Out of the Box Church Podcast Hosted by Pastor Dustin Young

Pastor Dustin continues Sunday’s “Unshakable Faith” message in a Bible study format, focusing on the point that an outcome we don’t understand does not change God’s character. He explains that being honest with God about disappointment is not giving up on faith, and cautions against promising every situation will resolve quickly or make sense later; instead, believers should separate what happened from what they conclude about God. Using Habakkuk 3:17–19, Luke 22:31–32 (Peter’s failure and restoration), and Daniel 3:17–18 (faith even if deliverance doesn’t come as expected), he emphasizes trusting God’s goodness, faithfulness, and Word regardless of circumstances. He closes with prayer, invites listeners to download the Out of the Box Church app for messages, and shares service times, including two options starting November 1, 2026.

00:00 Welcome and Series Setup

00:48 Disappointment and Gods Character

03:23 Habakkuk Rejoice Anyway

06:26 Peter Tested and Restored

07:54 Faith Beyond Outcomes

08:59 Fiery Furnace Even If

10:10 Prayer to Rebuild Trust

11:55 Wrap Up and Church Info

Pastor Dustin and Elder Mike Merritt continue their Out of the Box Church discussion on hearing the voice of God, emphasizing that God communicates in various ways such as an inward witness, not only audible words. Using the parable of the sower and Jesus’ follow-up teachings in Mark 4 and Luke 8, they connect the seed and the candle as both meant to reveal, encouraging listeners to approach God in faith with the expectation that what seems hidden will be revealed. They stress “take heed what you hear” and “how you hear,” warning that believers can become dull of hearing (Hebrews 5) through distraction, pride, persecution, or other pressures. They underline that hearing requires humility and obedience—receiving the Word with meekness, being doers not hearers only (James 1), and treasuring God’s wisdom like hidden riches (Proverbs 1–4).

00:00 Welcome and Focus

01:00 What Gods Voice Means

02:28 Parable of Sower Setup

04:05 Seed and Candle Link

05:52 Hearing Requires Faith

08:07 Seeking Revelation Intentionally

10:16 Three Part Being Spiritual Ears

12:08 Ears That Hear More Given

14:24 Warning Against Dull Hearing

15:45 Pride Dulls Hearing

16:16 Persecution Pressure

17:46 Hear And Do

18:44 All Scripture Applies

19:48 Meekness Plants Word

24:02 Word Reads You

24:54 Knowing God Changes Hearing

27:24 Proverbs Seek Wisdom

29:06 Make Word Priority

29:39 Final Encouragement And Thanks

Pastor Dustin continues Out of the Box Church’s final message on hearing the voice of God, emphasizing that religion tries to earn what relationship receives. Using Galatians 2:19–20 and John 15:4–5, he teaches that fruit, clarity, and guidance come from abiding in Christ rather than striving through works-based performance. He highlights Old Testament examples—Samuel learning to recognize God’s voice through knowing the Lord, Moses choosing God’s presence over promises, David seeking God’s face, Enoch walking with God, and Mary choosing Jesus’ word over Martha’s busy service. Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit lives in believers to guide them (John 16:13; Romans 8), so the goal is pursuing God Himself, not chasing a formula, because clarity comes from closeness.

00:00 Podcast Intro and Setup

00:37 Grace Over Performance

02:50 Relationship Means Hearing

04:23 Abide and Stay Connected

06:19 Samuel Learns God’s Voice

07:30 Moses Seeks God’s Presence

08:37 David and Enoch Walk With God

10:59 Mary and Martha Priorities

12:18 Holy Spirit Within Us

14:27 Series Recap and Pursue God

17:34 Declarations and Closing Prayer

18:21 Final Encouragement and Outro

19:04 Rate Share and Visit Church

Pastor Dustin welcomes back Bible teacher and elder Mike Merritt for a second discussion focused on deepening Bible-study wisdom from Proverbs and the parable of the sower, emphasizing the need to value God’s Word as seed that produces results. They explain why this parable appears in three Gospels and is a key to understanding all parables, highlighting how hearing involves more than natural ears—believers must also hear with the heart. Using the candle imagery in Mark and Luke, they connect revelation to growth, stressing that God is not hiding truth but reveals it in process and through faith. They cite Proverbs 20:27 and Ephesians 1’s prayer for wisdom and revelation, and unpack Proverbs 2:1–6 and Proverbs 1:7 to show that treasuring God’s commands, seeking wisdom, and a proper fear of the Lord enhance hearing and fruitfulness.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

01:18 Why the Sower Matters

03:11 Valuing the Word

05:04 Words as Seeds

05:42 Thorny Ground Explained

07:14 Two Sets of Ears

10:06 Gods Hearing Aid

11:30 Seed and Candle Link

15:36 God Reveals Not Hides

16:29 Spirit as Candle

16:55 Spirit As Gods Lamp

18:28 Hidden For Revelation

21:28 Seed And Church Growth

22:33 Praying For Wisdom

24:36 Proverbs Seek Wisdom

29:16 Fear Of The Lord

30:56 Parable Of The Soils

32:57 Dont Cherry Pick

33:46 Final Encouragement

Is God speaking—or are there things in our lives keeping us from hearing Him?

In this episode of the Out of the Box Church Podcast, Pastor Dustin is joined by OOTB Church elder and Bible teacher Mike Merritt for a powerful conversation about hindrances to hearing the voice of God.

Using Jesus’ Parable of the Sower in Mark 4, we look at the different conditions of the heart and why the same Word of God can produce tremendous fruit in one person's life while seemingly producing very little in another.

The problem isn't the seed. The seed is the Word of God. The issue is the condition of the soil receiving it.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How offense, unforgiveness, rebellion, disobedience, and pride can harden our hearts

• Why thinking “I already know that” can keep us from receiving fresh revelation

• The difference between simply having biblical information and receiving revelation from God's Word

• Why shallow spiritual roots make us vulnerable when persecution and pressure come

• The importance of being planted in the Word and connected to other believers

• How worry, anxiety, busyness, distractions, riches, and the desires for other things can choke the Word

• Why we must intentionally attend to God's Word and incline our ears to His sayings

God is speaking. If we're struggling to hear Him, the problem isn't on the transmission end—we need to examine what's happening on the receiving end.

“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.” — Proverbs 4:20

Take some time to examine the condition of your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that has become hard, shallow, crowded, or distracted—and make room for the Word of God to take root and produce fruit in your life.

And be sure to join us for the next episode as we continue this conversation with “Ears to Hear.”

Pastor Dustin continues Out of the Box Church’s series on hearing the voice of God, explaining that believers are expected to hear God’s voice (John 10:27) and that God primarily guides through the human spirit, not emotions, logic, or circumstances (Proverbs 20:27). He teaches that God speaks first through Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), which brings revelation and helps discern between soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). He outlines additional ways God leads: the inner witness (Romans 8:16), peace that “rules” like an umpire (Colossians 3:15), and conviction that restores rather than condemnation that shames (Romans 8:1). God’s voice aligns with His Word and nature (Galatians 5:22–23), and discernment grows with practice. He closes with prayer for wisdom, revelation, and clearer hearing, and invites listeners to church services.

00:00 Welcome and Series Intro

01:10 Spirit as God’s Lamp

02:08 Hearing God in Scripture

04:57 Inner Witness and Three-Part Being

07:15 Becoming Spirit Conscious

10:21 Renewing the Mind

11:48 Promptings and Inner Checks

14:41 Peace as Your Umpire

16:51 Conviction Not Condemnation

19:30 God’s Nature and Discernment

21:55 Final Encouragement and Prayer

23:22 Blessing and Service Info

Pastor Dustin Young of the Out of the Box Church Podcast shares a special episode highlighting the church’s Guatemala mission, including behind-the-scenes moments from village visits, worship services, a pastors conference, testimonies from Guatemalan pastors, and a food basket outreach. He explains the purpose of going to Guatemala is not tourism but making disciples, strengthening local churches and pastors, and meeting practical needs in Jesus’ name. The pastors describe the conference as spiritually and emotionally edifying, a time of rest, healing, and renewed calling. The team distributed over 600 food baskets and 800 candy bags through local churches after prior community evangelism to connect families with ongoing discipleship. Pastor Young thanks donors and volunteers and invites 100 families to become monthly mission partners to fund future core ministry.

00:00 Welcome and Guatemala Preview

00:44 Why We Go to Guatemala

05:25 Pastors Conference Highlights

05:56 Pastors Testimonies

10:10 Why Your Support Matters

10:16 Food Basket Outreach

12:10 Thank You Church Family

13:29 Missions at Home Too

14:00 100 Families Partner Challenge

14:59 How Monthly Giving Multiplies

15:52 Partner Gift and Call to Commit

17:10 Final Thanks and Send Off

Pastor Dustin from Out of the Box Church shares a special edition from an Airbnb balcony in Antigua, Guatemala, describing ministry to villages and local churches following a pastors conference, along with reports of salvations and healings. He expounds on Matthew 22:14 in the context of Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast, explaining the king as the Father, the son as Jesus, and the banquet as salvation and the kingdom of God. He emphasizes that the gospel invitation is open to everyone, but “few are chosen” refers to those who respond rightly by accepting the king’s provided wedding garment, symbolizing God’s righteousness rather than self-righteousness. He applies this as a warning against rejecting the invitation or trying to come to God on one’s own terms, thanking supporters whose giving helped fund outreach supplies and impact communities.

00:00 Greetings From Guatemala

00:42 Mission Trip Update

01:11 Many Called Few Chosen

01:32 Parable Of Wedding Feast

02:35 The Missing Garment

03:15 Righteousness Not Works

03:50 Called Versus Chosen

05:01 State Dinner Illustration

05:32 Not Limited Predestination

06:10 Practical Application

06:23 Grace And Faith Explained

08:27 Closing Thanks And Impact

09:34 Volcano View And Farewell

Pastor Dustin and his wife, Candice Renee Young, celebrate Out of the Box Church’s 8-year anniversary (July 15, 2018) by sharing how the church began, their ministry background, and key moments of God’s provision. They recount being sent from City Church in New Orleans back to Oklahoma, choosing the name “Out of the Box,” and finding an affordable meeting place at the renovated old city hall for $15 per service, including early struggles with small attendance and limited resources. They describe continuing outreach, family-style worship, growth through COVID with park services using an FM transmitter, moving into their current building in July 2021, and building a stronger leadership team. They also share a medical crisis where Dustin flat-lined for five and a half minutes due to a thyroid storm and was revived, emphasizing prayer, faithfulness, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

00:00 Welcome and Anniversary

01:11 Ministry Roots

02:10 How We Met

04:06 Called to Plant

06:06 Finding the Name

07:18 Outreach DNA

09:07 Miracle Meeting Place

12:02 Early Church Struggles

14:12 One Is Enough

18:01 COVID Park Church

19:00 New Building Season

19:39 Remembering the Journey

20:35 Seasons of Change

21:06 Busting at the Seams

22:10 Culture on Fire

23:20 Every Yes Matters

24:15 Early Days Laughs

24:54 Guatemala Calling

27:12 Holy Spirit Plan

28:11 Family Style Church

30:00 Pray for Leaders

31:58 Flatline Miracle Story

37:17 Say Yes Daily

37:48 Humility in Pastoring

38:55 Closing Prayer Blessing

41:27 Eight Year Invitation

Pastor Dustin sits down with elder Bible teacher Mike Merritt for a deep dive into Kingdom Authority — exploring what it really means to walk in the authority God has given us, and why great faith and authority are inseparably linked.

Starting in Matthew 8 with the centurion's remarkable faith, Pastor Dustin and Mike unpack how understanding submission to authority — Christ's authority, His Word, and the people God places in our lives — is actually the pathway to walking in true spiritual authority ourselves. They trace this theme through Ephesians 6 (the armor of God and the shield of faith), 1 John (confidence before God), Romans 13 (civil authority), Hebrews 13 (church leadership), and more.

Topics covered:

• Why being under authority comes before being in authority

• The connection between faith and spiritual authority

• How authority provides order and protection against the enemy

• Submitting to God's delegated authority in the home, church, and government

• Avoiding deception by staying connected to godly counsel

• How a healthy fear of God shapes obedience and faith

Thanks for tuning in — we love you all! Stay tuned for the next episode as this Kingdom Authority series continues.

#KingdomAuthority #BibleStudy #Faith #Christianity #OutOfTheBoxChurch