Category Archives: Disciple Making

How do we know that we are being led by Holy Spirit and hearing God’s voice?

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All too often we don’t incorporate the use of our minds with hearing God’s voice, but he gave us an incredible tool in and through our cognitive abilities. Some have had thoughts in the past that if God is going to direct us, he is going to by-pass our mind. I guess our reasoning is that God is Spirit and if he is going to speak it will be something spiritual that we won’t be able to comprehend.

I think perhaps that we may be confusing faith and thinking.

There are probably many ways that we can ‘hear’ God’s voice speak to us. These are some of the filters, ‘grids’ that we need to consider if we want an accurate ‘take’ on what he is saying.

A) God’s Word – Three Grids

1) Grid of Thinking: How are you doing in your thought life?

Phil. 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

True?
Noble?
Right?
Pure?
Admirable?
Excellent?
Praiseworthy?

2) Grid of Accepting: How are you doing with what you believe?

James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

First Pure?
Peace-loving?
Considerate?
Submissive?
Full of Mercy?
Good fruit?
Impartial?
Sincere?

3) Grid of Doing: How are you in your attitude or response to another person?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails…

Patient?
Kind?
Does not envy?
Does not boast?
Not Proud?
No Dishonor?
Not Self-seeking?
Not Easily Angered?
Keeps no record of wrongs?
No delight in Evil?
Rejoices with the truth?
Always protects?
Always trusts?
Always hopes?
Always perseveres?
Never Fails?

B) Listening to the counsel of a brother or a sister who are in a godly relationship with you. 
Discipling or Mentoring

C) Does the next step violate or hurt anyone?

Does it make sense, does it line up with where things should be?

God- How do we know for sure?

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Excerpt taken from the book Blue Collar Theology to be released early 2013.

by Phil Sovdi

As I am writing this, I am sitting over a beautiful hotel lobby.  This particular lobby shows off circles in its architectural design.  The Cathedral circular expanse of lobby hosts a 6 foot wide flowing staircase that rises up the curved left side.  It displays a huge 8 – 10 foot diameter chandelier that drapes itself down from the ceiling for about 10 feet.  The perfectly placed tile and beautifully shaped woodwork make this room a powerful statement of elegance and wealth.
I am sitting upstairs behind a balcony overlooking the actual lobby.  Where I am there is another huge circle of space set within the carpeting, defined by a hardwood floor encircled with two different colors of tile.  This 25 foot circle supports one sofa, two love seats, four wing-back chairs and at least eight circular coffee end-tables.  All of these furnishings give emphasis to the ten foot hearth and fire place framed in by two pillars.  Above this circle molded into the ceiling is another corresponding dropped ceiling circle.  This protrudes down from the ceiling and wraps the whole area in a defining ring.  The inset of this ceiling circle offers yet another chandelier with the support of pot lights all around in the defining circle.
Looking at all of this design and architecture, it would be preposterous for me to think that it just got thrown together by chance.  To purport such a thought concerning this creatively designed space would be great reason to question my sanity.  (More than my family already does.) And, it would offend the architect and designer.
So, how do we know?
We get our first clue and great supporting evidence from the actual creation and expanse around us.  There is too much design to dismiss.  There is too much that is precise, far superseding a hotel lobby, to ignore a Master Architect.  To ignore, indicates that someone is avoiding contact.  Once being confronted with the evidence, this is a spiritual problem of avoidance and running away, not the defense that is postured of ‘open-mindedness.’