Send us Fan Mail Click here to support Talk About It! For more information or booking details, visit www.donmsmith.com Click here to Buy us a Sweet Tea and a Little Debbie Snack Cake Welcome back to Season 11! This week, Pastor Don continues our journey through Hebrews 11 by examining one of the most extraordinary figures in Scripture—Enoch. Hebrews 11:5-6 tells us that Enoch was "taken from this life" without experiencing death because he pleased God. But what made Enoch so special? And what can we learn from his walk with God? Unlike the repeated refrain in Genesis 5—"so-and-so lived... and then he died"—Enoch's story is uniquely different. He didn't just live; he walked with God. And instead of dying, God simply took him home. Enoch's life challenges us to examine the depth of our own relationship with God and ask: Am I walking with Him? Am I pleasing Him? In This Episode, Pastor Don Explores: 1) Enoch Walked with God Genesis 5:21-24 reveals that Enoch walked with God for 300 years after becoming the father of Methuselah. The Hebrew phrase used here is translated in the Septuagint as "pleased God," which connects directly to Hebrews 11:5. Enoch's life wasn't just about existing—it was about intimate, ongoing communion with his Creator. He had confidence in God, lived in communion with Him, opened his heart to Him, and consulted Him as a bosom friend. 2) To Walk with God Is to Be in Agreement with God Amos 3:3 asks, "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?" Walking with God means being aligned with His will and His ways. Enoch's faith gave him confidence in God's ability, wisdom, and love. Even when God allows things we don't understand, walking with Him means trusting that His ways are higher than ours. When we disagree with God and separate ourselves, we lose joy and peace. When we agree with Him, we experience the blessings of a close relationship. 3) To Walk with God Is to Be in Step with God Enoch lived in increasingly wicked times—soon after him, God would send the flood. Yet Enoch maintained his integrity and chose to live by the Spirit. Jude 14-15 tells us Enoch was also a prophet, warning his generation about God's coming judgment. Walking with God means keeping in step with the Spirit—not running ahead in impatience or lagging behind in procrastination. It means allowing the Spirit to produce His fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 4) Then He Was No More, Because God Took Him Away Enoch's departure is one of only two such events in Scripture (Elijah being the other). While Elijah's translation involved chariots of fire and a whirlwind, Enoch's was quieter—but no less miraculous. What's striking is that Enoch lived only 365 years, while his father Jared lived 962 and his son Methuselah lived 969. Why would God take a man who walked so closely with Him so "early"? The answer: his work was finished. Sometimes we don't understand God's timing, but faith trusts that He knows best. 5) Without Faith It Is Impossible to Please God Hebrews 11:6 makes this crystal clear: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Enoch's faith produced works, prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope. And God testified—perhaps directly—that Enoch pleased Him. Romans 8:16 tells us the Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. These confirmations sustain us when the enemy tries to steal our assurance. A Critical Warning Pastor Don also addresses a dangerous assumption: some people think they are pleasing God when they're not. They attend church, read their Bibles, but live the rest of their lives according to selfish desires. They've created a god of their own design—one that suits their comforts rather than the true God who calls us to surrender. Romans 8:5-8 reminds us that those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. True faith expresses itself through love and obedience. Key Takeaways: Walking with God means being in agreement with HimPleasing God requires keeping in step with the SpiritYou don't have to understand everything to trust GodGod rewards those who earnestly seek Him with assurance and peaceTrue faith produces works prompted by loveIt's not just the length of your life, but the depth of your walkA Question to Ponder: Does God testify that you are pleasing Him? Are you earnestly seeking Him? "Without faith it is impossible to please God." — Hebrews 11:6 Next week, we continue our study of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. Don't miss it! 📖 Key Scriptures: Hebrews 11:5-6, Genesis 5:18-24, Amos 3:3, Galatians 5:16-25, Jude 14-15, Romans 8:5-8 Support the show