Derek Draughon on Activating Faith: Building Your Ark Before the Rain Falls
About this episode
Pastor Derek Draughon of Saraland First Assembly, located near Mobile, Alabama, joins Philip Cameron for a conversation that cuts straight to the heart of why so many believers stall between inspiration and action. Drawing on the story of Noah, Derek unpacks what it truly means to live by faith — not as a feeling, but as a daily, hammer-in-hand commitment to what God has spoken. Derek challenges the church to become what he calls "faithors" — people who don't just hear the Word but activate it. "If we don't move by faith, we will never move," he says, grounding his message in Hebrews 11, where the writer declares that Noah "moved by faith" and built the ark for the salvation of his household. Derek points out that Noah built for over a hundred years without ever seeing rain — a vivid picture of faithfulness as the fruit of faith. The conversation also explores how God sends continual confirmations — like animals gathering at the ark — to keep believers building through doubt and discouragement. Using analogies from water skiing and instrument flying, Derek illustrates the critical gap between revelation and activation. Pastors, entrepreneurs, and everyday believers will find this episode a practical and inspiring call to stop waiting and start building. Find more from Derek and his wife Courtney at derekandcourtney.com or fuelcast.tv.
Part of our Faith collection of conversations.
What's Discussed
Pastor Derek Draughon of Saraland First Assembly joins Philip Cameron to deliver a message on the gap between hearing God and acting on what He says. Anchoring his teaching in Hebrews 11 and the story of Noah, Derek argues that faith without activation is incomplete — coining the term "faithor" to describe believers who move on what they hear. He highlights that Noah built the ark for over a hundred years without a single drop of rain, illustrating that faithfulness is the daily, unglamorous fruit of genuine faith. Derek also explores how God sends ongoing confirmations — animals arriving at the ark — to sustain builders through doubt. Using vivid analogies from water skiing and instrument-rated flying, he challenges the church to stop analyzing and start turning when God gives a heading.
- Becoming a "Faithor": Moving on What You Hear
- Noah's Ark and the Call to Household Salvation
- Standing in the Forest: Resources Already Provided
- God's Confirmations Sustain the Builder
- Activation vs. Inspiration: The Church's Missing Step
- Water Skiing and the Slack-Rope Moment of Faith
- Instrument Flying: Turn First, Then Talk
Scripture in this episode
Episode Transcript
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Intro
Philip:My life is divided into several parts, and Daily Faith is one of them — ministering in churches in America. I've been traveling and speaking as a guest in churches for 53 years, since 1969. Isn't that crazy? But 33 years ago my father called me and told me about Romania, and I went there and adopted a boy from an orphanage in Romania. That got me into this whole new world that I knew nothing about, wasn't interested in, and for the last 33 years we were working in Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine — long before this war started.
Philip:We were there, we had a home there, and we were rescuing girls from Ukraine. In fact, my wife Chrissy was in Ukraine the night before the war broke out. She was in the home that we have in Ukraine, and she was talking to me, and I said, look, Biden said that Putin is going to invade. So she told all the kids and she told the staff that we have — the house parents — and they laughed and said, no, this will never happen. Russia is our cousins, they will not do this to us. And she left that night, and the next morning — you know what happened.
Philip:And for the last year this horrendous atrocity has been taking place. Now, there's politics involved. I hear all the politicians — we've got to take care of our own, we don't have to help Ukraine, that's a battle they can fight. That's not my interest. My interest is this: there were 10 million refugees created by this invasion. 490,000 of them came to Moldova. This man Putin is destroying people's lives and families every day. He is breaking water systems, electricity, fuel. The husbands are all fighting this war — 80,000 casualties so far — and these moms are stuck in these houses with no relatives, no water.
Philip:And that's what I'm interested in. That's my burden, that's my responsibility. And our kids — from the very first moment that this happened, our kids were up at the border feeding and caring for people. We do trips into Ukraine. We just had a team come back of nine of our young people, and they gave out food and hot stoves to keep houses warm. They can burn wood, and they just sent me a brand new video, and I just wanted you to see it because I think you'll be blessed by it. Watch this.
A year ago, their world was a happy place. They had jobs, their kids were in school, the corner shop sold bread and cheese and everything else. Their world was just like yours. Until, through the mist and snow, monsters came. The tracks rattled on the ice-packed fields, the guns pointed towards the world they lived in. It takes less than a second to obliterate everything that they had spent their lives building. There are no accurate numbers of how many have died. The end is nowhere in sight.
We have been in Ukraine for years. From the first explosion we were involved — we took this assault personally. The Orphan's Hands could not stand on the sidelines and do nothing. Our amazing group of young men and women did the unimaginable. Once again they drove into a war zone. Once were friends themselves, they have felt personally the hand of grace and redemption. To go to this devastated world seems to them as normal as having a meal or going to church.
They drove for hours, unable to stop and stretch their legs, as inches on each side of the vehicles were live mines. Every few miles they were stopped at checkpoints by nervous soldiers. They were running along the line between the Russians and Ukrainians. Our team finally reached Kherson, a recently liberated city still held in the grip of desperation. They had brought food, wood-burning stoves that will save lives in the bitter, deadly cold that is to come.
They brought blankets that, to many, is the only barrier between survival and death. On a dreary day, within the sound of guns and bombs, the most astonishing thing took place. The rescued became the rescuers. Hundreds waited in the rain, shuffling along in a line that ended up in love — smiles, bread, fish, and the words of care from the heart of the redeemed.
As they traveled they came across bombed-out villages, scarred by the strife of bullets, destroyed by the engines of death. Their water, electricity, and everything else was gone. The wood-burning stove had become the guardian against the deadly cold. We know it is impossible for most to even imagine this world. But by giving and praying together for this unfolding tragedy, we can join our hearts and hands to bring the hope that was sent to Earth by a loving God. If it were us, we would wait in line hoping that someone, somewhere, was thinking of us. We must go back. Will you send us? Every gift you give allows us to be His hands.
Philip:In minus-30-degree weather, these people are living a life that you and I can never imagine. Can you imagine — no heat, no light? It gets dark at three or four in the afternoon. If you get a flashlight, like the lady at the very beginning of the video — she had a flashlight — she was a blessed woman to have a flashlight. This thing is beyond anything I can comprehend. I love history, I'm a student of history. My dad was the same, and I studied for years Hitler and Germany, and that's what my basis is. And I'm watching video in color that I've seen in black and white from 80 years ago. This thing is happening and it's not stopping.
Philip:Let me tell you, this is not going to go away. Putin has nowhere else to go. He's got to keep grinding this country down until he gets all the people to go away. If he can make it so miserable that moms and kids run and say, well, we can't live like this, it's easier to capture a country with no one there to fight for it. And that's his plan. And we are going to go back and go back and go back as long as you will help us.
Philip:And I'm asking you to consider giving a gift — a one-time gift. Say, Philip, this is just to help with food and blankets and the team going back in. We had over a thousand people show up when they gave out that fish and bread. They found a place that baked bread — a bakery — and they bought every loaf they had, went to a warehouse, got cans of fish, and gave out to everyone there. Fish and bread — in another war, that is symbolic of the miraculous, the multiplication of God.
Philip:We still lack — it's 75,000 — on buying the home we've been leasing in Ukraine. We have a home that we've been using for the last six years, and the owner wants to sell it, and we have nowhere to put our kids when they go back to Ukraine. And we're trying to buy a building in a war zone. I know it isn't the most — it's a difficult thing to talk about — but I've got to. We're over halfway there, with 75,000 left. Will you please pray with us? A gift of a thousand dollars, 500 dollars, whatever it is, will allow us. Make sure you write down: this is for the home in Odessa, our new home. It can house 24 girls — 24 orphan girls at risk of being trafficked.
Philip:We have containers on ships right now on the way there. We gave over 15,000 coats, and that house will become a giveaway point. We just need you to help us. We need a miracle of God, and I know that God's talking to your heart. You can contact me — the Orphan's Hands, PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. The Orphan's Hands, PO Box 25 — very simple — Clinton, Tennessee 37716.
Philip:You can go right now to dailyfaith.tv. There's a giving button there, you can tap that button and you can give on a secure card. And also you can call 1-833-Daily-Faith. In doing so, you are being God's hand extended. If you are sitting in that house in those towns right now that have been bombed to hell by Russian tanks, you would be begging God, please let someone understand my desperation. Well, we do understand, and we're just looking for pastors and friends like you — moms and dads — to give something today to make their lives more bearable. They've lost so much. Let's share the love of God.
Philip:I am so delighted to have my friend with me today — a great man of God, a great man of faith. Every time he comes on our program I feel like I'm having a vacation. I'm sure Andrew lined up my guest this week to ease me back into being here on Daily Faith, and I'm delighted to have him on. God bless you. I'm so thrilled to have you today, my brother. How are you doing? Tell us how your New Year's been so far.
Derek Draughon:It's been good, busy. You know, the holidays — you try to slow down, but our holidays were busy. Good things, good things happening. I was just sitting and listening to the opening of your program. You guys never stop, and I know you feel like you can't because of the desperation. And we've talked about it before — with the time difference in Moldova, a lot of your nights are spent with messages and calls on the phone with the girls. So I bet it feels like it never ends with you.
Philip:So thankful.
Derek Draughon:I was listening to a podcast yesterday — I won't say who it is, it's a secular podcast, not bad, but I just won't give him any airtime. We need to give Jesus every time. But they were talking about what's going on down there, and just listening to this analyst talking about the process that's going on — it's gonna be a long process.
Philip:Oh my goodness.
Derek Draughon:It's just, yeah, man, it's gonna be a long time. I'm thankful you guys are there. Keep us aware, keep us aware of what's happening. What drives me is the fact that the news has forgotten about it. The only thing we hear now is politicians saying, why do we use this money instead of sending it to Ukraine? And I'm all in on accountability — if we're going to help them, we've got to know that the money is going to where it's supposed to go. That's a given. But to a mom who is starving in a hovel that's been blown to bits, with no water and no electricity and no gas and nowhere to go and no shops to buy from — we just can't turn our backs on that. Well, I can't. Maybe others can, but I can't.
Philip:So we've been — we are busier than we've ever been before in our lives, and we're excited. You have a word today. We've got about 13 minutes left. I hate short programs. What has God been talking to you about?
Derek Draughon:Faith. Yeah, well, it comes right along with that, because as you're saying, what we're dealing with in the United States — with inflation rising, we've got our own set of problems, which is nothing like the problems around the world — but the conversation at my church this week was how much a dozen eggs cost now, and that inflation. And I mean, honestly, it's that faith talk. And I know this is Daily Faith and we're gonna provide some of that today. It's that faith talk. You know, me and you were talking about before we went on the air, and you didn't realize this, but it's exactly what I preached Sunday, what I built it on.
Becoming a "Faithor": Moving on What You Hear
Derek Draughon:I told my people — that's bad grammar and I apologize to your friends that use the King's and Queen's English — help a church, we've got to become a faith-er. And I said, I know that's not a word, but I want you to write it in your notes. I like it, because if we don't live by faith, if we don't move by faith, we'll never do it. We'll never enact what God's calling us to. The people that feel nudged in this moment, watching your show and seeing the video produced out of there by the Orphan's Hands working to produce those videos — if we don't move by faith, we will never move.
Derek Draughon:And that's what happened with Noah. He moved by faith, but he didn't just up and do it. He moved by faith because he heard something. I think the issue — and I'm not bashing every other church, I'm talking about the church I pastor, the church that I am, the church I'm around — we have to begin to move by faith. We have to hear to move by faith. Right before the writer says that Noah moved by faith and built an ark for the salvation of his family, he tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Absolutely. And we know that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Noah's Ark and the Call to Household Salvation
Derek Draughon:So if we're not in the word of God, hearing the word of God, and then acting on the word of God, we're never going to move by faith. And here's how I equated it with my church. Imagine Noah never seeing rain — as you were talking about before we went on the air — it never rained. A flood had never come, there was no need for a massive ark. But he stands there hearing the voice of God say, I feel — build an ark, then I'll save your family. Now God's going to use the ark to replenish the Earth after the flood, but He's going to allow Noah to use the ark to save his family.
Derek Draughon:So what we hear from God — and hearing from God is the call of God on our life — absolutely, to use it for the saving of our household, for the saving of our family. That's where we get the idea that we're called of God. Yes, God called me to preach, and I pray today that my preaching changes the world. But beyond that, I pray that it saves my family. I'm called to be an entrepreneur, even as a minister. I'm called to have — we call them side hustles, that almost sounds thuggish and wrong — but these things come to produce wealth. I want to produce wealth, and I pray that it changes the world around me. But the more important factor is that it saves my family.
Derek Draughon:And if we don't act on what we're hearing in our heart in faith, then we're never going to produce the ark God's called us to produce. Now, here's how I equated it with my church. Imagine Noah in that moment — he doesn't have a boatyard to run to. We used to have a stoater builder. They build beautiful wood boats down here, and they're men, they're a joy to have. Now, an old stoater village — people were on the water, and when I see a stoater build on the water I holler to the whole family, there's a stoater build, because yeah, beautiful. Noah had none of that. He had a forest. He was standing looking at trees that God had caused to grow out of the ground, but Noah had to appropriate — yes, harvest — the trees.
Derek Draughon:And too many believers — I know you're ready to talk, Philip, I'm gonna let you do it.
Philip:No, no, go, go.
Derek Draughon:Too many believers are standing looking at the trees and the forest and wondering, how am I gonna get this done? And God is saying, don't miss the forest for the trees. Don't — Noah, that is a tree, go do it. And I think that's where the church stands. We're saying, but I have nothing, and God is saying, I've grown you a forest.
Standing in the Forest: Resources Already Provided
Philip:Now, there is a lag between hearing and the action. Most all I've ever done — what we did in Ukraine just now — was the result of a crisis, a disaster. So for the first number of days when this thing happened, my wife had just gone — literally hours before the missiles flew. I'm worried about her, I'm saying, are they going to go all the way to Moldova? How quick do we have to get all the kids — never mind from Ukraine to Moldova, from Moldova to Romania? And I've got all these panic signals going off. And then suddenly something happens in your spirit when you start looking beyond the crisis and the panic, and you start thinking, hold on a second — how does God answer this thing through me?
Philip:So Noah built an ark. I mean, you're talking hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of tons of lumber. This guy's up there and he gets discouraged and he gets weary. He's preaching from the boat. There's no rain coming, and the people are saying, who's that old fool? And what's rain? Water's gonna fall out of the sky? The guy's nuts. What do you mean water is going to fall out of the sky? Water's too heavy. All of the reasons for that not to happen. But this is the important thing — every time Noah looked up, there was a new set of animals grazing outside the ark. And God sent those animals as a continual reminder to Noah: you better keep building, because I'm doing something out here. I'm out here.
Philip:I'm in the Arctic and I'm in the deserts and I'm in the forests of the earth, and I'm causing these beasts to walk towards you. And every time you look up, no matter how you feel about your circumstances inside, when you look and see the animals — get your head down, boy, keep building, because I'm doing my thing while you're doing your thing. And that is how faith works. That confirmation sets in the middle. How many ministers, how many pastors watching now, have been through struggling moments, been through hard times? But how many times does that confirmation show up? That check shows up where you pay the mortgage one more time, or that offering comes in where you send it to a missionary, or that person raises their hand when it's time for salvation? How many of those confirmations — how quickly, when we get back down in the ark and start working again, do we forget that confirmation?
God's Confirmations Sustain the Builder
Derek Draughon:That's right. Let me tell you what always happens right there — when we begin to build, it's like the Garden of Eden. Every situation God puts in our lives, the snake always slithers in, and there's always an opportunity to become prideful. Then this whole ark — still not raining. Have you coated it with pitch on the inside and out? Did you finish the process? Because it stopped in the middle. It looks like we've completed it, and we're wondering, but where's God at? Where's the rain at? And doubt sets in. Are all the planks in place?
Derek Draughon:The keel of that boat was over a hundred years old. A hundred years. I couldn't tell you where I started a wall in a building I built three years ago, let alone a hundred years. And this man is down there in the bottom of the boat, and the animals are now up on top, and all the muck and all the stuff is falling down to the bottom of the boat, and he's down there making sure — are all the pegs in the right holes? Have I done the right stuff? You see, God floats the ark, God sends the flood, God sends the animals. But faith is the thing that gets you up every morning with a hammer in your hand. And a peg — no screws, no electric drills — just that peg. And I'm gonna knock this baby into that hole, and I want to go down to the next one, and I'm gonna do it again. And that's where faithfulness is the fruit of faith.
Derek Draughon:One of my great sayings is: trust is mature faith. Noah knew that if he did what he was doing, God was out there doing what God was doing. And if someone's watching us today, I just want them to know that if you're faithful, if you keep pounding those pegs in that hole, God's gonna send you the animals, God's gonna send you the rain, God's gonna send you everything else. Just keep knocking those pegs into that wood to make sure that the ark is secure.
Activation vs. Inspiration: The Church's Missing Step
Philip:Amen. That's it. That's it. I know that we get inspired — that's the operation of revelation, where it's revealed. But where the church misses it is activation. Activate, my God. Yes, oh, activation. We can talk ourselves forever. We are the best yapping people I've ever met in my life. But very few get up off the bench and say, okay then, boys, let's get this done. And that's the difference.
Derek Draughon:There's the lag. What I learned — I learned to water ski many years ago. Our boat wasn't quite powerful enough, and it's a long rope, and I'm in the water, and I'm not exactly a light guy to pull out of the water. And when they would gun that engine, the pressure to hold on to that rope and the skis against the water — and you'd get up. And because you're up on plane, then what would happen is the rope would get slack, and there was that second before the boat caught up speed again that you're holding on thinking, oh my Lord. That's where the realm of faith takes over. And you're not going to fall, you're not going to drown, you're going to fly in the name of Jesus.
Water Skiing and the Slack-Rope Moment of Faith
Derek Draughon:I'm taking instrument lessons right now. And when ATC gives us a heading to turn, one thing my instructor keeps pounding in my head — I want to reach out and change my heading bug and I want to talk back to air traffic control and tell them I heard what they said. He said, turn first, because in instrument conditions it's like the most important thing is that you make the turn first, then you set your heading, then you can talk. What a great thought.
Instrument Flying: Turn First, Then Talk
Derek Draughon:We hear from God — our air traffic control man. If we would just turn, move, turn to the heading the Spirit gives, oh my God, what a thought. And so often we're flying our plane and there's chatter all the time, that noise. But when you listen for your squawk, when you come up and they tell you what to do, you move exactly where they say. There is an unseen point — you're between here and there, you don't know where you are, but they know. They have the plan, and they say, move to this place. And that's what the church is missing. We're sitting and we're flying along, and God is saying, here is the way, walk in it. And instead of that, we are sitting and waiting.
Philip:Man, every time you come, every time you come into my life, you draw out and inspire me. Thank you so much for your kindness. Let me say this — if you are interested in getting in contact with this great man of God, he has a program called Fuel Cast. I believe it's on YouTube. There you go — fuelcast.tv, that's the address. And they also have their own website, which is Derek and Courtney Draughon — sorry — derekandcourtney.com. And you need to get in contact with this man of God because he can speak faith and life. If you're ever anywhere in Saraland, beside Mobile, you need to go to Saraland First — a church of people that love God and a man of faith.
Philip:Derek, we've got 30 seconds. Give us one word before you go.
Derek Draughon:Hey, it's just an honor and a blessing to be here. Go to the Cameron's website. If you're just looking, go to their website, go get after it.
Philip:Thank you so much. Believe God with us for getting this house bought in Ukraine. That's a 200,000-dollar project, we're 75,000 away from it, and we are spending tens of thousands of dollars feeding and caring for people. We love you, Derek. Thank you again for being with us. We love you for being part of Daily Faith. Together we can accomplish great things for God. We'll see you again. Bye.
Over 25 years, the Cameron family has been changing the lives of orphans in Romania and Moldova — from providing running water, flushing toilets, and clean wells, to coal for heat, new windows, as well as food and clothing. They champion the physical needs of the orphans in these broken and desolate countries. Many of Moldova's orphans are saved from the horrors of trafficking through homes founded by the Camerons, and in the process orphans become daughters and sons. They come to know their Heavenly Father and are forever changed by the love of Jesus.
God helped the Camerons lift these amazing young men and women out of darkness. Now, no longer orphans, they want to return and invade that very same darkness with the light of Jesus Christ. The Orphan's Hands equips these daughters and sons to become missionaries. Your monthly gift of $31 will allow us to rescue and take in more girls and boys, saving them from the hell of human trafficking. Your monthly partnership will allow us to care for those in the Orphan's Hands homes in Moldova and Ukraine.
If you want to join Philip and Chrissy in taking care of these precious young people, please contact us today by calling 1-833-Daily-Faith. You can also give by going online to www.dailyfaith.tv, or by writing to Post Office Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. So many lives depend on what we do for loving the lost.
Topics
draughonfaith activationnoah and the arkfaithfulnesshearing godobediencehebrews 11