A number of years ago, our family was in the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. If you've ever driven in a developing country, you know how dangerous the traffic can be. Vehicles whiz past, coming within just a few feet of children playing close to the road. One night, my son Sam was playing a game in his own little world, in which he would zig and zag, back and forth from sidewalk onto the narrow street and back. It wasn't a heavily travelled road; but there was always loud music blaring, and it was pitch dark. From about 10 feet away, I suddenly shouted, "Samuel, don't move!"

Immediately he froze. About a second later a Moped zipped past him, going 30 mph with no lights on—right where Sam was about to step. My 6-year-old didn't ignore me, argue, or blatantly disobey. I said freeze, and he froze. That obedience probably saved his life.

Possible Preaching Angles: (1) Parenting—As parents, our goal is that our children would obey us the first time we ask, not the second, third, or fourth time we ask. (1) Obeying God—As followers of Jesus, when we hear our Father's voice, we should obey him the first time he speaks to us.