April 1, 2026 • 15 mins
What do you do when obeying God makes you stand out, or even look crazy?
In this episode of Real People Real Talk, we dive into Noah’s story and uncover what it means to trust God in a world that’s going the opposite direction. While others ignored God, Noah chose faith, obedience, and boldness...no matter the cost.
This message will challenge you to step out in faith, stand firm in your beliefs, and trust God even when it doesn’t make sense. Because what God said… will come to pass.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:09):
Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People,
Real Talk.
Relevant conversations that takeyou from surviving to thriving.
This is the podcast that goesthere.
My name is Paul Calco, and I'myour host.
Now let's talk.
(00:29):
Well, hello, Thriver, andwelcome to Real People, Real
Talk, the podcast ministry thatequips you to thrive in your
walk with the Lord, to thrive inyour relationships, and to
thrive in your mental health.
And today is all about thrivingin your walk with the Lord as
I'm going to take a deep diveand delve into the life of Noah,
(00:50):
whom we find in the book ofGenesis, the very first book of
the Bible.
Noah was a man whose faith andobedience to God shine brightly
even in the darkest of times.
So today I just want to unpacksome simple truths, some nuggets
of truth that can inspire you tocultivate a faith that endures,
(01:13):
even when the world around youis spiraling into chaos.
Sounds familiar?
Today's passage can be found inGenesis chapter six, verses five
through eight, and it reads, TheLord saw how great the
wickedness of the human race hadbecome on the earth, and that
every inclination of thethoughts of human heart was only
(01:34):
evil all the time.
The Lord regretted that he hadmade human beings on the earth,
and his heart was deeplytroubled.
So the Lord said, I will wipefrom the face of the earth the
human race that I have created,and with them the animals, the
birds, the creatures that movealong the ground, for I regret
that I have made them.
(01:54):
But Noah found favor in the eyesof God.
To fully appreciate Noah'sstory, you must first understand
the context of his world.
Noah lived during a time whenthe whole earth was filled with
violence, corruption, andrampant sin.
People did whatever they wantedto do without any regard for
(02:18):
God.
And all of that grieved theheart of God.
And my friend, that's one placeyou never want to be, is in a
place in a position where youhave grieved the heart of God.
But in the midst of this moraldecay, Noah emerged as a figure
of righteousness.
He did not allow the evilstandards of his world to rob
(02:41):
him of his fellowship with God.
He stood out as the only one whowalked with God.
And maybe that's what you needto do.
Maybe you're the only one that'sstanding out in your family.
Maybe you're the only one that'sstanding out at your job.
Maybe you're the only one that'sstanding out at your school or
your team, but stand out andstand up for God, no matter
what's going on around you inyour culture, in your context,
(03:03):
stand for God.
Imagine a society steeped inwickedness, so steeped that
people laughed at morality andthey mocked the whole idea of
judgment.
In such an environment, Noah'sfaith was bold.
It was courageous.
It was even countercultural.
His commitment to God wasn'tjust a personal belief, but it
(03:27):
was an act of defiance againstthe societal norms of the time.
It's quite funny how historytends to repeat itself, because
as I describe the context ofNoah's world, I couldn't help
but feel like I was describingthe context of our world today.
And just as Noah shined brightlyin that dark generation, today I
(03:50):
am encouraging you, I amadmonishing you to shine
brightly for the Lord right now.
Shine in such a way that youwill point others to the light
of the world who is JesusChrist.
Moving on, we see that God givesNoah a daunting command in
Genesis chapter six, versesthirteen through fourteen.
(04:12):
So God said to Noah, I am goingto put an end to all the people,
for the earth is filled withviolence because of them.
I am surely going to destroyboth them and the earth.
So make yourself an ark ofcypress wood, make rooms in it,
and coated with the pitch insideand out.
We see the radical nature ofNoah's faith.
(04:34):
Let me explain.
God instructs him to build anark.
This is a massive structuremeant to withstand the flood of
waters that would eventuallycleanse the earth.
It's important to know that upuntil this point, Noah hadn't
even seen rain, let alone aflood.
Yet he believed God's word wastrue.
(04:58):
And that should always be theposture of our heart.
No matter what our natural eyeshave or have not seen, we should
take God at his word, knowingthat he is a word keeper, he is
a promise keeper, he is afaithful God, and we can always
put our faith, our hope, andtrust and confidence in him
because God is good, he'sfaithful, and he is a keeper of
(05:20):
his word.
One thing that I really love andI admire about Noah is this: in
spite of what he saw around him,he still chose to believe in God
and to move by faith.
And I want to encourage youtoday, my friend, in spite of
what you may see around you,choose to believe God and choose
(05:42):
to walk by faith.
Amen.
Think about this for a moment.
How often do we hesitate to obeyGod?
Because in our eyes, what he'sasking us to do may seem
impossible or illogical, butthere's nothing impossible with
our God.
Noah teaches us that true faithoften requires stepping out into
(06:04):
the unknown and trusting thatGod is in control.
Now let's take a look at theboldness of obedience.
Noah's obedience wasn't justlimited to building the ark.
For 120 years of construction,he preached righteousness.
(06:27):
Imagine doing 120 years ofpreaching, 120 years of
ministry, and nobody came toknow the Lord.
Man, imagine the fortitude thatit takes to keep preaching and
to keep doing what's right.
Can you imagine how often he gotmade fun of and talked about?
People probably thought that hewas insane, yet he remained
steadfast.
(06:47):
He remained faithful to Godbecause God was going to prove
himself faithful to him.
In 2 Peter 2.5, we learn thatNoah was described as a herald
of righteousness.
And let that be said of us thatwe are heralds of righteousness.
His life became a living sermon,a testimony to the power of
(07:08):
faith in a world that has turnedits back on God.
Oh God, let that be said of usthat no matter what's going on
in our lives, no matter what'sgoing on in culture, no matter
what's going on in society, thatwe take a bold step, a bold
stand of faith and obedience.
(07:31):
Now let's talk application.
Are you willing to be bold inyour faith?
In your workplace, in yourschool, in your community, or
are you really prepared to standfirm in your beliefs, even when
it feels uncomfortable?
(07:53):
Noah's example encouraged us toshare our faith with passion and
with conviction, my friend,regardless of the world's
response.
Now, building that ark was quitean undertaking.
The ark was 450 feet long,that's much longer than a
football field, 75 feet wide,and 45 feet high.
(08:20):
Imagine the resources required.
Imagine the labor that wasinvolved.
Imagine the sheer willpower thatit took to complete such a task,
all while facing relentlessdoubts and relentless doubters.
What a powerful metaphor for ourown lives.
(08:40):
We often encounter, you know,challenges that may seem
insurmountable, but nothing isinsurmountable when God is on
your side.
Yet, like Noah, we are called toboldly answer the call of God on
our lives.
Let me make it even morepractical.
What is God calling you to doright now in this season?
(09:04):
Is it to start a business?
Is it to go to school?
Is it to go back to school?
Is it to take your healthjourney more seriously?
Is it to start a ministry or aBible study or a podcast?
Whatever it is, please trustthat God will equip you.
If God called you to it, he willsee you through it.
(09:26):
So start the business, restartthe health journey, and embrace
the challenge, knowing that Godis walking right beside you.
Moving on, we see the day,finally, where the flood waters
have arrived.
What God said came to pass.
Let me say that again.
(09:47):
What God said came to pass.
And so with that in mind, withthat thought in mind, I want to
encourage you today to keeptrusting in the Lord, to keep
walking in faith, regardless ofthe passage of time.
No matter how long you've beenwaiting on God, I want to
(10:09):
encourage you today to keepwaiting on the Lord because
He'll never fail you and He'llnever let you down.
In Genesis chapter 7, verse 11and 12, we see this.
In the 600th year of Noah'slife, on the seventh day of the
second month, on that day allthe springs of the great earth
bust forth, and the floodgatesand the heavens were open, and
(10:31):
rain fell on the earth fortydays and forty nights.
The rain poured and poured andpoured, and the earth was
flooded.
But Noah and his family foundrefuge in the ark.
Think about this.
What if Noah disobeyed God?
(10:53):
What if he didn't listen?
What if he didn't take God athis word?
Maybe he and his family wouldnot have been saved.
They would have been in bigtrouble.
I want to take this time rightnow to let you know this, that
you need to obey God, pointblank, period.
Because you never know what youraction or your inaction will
(11:16):
impact or whom it will impact.
So when the waters receded, Noahand his family stepped out into
safely because he stepped out inobedience.
All that's good right there.
In Genesis chapter 9, verse 12and 13, God establishes his
covenant with Noah, as it reads,and God said, This is a sign of
(11:39):
the covenant I am making betweenyou and every living creature,
with you a covenant of allgenerations to come.
I have set my rainbow in theclouds, that it will be a sign
of the covenant between me andthe earth.
The rainbow symbolizes hope, apromise that God will never
again destroy the earth byflood.
(12:01):
So just as Noah's faith led to anew beginning for humanity, our
faith can usher in a newbeginning in our own lives, a
new beginning in the lives ofthose that are connected to us.
So once again, man, I want toencourage you to always choose
faith.
To always choose obedience, nomatter how hard it may seem, no
(12:25):
matter how countercultural itmay seem.
Always obey God and alwayschoose faith.
Because God's word is true.
As I said before, I say itagain, that this God that we
serve, He is faithful and He istrue.
He is a word keeper and He is apromise keeper.
(12:46):
All right.
So as we reflect on Noah's life,we are reminded that faith is
not merely a private matter, butit's a public declaration of our
trust in God.
Noah's story, it beckons us tocultivate a faith that is bold
and obedient.
(13:06):
Now let's take a moment just toconsider how we can apply these
lessons in our own lives.
Number one, step into theunknown.
I want you to take some time toidentify, you know, what area is
God calling you to take a leapof faith?
What is God asking you to dothat may seem insurmountable or
(13:31):
daunting?
Commit to obeying God even ifit's uncomfortable.
And I don't know what this maybe for you that's between you
and God, but I do know this,that you can trust God because
he is faithful and he will workit out for your good, and he'll
work it out definitely for hisglory.
So, number one, step into theunknown.
(13:51):
Don't be afraid to step into theunknown.
Secondly, just like Noah, be aherald of righteousness in your
daily interactions.
Let your words and your actionsrepresent God's will.
Stand firm in your beliefs evenwhen faced with opposition.
(14:16):
Share your faith with othersbecause this gospel, this good
news of Jesus Christ is too goodnot to share it with others.
So share your faith with others.
Be a voice of hope in a worldthat desperately needs it.
In other words, shine bright forJesus in this dark world.
So that was just a little bitabout Noah, a man whose faith
(14:40):
and obedience to God shinebrightly even in the darkest of
time.
Just a snapshot, because there'sa lot more that can be said
about Noah.
But what an example.
All in all, Noah believed Godand obeyed him, and according to
all that God commanded him todo, so did he.
(15:02):
O Lord, let that be said of usthat everything that you
commanded us to do, everythingthat you called us to do, we did
it.
Amen?
And amen.
Well that would do it for today.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
Be sure to share this episodewith a few friends.
And until next time, go be allthat God has called you to be a
(15:37):
good idea.
Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People,
Real Talk.
Relevant conversations that takeyou from surviving to thriving.
This is the podcast that goesthere.
My name is Paul Calco, and I'myour host.
Now let's talk.
(00:29):
Well, hello, Thriver, andwelcome to Real People, Real
Talk, the podcast ministry thatequips you to thrive in your
walk with the Lord, to thrive inyour relationships, and to
thrive in your mental health.
And today is all about thrivingin your walk with the Lord as
I'm going to take a deep diveand delve into the life of Noah,
(00:50):
whom we find in the book ofGenesis, the very first book of
the Bible.
Noah was a man whose faith andobedience to God shine brightly
even in the darkest of times.
So today I just want to unpacksome simple truths, some nuggets
of truth that can inspire you tocultivate a faith that endures,
(01:13):
even when the world around youis spiraling into chaos.
Sounds familiar?
Today's passage can be found inGenesis chapter six, verses five
through eight, and it reads, TheLord saw how great the
wickedness of the human race hadbecome on the earth, and that
every inclination of thethoughts of human heart was only
(01:34):
evil all the time.
The Lord regretted that he hadmade human beings on the earth,
and his heart was deeplytroubled.
So the Lord said, I will wipefrom the face of the earth the
human race that I have created,and with them the animals, the
birds, the creatures that movealong the ground, for I regret
that I have made them.
(01:54):
But Noah found favor in the eyesof God.
To fully appreciate Noah'sstory, you must first understand
the context of his world.
Noah lived during a time whenthe whole earth was filled with
violence, corruption, andrampant sin.
People did whatever they wantedto do without any regard for
(02:18):
God.
And all of that grieved theheart of God.
And my friend, that's one placeyou never want to be, is in a
place in a position where youhave grieved the heart of God.
But in the midst of this moraldecay, Noah emerged as a figure
of righteousness.
He did not allow the evilstandards of his world to rob
(02:41):
him of his fellowship with God.
He stood out as the only one whowalked with God.
And maybe that's what you needto do.
Maybe you're the only one that'sstanding out in your family.
Maybe you're the only one that'sstanding out at your job.
Maybe you're the only one that'sstanding out at your school or
your team, but stand out andstand up for God, no matter
what's going on around you inyour culture, in your context,
(03:03):
stand for God.
Imagine a society steeped inwickedness, so steeped that
people laughed at morality andthey mocked the whole idea of
judgment.
In such an environment, Noah'sfaith was bold.
It was courageous.
It was even countercultural.
His commitment to God wasn'tjust a personal belief, but it
(03:27):
was an act of defiance againstthe societal norms of the time.
It's quite funny how historytends to repeat itself, because
as I describe the context ofNoah's world, I couldn't help
but feel like I was describingthe context of our world today.
And just as Noah shined brightlyin that dark generation, today I
(03:50):
am encouraging you, I amadmonishing you to shine
brightly for the Lord right now.
Shine in such a way that youwill point others to the light
of the world who is JesusChrist.
Moving on, we see that God givesNoah a daunting command in
Genesis chapter six, versesthirteen through fourteen.
(04:12):
So God said to Noah, I am goingto put an end to all the people,
for the earth is filled withviolence because of them.
I am surely going to destroyboth them and the earth.
So make yourself an ark ofcypress wood, make rooms in it,
and coated with the pitch insideand out.
We see the radical nature ofNoah's faith.
(04:34):
Let me explain.
God instructs him to build anark.
This is a massive structuremeant to withstand the flood of
waters that would eventuallycleanse the earth.
It's important to know that upuntil this point, Noah hadn't
even seen rain, let alone aflood.
Yet he believed God's word wastrue.
(04:58):
And that should always be theposture of our heart.
No matter what our natural eyeshave or have not seen, we should
take God at his word, knowingthat he is a word keeper, he is
a promise keeper, he is afaithful God, and we can always
put our faith, our hope, andtrust and confidence in him
because God is good, he'sfaithful, and he is a keeper of
(05:20):
his word.
One thing that I really love andI admire about Noah is this: in
spite of what he saw around him,he still chose to believe in God
and to move by faith.
And I want to encourage youtoday, my friend, in spite of
what you may see around you,choose to believe God and choose
(05:42):
to walk by faith.
Amen.
Think about this for a moment.
How often do we hesitate to obeyGod?
Because in our eyes, what he'sasking us to do may seem
impossible or illogical, butthere's nothing impossible with
our God.
Noah teaches us that true faithoften requires stepping out into
(06:04):
the unknown and trusting thatGod is in control.
Now let's take a look at theboldness of obedience.
Noah's obedience wasn't justlimited to building the ark.
For 120 years of construction,he preached righteousness.
(06:27):
Imagine doing 120 years ofpreaching, 120 years of
ministry, and nobody came toknow the Lord.
Man, imagine the fortitude thatit takes to keep preaching and
to keep doing what's right.
Can you imagine how often he gotmade fun of and talked about?
People probably thought that hewas insane, yet he remained
steadfast.
(06:47):
He remained faithful to Godbecause God was going to prove
himself faithful to him.
In 2 Peter 2.5, we learn thatNoah was described as a herald
of righteousness.
And let that be said of us thatwe are heralds of righteousness.
His life became a living sermon,a testimony to the power of
(07:08):
faith in a world that has turnedits back on God.
Oh God, let that be said of usthat no matter what's going on
in our lives, no matter what'sgoing on in culture, no matter
what's going on in society, thatwe take a bold step, a bold
stand of faith and obedience.
(07:31):
Now let's talk application.
Are you willing to be bold inyour faith?
In your workplace, in yourschool, in your community, or
are you really prepared to standfirm in your beliefs, even when
it feels uncomfortable?
(07:53):
Noah's example encouraged us toshare our faith with passion and
with conviction, my friend,regardless of the world's
response.
Now, building that ark was quitean undertaking.
The ark was 450 feet long,that's much longer than a
football field, 75 feet wide,and 45 feet high.
(08:20):
Imagine the resources required.
Imagine the labor that wasinvolved.
Imagine the sheer willpower thatit took to complete such a task,
all while facing relentlessdoubts and relentless doubters.
What a powerful metaphor for ourown lives.
(08:40):
We often encounter, you know,challenges that may seem
insurmountable, but nothing isinsurmountable when God is on
your side.
Yet, like Noah, we are called toboldly answer the call of God on
our lives.
Let me make it even morepractical.
What is God calling you to doright now in this season?
(09:04):
Is it to start a business?
Is it to go to school?
Is it to go back to school?
Is it to take your healthjourney more seriously?
Is it to start a ministry or aBible study or a podcast?
Whatever it is, please trustthat God will equip you.
If God called you to it, he willsee you through it.
(09:26):
So start the business, restartthe health journey, and embrace
the challenge, knowing that Godis walking right beside you.
Moving on, we see the day,finally, where the flood waters
have arrived.
What God said came to pass.
Let me say that again.
(09:47):
What God said came to pass.
And so with that in mind, withthat thought in mind, I want to
encourage you today to keeptrusting in the Lord, to keep
walking in faith, regardless ofthe passage of time.
No matter how long you've beenwaiting on God, I want to
(10:09):
encourage you today to keepwaiting on the Lord because
He'll never fail you and He'llnever let you down.
In Genesis chapter 7, verse 11and 12, we see this.
In the 600th year of Noah'slife, on the seventh day of the
second month, on that day allthe springs of the great earth
bust forth, and the floodgatesand the heavens were open, and
(10:31):
rain fell on the earth fortydays and forty nights.
The rain poured and poured andpoured, and the earth was
flooded.
But Noah and his family foundrefuge in the ark.
Think about this.
What if Noah disobeyed God?
(10:53):
What if he didn't listen?
What if he didn't take God athis word?
Maybe he and his family wouldnot have been saved.
They would have been in bigtrouble.
I want to take this time rightnow to let you know this, that
you need to obey God, pointblank, period.
Because you never know what youraction or your inaction will
(11:16):
impact or whom it will impact.
So when the waters receded, Noahand his family stepped out into
safely because he stepped out inobedience.
All that's good right there.
In Genesis chapter 9, verse 12and 13, God establishes his
covenant with Noah, as it reads,and God said, This is a sign of
(11:39):
the covenant I am making betweenyou and every living creature,
with you a covenant of allgenerations to come.
I have set my rainbow in theclouds, that it will be a sign
of the covenant between me andthe earth.
The rainbow symbolizes hope, apromise that God will never
again destroy the earth byflood.
(12:01):
So just as Noah's faith led to anew beginning for humanity, our
faith can usher in a newbeginning in our own lives, a
new beginning in the lives ofthose that are connected to us.
So once again, man, I want toencourage you to always choose
faith.
To always choose obedience, nomatter how hard it may seem, no
(12:25):
matter how countercultural itmay seem.
Always obey God and alwayschoose faith.
Because God's word is true.
As I said before, I say itagain, that this God that we
serve, He is faithful and He istrue.
He is a word keeper and He is apromise keeper.
(12:46):
All right.
So as we reflect on Noah's life,we are reminded that faith is
not merely a private matter, butit's a public declaration of our
trust in God.
Noah's story, it beckons us tocultivate a faith that is bold
and obedient.
(13:06):
Now let's take a moment just toconsider how we can apply these
lessons in our own lives.
Number one, step into theunknown.
I want you to take some time toidentify, you know, what area is
God calling you to take a leapof faith?
What is God asking you to dothat may seem insurmountable or
(13:31):
daunting?
Commit to obeying God even ifit's uncomfortable.
And I don't know what this maybe for you that's between you
and God, but I do know this,that you can trust God because
he is faithful and he will workit out for your good, and he'll
work it out definitely for hisglory.
So, number one, step into theunknown.
(13:51):
Don't be afraid to step into theunknown.
Secondly, just like Noah, be aherald of righteousness in your
daily interactions.
Let your words and your actionsrepresent God's will.
Stand firm in your beliefs evenwhen faced with opposition.
(14:16):
Share your faith with othersbecause this gospel, this good
news of Jesus Christ is too goodnot to share it with others.
So share your faith with others.
Be a voice of hope in a worldthat desperately needs it.
In other words, shine bright forJesus in this dark world.
So that was just a little bitabout Noah, a man whose faith
(14:40):
and obedience to God shinebrightly even in the darkest of
time.
Just a snapshot, because there'sa lot more that can be said
about Noah.
But what an example.
All in all, Noah believed Godand obeyed him, and according to
all that God commanded him todo, so did he.
(15:02):
O Lord, let that be said of usthat everything that you
commanded us to do, everythingthat you called us to do, we did
it.
Amen?
And amen.
Well that would do it for today.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
Be sure to share this episodewith a few friends.
And until next time, go be allthat God has called you to be a
(15:37):
good idea.
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