Be Refreshed by God’s Word
Not Entertained by the World
In many churches today, the focus has shifted from feeding the flock to entertaining the crowd. Many people attend services out of routine, sitting quietly in pews, listening to sermons that are light-hearted, feel-good, or filled with personal stories and humor—but often lacking the very thing that truly refreshes the soul: the living and powerful word of God.
Unfortunately, when the word of God is diminished—replaced with human philosophy, life tips, or emotion-driven lessons—churches begin to wonder why their attendance is dropping, or why congregations grow rapidly only to later split or dwindle when feelings are hurt or disagreements arise. The reason is simple: we’ve substituted emotion and entertainment for truth and substance.
Routine Without Renewal
Some go through the motions, attending church weekly but never truly drinking from the well of truth. Jesus said:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” – John 6:63 (NKJV)
When we neglect His words, we miss out on the life, strength, and refreshment that only He can give. Reading and hearing God’s word is not meant to be an occasional Sunday habit—it’s to be our daily bread (Matthew 4:4).
When Entertainment Replaces Edification
Paul warned Timothy:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth...” – 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NKJV)
We live in that time. When the preaching of the gospel is replaced by clever stories, inspirational talks, or emotion-driven experiences, the congregation is no longer being fed. They are being entertained. And when the music fades or the entertainment fails to satisfy, so goes the interest and faith of the listener.
What Truly Builds Us Up
What actually strengthens and equips the church is not the delivery style or personal anecdotes—it is the sound preaching and teaching of the Scriptures. Paul reminded the Ephesian elders:
“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” – Acts 20:32 (NKJV)
God’s word builds. It edifies. It roots us deeply in truth. It draws the heart to Christ, calls the sinner to repentance, and equips the Christian to be faithful, mature, and discerning.
The Refreshment We Need
Life drains us. The world distracts us. But God’s word revives us:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple...
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” – Psalm 19:7–8 (NKJV)
When preached faithfully, Scripture penetrates the heart and leads to real transformation (Hebrews 4:12). It corrects, convicts, comforts, and calls us higher.
What Should We Look For?
We must move away from evaluating sermons by how “entertaining” or “inspiring” they are. Instead, ask:
Was Scripture used and rightly divided?
Did the message encourage repentance, obedience, and deeper study?
Was the focus on Christ and His word or on personal opinion and story-telling?
Feed on the Word
If we want strong churches, we need strong teaching. If we want to be refreshed, we need the living water of the word (John 4:13–14). And if we want to grow, we must desire the pure milk of the word, that we may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
Let us return to the source of true refreshment—not flashy sermons or emotional hype, but the life-giving, soul-reviving word of God.
Amen