Pay Attention

Nikolle Bauder • February 3, 2021

Summary of sermon on Matthew 13:10-17 from Pastor Lance Shumake.

People love a good story.

It’s what pulls us into books and movies; what causes us to linger around a campfire. Good stories captivate their audience and bring them in.


Jesus -- the INVENTOR of story -- is Himself the master storyteller.


The stories Jesus told during His earthly ministry were different than any other stories people had encountered before. He would teach in parables, that is, earthly stories with heavenly meaning. 


To illustrate a Biblical truth, He would share an earthly story to drive that truth home. Some people understood these stories; others didn’t. 


Still today, some people will hear and understand God’s message; some people won’t. 


Jesus’ teaching on earth was aimed to help us understand the Kingdom of God. He came to teach the gospel and to usher in His Kingdom. This was not (and is not) received by all. 


Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:22-24, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”


To some, the story of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins is a stumbling block...they don’t understand; they can’t get past works for salvation. To others, it’s a silly, ridiculous, crazy story.


But to those who are called… it is the power of God for salvation. The truth is, we have a God who died for us. He came out of the grave to give us hope for this life and for all eternity. Some people will hear this, some people won’t. As followers of Christ, we must pray for and engage with these souls; all knowing that we cannot talk them into anything or change their minds… only God can.

Knowing that some people hear, some people won’t, we *must* be people who strive to hear and understand. We *must* PAY ATTENTION.


We don’t want to miss what Jesus says.


On Sunday, Pastor Shu gave us some great practical instructions for how to be people who pay attention:


Pray for understanding. Before you open your Bible or attend worship on Sunday, pray for God to open your eyes to see and your ears to hear. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to illuminate God’s message and help us understand scripture.


Fight against distractions. There are so many things pulling us away from time with the Lord; be aware of these things and fight them! Put your phone out of sight or on silent; get up before the rest of your house; prioritize your time. You don’t want to miss what God is saying. (Note: yes, kids are a distraction. However, don’t use your kids as an excuse to not spend time in the Word! Get them involved. Engage with them. Let them see you prioritize this time. There is something on the other side of this that’s bigger and better for their souls!)


Listen with discipline. Put structure around your time with the Lord. Make it a priority to come to worship. Take notes during the sermon. Discuss the message with your family and community group. Engage your kids. 


Give priority to the truth. Note the first thing you grab in the morning… is it God’s word or is it social media? Prioritize God’s word above all other inputs. Center your thoughts on what is true, noble, and good. There are many things in our lives that are good and important -- but only one thing is Ultimate.


There is a warning in this: “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1)


And also some encouragement: “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5)


Let’s be a people that really listen. 


Let’s pursue God’s Word with all our hearts so we’ll be a people who truly understand His heart and the message He teaches.


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Watch this sermon.

Arm Yourselves

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Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

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Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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