Sabbath, January 31st 2026 | Pastor Dr. Ron Williams | It Warmed My Body But Not My Soul

Devotional

Day 1: The Danger of Hearing Without Truly Listening

The word of God is a powerful force, meant to transform our lives and guide us toward a deeper relationship with the divine. However, simply hearing the words spoken is not enough. True transformation comes when we actively listen, interpret, and allow the message to penetrate our hearts and minds. Without this deeper engagement, the word can become like a fire that warms the body but leaves the soul cold, offering temporary comfort without lasting change. [56:26]

Jeremiah 36:15-16 (ESV)
And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So Baruch read it to them. When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.”

Reflection: When you hear God's word, what is your immediate internal response? Does it prompt a desire to understand and obey, or does it feel like background noise that you can easily dismiss?

Day 2: God's Persistent Love Amidst Confusion and Drought

Life can often feel like a confusing maze, with challenges arising from every direction, leaving us feeling baffled and questioning God's presence. In times of personal drought, whether in relationships or spiritual life, it's easy to feel unheard. Yet, even in these moments of confusion and scarcity, God's heart is for us. He calls us to prayer and fasting not as a means to manipulate Him, but as an invitation to seek His guidance and to remember that His purpose is always forgiveness and restoration. [01:01:22]

Jeremiah 36:7 (ESV)
And perhaps the people of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to bring on them, so that every one of them may turn from his evil way, and I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Reflection: In moments when life feels confusing or when you experience a spiritual "drought," what are the first steps you take to seek God's guidance and comfort?

Day 3: The King's Choice: Comfort or Consequence

The story of King Jehoiakim presents a stark contrast between the warmth of physical comfort and the profound need for spiritual transformation. When confronted with God's word, which offered a path to repentance and forgiveness, he chose instead to burn the scroll, seeking solace in the familiar flames rather than embracing the challenging truth. This choice highlights how easily we can allow temporary comforts to overshadow the essential work of aligning our hearts with God's will, leading to a soul that remains cold despite outward warmth. [01:14:18]

Jeremiah 36:23 (ESV)
And when Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king would cut off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the pot.

Reflection: When faced with a message from God that makes you uncomfortable, what is your typical reaction, and how does it compare to King Jehoiakim's response?

Day 4: The Difference Between Hearing and Listening

There is a significant distinction between the physiological act of hearing sound and the deeper, more meaningful process of listening. Hearing is passive; it is the reception of noise. Listening, however, is an active engagement that involves interpreting, understanding, and responding to the meaning behind the words. In our relationships and our walk with God, it is this active listening that fosters connection, prevents dysfunction, and allows for genuine transformation, rather than simply registering sounds without internalizing their significance. [01:16:08]

Jeremiah 36:11 (ESV)
And Micaiah heard all the words of the Lord from the book.

Reflection: Think about a recent conversation where you were "hearing" but not truly "listening." What was the outcome, and how might a shift to active listening have changed it?

Day 5: Embracing the Unfamiliar for Essential Destiny

The gospel calls us to a profound exchange: letting go of what is critical to our comfort in order to gain what is essential for our destiny. This often means releasing familiar habits, attachments, or ways of thinking that, while comfortable, hinder our spiritual growth. Just as a mother must release her child to fall into safe hands for their survival, we too must surrender the familiar to embrace the unfamiliar path God lays out, trusting that His plan leads to a richer, more purposeful life. [01:29:14]

John 1:14 (ESV)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you are holding onto the "familiar" out of comfort, even though you sense God is inviting you toward an "unfamiliar" but essential step for your destiny?

Sermon Summary

Jeremiah’s encounter with a scroll becomes a mirror for the modern soul. A sacred message, painstakingly written and read aloud, convicts a congregation but is met with varying responses: repentance, indifference, and outright rejection. The king chooses comfort over conviction, literally feeding the flames with God’s words so his body feels warm while his soul remains cold. That image frames a pastoral call to distinguish mere hearing from obedient listening, to endure God’s refining delays, and to trade familiar comforts that block destiny for the risky obedience that brings life.

The narrative unfolds around Baruch and Jehudi, whose faithful reading exposes sin, announces judgment, and offers repentance. The people fast and gather, but emptiness in their hearts blunts the word’s power. When the scroll is burned, the crisis is not the loss of ink and parchment but the refusal to receive the living Word made flesh. The response is practical: those ready to repent, recommit, or be baptized are invited forward. The text insists that true reception of God’s word changes direction—ethical choices, relationships, and commitments—not merely emotions or ritual participation.

Through plain language and sharp illustrations—a burned scroll, a falling infant caught by a stranger, and a man too afraid to trust rescuers—the preacher exposes three roots of resistance: presumption that the situation is hopeless, a lost moral compass, and clinging to familiar comforts. Each obstacle is met with gospel truth: God’s delays refine deliverance, repentance restores direction, and surrender opens the way to destiny. The climax is an invitation to embrace the living Word—Jesus—whose presence is the cure for ritual warmth without spiritual transformation. Listeners are urged to move from passive hearing to active listening that yields repentance, rebirth, and faithful service.

Key Takeaways

1. Hearing does not equal true listening Hearing is passive reception of sound; listening is the costly work of interpretation, repentance, and reorientation. When people only hear words without allowing them to change behavior, the voice of God becomes background noise that comforts the skin while leaving the soul unchanged. Conversion demands not just awareness but obedience—an inward turning that results in outward transformation. [75:57]
2. Delay refines, not denies God’s plan Apparent delays in deliverance often reveal God’s refining purpose rather than His absence or anger. Remaining faithful during the crucible enlarges dependence, reshapes priorities, and prepares for a blessing that matches the struggle. Believing that God’s timing is purposeful helps resist panicked shortcuts that compromise holiness. [84:34]
3. Lose familiar to gain what’s essential Attachment to familiar comforts can become spiritual idolatry that blocks access to what God intends to give. True discipleship sometimes requires releasing treasured securities—habits, roles, or relationships—to receive what is essential for vocation and sanctification. Surrender is not loss but the economy of grace: what is relinquished is redeemed into destiny. [89:36]
4. The Word must change direction, not comfort Scripture’s purpose is to confront and redirect, not merely to soothe anxious hearts. When the message is reduced to a source of warmth for habit, it ceases to be salvific and becomes fuel for self-deception. Receiving the Word means allowing it to reorder loyalties, ethics, and daily choices toward Christ. [74:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[40:01] - Thanksgiving and waking testimony
[46:15] - Scripture: Jeremiah chapter 36 introduced
[62:51] - Baruch reads in the temple
[63:18] - The scroll’s aroma and reaction
[70:32] - Jehudi reads before the king
[73:18] - King Jehoiakim burns the scroll
[75:07] - Warm body, cold soul: the danger
[83:33] - Why people reject God’s Word
[89:36] - Letting go to receive blessing
[97:53] - Invitation: repent, recommit, be baptized
[107:57] - Closing prayer and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon:

Bible Reading

Jeremiah 36:15-26 (ESV)
> 15 And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” 18 Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.” 19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.” 20 So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. 22 It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before the king. 23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire. 24 Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words were afraid, nor did they tear their garments. 25 Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.

Observation questions

When Baruch read the scroll to the officials, what was their immediate reaction, and what did they decide to do? [48:07]
Describe King Jehoiakim's reaction as Jehudi read the scroll to him. What specific action did the king take with the scroll? [49:25]
Even though some officials urged the king not to burn the scroll, he refused to listen. What does this tell us about the king's heart and his response to God's word? [50:03]
The sermon mentioned that the king's body was warmed by the fire, but his soul remained cold. What does this contrast illustrate about his response to the scroll? [50:48]

Interpretation questions

The people in Jeremiah's time called for a fast and prayer, yet their hearts were not right. What does this suggest about the difference between outward religious activity and genuine inward transformation? [01:04:14]
The story of the man trapped in the burning building highlights the danger of hearing a voice of rescue but not trusting it. How does this relate to King Jehoiakim's response to the scroll, and what does it reveal about his resistance to God's message? [55:30]
The sermon states, "The danger in Jeremiah 36 is not that the word was burned. The danger in the text is not that the word was burned. You wonder what the danger was? That it was heard but not received." [35:02] What does it mean for the Word of God to be "heard but not received," and why is this more dangerous than the physical destruction of the scroll?
The sermon contrasts "hearing" with "listening," defining listening as "the deeper work, watch this, of interpreting and understanding the meaning behind what you heard." [01:16:08] How did King Jehoiakim demonstrate hearing but not listening, and what are the consequences of this kind of response to God's Word?

Application questions

The sermon highlights that "hearing does not equal true listening." [01:15:57] In what areas of your life might you be "hearing" God's Word but not truly "listening" in a way that leads to obedience and transformation?
King Jehoiakim chose the comfort of the fire warming his body over the conviction of God's Word for his soul. [01:14:18] What familiar comforts might be keeping your soul cold, hindering you from fully embracing God's truth and destiny for you?
The sermon suggests that "delay refines, not denies God’s plan." [01:24:34] When you experience delays or difficult circumstances, how do you tend to respond? Are you able to see them as opportunities for God to refine you, or do you tend to panic or give up?
The idea of "losing the familiar to gain what’s essential" [01:29:14] was presented. What is something familiar in your life (a habit, a relationship, a way of thinking) that might be hindering you from receiving something essential from God for your destiny?
The sermon emphasizes that "the Word must change direction, not comfort." [01:14:50] Can you identify a specific area where God's Word is calling you to change direction, and what is one small, tangible step you can take this week to obey that call?
The story of the woman tossing her baby to safety illustrates that sometimes we must "lose what we have in order to gain what we need." [01:29:36] What is something you are holding onto tightly that God might be asking you to release so that you can gain a greater blessing or fulfill your destiny?
The sermon concludes with an invitation to move from passive hearing to active listening that yields repentance, rebirth, and faithful service. [01:37:53] What does "active listening" look like for you in your daily life, and how can you intentionally practice it this week in response to God's Word?

Sermon Clips

Saints of god, you can do better than that. His eye is on the sparrow. And if he cares about a sparrow, imagine what he cares about a human whom he's made from his own hands. See, he spoke a sparrow into existence, but he handcrafted humanity. We give god praise and give god glory. Give god thanks because had he not woke you up, you wouldn't be here right now. [00:39:38] (30 seconds) #HandcraftedByGod

What happens when people hear the word of god but refuse to listen to it because hearing without listening, watch this, will warm your emotions but never change your direction. I think I'm preaching already. And today as we walk through Jeremiah chapter 36, we're gonna see a king who heard the word of the Lord, who hailed the word of the Lord, then burned the word of the Lord. Why? Because he refused to listen. And that's the question that I have for each of us sitting here today. It's a simple question but it's a serious question. What do you do? When the word of god tells you to jump. Yes. But you're afraid of the dark. [00:56:22] (52 seconds) #ObeyDontJustFeel

Understand, god has one purpose in mind. He says to Jeremiah, I'm in the Bible. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them that everyone may turn from his evil way that I may forgive the iniquity and their sin. God is not just about judgment. God is seeking repentance. God is warning because god still wants to forgive. Jeremiah, he he instantly calls his ominouses. What's an ominouses? It's a fancy word for secretary. [00:57:47] (35 seconds) #GodSeeksRepentance

and conviction begins to penetrate the room. The timing is right. The place is right. The message is right. The only problem church is their hearts aren't right. Because when Baruch finishes, no one responds. Elder, they say we had church today. So and so should have been here. Yes. The man of god preached today. So and so should have been What did the man of God preach about? I don't know what he preached about, but it was good. [01:04:20] (45 seconds) #HeartsOverHype

Watch this. The sacred scroll becomes fuel for the king's comfort. The sacred scroll becomes fuel for the king's comfort. The sacred scroll, the word of God became fuel for the king's comfort. The word meant to save his soul only warmed his skin. The word of god inspired by god dictated through Jeremiah, written by Baruch, read by Jeudai, rejected by king Jehaiodai, Jehoiakim. He was unmoved, unrepentant, and unchanged. It warmed his body, but not his soul. [01:14:41] (50 seconds) #ReligionWarmsNotSaves

``The king burned the word because it made him uncomfortable. Most of us, many of us are just like king Jehoiakim. The word says, return a faithful tithe and offering. We don't. The word says, have no other gods before me, we do. The word says, present your bodies a living sacrifice. We won't. The word says, husbands, love your wives. We fail. The word says, walk in the spirit, but the flesh keeps calling. The word says, warn the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak. We'd rather judge, label, and persecute them as unfit for grace. There's too much hearing and not enough listening. God's word was never meant to warm your body, but not your soul. [01:22:13] (50 seconds) #ListenDontJustHear

You know, you and I can come to we can come to church every Sabbath and still die in disobedience. We can quote scripture y'all. Yes. And still be rejecting the savior. You can warm yourself by the fire of religion and miss the most profound and impacting relationship you need not for this life alone but for eternal life. [01:35:47] (41 seconds) #FaithBeyondAttendance

I thank god this afternoon that the story doesn't end with the scroll being burned. You know why? Watch this, elder. Because John tells us that the word became flesh. The word didn't stay on parchment. The word became. He came to be one of us. Yes. That he might win all of us. Jesus is the word that Jehoiakim burned. Jesus is the word that Israel ignored. Jesus is the word that's still speaking even right now. I don't know if you're online or in the house but the word is speaking. [01:36:30] (55 seconds) #WordBecameFlesh

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Sabbath, January 31st 2026 | Pastor Dr. Ron Williams | It Warmed My Body But Not My Soul

Devotional

Day 1: The Danger of Hearing Without Truly Listening

Day 2: God's Persistent Love Amidst Confusion and Drought

Day 3: The King's Choice: Comfort or Consequence

Day 4: The Difference Between Hearing and Listening

Day 5: Embracing the Unfamiliar for Essential Destiny

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Sabbath, January 31st 2026 | Pastor Dr. Ron Williams | It Warmed My Body But Not My Soul

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