03/17/24 Sermon Recap: Sermon, Memes & Notes.

If you haven't heard from God, have you read the book?

Jesus is the way to the father. It was his blood spilt that gives us access to God: He is the way, the truth, and the life. As our Good Shepherd, He will lead and guide us. Many of us think we will easily find and hear the voice of God, but get discouraged when we don’t hear thunder from heaven. God often speaks through impressions and opportunities that we can overlook if we aren’t in His Word. When people say “They haven’t heard from God,” I would ask them, “Have you read the book?”

Being in the Word is imperative to hear the voice of God. Have you read your Bible today?

What "text" is God sending you today?

The Bible is full of text messages from God for you. Every day, ask God to show you something, and open to a page-it doesn’t have to be complicated, just open up the book! You can’t pull a word from the Bible if you don’t open it. Many people want the plan from God, but don't want to put in the work reading the Word. The Word will give you insight in to how God’s leading. Hearing God is a subjective thing to each person, since He generally speaks by a gentle guiding, and internal dialogue. Be confident that as you're being led, God will never tell you to do something that contradicts His Word.

What is the last “text” from God you received?

Can you discern good from evil?

The Spirit of God will lead and guide you in what you are reading from the Bible, and what you are discerning from your experiences. As you begin to do this well, you will be called a “mature son of God.” Romans 8:14 says that those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (“mature sons”) of God. As you grow in the word, in a place of maturing in God, you are able to take things and discern what is good and evil from them. A mature believer is led by the Spirit and can differentiate between what is good and evil.

Are you a mature believer, or still a child in the faith?

When I am weak, He is strong.

Great news! God knows you, and He still wants you on His team. Many of us wonder that if God really knew me, would He like me? God said that He knew you at your weakness, but still called you by name. We all have our own quirks and weakness, but when we are weak, He is strong. God is calling us to surrender to Him, and as a child of God, you are made right in him.

In your weakness, He is strong; are you relying on HIS strength today?

My identity is found as a child of God.

In the same way the prodigal son could not have an identity without his relationship with his father, we don’t have our true identity outside of a relationship with God. We can do a lot of things “for” God, without actually knowing him. If you want to hear from God, you need to have a solid identity in who he has called you to be: a Child of God, and that only comes through relationship.

Is your identity found in your relationship with God?

Do you know this enough to use it?

As a believer, you begin to start identifying the stranger’s vs the shepherd’s voice. A stranger’s voice should sound strange to you; if it doesn’t, that’s the problem. As you hear from God, you will see that the things that society tends to “normalize” aren’t “normal,” and you begin to understand what it means to be “in” the world, but not “of” the world. You must be reading the Bible, because if you don’t know the word of God, you can’t use it.

Do you know the Word of God enough to use it in your daily life?