WCC | Crown and Consequence: Desire for Approval, Feb. 15th 2026

WCC | Crown and Consequence: Desire for Approval, Feb. 15th 2026

From WCC SermonCast by Jed Shermer

February 23, 2026 · 27 min · Season 8 · Episode 1

About this episode

This episode explores the consequences of seeking approval from people over faithfulness to God, using the story of King Jeroboam as a cautionary tale.

In the opening message of our Crown and Consequence series, we begin by examining the reign of King Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11–12. Given a kingdom by God and promised an enduring dynasty if he would simply trust and obey, Jeroboam instead allowed fear to drive his decisions. Worried about losing the approval of the people, he set up golden calves for Israel to worship—repeating the very sin that once led the nation astray in the wilderness. This message explores a sobering truth: when pleasing people becomes the goal, people quietly become the god. From ancient Israel to modern social media pressures, we wrestle with the temptation to seek approval from others rather than faithfulness to God. Jeroboam’s story reminds us that fear often leads to compromise, compromise leads to idolatry, and idolatry always carries consequences—not just for us, but for those we influence. As we trace the divided kingdom and the lasting impact of Jeroboam’s choices, we’re reminded that every earthly king ultimately points us to the One true King—Jesus Christ—who reigns not by fear or manipulation, but by faithfulness and truth. Will we seek the approval of people, or will we trust the promises of God?

Topics covered

  • King Jeroboam
  • approval
  • idolatry
  • faithfulness
  • consequences

Keywords

  • Crown and Consequence
  • 1 Kings 11-12
  • social media pressures
  • Jesus Christ

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Crown and Consequence: Desire for Approval, Crown and Consequence

Places: Israel

More episodes of WCC SermonCast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the WCC SermonCast podcast page.