Nodding

Nodding

From The 260 Journey by The 260 Journey

June 2, 2026 · 5 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the reasons why people nod off during church services and other settings, referencing personal anecdotes and insights from Chuck Swindoll.

Day 109 Today’s Reading: Acts 20 Nodding off. We have all done it. In church, a board meeting, a lecture, a conference, while someone is talking, in school on all levels. I have nodded off while praying and while others are praying. My favorite nodding-off story is from one of my dear friends in Michigan. While he was at university, his friend always slept in one of their large lecture classes, so he decided to play a trick. Right in the middle of the lecture, he nudged his sleeping friend and told him the professor wanted him to close the class in prayer. And in the middle of the lecture, his friend stood and began praying, thanking God for the class. The professor stopped, the students bowed their heads, and class was over. The worst seems to be nodding off in church. Why do people fall asleep in church? Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll said that people sleep in church for five reasons: First, because of tradition: when we were youngsters and churches still had pews, we associated sermons with our moms’ laps and we were allowed to sleep on them. Second are physical factors: the church is stuffy, poorly lit, hot, not ventilated. Third are personal factors: occasionally we don’t…

People in this episode

Host: The 260 Journey

Topics covered

  • sleeping in church
  • spiritual indifference
  • personal factors affecting attention
  • tradition in worship
  • boredom in sermons

Keywords

  • nodding off
  • church
  • sermons
  • attention
  • spirituality
  • Acts 20
  • Chuck Swindoll

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Acts 20

More episodes of The 260 Journey

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The 260 Journey podcast page.