Calibrating Your Compass

Focus Statement

To walk faithfully with Christ, we must learn to tune our hearts to his voice—

especially when the world pulls us in every other direction.

Point of Relation

We’ve all heard voices in our lives that had a way of cutting through the noise—

not always loud, not always forceful, but unmistakable.

For many of us, one of those voices belonged to a parent, or a grandparent, or someone who raised us.

Sometimes it came with challenge.

Sometimes comfort. But we knew it.

At a wedding in Cana, Jesus heard one of those voices—his mother’s.

She didn’t plead. She didn’t push.

She simply said, “They have no wine.”

And when he hesitated, she turned to the servants and said,

“Do whatever he tells you.”

That was enough.

Jesus listened. He acted.

And the world saw what happens when grace speaks and trust responds.

Today, we’re asking what voice guides us.

Because the world is loud.

There are a hundred competing voices calling for our loyalty.

But only one voice—the Shepherd’s—leads us home.

Things to Consider

We live in a world full of noise—opinions, headlines, even religious certainty.

But how do we know which voice to follow?

And what if faith isn’t about having all the answers,

but about learning to trust the One who calls us by name?

That’s exactly what Jesus faces in today’s passage.

What Scripture Says

The religious leaders wanted clarity.

“Tell us plainly,” they said.

“Are you the Messiah?”

It was a fair question. The world was uncertain, full of threats and division.

They wanted a label. A rule. A yes or no.

But Jesus doesn’t give them a title.

He gives them a relationship.

“My sheep hear my voice.

I know them, and they follow me.”

Not because it’s easy.

Not because the path is obvious.

But because they know the one who calls.

And here’s the truth:

his voice doesn’t always lead to safety.

It leads through risk.

Through justice. Through grace.

His voice breaks our categories and leads us into community—

not certainty.

In Revelation, John gives us a glimpse of where that voice leads.

A great multitude—every nation, every language.

Not sorted by doctrine, but gathered in mercy.

Washed, not divided. And at the center of it all,

the Lamb becomes the Shepherd.

That’s the compass we calibrate to—

not to what feels safe or familiar, but to the voice that leads toward love.

What This Means for You

There are a lot of voices out there—

loud ones,

convincing ones,

even biblical-sounding ones.

But not every voice leads to life.

Maybe you’ve been following what feels right,

only to feel more lost.

Maybe your compass needs realignment.

The good news is: Jesus still speaks.

And if you listen, really listen, you’ll hear him calling—by name.

What This Means for Us

As a church, we’re not guided by what’s popular, or easy, or even what feels certain.

We’re guided by the voice of Jesus—

the Shepherd who leads us toward justice, mercy, and love.

Our task isn’t to be right. It’s to be faithful.

To listen well. To follow together. Amen? Amen.

Written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI).