you connected to God’s power? Set a phone reminder to pause and pray at 3:00 PM today.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you…as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
(Psalm 63:1, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for His always-available presence. Ask for discipline to seek Him daily.
Challenge: Set a 5-minute alarm today to read Psalm 63 aloud, then sit in silence.

Day 4: Returning with Broken Hymns

David’s hands, stained with Bathsheba’s husband’s blood, clutched the harp. He didn’t perform—he wept. “Create in me a clean heart,” he begged. Saul built monuments; David built altars of repentance. One king returned; the other rusted in pride. [01:26:48]

God cherishes contrite hearts over curated images. The Prodigal Son’s ragged confession moved his father more than his brother’s flawless service (Luke 15:11-32). Brokenness bridges the gap our excuses create.

What shame have you hidden that God waits to heal? Would you risk bringing Him your unedited story, as David did?

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
(Psalm 51:10, ESV)

Prayer: Admit one failure you’ve hidden. Ask for grace to believe restoration is possible.
Challenge: Text a trusted friend one sentence: “Pray for me—I’m working through something.”

Day 5: Royal Blood and Daily Bread

The quizzers’ 500 memorized verses weren’t for trophies—they were weapons. David stored God’s words like arrows for future battles. Saul treated faith as a crisis hotline; David feasted on Scripture daily, letting it shape his kingship. [01:00:13]

God’s Word is a lifeline, not a lucky charm. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy to Satan, wielding specific truth against specific lies (Matthew 4:1-11). Generic spirituality crumbles; rooted faith endures.

What verse could you arm yourself with this week? Write it on your mirror or phone lock screen. How might steady Scripture intake alter your reactions under pressure?

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night…then you will have good success.”
(Joshua 1:8, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to make His Word as vital to you as your next breath.
Challenge: Memorize one verse this week. Say it aloud every morning and night.

Sermon Summary

The contrast between moments and relationship sets the tone: a one-sided, convenience-based faith treats God like a crisis contact, while a covenant life keeps Him first when things are calm and when things are chaotic. Saul’s panic in 1 Samuel 13 shows how pressure made him move, not relationship; he “forced” himself to offer what only Samuel was commissioned to offer because image, timelines, and scattering crowds felt louder than a word already given. Selective urgency then becomes selective obedience; when pressure runs the show, the order of operations flips, and God drifts to last place until another emergency rings.

Saul’s pattern in 1 Samuel 15 exposes the same root. Obedience out-ranks impressive religious activity, yet Saul kept what God told him to remove and learned how to “sound right without being right.” The heart, not the polished outside, carries the witness. Tongues in the altar and a cutting tongue in the drive-thru reveal a moment-based spirituality that can look Pentecostal on Sunday and live petty on Monday. Territorial spirits in church life, scorekeeping, and defensiveness all advertise moments instead of maturity.

Justification turns drifting into habit. “God didn’t disappear. Saul drifted.” The fortress built to keep conviction out eventually muffles God’s voice, and self-leadership rushes in. Prayer driven by pressure disappears when pressure lifts because it was a transaction, not a relationship. David offers the counter-picture. Psalm 63 names a daily hunger: “earnestly I seek you… my soul thirsts for you.” Saul wanted God’s help; David wanted God Himself. That difference is the difference between image management and repentance, between panic and a God-first reflex.

Simplicity opens the door back to life. A relationship does not “just happen,” it is built by intention: stop visiting God and start walking with Him. Apprenticeship beats pretense; open the Bible without acting like a theologian, serve somewhere without waiting to be perfect, show up like it matters. A gym-membership faith that pays the fee and never trains will not carry anyone into endurance.

The phone-charger image lands the call. Moments in the building are like plugging in for ten percent and then living the week on empty. Connection to the right source matters as much as connection itself; a life that swaps the Spirit for the old playlist and the old standards will run red-line by Tuesday. God is more than moments. Relationship stays plugged in, at home and at work, in good days and bad, until the battery reads full and the soul walks like royal priesthood, not just quotes it.

Key Takeaways

1. Pressure exposes shallow devotion Pressure pushed Saul to perform instead of trust, revealing that urgency had replaced relationship. When outcomes, optics, or timelines become the compass, impatience masquerades as leadership. Faith waits because a word already given outranks a crisis unfolding. Deep roots learn to hear noise and still keep God first. [64:15]
2. Obedience outweighs impressive sacrifice “To obey is better than sacrifice” strips the shine off religious theater. God receives a yielded will more than an ornate offering born from disobedience. A life can sound right without being right if the heart edits God’s commands to keep preferred comforts. Real worship surrenders what God said to release. [70:30]
3. Drifting begins with justified compromises “God didn’t disappear. Saul drifted.” Small, reasonable-sounding exceptions gather into a fortress that keeps conviction out and self in charge. When the ear goes dull, self-leadership feels natural but steers toward self-destruction. Returning begins with dismantling the justifications and reopening the line to God’s voice. [78:42]
4. Stay plugged into the right source A soul that only “charges” on Sundays lives the week on low power. Connection must be constant, and source matters; a heart that swaps the Spirit for old inputs will never hold a charge. Presence with God at home and work, in ordinary hours, keeps strength steady and discernment clear. [91:16]
5. Relationship is built by simple consistency Daily, simple practices beat grand occasional moments. Apprenticeship with Scripture, ordinary service, and honest prayer grow a Psalm 63 hunger for God Himself. The move from visiting to walking reorders loves and stabilizes the life that once spiked and crashed. The path is not complicated, just consistent. [81:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[13:03] - Quizzers honored and Scripture recitation
[19:37] - Garage sale for VBS announced
[20:42] - Barbecue Cook-Off details
[23:14] - Offering prayer and worship
[61:53] - Scripture reading 1 Samuel 13:8-12
[63:20] - More Than Moments introduced
[64:15] - Pressure vs relationship exposed
[70:30] - Obedience over sacrifice
[76:19] - Justifying behavior and selective obedience
[78:42] - Saul drifted, not God
[81:40] - Stop visiting, start walking
[91:16] - Charger metaphor: right source
[94:27] - God is more than moments
[95:10] - Altar call and prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 Samuel 13:8-12 (ESV)
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”

Psalm 63:1 (ESV)
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Observation Questions

What specific reasons did Saul give for offering the burnt offering himself instead of waiting for Samuel? (1 Samuel 13:11-12)
How does David describe his pursuit of God in Psalm 63:1, and what imagery does he use to express his longing?
In the sermon, what example was given to illustrate how people might “sound right without being right” in their faith? [01:10:47]
What metaphor was used to describe a faith that only “charges” spiritually on Sundays but disconnects daily? [01:31:16]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Saul’s decision to offer the sacrifice himself was seen as disobedience, even though his intentions seemed practical (e.g., calming the people, facing the Philistines)?
How does David’s posture in Psalm 63:1 contrast with Saul’s actions in 1 Samuel 13? What does this reveal about their priorities in relating to God?
The sermon mentioned that “selective urgency leads to selective obedience.” How does Saul’s story demonstrate this principle? [01:04:15]
What does the “phone charger” metaphor suggest about the consequences of relying on sporadic spiritual habits? [01:29:08]

Application Questions

When have you felt pressured to take control of a situation instead of waiting on God’s timing, like Saul? What practical step could help you pause and seek God first next time?
David’s daily hunger for God (Psalm 63:1) contrasts with crisis-driven spirituality. What small, consistent habit (e.g., prayer, Scripture reading) could you prioritize to cultivate a daily desire for God?
The sermon warned against “justifying compromises” that lead to drifting. Is there an area where you’ve made exceptions to God’s commands that now feel normal? How can you begin to dismantle that pattern? [01:18:42]
How might “plugging into the right source” daily (e.g., worship, Scripture) change the way you handle stress or conflict at work or home? [01:31:16]
Saul prioritized his image over obedience. Where do you feel tempted to prioritize appearances (e.g., at church, online) over authentic surrender to God?
The sermon compared faith to a gym membership that’s paid for but unused. What is one way you can “show up” intentionally in your relationship with God this week, even if it feels small? [01:24:52]
Think of a relationship or situation where you’ve been “territorial” or defensive (like Saul). How could humility and openness to God’s correction transform your response? [01:13:52]

Sermon Clips

``God didn't disappear. Saul drifted. God didn't disappear out of your life. You are drifting, making decisions that you would've never made six months ago, that you would've never made a year ago, making decisions that don't even make sense. But in the moment of your flesh, you justified behavior. I've had people say, pastor, I don't feel God anymore. That didn't happen overnight. That came from inconsistency that built and built and built, and now you got your own tower over here, and you got nothing to do with God. And you're like, I just don't feel him anymore. Well, you can't feel him in the fortress you built to keep him out. [01:19:02] (44 seconds)

We all know what it feels like to be in a one-sided relationship. Amen? The person who only calls when they need something, nobody knows. They don't check on you. They don't invest in you. But when life falls apart, you are the first call. That's not a relationship. That is convenience. There's no friendship there. There's no bond there. That is simply convenience. And if we're not careful, that's exactly what our relationship with God will become. [01:03:23] (40 seconds)

Didn't happen overnight. Because when you stop hearing from God, you start leading yourself. Yes. That's right. And you lead yourself, and you're gonna lead yourself to self destruction. Hope you hear me today. If you only talk to God in moments, you're not gonna recognize his voice when he responds. Well, what's a what's a good example of living for God? Like, what is it? He's not perfect by any means, but Psalm chapter 63 verse one. David wrote this. [01:19:46] (35 seconds)

Where's our relationship with God when things are calm and life is normal? If you're dusting off your bible because life got difficult, it's a bad sign. It's a bad sign. If your prayer life is driven by pressure, it will disappear when the pressure is gone. Because your prayer life was not a relationship, it was a transaction. Lord, if you grant me in this moment, then I'll be good to go for a couple of weeks. [01:08:43] (43 seconds)

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More Than Moments | Pastor Cody Castongue | 5.17.2026