October 19, 2025

Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus

“The Neverending Work of Discernment"

Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch

October 19, 2025                                                                                                                             Based on1 Samuel 16:1-13

Last week we heard young Samuel learning to recognize the voice of God — that quiet call in the night: “Samuel, Samuel.”
This week we meet him again, older and wiser, still listening.

Only now, the stakes are higher. God sends him on a mission that makes no sense:

“Go anoint a new king while the old one is still alive.”

It’s risky. It’s dangerous.
We know how Kings try and hold on to power,
we know how Kings behave when they feel threatened.

And Samuel’s first response to this call he’s sensing is what we’d expect:
“How can I go? Saul will kill me!”

Samuel’s not being dramatic — he’s being realistic.
The call God has given him in this time is full of uncertainty and risk.
But here’s the thing about Samuel: even in his fear, he keeps listening for God’s voice.
He doesn’t quit. He moves one faithful step at a time.

So Samuel pays attention to this inner tug from God calling him to go to visit Jesse.
He arrives in Bethlehem, he doesn’t have a checklist or a set of criteria for what makes a good king. He has only this feeling… “I’ll know when I know. God will tell me.”

So Jesse lines up his sons — and Samuel begins the slow steady work of discernment.

The first son, Eliab, walks in — tall, confident, commanding, looking like the dictionary definition of a king.
as he came up I can imagine Samuel thinking, Surely this is the one.
But then they interact and talk, and something inside says, No, its not him.

And then the next son comes, and the next — and each time, Samuel must think, finally this next one will be it, but Samuel listens again to that inner voice of God, and it tells him it isn’t right, it keeps telling him “no"
Each time, he checks in with that still, small voice.
Each time, he trusts that if something doesn’t feel right, he can step back and keep listening.

Seven sons pass by. Seven moments of uncertainty.
Seven chances to give in, to settle on the easy choice, to say, “well this son is close enough, why not just pick him”

But Samuel doesn’t. He keeps checking in with God’s voice. He keeps being led by God’s voice.
He listens beyond his own assumptions.
He waits for the one that resonates — the one that fits not on paper, but in the heart.

That’s discernment.
We don’t get a flash of lightning to tell us what God thinks.
We don’t get a voice booming from the heavens.
Instead we find a faithful rhythm of listening, checking, and taking the next right step.

When none of the seven sons are chosen, Samuel finally asks,

“Are all your sons here?”
And Jesse answers,

“Well… there’s the youngest. But he’s out with the sheep.”

The one they didn’t even think to invite.
The one off doing the ordinary, unnoticed work.

And when David walks in — Samuel doesn’t get a divine neon sign.
There’s no halo, no thunderclap, no voice shouting, “This is the one!”
But something in him recognizes it.
Something in his spirit aligns.

This is the mystery of discernment.
It’s not certainty — it’s resonance.
A moment of quiet recognition that says, This is right. This is what God is doing.

That’s what we mean by “trusting God’s call.”
Not that we know exactly where we’re headed —
but that, step by step, we keep our hearts tuned to God’s frequency.

For most of us, God’s call looks a lot more like Samuel’s day than the beautiful moment of David’s anointing.
There’s no oil poured over our heads. No crowd cheering us on.

What we get is a slow unfolding —
a sense of direction that takes shape only as we keep moving, praying, pausing, and listening again.

And sometimes, we get it wrong.
Sometimes we choose Eliab when we should have waited for David.
But even then, God keeps speaking, keeps guiding, keeps inviting us back into the conversation.

Faith, then, isn’t about always getting it right —
it’s about staying in relationship with the One who calls.
It’s about trusting that God’s voice will meet us in the process.

I think that’s exactly the kind of faith we try to practice here at Indianola Presbyterian Church.

When we face a decision — about our building, our ministry, our stewardship —
we don’t always get a burning bush moment.
But like Samuel, we keep trying to check in with our inner collective call.
We keep asking: “Is this the one? Is this what God is calling us to do? Is this the next right step for our church?”

We listen for the Spirit’s nudge through conversation, prayer, and community.
Sometimes it means taking a risk.
Sometimes it means saying no to what seems obvious.
Sometimes it means trying something new and seeing how it feels in the light of faith.

That’s what stewardship really is —
not just managing money, but listening for what God is doing next among us.
It’s a community-wide practice of holy attentiveness —
of asking again and again, “Where is God calling us to invest our hearts, our energy, our resources?”

When something doesn’t feel right, we step back.
We listen again.
We take the next faithful step.

That’s the work of a living, listening church.

The verse that sits at the center of this story — and maybe at the center of our whole faith — is this:

“The Lord does not see as mortals see; Mortals look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

It’s not just that God looks at David’s heart —
it’s that Samuel had cultivated a heart capable of hearing God.
A heart spacious enough to hold uncertainty.
A heart quiet enough to discern.

That’s what God desires for us, too — hearts uncluttered, open, and ready to listen.
Hearts constantly discerning the call of God on our community to act, to take the next step in faith.

So, friends, we may not get heavenly lights or dramatic revelations.
But we do get this calling:
to keep listening for God’s voice together,
to take one faithful step at a time,
to trust that when something stirs inside us — that quiet “yes” of the Spirit — we’re hearing the same God who whispered to Samuel.

Stewardship, at its core, is this:
trusting that God is still speaking,
and listening to that voice often enough to discern how we must act.

So may we keep tuning our hearts to God’s voice —
and when we hear it, may we have the courage to follow where it leads.

Amen.

WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE

PRELUDE                                                                        “Sweet Spirit Medley”                                                   arr. Dawayne Stamper 

INTROIT                                    “Listen God is Calling”                                                                    Kenyan Hymn

                                                                                          Mary Rebekah Fortman, soloist                                      arr. Austin Lovelace                          

WELCOME                                                                   

One: This is the day that the Lord has made

All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

*CALL TO WORSHIP

One: Come, people of God,  come with your doubts and your faith,

           your questions and your hopes. 

Many: God calls even the uncertain, the overlooked, and the ordinary. 

One: God’s vision sees beyond what our eyes can perceive. 

All: We worship the One who calls the unlikely,

           and makes them instruments of grace. 

*HYMN 408                              “There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit”                                     SWEET , SWEET SPIRIT

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION                                                                                                                       Mary Rebekah Fortman

Merciful God, You see us as we are, and you call us as we could be. Forgive us when we judge by appearances, when we overlook the gifts of others, when we underestimate your power to work through us. Forgive us when fear holds us back and when we fail to trust your surprising grace. Open our hearts to your Spirit, that we may see as you see, love as you love, and follow wherever you lead. Hear our prayers…  Personal Confessions offered in the silence

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON

*RESPOONSE OF PARDON

*PASSING OF THE PEACE                                       

     One:   The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,

     All:      And also with you.

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

ANTHEM                                “Never Weather Beaten Sail”                             Charles Wood

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE                                                                Sharon Renkes

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION 

SCRIPTURE  1 Samuel 16:1-13    The Message

God addressed Samuel: “So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I’ve rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I’ve spotted the very king I want among his sons.”

 “I can’t do that,” said Samuel. “Saul will hear about it and kill me.”

God said, “Take a heifer with you and announce, ‘I’ve come to lead you in worship of God, with this heifer as a sacrifice.’ Make sure Jesse gets invited. I’ll let you know what to do next. I’ll point out the one you are to anoint.”

 Samuel did what God told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. “Is there something wrong?”

 “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of God. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship.” He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship.

 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Here he is! God’s anointed!”

But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God  judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”

 Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, “This man isn’t God’s choice either.”

Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, “No, this man isn’t either.”

Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “God hasn’t chosen any of these.”

 Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?”

“Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.”

Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.”

Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking.

God said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.”

Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life.

Samuel left and went home to Ramah.

SERMON                                                                                                                                                                                        Rev. Trip Porch

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 753                          “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”                              PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS

 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE  

TIME OF OFFERING   online giving is available at  www. indianolapres.org/give  

OFFERTORY                                     “Contemplation”           John S. Dixon

*OFFERTORY RESPONSE 717       “For the Life That You Have Given”                   PLEADING SAVIOR

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION 

God of surprising grace, you choose and use the least likely people to do your work. Use us now, our gifts, our energy, our faith, to build your kingdom of justice and love. Bless what we bring, that it may be a sign of our trust in you. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. 

*HYMN 429                              “As a Chalice Cast of Gold”                    INWARD LIGHT

TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING 

CHARGE & BENEDICTION

CHORAL RESPONSE                     “A Unified Prayer”                                                B.E. Boykin

POSTLUDE                         “Improvisation on Pleading Savior”                   Michael Ware

 Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452