06/21/2026 - Sunday Main Service - "Which way is Your Tent Pitched" Pastor Terry Hunt

Genesis 13 sets Lot and Abraham side by side, and the difference starts before anybody ever lives in Sodom. Lot lifts up his eyes, sees the well watered plain, and pitches his tent toward Sodom. Lot’s first mistake is not the final move into sin, but the first look, the first lean, the first little turn toward what looked good to the flesh. The question is not where a man is sitting on Sunday morning, because a man can be in the house of God and still have his tent facing the wrong way.

Fatherhood carries influence whether a father feels it or not. A father is leading his family somewhere by his prayer life, his church attendance, his worship, his attitude, his friends, his entertainment, and the little foxes he allows in the crib. The direction of a father’s life becomes the direction of his home. A family does not fall out overnight. Backsliding starts with a tent pointed toward Sodom, one small compromise at a time.

Sodom stands as wickedness, unrepentant sin, and judgment, but Sodom can look like Netflix in the living room, ungodly music at a party, a prom dress excused as “just one thing,” or a phone in a child’s hand with no guard on it. The little foxes do not look like much at first, but they spoil the vine. What looks fun, successful, prosperous, convenient, or popular may still be pulling a home away from God.

Joshua’s declaration, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” puts intentional direction back into the home. Walking with God has to be done on purpose. Church cannot be a maybe, prayer cannot be optional, worship cannot be left to the mother alone, and holiness cannot be lowered just to fit in with the crowd. Children watch which way the tent is pitched, even when they forget the words spoken.

Abraham shows the better way. Lot pitched a tent toward Sodom, but Abraham built an altar unto the Lord. A strong altar keeps the tent pointed right. Family prayer, worship, faithfulness to God’s house, daily devotion, and godly conviction turn a home back toward Jesus. The future of the home is connected to the direction of the tent, and God can help reposition it before Sodom becomes the destination.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Direction becomes a family destination [49:04] Lot’s tent did not land in Sodom all at once. The first danger was the direction of desire, the quiet turning of the heart toward what looked good. A home follows the lean of its leaders long before the consequences show up in the open. [49:04]
• 2. Little foxes spoil the vine [51:23] Small compromises rarely announce themselves as rebellion. They come as “just one event,” “just one party,” or “just one time,” but they train the heart to treat holiness lightly. A child may not remember every rule, but a child remembers what sin was allowed to seem harmless. [51:23]
• 3. Fathers teach by visible direction [56:03] A father’s worship, prayer, and faithfulness preach louder than his instructions. Children learn what matters by watching what gets prioritized when life is busy, tired, or inconvenient. Spiritual leadership is not just provision, but the steady act of pointing the home toward God. [56:03]
• 4. Sight can deceive the soul [01:07:33] Lot made his choice by what he saw from far off, and the view fooled him. Prosperity, popularity, pleasure, and convenience can all look like blessing while pulling the tent toward Sodom. Godly direction asks a better question: will this help the family get closer to God? [67:33]
• 5. Altars keep tents pointed right [01:27:07] Abraham did more than move his tent. Abraham built an altar, and that altar marked his commitment to God’s presence. A home with prayer, worship, devotion, and faithfulness has a holy center that keeps drift from becoming destruction. [87:07]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [37:33] - Genesis 13 and Lot’s Choice
• [39:33] - Fathers Lead Their Families Somewhere
• [41:11] - Lot Faced Sodom Before Moving
• [45:19] - Families Do Not Fall Overnight
• [49:04] - Tent Direction Determines Home Destination
• [51:23] - Beware the Little Foxes
• [53:56] - Friends and Influence Shape Direction
• [56:03] - Fathers Facing Prayer and Worship
• [59:21] - As for Me and My House
• [64:11] - Serving God Is More Than Attendance
• [67:33] - What Looks Good May Not Be Good
• [77:32] - Small Turns Lead to Big Destinations
• [85:34] - Prayer, Convictions, and Example Tell
• [87:07] - Lot Pitched, Abraham Built an Altar

Bible Reading

Genesis 13:10-12
“And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.” [37:33]

Joshua 24:15
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” [59:39]

Song of Solomon 2:15
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” [51:23]

Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” [01:30:41]

Observation questions

1. In Genesis 13, what did Lot see that made the plain attractive to him, and what direction did he pitch his tent? [41:11]
2. What kinds of “little foxes” were named as small compromises that can slowly affect a home? [51:23]
3. According to Joshua 24:15, what clear decision is Joshua making for himself and his house? [59:39]
4. What are some visible ways a father’s direction shows up in daily life, both to God and to his family? [01:25:34]

Interpretation questions

1. Lot’s first danger was not the final move into Sodom, but the earlier turn toward it. Why do small inward turns often matter more than people first realize? [50:37]
2. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” is a deliberate choice. What does that verse suggest about how spiritual direction in a home must be chosen on purpose rather than left to chance? [01:07:13]
3. The little foxes spoil the vine before the whole vineyard looks ruined. Why do small compromises often do so much damage to conviction, worship, and family direction over time? [53:47]
4. Abraham built an altar while Lot pitched toward Sodom. What does that contrast teach about the difference between merely moving through life and building a home around God’s presence? [01:27:07]

Application questions

1. A person can be in church and still have the tent facing the wrong way. In this season of life, what direction is the heart quietly leaning toward, and what signs are showing that direction? [47:00]
2. The direction of the tent becomes the destination of the home. If children or younger believers followed the current pattern of prayer, worship, entertainment, and church faithfulness exactly, where would that path likely lead? [49:04]
3. Little foxes usually look harmless at first. What is one “small thing” that has been excused lately as no big deal, but could slowly weaken holiness or hunger for God? [52:27]
4. What looks good is not always good. Is there anything that seems fun, convenient, successful, or normal right now, but may actually be pulling the heart or home away from God? [01:07:33]
5. “As for me and my house” puts spiritual leadership into everyday practice. What would it look like this week to make prayer, worship, and the house of God more clearly non-optional in the home? [01:01:12]
6. Children may forget many words, but they do not forget the direction of the tent. What are children, family members, or close friends most likely learning by example right now? [01:30:27]
7. Altars keep tents pointed right. What is one practical step that could help rebuild the altar in the home—family prayer, daily devotion, worship, removing a distraction, or something else? [01:27:33]