WEBVTT 00:04.250 --> 00:08.898 [SPEAKER_01]: As we wrap up this week, focusing on telling the soil of our hearts. 00:09.820 --> 00:16.251 [SPEAKER_01]: Today we're going to look at the role of hearing God's voice in living open and responsive to God. 00:17.373 --> 00:25.768 [SPEAKER_01]: I know for a lot of us, the idea of hearing God's speak can be a confusing sometimes too far out there subject. 00:26.170 --> 00:30.534 [SPEAKER_01]: But as God's children, he wants us to live in communication with him. 00:31.335 --> 00:37.080 [SPEAKER_01]: And through the Holy Spirit, you and I have the ability to hear God speak to our hearts. 00:38.001 --> 00:53.815 [SPEAKER_01]: May we discover today that we serve a communicative God who loves to talk to his people and may his voice soften our hearts to receive all that he belongs to give us. 01:04.527 --> 01:25.827 [SPEAKER_01]: Our verse for today comes from John chapter 16 verse 13, Scripture says, 01:25.975 --> 01:30.983 [SPEAKER_01]: When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. 01:32.005 --> 01:34.810 [SPEAKER_01]: For he will not speak on his own authority. 01:35.731 --> 01:42.583 [SPEAKER_01]: But whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 01:46.158 --> 01:48.720 [SPEAKER_01]: spiritual father, brother Lawrence once wrote. 01:49.401 --> 01:57.569 [SPEAKER_01]: There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. 01:59.791 --> 02:10.081 [SPEAKER_01]: We are meant to commune with our heavenly father, to be in conversation with him throughout the day, concerning all that's going on around us. 02:11.823 --> 02:16.047 [SPEAKER_01]: For a long time, I held the belief that God 02:16.668 --> 02:24.417 [SPEAKER_01]: I thought you found out how to live the Christian life solely through reading the Bible, going to church, listening to sermons. 02:25.558 --> 02:32.666 [SPEAKER_01]: I thought prayer was just asking God for thanks and waiting to see if he said yes or no through circumstances. 02:34.047 --> 02:46.101 [SPEAKER_01]: God does speak through circumstances and his word to be sure, but he also loves to speak directly to his children. 02:47.684 --> 02:51.769 [SPEAKER_01]: the Bible clearly teaches that God speaks to His people. 02:52.911 --> 03:01.542 [SPEAKER_01]: Jesus teaches us in John 1613, that when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. 03:02.563 --> 03:05.347 [SPEAKER_01]: For He will not speak on His own authority. 03:06.168 --> 03:12.696 [SPEAKER_01]: But whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. 03:14.296 --> 03:22.728 [SPEAKER_01]: In John 1027, God tells us, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 03:25.071 --> 03:28.435 [SPEAKER_01]: God promises to speak to you as his child. 03:29.617 --> 03:34.163 [SPEAKER_01]: He longs to tell you his love for you even more than you long to hear it. 03:35.285 --> 03:39.831 [SPEAKER_01]: He longs to tell you his plans even more than you want to know them. 03:41.920 --> 03:47.785 [SPEAKER_01]: There hasn't been a single thing more impactful in my life than hearing the voice of God. 03:48.986 --> 03:57.714 [SPEAKER_01]: His voice is so tender when I need tenderness, corrective when sin constricts my life, and powerful. 03:58.294 --> 04:10.425 [SPEAKER_01]: When only he can make the changes in my life that need to be made, he speaks perfectly, never a word out of place and always at the perfect time. 04:12.194 --> 04:15.639 [SPEAKER_01]: You might hear God more than you think. 04:15.660 --> 04:21.509 [SPEAKER_01]: I've never heard him speak audibly to me, but every day he whispers to my heart what I need to know. 04:22.771 --> 04:24.994 [SPEAKER_01]: There are days I don't stop to listen. 04:26.156 --> 04:30.423 [SPEAKER_01]: There are times I allow the weight of the world to crowd out his voice. 04:31.765 --> 04:38.556 [SPEAKER_01]: But as I turn my heart back towards him, I find out that he was there speaking all along. 04:39.565 --> 04:44.031 [SPEAKER_01]: He whispers of his love for me when I feel crushed by the opinion of man. 04:45.193 --> 04:50.941 [SPEAKER_01]: He tells me he's proud of me when I feel like everything I'm doing doesn't measure up. 04:52.303 --> 04:56.989 [SPEAKER_01]: He whispers of his plans for me when I turn and go my own way. 04:57.009 --> 05:07.243 [SPEAKER_01]: It's not because I'm gifted in some certain way that I hear his voice, but rather because God and his grace loves to speak. 05:09.181 --> 05:12.426 [SPEAKER_01]: God has never made a spiritually deaf person. 05:13.888 --> 05:20.538 [SPEAKER_01]: You can hear God because His voice is immeasurably more about His love than your abilities. 05:22.180 --> 05:23.362 [SPEAKER_01]: You are His child. 05:24.343 --> 05:29.271 [SPEAKER_01]: His love for you is vast, unchanging, and unceasing. 05:30.793 --> 05:38.344 [SPEAKER_01]: All it takes to hear Him is simply inclining and ear 05:39.472 --> 05:41.395 [SPEAKER_01]: as he speaks of his love. 05:42.396 --> 05:47.903 [SPEAKER_01]: You will feel the chains of the world fall off as he tells you of his purpose. 05:48.704 --> 05:53.451 [SPEAKER_01]: You will discover that a plan has been in the works for you since before you were born. 05:54.833 --> 05:56.835 [SPEAKER_01]: Choose to listen to his voice today. 05:57.877 --> 06:08.331 [SPEAKER_01]: Let it drown out the cares of the world and create a soil in you receptive to his seed, fertile and filled with the fruit of the spirit. 06:14.757 --> 06:23.367 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you for watching. 06:45.014 --> 06:51.364 [SPEAKER_01]: As we begin, meditate on the truth of what the Bible says about hearing God. 06:52.886 --> 07:06.567 [SPEAKER_01]: I say a 30 verse 21 says, and your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right, or when you turn to the left. 07:49.342 --> 07:52.687 [SPEAKER_01]: and next, take time to listen to God. 07:54.049 --> 07:55.652 [SPEAKER_01]: Ask him how he feels about you. 07:57.154 --> 07:59.959 [SPEAKER_01]: Talk to him about anything that's bringing you stress. 08:01.621 --> 08:07.030 [SPEAKER_01]: Listen for a whisper of his voice or an inclination that seems to be of God. 08:47.003 --> 08:58.278 [SPEAKER_01]: In last, let the truth of what he's speaking settle into your heart, pay attention to inclinations, to longings, or urgings of the Spirit. 08:59.961 --> 09:03.325 [SPEAKER_01]: Ask him for greater understanding of what he's speaking to you. 09:04.807 --> 09:12.117 [SPEAKER_01]: Choose to trust that he will speak and guide you into the fullness of life, if you will simply follow him. 10:03.616 --> 10:11.688 [SPEAKER_01]: There is a practice to hearing God's voice, but it's more a practice of casting off the things of the world than anything else. 10:13.110 --> 10:17.857 [SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes it takes time to quiet your soul and focus on God. 10:19.259 --> 10:22.263 [SPEAKER_01]: Don't be frustrated if you feel like you aren't hearing anything. 10:23.184 --> 10:25.468 [SPEAKER_01]: The weight of all of this is on God. 10:26.810 --> 10:30.535 [SPEAKER_01]: God speaks in any and every way he can. 10:30.768 --> 10:37.878 [SPEAKER_01]: He loves to speak through the Bible and through circumstances, so listen for his voice and continually see Him. 10:38.960 --> 10:40.261 [SPEAKER_01]: There's no pressure from God. 10:41.483 --> 10:45.669 [SPEAKER_01]: He desires to take weight and burden from us, instead of putting it on. 10:47.011 --> 10:49.374 [SPEAKER_01]: He just wants you to live in relationship with Him. 10:50.996 --> 10:58.547 [SPEAKER_01]: Let His voice settle in your heart today and become a refreshing source for you in every circumstance. 11:30.218 --> 11:33.506 [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for listening to today's podcast. 11:33.526 --> 11:37.615 [SPEAKER_01]: The last in our week-long series untilling the soil of our hearts. 11:38.357 --> 11:40.081 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Josh Miller with 1st 15. 11:41.003 --> 11:47.198 [SPEAKER_01]: If God is using this space in a meaningful way in your life, would you consider supporting this ministry? 11:47.178 --> 11:57.113 [SPEAKER_01]: We are able to reach millions of people around the world through podcasts, emails, our app and website, all because of generous donors. 11:58.095 --> 12:15.261 [SPEAKER_01]: If you already support First15, thank you for making this possible, and if you'd like to help with either a one-time gift or by becoming a First15 monthly partner, head over to supportfirst15.org, that supportfirst15.org. 12:15.241 --> 12:19.851 [SPEAKER_01]: Have a wonderful rest of your day and may God bless you as you see Kim.