Tongue Tied

April 12, 2026·26 min·2 clips

God tells Moses to throw his rod on the ground, and it turns into a serpent to prove his power.

The title is Tongue Tied. Richard Ellis sets the sermon in Exodus, where Moses hears God call him and panics over what he is supposed to say. God has already made Himself clear, which makes the hesitation harder to dodge. The sermon speaks to people who know God has changed their lives but still freeze when obedience means speaking up. Moses says he is not eloquent. Ellis gives that fear some room, but he does not let Moses off the hook. The excuse may be honest, but it is still an excuse. The sermon keeps asking: what is your excuse when God has given you a story, provided for you, and promised to stand with you? Ellis keeps bringing it back to trust. Forgiveness, in his telling, is not vague religion. It is claimed through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Then he gets practical. God takes care of people, feeds them, gives them a place to live, gives a job, gives health, and still hears buts and what-ifs. Moses becomes a mirror. Many listeners are not short on something meaningful to say. The hard part comes at the moment they need to say it. When God tells people to speak, they may still ask Him to use somebody else. Ellis calls that resistance belligerent, but he also treats Moses as a recognizable weak point, not a cardboard villain. The sermon is warm, direct, and a little uncomfortable. It asks whether slow speech, shaky confidence, or fear of sounding unimpressive has become a hiding place.

As heard by us

A sermon about Moses, excuses, and trusting God to back up obedience.

Richard Ellis keeps the focus on Moses' hesitation and the plain pressure of obedience. He stays close to Exodus, especially Moses' claim that he is slow of speech and slow of tongue, and uses that to press a simple point: when God asks for action, excuses do not change the…

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Why you'd press play

When you're stuck on your excuse, this sermon meets you there.

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