Many of us have experienced that moment when someone calls our name three times before we finally hear them. Maybe you were absorbed in your phone, lost in thought about work, or—let’s be honest—pretending to be asleep while your spouse asked about taking out the trash. Think about those times in a crowded restaurant when you’re so focused on your conversation that you don’t hear the server asking about refills. Or sitting in church when the sanctuary gets so cold you can’t focus on the music or sermon, only on finding your coat.
Physical discomfort has a way of drowning out everything else. Many of us struggle with this same pattern in our spiritual lives. God calls, but we’re distracted—by email, by worry, by scrolling, or simply by being too hot or too cold to concentrate. Today, on our Tomorrow First Commitment Sunday, we discover that learning to hear God’s voice isn’t just a nice spiritual skill—it’s essential for shaping our future together.
Throughout our Tomorrow First journey, we’ve traced how physical spaces and spiritual experiences intertwine. Abraham discovered God provides what we need. Jacob found heaven touching earth even with a stone for a pillow—though we can do better than stone pillows! Moses encountered the holy when he paused at a burning bush. Last week, God provided manna—just enough for everyone’s daily needs. Today, young Samuel shows us the next step: how listening to God in comfortable conditions shapes tomorrow’s possibilities. Our Tomorrow First campaign seeks to ensure future generations can hear God’s call without physical barriers. Each story builds toward this moment of commitment.
Before we dive deeper into Samuel’s calling, I want to share another biblical moment that illuminates what it means to leave comfort behind for God’s purposes. In Acts chapter 8, we meet Philip experiencing ministry success in Samaria—crowds gathering, miracles happening, lives transforming. Then an angel delivered bewildering instructions: “Go south to the desert road.” Philip must have wrestled with this call. Leave a thriving revival for an empty wasteland? Yet something in that divine voice compelled obedience.
On that dusty, deserted road, Philip found one Ethiopian official struggling to understand Isaiah. “How can I understand without someone to guide me?” the man asked. Philip climbed into the chariot—no climate control, just desert heat—and explained how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s words. When water appeared, Philip baptized this seeking soul who carried the gospel to Africa.
Here’s what strikes me: Philip had to leave his comfort zone—literally. The desert road wasn’t comfortable. But his willingness to go where God called, despite discomfort, changed history. Today, we’re called not to endure discomfort but to remove it—creating spaces where people can focus on God’s word without distraction. Our Tomorrow First commitment helps ensure future seekers can meet in comfort, focusing entirely on the good news.
Like Philip discovering God’s call led from crowds to one crucial conversation, Samuel’s story reveals how divine callings often come in unexpected ways. The opening verse sets the scene: “The Lord’s word was rare at that time, and visions weren’t widely known.” Spiritual drought had settled over Israel. Into this silence, God chose to speak—not to the established leaders, but to a boy sleeping on the temple’s stone floor.
This pattern runs throughout scripture. God calls unlikely people in ordinary moments—Moses the stutterer, David the youngest, Mary the teenager. But notice: Samuel sleeping near the ark had a place to rest, even if uncomfortable. He had Eli’s mentorship, even if imperfect. These physical and relational conditions mattered for hearing God’s voice.
The calling process reveals God’s patience: three times calling until Samuel understands. The Hebrew word here suggests personal summons, like a parent calling their child’s name. Eli’s role proves essential—even flawed mentors can guide others toward recognizing God’s voice. After Samuel’s “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening,” God promises God’s words won’t fail.
This passage anchors the biblical truth that God’s call comes with God’s provision. Whether calling someone to preach, teach, serve, or give, God provides what’s needed. Today’s call includes providing comfortable spaces where future Samuels can clearly hear their names being called.
This divine calling pattern shapes Methodist understanding of vocation and stewardship. John Wesley, Methodism’s founder, taught that all Christians receive a calling through baptism—not just to believe but to serve actively with time, talents, and treasures. Wesley himself gave away most of his considerable earnings, keeping only enough for basic needs.
Methodism embraces the “priesthood of all believers,” recognizing ministry happens through teachers instructing, musicians performing, accountants managing, and givers funding. Samuel’s story illustrates how God uses both leaders like Eli and emerging servants like Samuel. Neither calling ranks higher—both prove essential.
Wesley viewed giving as a means of grace, deepening our love for God and neighbor at the same time. Through generous stewardship, we experience sanctification—growing in holiness as we participate in God’s mission. The Holy Spirit distributes diverse gifts, including the gift of generosity, ensuring every member contributes in a meaningful way. This understanding transforms financial commitment from obligation to sacred calling, from paying bills to shaping futures.
These theological principles reveal three ways God calls people to participate in kingdom work. First, some sense the stirring toward professional ministry—pastoral work, chaplaincy, missions. They experience Samuel’s restlessness, wondering if persistent thoughts about seminary signal God’s voice. Like Samuel needing Eli’s wisdom, those sensing vocational calling require community discernment and preparation.
Others hear God calling to volunteer service—the vital ministry that happens through teaching, music, hospitality, and administration. These aren’t lesser callings but different expressions of the same Spirit’s work. The retired teacher organizing Sunday school and the pastor preparing sermons both answer God’s call. But here’s what connects to Samuel’s story: he heard God’s call while lying on a stone temple floor. Physical conditions affect spiritual receptivity. When classrooms are cold, children can’t focus on God’s love. When sanctuaries overheat, worshippers think about temperature instead of transformation.
Which brings us to today’s specific calling—funding the physical infrastructure that removes barriers to encountering God. The Tomorrow First commitment isn’t about institutional survival but creating the best possible conditions for all ministry to flourish. Just as Samuel’s “yes” shaped Israel’s future, our collective financial “yes” shapes how future generations encounter God here.
Common obstacles arise: “Can I afford this?” “What if circumstances change?” “Is this really God calling?” Remember, Samuel heard God three times before recognizing the voice. Financial commitment, like all callings, clarifies through prayer, wise counsel, and faith-filled action. The couple who increased their commitment after prayer, the widow who gives from Social Security, the young family stretching their budget—all answer God’s call to shape what’s next. Through their generosity, future generations will hear God clearly in comfortable spaces.
The good news is that God never calls without equipping. Throughout scripture, from Moses to Mary, God provides everything needed for the assignment—after the yes, not before. Samuel couldn’t have imagined becoming Israel’s trustworthy prophet when first hearing his name. But God’s presence transformed a confused boy into a confident leader. When we say yes to Tomorrow First, God will provide ways to fulfill our commitments.
This same Holy Spirit who equipped Samuel equips us today. Whether called to preach sermons or write checks, teach children or fund the heating and cooling in their classrooms, lead worship or support it financially, God provides wisdom, strength, and resources. The Spirit works through our willingness more than our ability, multiplying our offerings like loaves and fishes.
Answering God’s call brings deep fulfillment despite sacrifice. Those who give generously discover profound joy. They participate in God’s ongoing work—every dollar creating space where someone hears their calling, every pledge ensuring ministry continues for generations.
Remember too that God specializes in using imperfect people with imperfect resources. The widow’s mite mattered. The boy’s lunch fed thousands. Your commitment, whatever size, joins with others to create something miraculous. Say yes to Tomorrow First, and watch God shape tomorrow through today’s faithfulness.
We’re each at different points in hearing God’s call—including the call to financial commitment. Many of you have been praying and discerning about Tomorrow First these past weeks. Today we respond together.
During our final song today, I’ll invite you to bring your commitment cards forward as an act of worship and dedication. This is our moment—like Samuel saying “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” Your act of bringing that card forward represents trust in God’s provision and faith in our shared future.
This week, live into the commitment you make today. Continue daily prayer for our church family as we shape tomorrow together. Ask God to multiply our collective faith and generosity. Celebrate that you’re part of something bigger than yourself—a movement ensuring future generations can hear God’s voice clearly in this place.
If today’s message also stirred questions about ministry calling, schedule time with me this week. God delights in willing hearts and continues revealing new ways to serve.
Like Philip leaving crowds for divine appointment on a desert road, God calls us to meaningful participation in kingdom work. Some will pastor churches, others will fund pastoral ministry through Tomorrow First commitments. Every calling matters because every calling—preaching, teaching, serving, giving—participates in God’s work of love. When we stop long enough to listen, we discover that shaping what’s next begins with saying yes today.
Will you pray with me?
God of Samuel and Philip, help us recognize your voice calling us to generous commitment. Give us courage to pledge faithfully and joy in shaping tomorrow. Amen.
In crafting today’s sermon, I employed AI assistants like Claude and Apple Intelligence, yet the ultimate responsibility for its content rests with me. These tools offered valuable perspectives, but the most influential sermon preparation hinges on biblical study, theological insight, personal reflection, and divine guidance. I see AI as a supportive aid to enrich the sermon process while ensuring my own voice in proclaiming the Word of God.
Rev. Andrew Conard 