WEBVTT 00:04.330 --> 00:08.874 [SPEAKER_00]: As we wrap up this week, focusing on telling the soil of our hearts. 00:09.795 --> 00:16.240 [SPEAKER_00]: Today we're going to look at the role of hearing God's voice in living open and responsive to God. 00:17.341 --> 00:25.308 [SPEAKER_00]: I know for a lot of us, the idea of hearing God's speak can be a confusing sometimes too far out there subject. 00:26.190 --> 00:30.551 [SPEAKER_00]: But as God's children, he wants us to live in communication with him. 00:31.311 --> 00:37.052 [SPEAKER_00]: And through the Holy Spirit, you and I have the ability to hear God speak to our hearts. 00:37.972 --> 00:49.954 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 01:17.880 --> 01:24.866 [SPEAKER_00]: Our verse for today comes from John chapter 16 verse 13, Scripture says, 01:26.055 --> 01:30.957 [SPEAKER_00]: When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. 01:31.978 --> 01:34.779 [SPEAKER_00]: For he will not speak on his own authority. 01:35.700 --> 01:42.383 [SPEAKER_00]: But whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 01:46.258 --> 01:48.739 [SPEAKER_00]: spiritual father, brother Lawrence once wrote. 01:49.399 --> 01:57.541 [SPEAKER_00]: There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. 01:59.782 --> 02:10.085 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 02:11.786 --> 02:14.206 [SPEAKER_00]: For a long time, I held the belief that God 02:16.748 --> 02:24.391 [SPEAKER_00]: I thought you found out how to live the Christian life solely through reading the Bible, going to church, listening to sermons. 02:25.532 --> 02:32.655 [SPEAKER_00]: I thought prayer was just asking God for thanks and waiting to see if he said yes or no through circumstances. 02:34.016 --> 02:42.399 [SPEAKER_00]: God does speak through circumstances and his word to be sure, but he also loves to speak directly to his children. 02:47.724 --> 02:51.766 [SPEAKER_00]: the Bible clearly teaches that God speaks to His people. 02:52.886 --> 03:01.551 [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus teaches us in John 1613, that when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. 03:02.531 --> 03:05.312 [SPEAKER_00]: For He will not speak on His own authority. 03:06.133 --> 03:12.516 [SPEAKER_00]: But whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. 03:14.416 --> 03:22.741 [SPEAKER_00]: In John 1027, God tells us, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 03:25.042 --> 03:28.404 [SPEAKER_00]: God promises to speak to you as his child. 03:29.585 --> 03:34.148 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs to tell you his love for you even more than you long to hear it. 03:35.248 --> 03:39.571 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs to tell you his plans even more than you want to know them. 03:41.940 --> 03:47.761 [SPEAKER_00]: There hasn't been a single thing more impactful in my life than hearing the voice of God. 03:48.961 --> 03:57.723 [SPEAKER_00]: His voice is so tender when I need tenderness, corrective when sin constricts my life, and powerful. 03:58.263 --> 04:10.225 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 04:12.234 --> 04:14.316 [SPEAKER_00]: You might hear God more than you think. 04:15.637 --> 04:21.502 [SPEAKER_00]: I've never heard him speak audibly to me, but every day he whispers to my heart what I need to know. 04:22.763 --> 04:24.985 [SPEAKER_00]: There are days I don't stop to listen. 04:26.126 --> 04:30.429 [SPEAKER_00]: There are times I allow the weight of the world to crowd out his voice. 04:31.730 --> 04:38.336 [SPEAKER_00]: But as I turn my heart back towards him, I find out that he was there speaking all along. 04:39.605 --> 04:44.028 [SPEAKER_00]: He whispers of his love for me when I feel crushed by the opinion of man. 04:45.169 --> 04:50.912 [SPEAKER_00]: He tells me he's proud of me when I feel like everything I'm doing doesn't measure up. 04:52.293 --> 04:56.976 [SPEAKER_00]: He whispers of his plans for me when I turn and go my own way. 04:58.537 --> 05:07.023 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 05:09.201 --> 05:12.444 [SPEAKER_00]: God has never made a spiritually deaf person. 05:13.865 --> 05:20.530 [SPEAKER_00]: You can hear God because His voice is immeasurably more about His love than your abilities. 05:22.151 --> 05:23.372 [SPEAKER_00]: You are His child. 05:24.313 --> 05:29.257 [SPEAKER_00]: His love for you is vast, unchanging, and unceasing. 05:30.758 --> 05:34.601 [SPEAKER_00]: All it takes to hear Him is simply inclining and ear 05:39.592 --> 05:41.393 [SPEAKER_00]: as he speaks of his love. 05:42.374 --> 05:47.878 [SPEAKER_00]: You will feel the chains of the world fall off as he tells you of his purpose. 05:48.678 --> 05:53.461 [SPEAKER_00]: You will discover that a plan has been in the works for you since before you were born. 05:54.802 --> 05:56.823 [SPEAKER_00]: Choose to listen to his voice today. 05:57.864 --> 06:08.211 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 06:15.378 --> 06:19.503 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you for watching. 06:45.134 --> 06:51.338 [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, meditate on the truth of what the Bible says about hearing God. 06:52.859 --> 07:06.407 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 07:49.442 --> 07:52.684 [SPEAKER_00]: and next, take time to listen to God. 07:54.024 --> 07:55.645 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask him how he feels about you. 07:57.126 --> 07:59.947 [SPEAKER_00]: Talk to him about anything that's bringing you stress. 08:01.608 --> 08:06.930 [SPEAKER_00]: Listen for a whisper of his voice or an inclination that seems to be of God. 08:47.083 --> 08:58.269 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 08:59.930 --> 09:03.312 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask him for greater understanding of what he's speaking to you. 09:04.773 --> 09:11.937 [SPEAKER_00]: Choose to trust that he will speak and guide you into the fullness of life, if you will simply follow him. 10:03.636 --> 10:11.682 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 10:13.083 --> 10:17.826 [SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it takes time to quiet your soul and focus on God. 10:19.227 --> 10:22.229 [SPEAKER_00]: Don't be frustrated if you feel like you aren't hearing anything. 10:23.150 --> 10:25.451 [SPEAKER_00]: The weight of all of this is on God. 10:26.772 --> 10:29.574 [SPEAKER_00]: God speaks in any and every way he can. 10:30.808 --> 10:37.853 [SPEAKER_00]: He loves to speak through the Bible and through circumstances, so listen for his voice and continually see Him. 10:38.934 --> 10:40.234 [SPEAKER_00]: There's no pressure from God. 10:41.455 --> 10:45.638 [SPEAKER_00]: He desires to take weight and burden from us, instead of putting it on. 10:46.979 --> 10:49.361 [SPEAKER_00]: He just wants you to live in relationship with Him. 10:50.962 --> 10:58.347 [SPEAKER_00]: Let His voice settle in your heart today and become a refreshing source for you in every circumstance. 11:30.238 --> 11:33.081 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for listening to today's podcast. 11:33.502 --> 11:37.587 [SPEAKER_00]: The last in our week-long series untilling the soil of our hearts. 11:38.328 --> 11:40.090 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with 1st 15. 11:40.971 --> 11:46.517 [SPEAKER_00]: If God is using this space in a meaningful way in your life, would you consider supporting this ministry? 11:47.298 --> 11:57.106 [SPEAKER_00]: We are able to reach millions of people around the world through podcasts, emails, our app and website, all because of generous donors. 11:58.067 --> 12:13.039 [SPEAKER_00]: 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. 12:15.401 --> 12:19.731 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day and may God bless you as you see Kim.