Straddling the Fence

Devotional

Day 1: Milk Stains and Mature Bites

The writer of Hebrews rebukes believers stuck on spiritual milk—rehearsing repentance basics but never grasping righteousness. Like toddlers smearing food, they lack skill to handle solid Scripture. Maturity comes through trained discernment: chewing on God’s Word daily, letting it shape choices. [02:39]

Jesus calls disciples to grow beyond elementary teachings. Immaturity isn’t about age or knowledge—it’s refusing to let Scripture direct your steps. The mature don’t just know doctrines; they let the Word cut away compromise.

You’ve tasted milk. Will you take the next bite? Open that Bible app you ignore. Read one chapter aloud, then write one command to obey today. Where have you substituted quick devotionals for actual obedience?

“Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
(Hebrews 5:13-14, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to give you hunger for His Word deeper than comfort.
Challenge: Underline every imperative verb in Hebrews 5:11-14. Do one action before sunset.

Day 2: Ditch the Dual Citizenship

First-century believers tried blending Jewish rituals with Christian faith. They kept washings, resurrections debates, and repentance—but refused to name Jesus as Messiah. Their fence-straddling looked holy but denied Christ’s supremacy. [07:36]

God demands exclusive loyalty. Partial obedience is rebellion. Like Israelites clinging to Egypt’s idols, we invent hybrid faiths—church attendance plus horoscopes, Bible study plus gossip. Jesus says lukewarm living makes Him vomit.

Name your secret alliance. What habit, relationship, or fear keeps you from full surrender? Write it on a sticky note. Burn it after dinner as a surrender ritual. What false safety do you cling to instead of Christ?

“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.”
(Hebrews 6:1, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve blended worldly values with Christian vocabulary.
Challenge: Text a friend: “Name one way I compromise.” Listen without defending.

Day 3: Spirit-Worked Soil

Growth isn’t self-help. Philippians 2:12-13 pairs “work out your salvation” with “God works in you.” Like a farmer depending on rain, believers till soil through prayer and obedience—but only the Spirit makes fruit sprout. [17:22]

Jesus told Nicodemus rebirth comes by the Spirit’s wind, not human effort. You can’t lecture a seed into becoming a tree. Yet dormant seeds rot. Dig into Scripture. Weed sin. But trust the Spirit to transform your grit into grace.

Where are you striving instead of abiding? Set a phone reminder: “Breathe in Spirit” at 3:16 PM today. Whisper “Your power, not mine” before tackling a stubborn sin. What fruit have you tried to manufacture without God?

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
(Philippians 2:12-13, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific ways He’s grown you this year.
Challenge: Write “Spirit, not self” on your wrist. Photograph it when tempted to perform.

Day 4: Thorns, Rocks, and Good Soil

Jesus’ parable warns of superficial faith: rocky soil hears truth but withers under trial, thorny soil chokes on worldly cares. Good soil isn’t perfect—it’s plowed by repentance, fertilized by suffering, watered with obedience. [30:31]

Fruitfulness proves salvation. Thorns might bloom briefly but lack eternal value. God’s rain falls on all, but only cultivated ground yields lasting harvest. Don’t confuse church activity for heart transformation.

Inventory your soil. List three “thorns” suffocating your growth (e.g., Netflix binges, resentment). Remove one distraction before bed—cancel a subscription, delete an app. What choking vine have you mistaken for harmless shade?

“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
(Matthew 13:22, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to uproot one thorn you’ve tolerated.
Challenge: Replace 30 minutes of screen time with Psalm 1 meditation.

Day 5: Rain on Just and Unjust

God’s blessings drench all people—believers and atheists enjoy sunsets, laughter, love. But common grace isn’t salvific. Like rain on thistles and wheat, God’s kindness either softens or hardens hearts. Fruit reveals true reception. [26:07]

Judas tasted miracles but betrayed Christ. Pharaoh saw plagues but stiffened his neck. Don’t presume on God’s patience. His kindness leads to repentance, but unrepentant hearts store wrath.

You’ve drunk deep of grace. Will you channel it to others? Buy coffee for a cranky coworker. Leave a note: “God’s grace is for you too.” Who needs to see Christ’s kindness through your hands today?

“For land that has drunk the rain… and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed.”
(Hebrews 6:7-8, ESV)

Prayer: Intercede for one person who enjoys God’s blessings but rejects His Son.
Challenge: Perform one act of kindness for someone hostile to faith.

Sermon Summary

Hebrews 5 and 6 call the church out of spiritual infancy and into clear, gospel-shaped maturity. The text contrasts those who live on milk with those who take solid food, urging believers to train their powers of discernment through steady engagement with Scripture and obedience. Discernment appears as a gift of the Spirit that requires regular practice and application; mere knowledge of verses without obedience leaves a person unformed. The letter warns against a timid middle ground where old religious forms and new faith coexist in uneasy partnership. That hybrid stance offers social comfort but masks a shallow commitment that can look Christian while lacking true union with Christ.

The author frames an urgent pastoral wake-up call about a dangerous pattern: people who have seen God’s blessings, tasted the heavenly gift, and yet cling to former practices that dilute allegiance to Christ. The hypothetical of those who fall away functions to emphasize the absolute sufficiency of Christ and the impossibility of needing his death twice. Assurance rests on Jesus once for all and on the Spirit’s work within, not on a performative religiosity that feeds on outward rites. The imagery of rain falling on both ditch and cornfield exposes a central test: blessings do not equal spiritual fruit. Fruitful lives display the inward work of God and receive his blessing, while barren religiosity ends in loss. The letter closes with an appeal to respond rightly: either grow into maturity by surrendering more fully to Christ and his Word, or be raised from deadness by trusting Jesus alone. The final invitation presses for decisive faith that confesses Jesus as Lord and embraces the Spirit’s transformation, promising salvation to those who truly call on the name of the Lord.

Key Takeaways

1. Maturity requires word and practice. Regular exposure to Scripture only matures when the heart applies it. Reading becomes transformation when obedience shapes decisions, affections, and moral perception. Spiritual growth demands steady practice that trains moral judgment, not merely theological information. Growth that pleases God shows itself in habitual, gospel-shaped living. [02:56]
2. Discernment is gifted then trained. The Holy Spirit grants the capacity to distinguish good from evil at conversion, but that capacity needs sharpening. Study, prayer, and the discipline of obedience refine discernment into a practical sense of what honors God. Spiritual senses atrophy when not exercised; they strengthen through repeated, humble submission to God’s Word. [05:10]
3. Avoid religious dual citizenship. Holding old religious forms alongside allegiance to Christ creates a comfortable compromise that undermines distinct Christian witness. Religious practices that mask an absent heart become a subtle denial of Christ’s lordship and a way to avoid persecution or social cost. Authentic faith moves from cultural identity into decisive loyalty to Jesus even at personal cost. [06:59]
4. Fruit, not blessings, reveals standing. God’s common blessings fall on all people, but those blessings do not prove saving union with Christ. The parable of the soil shows that only good soil yields lasting, useful fruit that honors God. True assurance appears in transformed life and perseverance, not merely in experiences of God’s favor. [25:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:55] - Opening prayer and Scripture reading
[02:39] - Milk versus solid food explained
[03:35] - Call to leave elementary doctrine
[05:10] - Discernment: gift and training
[06:59] - Danger of religious dual citizenship
[16:36] - The impossible falling away scenario
[24:55] - Assurance in Christ and the Spirit
[31:30] - Parable of the sower and fruit
[36:35] - Invitation to respond and close
[39:48] - Blessing and family celebration

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Hebrews 5:13–6:3 (ESV)
For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.

- Matthew 13:18-23 (ESV)
Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, another sixty, another thirty.

Observation Questions

In Hebrews 5:13-14, what two things are contrasted, and what is required to move from one to the other?
Hebrews 6:1-3 lists specific teachings the audience was urged to move beyond. What are they, and why might clinging to them hinder maturity? [03:35]
How does the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:18-23) explain the difference between superficial faith and fruitful faith?

Interpretation Questions

Why does the author of Hebrews use agricultural imagery (rain, crops, thorns) to contrast fruitful and barren lives? How does this relate to the idea that “blessings do not equal spiritual fruit”? [25:19]
The sermon mentions a “hypothetical” scenario in Hebrews 6:4-6 where falling away makes repentance impossible. Why is this hypothetical situation included, and what does it reveal about the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice? [16:36]
How does the parable of the sower challenge the assumption that external religious practices (like “washings” or “laying on of hands”) are enough to prove genuine faith?

Application Questions

Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did Scripture or obedience to God’s Word shape your discernment in that situation? If it didn’t, what held you back? [02:56]
Where might you be clinging to “religious dual citizenship”—maintaining comfortable, culturally acceptable habits that dilute your loyalty to Christ? What would it look like to surrender those areas? [06:59]
The sermon warns that spiritual senses atrophy without exercise. What specific practice (study, prayer, obedience) could you prioritize this week to “train” your discernment? [05:10]
How do you distinguish between experiencing God’s blessings (e.g., joy, provision) and producing lasting spiritual fruit? What evidence of fruit do you see—or lack—in your life? [25:19]
The parable of the sower describes thorns as “cares of the world” choking faith. What distractions or fears are currently threatening to crowd out your wholehearted pursuit of Christ?

Sermon Clips

You know what's beautiful and wonderful? Me growing in my faith is not dependent on me pulling myself up from my bootstraps. Me trying to reinvent the wheel. Me trying to desperately search through the darkness to find something that's pleasing to god. Instead, I have the holy spirit living within me, making me want the things that god wants and to hate the thing that god hates to give me both the desire and the power to do the things that are glorifying to god. This is good news. [00:18:43] (40 seconds) #SpiritNotSelf

But would it be better to live your life with a lukewarm empty religiousness to then be cast out into outer darkness by the Jesus that you thought you were cool with. If that were you sitting there, wouldn't it be better to be offended to then be given the opportunity to change, then to continue with a false sense of security whose ultimate end was and is destruction. Christian, today in 2026 at Wilmington, North Carolina, maybe you are sitting here today, and what you need to hear is that you need to grow up. [00:34:45] (47 seconds) #NoLukewarmFaith

What does the author of Hebrews mean here when he says, we should leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity. It's important that we get this today. What this is not telling us to do is to go somehow find a new thing that might satisfy us more than Christ. No. What we'll see throughout the Bible is the apostle Paul calling these people to go back to the basics, right, to build their foundation ultimately on the gospel of Christ. [00:04:12] (34 seconds) #BuildOnTheGospel

I have been in church my entire life. And yet it was at 23 years old when I was working at a church that I realized that I didn't know Jesus. I worked for him. I just didn't know him. That is you. The invitation is is simple. Know this Jesus. You know what's wonderful? The amazing work he did to redeem us from our sin and to raise us from the dead. His expectation is just our faith. [00:36:52] (30 seconds) #KnowJesusNotReligion

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

How can one discern genuine faith from mere religion?

Can Christians lose salvation after genuine enlightenment?

How do Spirit and effort shape Christian maturity?

Straddling the Fence

Devotional

Day 1: Milk Stains and Mature Bites

Day 2: Ditch the Dual Citizenship

Day 3: Spirit-Worked Soil

Day 4: Thorns, Rocks, and Good Soil

Day 5: Rain on Just and Unjust

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Straddling the Fence

Share