Remove the noise and tune in to God in 2026!

Jan 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: God is Speaking: Tune In and Listen.

In a world filled with countless competing voices, it is easy to become dull to the divine. Yet, God is alive and actively seeking to communicate, offering peace, healing, and purpose. Many find themselves disconnected, making decisions based on emotions rather than truth, missing divine opportunities, and growing numb to God's presence. The desire to hear from God is the first step toward a life blessed and guided by His voice. [41:17]

John 10:27 (KJV)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you most desire God's guidance, and what small step can you take today to intentionally create space to listen for His voice?

Day 2: Silence the Static: Prioritize God's Voice.

Our lives are often filled with a cacophony of noise—social media, news, opinions, fears, deadlines, and personal struggles. These distractions can drown out the gentle whisper of God, making it impossible to hear His call. It is crucial to identify what noise in your life is so loud that it prevents clear communication with the Divine. Just as we turn down a loud TV to hear someone speak, we must adjust the "volume" of worldly distractions to prioritize God's voice. [57:39]

Luke 8:14 (KJV)
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Reflection: What specific daily habit or source of distraction could you intentionally reduce or remove this week to create more mental and spiritual space for God's voice?

Day 3: Forgive and Be Free: Open Your Heart.

Unforgiveness acts as a significant barrier, clogging spiritual channels and preventing a clear connection with God. Holding onto past hurts, betrayals, or wrongs creates a loud internal noise that can overshadow divine communication. Just as God forgave us our many trespasses, we are called to extend that same grace to others. Releasing unforgiveness is not about condoning wrong, but about opening your heart to God's work and allowing Him to move in your life. [50:08]

Mark 11:25-26 (KJV)
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Reflection: Is there a relationship or past event where you are still holding onto resentment or hurt? What would it look like to genuinely pray for that person or situation, releasing it to God's care?

Day 4: Confront Hidden Sin: Restore Your Connection.

Secret sin and compromise act like spiritual static, disrupting the clarity of God's voice in our lives. While we may hear glimpses of His truth, these hidden areas prevent a full and consistent connection. It is essential to humbly search our hearts, acknowledging any iniquity that might be present. God desires to give us victory over long-standing problems, but we must first face what we have hidden and bring it before Him for healing and transformation. [51:39]

Psalm 66:18 (KJV)
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you've been reluctant to invite God's scrutiny, perhaps a habit or attitude you've kept hidden? What small step can you take to bring it into the light this week?

Day 5: Release Your Burdens: Embrace God's Healing.

Many carry the heavy burden of unresolved emotions—hurt, anger, and bitterness—that weigh down the heart and keep them in a state of survival. These deep-seated feelings can spill into every area of life, causing division and hindering spiritual growth. God desires to heal these wounds, but it requires surrendering them to Him rather than clinging to them. By giving our problems to God at the altar, we allow Him to be God in our lives, creating a clean heart attuned to His voice. [01:03:07]

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

Reflection: When you reflect on your emotional landscape, what specific burden or unhealed hurt are you ready to lay at God's feet, trusting Him to bring peace and renewal?

Sermon Summary

The congregation is called to recover the fragile discipline of hearing God amid modern noise. Using Luke 8 and John 10 as a guide, the speaker contrasts those who receive the Word with joy yet have no root, and those whose lives are choked by cares, riches, and pleasure. The central claim is that God is still speaking; the problem is human distraction, unaddressed sin, and unresolved hurts that block spiritual hearing. Practical diagnosis follows: unforgiveness acts like a clog that prevents God's forgiveness from opening spiritual channels; secret compromise creates static that breaks a steady signal; misplaced priorities and louder earthly voices drown out the quiet call of the Shepherd.

The talk presses for honest self-examination rather than performance. Believers are exhorted to face what has been buried—confess sins, release bitterness, repent of private compromises—so that prayer becomes receptive rather than repetitive. Turning down the “volume” of competing loyalties (jobs, social pressures, old wounds) is framed as a deliberate spiritual discipline: reorder priorities, set God first, and cultivate environments where God’s voice can be heard clearly. Practical spiritual actions are offered: prayerful confession, forgiveness of others, re-centering daily life around Scripture and worship, and community practices like altar prayer and mutual ministry teams.

Faithful hearing, the speaker argues, produces change: clearer decisions, freedom from cycles of failure, and the ability to walk into God’s prepared opportunities. The invitation is urgent and pastoral—an altar call to bring current burdens, unresolved conflicts, and spiritual deficiencies for prayer and healing. Financial faithfulness and committed participation (tithing, joining teams) are named as part of a life that tunes to God’s frequency, not out of obligation but as a means of practicing trust. The rhetoric is simple and direct: God wants to bless, but people must clear the channels to receive.

Key Takeaways

1. Remove the noise blocking God God’s voice is not muffled by a failing Divine ear but by the clutter of daily life. Social media, fears, busyness, and unresolved emotions create competing signals that keep Scripture from taking root. Clearing space—intentional silence, focused prayer, and removing distractions—allows the Shepherd’s voice to be perceived with clarity and applied to real decisions. [38:05]
2. Confess and release unforgiveness Unforgiveness is a spiritual dam: it traps pain and poisons prayer, making honest communion with God difficult. Forgiving others does not excuse wrongs but restores the channels through which grace flows; it imitates the radical pardon believers themselves have received. Choosing forgiveness opens the way for God to forgive, heal, and redirect life. [47:37]
3. Root out secret, compromising sin Hidden sins function like static on a radio—occasional clarity but mostly distortion. Confession and repentance remove the spiritual interference that prevents consistent hearing; honest self-searching invites God to cleanse and renew. The discipline of transparency before God and trusted companions restores a steady signal for faith to grow. [50:32]
4. Set God’s voice as priority Hearing requires volume control: reorder loyalties so God’s call is the loudest in daily life. Practical re-prioritizing—saying no to lesser claims, regular worship, and deliberate time with Scripture—recalibrates affections toward the Kingdom. When God’s voice is primary, choices align with wisdom rather than anxiety or impulse. [56:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:17] - Opening announcements and plans
[34:59] - Leadership and team invitations
[35:43] - Reading Luke 8: Parable context
[37:01] - Parable: hearers on the rock and thorns
[38:05] - Tuning in: removing life’s noise
[47:37] - Unforgiveness blocks hearing God
[50:32] - Secret sin as spiritual static
[56:58] - Lower other voices; set priorities
[1:04:43] - Altar call: bring burdens to God
[1:06:36] - Worship response and prayer
[1:16:05] - Offering, giving, and next steps

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

Luke 8:13-14
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Observation questions

According to Luke 8:13, what is the immediate reaction of those "on the rock" when they hear the Word, and what happens to them when temptation arrives?
In Luke 8:14, what are the three specific things that act as "thorns" to choke out the Word of God in a person's life?
What are some of the modern distractions and "noises" that compete for our attention and drown out the voice of God? [38:49]
According to John 10:27, what are the two things that the sheep do in response to the Shepherd?

Interpretation questions

Luke 8:14 describes the Word being "choked." How do the "cares and riches and pleasures of this life" practically function as thorns that prevent a person from growing to spiritual maturity? [43:00]
If God is always speaking, why do many people feel like they are "disconnected" or that God is silent when they pray? [39:05]
Forgiveness is described as a way to "open the channels" between a believer and God. Why does holding onto a grudge or a betrayal act as a "clog" in our spiritual hearing? [47:55]
Secret sin and compromise are compared to "spiritual static" on a radio. How does hidden iniquity affect a person's ability to receive a clear "signal" from God? [50:32]

Application questions

It is easy to say, "one of these days I’m going to get my life together and focus on God" [39:33]. What specific excuse have you been using lately that is keeping you from hearing God’s voice today?
We cannot fix what we are unwilling to face [45:28]. Is there a "box in the closet" of your heart—perhaps an old wound or a secret habit—that you have been hiding? What would it look like to finally bring that into the light this week?
Unforgiveness is a spiritual dam that poisons our prayer life [47:37]. Is there someone who "stabbed you in the back" that you are still holding onto? How can you begin the process of releasing that hurt so your connection with God can be restored?
We often have the "volume" of our jobs, our families, or our social pressures set much higher than the voice of God [56:58]. What is one practical way you can "turn down the volume" of the world this week to make God’s call the loudest voice in your life?
When we live in "survival mode," we are often easily offended or quick to lash out because of unresolved hurt [01:02:00]. Have you noticed yourself reacting this way lately? How can you practice leaving your burdens at the altar rather than picking them back up after you pray?
Faithfulness in areas like tithing and serving is a way of practicing trust and tuning into God’s frequency [01:17:44]. In what area of your "daily rhythm"—whether it's your finances, your time, or your habits—do you feel God asking you to clear the channel so He can bless you more abundantly?

Sermon Clips

49s

#EmptyCupBlessing

“``Anybody need a blessing this morning? We need to spend the time with God. We need to get a hold of God. If we've made mistakes, own those mistakes, and let's move forward. But there's no time, to be in a state of mind. We walk in the door, and we're not truly getting a hold of god. Every time that you enter the church, you ought to come with your cup lifted up, empty, and asking god, fill it up, Jesus. I need a blessing from you. God, there's a bill coming next week I can't pay, or there there's a problem at my work, and I need help, god, thinking my way through that problem, or we're having a problem in our marriage. God, I need you to bless our marriage. Bless my family. Do you see when you come to church, you ought to come to receive something from gods. But if you can't hear god, you're gonna leave without getting the answer that you need.”

50s

#ClearSpiritualStatic

“We have to learn how to take it to God in prayer. Another thing that speaks very loudly is secret sin, compromise. Hidden sin is like spiritual static. How many of you ever done in a radio and you're trying to tune into a station? Sometimes all you get is that static. You you you hear every now and then a word from the announcer or a song but then it goes back out and it's all static again. That's how it is. Many times the people, they can hear from god every now and then but because of hidden sin in the life, because of hidden compromise, god's not able to speak to them as he wants to and so we get to the place that we have to have a true desire. God, I want to hear from you. I'm tired of making mistakes. I wanna have my soul right with you.”

30s

#ForgiveToHear

“So let's start right there. Forgiveness open the channels and clears the path to you and God's. As long as you've got unforgiveness there, as long as there's things in your life that you will not look at, won't even think about it, then God cannot work in your life like you want to. You can come to church and shout amen and shout praise the Lord. You can get in and up and begin to dance, but if you've got unforgiving things in your hearts. Come on now. God can't speak to you like he wants to.”

41s

#ReconnectWithGod

“God wants to speak to your heart, and God wants to bless you in a very much way. He wants to give you peace and healing and purpose, but if you're not hearing from God, you're disconnected. Now when you're disconnected, it makes life confusing. When you can't hear from god, you're making decisions based on emotions rather than the truth. You stay in cycles that God is trying to break you out of. You miss opportunities that God has prepared for you. And most dangerously, your heart gets numb to the presence of God even when he's right there all the times.”

32s

#TuneInToGod

“So you don't need a preacher or to be a preacher, I should say, or to be an apostle or a prophet in order to hear from god. All you have to have is a desire. God speak to my heart. How many have that desire this morning? God, I need a blessing in 2026. I need to move forward in 2026. I don't want the same financial battles that I had last year. I don't wanna have the same marital problems and the same family conflict. God, this year, I want to move forward. Well, that can happen as you tune in and listen to God.”

57s

#LetGoLetGod

“Now I was praying with somebody, a while ago, and they were telling me that that somebody did something wrong, and they said, I didn't do anything to them, but they've been doing this to me, and they did this to me, this and it just kept going down the list. And I said, I let it go. I let things go. Well, I can't do that. I'm not like you. No. But you're sitting here, and you're having bothering you physically. You can't sleep at night, and you're having headaches. Come on now. Somebody help me out this morning. You need to be more like me. Maybe you need to turn over to God. When I when I give God a problem, I've learned over the years, let God have the problems. I don't get it from the altar and take the problem back. I I lay at the altar and let go and let God be God in my life. How about we begin to work on that this morning? And someone said, that's not how I operate. I know that, but let's try something new. Because I've learned over the years, if you keep doing the same thing, you're have the same problems, and you're always praying, I want something new, then do something new.”

30s

#RealFaithNotPretend

“There's a lot of things that are going on in your life, and God is trying to speak to you. I come to church sometimes, and and and there are those that go through the motions, somehow another, the spirit of God is not moving. They're those that walk in the door, and they have a smile on their face, but there's something speaking from the spirit of God that they we don't have fellowship one with another. They're just going through the motions, and they're they're all that just kinda play church. I have no time to play church. I need a blessing from God.”

37s

#UnclogYourSpirit

“And so we wanna be able to unclog, if you will, or remove that noise that's in our life. Help us to receive from god and begin to do what god wants us to do. But many times, there are things that are in our life that clogging up their spiritual channels and we cannot hear from god. Somebody said, I want you to pray for me that I can draw closer to god. I want you to pray for me that I can get to god more than ever before. That's a second prayer that this year is my year. I want this to be my season of getting closer to god's. But you can't get closer to god unless you fix what's in your life.”

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New Testament Christian Church - Irving, TX This sermon · AI assistant

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