Can we actually listen to God? What does it mean to be guided by the Holy Spirit? Is it just a Christian version of following our hearts? How do we know we aren’t just hearing what we want to hear? If we really want to be able to listen to God we need to practice the art of following Jesus.
Main Points:
[00:48] Our lives are noisy.
[01:42] The noise of our lives often muffles the voice of the Holy Spirit.
[02:34] To hear the Holy Spirit we have to purposely choose to listen.
[05:04] Solitude: Purposely withdrawing from interaction with other people.
[05:44] Solitude frees us to be ourselves with the God who made our selves.
[07:14] Silence: As much as possible, we eliminate the sounds around us that constantly try to grab our attention.
[08:20] Silence provides the space we need in order to hear the Holy Spirit.
[09:42] Prayer: A back and forth conversation with God.
[10:32] The size of our problems shrink as our view of God grows.
[20:30] We don’t mature without learning to do new things.
[21:33] To follow Jesus we have to be able to hear Jesus.
Opportunity to Practice [15:27]
Practice micro solitude-silence-prayer moments.
Pray: Holy Spirit, please use this time as you will. Show me what I need to see. Say what I need to hear. Show me which thoughts are from you.
Then… Be quiet and alone with your God.
Discussion Questions:
1. How do you usually try to hear God’s guidance in your life?
2. On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable are you with this practice of prayer in silence and solitude? Feel free to share any thoughts, feelings, or questions that come up.
3. Jon said, “To follow Jesus we have to be able to hear Jesus.” Read the famous Psalm 23. What stands out in relation to what we’re studying this week?
4. What are some ways you might experiment with practicing solitude, silence, and prayer over these next few weeks?
5. How can your group pray for you this week?
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SHOW NOTES
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📕 | RECOMMENDED BOOK: Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard → https://a.co/d/2UzvPXN
🖨️ |TRANSCRIPT → https://www.yourcrosscreek.com/media/2023-04-23.pdf
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