Responding to God | Pastor Mike Saenz

Devotional

Day 1: Stepping Out Before the Waters Part

When the Israelites faced the Red Sea, faith meant wading into danger before seeing deliverance. True trust isn’t waiting for perfect conditions but moving when God says “go,” even into uncertainty. Like Naaman dipping seven times in the Jordan or the blind man washing in Siloam, miracles often follow awkward obedience. God doesn’t need our help, but He invites our participation to stretch our dependence on Him. What looks like risk becomes sacred ground where faith meets faithfulness. [36:45]

“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.”
(Hebrews 11:29, NIV)

Reflection: Where is God asking you to step into “deep water” while outcomes remain unclear? What practical obedience feels vulnerable but necessary today?

Day 2: Public Declarations as Relationship Catalysts

Faith thrives when brought into the light. Like updating a relationship status or introducing a partner to family, public acknowledgment deepens commitment. Baptisms, testimonies, and simple conversations about Christ aren’t performative—they’re relational accelerators. The enemy fears visible faith because it anchors us to Christ and invites others to ask, “What’s different?” Every “I’m praying for you” or church attendance whispers, “I belong to Him.” [41:59]

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 10:32, NIV)

Reflection: What one step—a conversation, social media post, or visible spiritual habit—could publicly reinforce your private faith this week?

Day 3: Humility in the Shadow of the Tax Collector

The Pharisee’s prayer was flawless; the tax collector’s was raw. Yet only the latter left justified. True response to God begins not with spiritual résumés but with clenched fists opening. Like the prodigal son turning homeward, healing starts when we stop comparing and start confessing: “I need.” Humility isn’t self-loathing—it’s refusing to edit our messiness before the One who washes feet. [47:16]

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
(Luke 18:13, NIV)

Reflection: What area of your life still feels “polished” in prayer? How might you approach God today with unscripted honesty?

Day 4: When Conviction Demands Immediate Obedience

Delayed obedience is disobedience with interest. Like muscle memory, each “not yet” to God makes the next refusal easier. The woman with the bleeding issue didn’t wait for a convenient moment—she pushed through the crowd. Jesus honored her urgency. Our “later” often means missing the miracle hidden in the inconvenient now. [50:57]

“As they went, they were cleansed.”
(Luke 17:14, NIV)

Reflection: What prompt have you been rationalizing away? What makes today harder than tomorrow to act on that conviction?

Day 5: From Waiting Room to Miracle

Miracles don’t happen in the safety of the doctor’s waiting room. Like Bartimaeus throwing off his cloak or the prodigal son leaving the pigsty, healing requires leaving what’s familiar. God’s clinic door swings inward—we must walk through. What good is a diagnosis without treatment? Faith is refusing to let fear chain us to the chair when the Healer says, “Come.” [38:55]

“Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.”
(Mark 5:33, NIV)

Reflection: What “waiting room” have you grown comfortable in? What’s one action—even small—to step toward your miracle today?

Sermon Summary

The call to respond to God stands at the heart of worship, not as extra credit but as the normal shape of faith. Faith keeps showing up in Scripture with feet under it, not sitting still. Peter steps out of the boat, Bartimaeus cries out when others tell him to quiet down, the woman with the issue reaches for the hem, and the lepers begin walking before the healing shows up. Movement does not buy the miracle, but movement often bears witness that belief is real, and that belief is willing to leave comfort, pride, and fear behind. The text of the church’s memory keeps saying the same thing in different stories, faith moves before sight arrives.

Movement, then, sits tied to worship in spirit and truth. Intention matters, but intention is not step two or step three, it is step one, and God is not a God of the bare minimum. Public response matters because Jesus ties confession to allegiance. Salvation is personal, but it was never meant to stay private, which is why baptism, testimony, repentance, and declarations of faith were public acts that strengthened commitment. Public devotion is not about chasing attention, it is about training loves in the open so that hidden belief grows sturdy.

Humility opens the door for grace. Jesus points to a Pharisee and a tax collector and says that the one who beats his chest and dares not lift his eyes is the one who goes home justified. The doctrine of humility says, I need God, I cannot fix myself, and that confession becomes the place where God meets a person. Truth in worship starts there, but it keeps going, because conviction must meet action.

The warning lands plainly. Delayed obedience can become disobedience, and repeated resistance makes the next no easier than the last. Hearts can grow dull, not because truth changed, but because a person learned to ignore it. There is no perfect time, which is why immediate obedience sits as the safest place to stand. The Word steadies discernment, the Spirit convicts, and the believer moves. The season ahead is a response season, not a waiting room. The prodigal story shows it clearly, the turn did not begin with feeling sorry, it began when he got up and walked home. The believer’s next step may be a Bible opened for the first time, a quiet door shut for prayer, an overdue conversation, an offered forgiveness, or a simple, public yes to Jesus. The response today can become the turning point tomorrow.

Key Takeaways

1. Faith moves before miracles arrive Faith does not sit and wait for perfect conditions, it steps toward Jesus when the outcome is still unclear. Movement does not earn anything from God, yet it pries pride and fear out of the driver’s seat and makes space for trust. Scripture’s pattern is consistent, as people go, God meets them on the way. The step becomes the witness that belief is real. [35:28]
2. Public confession strengthens allegiance Jesus ties acknowledgment on earth to acknowledgment in heaven, which means private belief is meant to produce public loyalty. Naming Jesus in the open trains the will, clarifies identity, and deepens commitment when the pressure is on. Everyday practices, from baptism to simple conversations, become small altars that reinforce fidelity. Hidden faith grows stronger when it stops hiding. [41:59]
3. Humility opens the door to grace God draws near to the lowly, not the self-assured. The tax collector’s downcast eyes and honest plea become the pathway home, while spiritual resume building leaves a person empty. Humility tells the truth to the person in the mirror first, then brings that truth to God. Grace keeps rushing in through that low door. [47:16]
4. Delayed obedience dulls holy conviction Every no to God teaches the heart to say the next no more easily. Over time, what once stung barely registers, not because it became righteous, but because the soul grew numb. Immediate obedience protects tenderness, keeps the conscience awake, and honors the moment God is speaking. The safest place to stand is the place of prompt surrender. [51:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:34] - Responding to God, not the bare minimum
[32:41] - Peter, Bartimaeus, and stepping out
[34:14] - Faith is not passive
[35:28] - Movement and faith intertwined
[37:28] - Why stepping out feels hard
[38:55] - From waiting room to operating room
[40:30] - Breaking the Pavlov bell habit
[41:59] - Public confession and commitment
[46:06] - God meets humility
[49:27] - Conviction must meet action
[50:42] - The drift of delayed obedience
[53:04] - Learning to hear God speak
[57:55] - First steps toward a response
[69:43] - Closing prayer and ministry for needs

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Observation Questions

In the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), what specific actions or attitudes distinguished the tax collector’s prayer from the Pharisee’s?
The sermon mentioned that “movement often bears witness that belief is real” (e.g., Peter stepping out of the boat). What are some examples of physical or verbal actions tied to faith in the Bible stories referenced? [35:28]
According to Matthew 10:32 (quoted in the sermon), what does Jesus connect to being acknowledged before God the Father? [41:59]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus emphasize humility (as seen in the tax collector’s posture and prayer) as the pathway to being “justified” before God? How does pride block genuine worship?
The sermon states, “Delayed obedience can become disobedience.” How does repeatedly resisting God’s prompting affect a person’s ability to hear or respond to Him over time? [51:44]
In the story of the prodigal son (referenced in the sermon), why did the son’s decision to “get up and walk home” matter more than just feeling remorse? How does action complete repentance? [49:27]

Application Questions

What is one practical step you can take this week to “move in faith” before seeing a clear outcome—like opening your Bible, initiating a hard conversation, or praying boldly? [57:55]
Is there an area of your life where you’ve been delaying obedience to God (e.g., forgiveness, repentance, serving)? What makes it hard to act now, and how can you surrender that hesitation?
The sermon warns that “hidden faith grows stronger when it stops hiding.” What’s one way you can publicly acknowledge your faith this week—not for attention, but to strengthen your commitment? [41:59]
Reflect on the tax collector’s prayer: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” What would it look like to pray this kind of raw, humble prayer in your current struggles?
The sermon says, “Immediate obedience protects tenderness [in your heart].” When have you felt your heart grow “numb” to conviction? What daily habit could help you stay sensitive to God’s voice? [51:44]
Think of a time you stepped out in faith (like Peter or Bartimaeus). How did that action deepen your trust in God? What step is He asking you to take next?

Sermon Clips

34s

#BreakThroughNotPerfection

“And but we have to break through. We cannot be Pavlov's dog. Right? We cannot wait for the bell in order to be obedient to God. What what does that look like for you? Sometimes we wait for the blessing before we move in in direction God is asking us to do. That we wait for everything in life to be perfect before we start we start being obedient to god. And, you know, that's a dangerous fallacy to fall into because here's a pro tip. Life is never going to be perfect.”

37s

#ImmediateObedience

“Can convictions change? Absolutely. But you have to think of this point. If it changes and you're further away from God than you were before, then that's a warning sign. Because you can get closer to God, and your convictions can change. I'm not gonna tell you that they can't. But you have to be in a place where you know where you are with God. You have to be assured in your relationship with Christ. And I don't know about you, but the safest place to be is in immediate obedience to god.”

37s

#ListenAndRespond

“Because a lot of us have this difficulty. Right? How do I know god's speaking to me? How do I know if this is from God or if this is just me speaking? Well, that's why it's important you you get close to God. You understand how he speaks. Read the word because the word is how God speaks. what you're thinking is from god does not sound like the word, then that's probably not god. But when god convicts, respond. When when he calls, move. When he draws near, surrender to him.”

50s

#ChooseForgiveness

“Maybe it's forgiving. Maybe it's extending olive branch of forgiveness to someone who maybe doesn't deserve it, but you know you need this settled and you need this forgiveness in your life so you can live free again. don't know what it is. For everyone, it's different. you know what? If we sit down and we talk for thirty minutes, then I and you tell me about your situation, then, you know, I can try to push you in the right direction. But at a certain point, right, we have to talk to God one on one. we have to move. We have to respond. We have to cry out because your response to god today could become your turning point tomorrow.”

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