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Naveen Katam opens with a song and a visual illustration he made with his daughter, representing believers clinging to the cross. He transitions to his main message, which focuses on the call to cling to God in every area of life, not just for salvation, using the analogy from Jeremiah 13.
Introduction
[00:00:00]Begins by requesting we sing “Rock of Ages” and and audience member explains the hymn was inspired by Luther’s experience seeking shelter from a thunderstorm[00:02:31]Shows a craft made with his daughter: a red cross representing how all believers must cling to the cross for salvation[00:03:31]While it is easy to cling to the cross for salvation, it is difficult to cling to God in daily issues like parenting or filling gas in a car
Key Scripture: Jeremiah 13:1-11
[00:05:07]Reads the passage: God tells Jeremiah to buy a linen loincloth, wear it, then hide it by the Euphrates, where it becomes spoiled and good for nothing[00:06:43]God declares that just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, He made Israel and Judah to cling to Him, to be a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen[00:07:52]This is an unappealing but powerful illustration of the intimacy God desires with His people
What Clinging Looks Like
[00:08:57]Uses the example of a child clinging to their parent, regardless of wealth or status[00:09:17]Shares that his wife Esther, as a child, clung to her widowed mother even when they were thrown onto the street[00:09:54]God wants this kind of dependence, not out of ego, but so that we bring Him praise and glory
What the Israelites Did Wrong (verses 9-10)
[00:10:31]They were proud—of their position, blessings, or children[00:11:25]They stubbornly followed their own heart, which leads to a downward spiral of sin[00:12:17]They worshipped and served other gods[00:12:23]Modern idols include phones, or even good things like homeschool curriculum, when they take our attention away from God
Personal Testimony: Letting Go of Desires
[00:13:41]He was looking for a spouse since 2014 and had two specific good desires that became idols[00:14:17]Wanted a wife whose father could be a spiritual guide, since his own Hindu-background father was not[00:15:12]Wanted a wife from a well-to-do family to avoid the insecurities of his own poor upbringing
[00:16:03]God took him through a six-year journey where he had to let go of every desire and simply cling to God, saying “if this is not for me, I don’t want to have it”[00:16:17]God provided a wife who exceeded all his desires
Second Testimony: The Gift of Tongues
[00:17:00]Since age 17 he wanted to speak in tongues, thinking it was the next level of Christianity[00:17:28]He is now 35 and has not received that gift, but has been blessed to get close to God instead[00:17:54]He came to a place of surrender: “whether he gives me this gift or not… my only goal is to cling to him”
Practical Application: Fasting
[00:18:28]After a phone call with Casey about fasting, he started fasting one meal a day for two weeks[00:19:25]This practice helped him instantaneously pray and praise, and to give his troubling work situation to the Lord
Supporting Scriptures
[00:20:11]Mark 12:30: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength—this is what clinging looks like[00:20:57]1 Peter 2:4-5: We are living stones being built into a spiritual house to offer spiritual sacrifices[00:22:28]Exodus 19:3-6: God called Israel to be a treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation
Final Exhortation
[00:23:53]Encourages everyone to identify areas where they are clinging to something other than God, write it down, and pray about it[00:24:14]If you don’t know how to cling to God in a particular area, ask Him to show you how
Scripture References
- Jeremiah 13:1-11
- Mark 12:30
- 1 Peter 2:4-5
- Exodus 19:3-6
- Hebrews (mentioned Jesus offering prayers with loud cries)
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