How to Find Your Way Home

·30 min·2 clips

When Pastor Lance was told to preach through Hosea, his first thought was, 'What have you been smoking?'

The episode is a sermon delivered by Pastor Lance at Vail Church, focusing on the biblical book of Hosea. Lance begins by humorously noting his surprise at being asked to preach from Hosea, an obscure Old Testament book. He explains that Hosea tells the story of Israel's rebellion and God's relentless love, framing it as relevant for modern listeners who may feel disconnected from God. The sermon's central question is how to find your way back to God when you've lost your way. Lance shares a personal anecdote about getting lost during a car rally as a teenager, illustrating the need to recognize when you're lost. He discusses how people can drift from God through prosperity and busyness, citing Deuteronomy 6 and Revelation 2. Alternatively, rebellion involves deliberate choices to go against God, as seen in the Garden of Eden and Hosea's description of chasing the wind. The first step to finding your way home is to be honest about where you are. The second step is to stop and get directions, exemplified by Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord in Hosea 12, where Jacob held on despite not knowing the outcome. Lance notes that such encounters with God often leave people 'walking with a limp,' marked but transformed. The third step is to turn around and reroute, avoiding the 'someday syndrome' of delay. He uses the example of Pharaoh choosing to have frogs removed tomorrow rather than now from Exodus. Lance references Hosea 12:6, urging listeners to come back to God now, which leads to outward changes in behavior like love and justice. He concludes with the concept of agency, using the parable of the prodigal son to show that people can decide to return home. The sermon ends with a prayer inviting listeners to renew their relationship with God.

As heard by us

Hosea's unreachable wind becomes a plainspoken call to return to the God who remains.

A sermon on Hosea frames the search for home as a matter of spiritual drift. Lance connects Israel feeding on and chasing the wind with Adam and Eve shifting blame in Eden, drawing out a recognizable pattern: people choosing a road other than the one God has set before them.

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Why you'd press play

When your faith feels far away, press play for a Hosea sermon about drift, rebellion, and the invitation to come home.

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