When does God speak? Where does God speak? Beyond His artwork and His writing, how does God speak? In I Kings 18 & 19, we discover that God speaks loudly through fire and softly through silence. A careful reading of the whole Bible reveals that His voice reverberates throughout the universe. So, in this message we are encouraged by stories from those who are learning to listen to God and we discover how we can receive renewed ears to hear His voice everyday everywhere.
Sermons by Dean Wertz (Page 26)
How can we hear God’s voice? We now come to the point in our series where we begin to explore some of the ways God speaks, beginning today with His creation. In this message, we are encouraged and equipped to tune our ears and eyes to God’s artwork in creation which speaks every day, everywhere to everyone.
As we learned last week, God’s voice is the most powerful, transforming force in the universe. Yet, with so many distractions in our world today, His voice can appear muffled or non existent. In this message we are encouraged and equipped to take time to acknowledge and address the distractions in order to become still as we prepare to hear His voice.
Does God speak to us today? How you answer this question will set your life on one of two paths. In this message we explore some of the ways God’s voice has been heard in the past and we consider the possibility that everyone (young and old, spiritually disconnected and spiritually mature) has the ability to hear God’s voice because Jesus is a King who speaks yesterday, today and forever.
Unlike most rulers, Jesus did not have security guards to shield him from the people. Rather, He came low to bend His ear and share His words with ordinary people. A man with diseased skin, a woman with fever, violent homeless men and a grieving father all received visit, experienced a conversation and were changed by Jesus. In this message we discover that the One who is exalted at the Father’s right hand still comes near, converses with and can change our lives forever.
Today we begin a new series entitled, Listening to God: The Way of Jesus in a Distracting World. In our noisy world it can be difficult to sustain attentiveness to anyone or anything. Yet, the way of Jesus is the way of listening to God and others. Throughout His life, Jesus remained in tune with the voice of His Father. So, all of us who have signed on to be His apprentices can learn from Him how to hear God’s voice in the midst of a busy and distracting world.
Why does Jesus call us to follow Him and abide in Him? Some people assume we should follow Jesus so we can be with God when we die. While this is a significant part of a disciple’s hope, Jesus has a vision for our days between when we become His disciples and when we breath our last breath. He summons us to follow Him in order to give us a purpose. The reason He calls us to follow and abide is so He can work in and through us as we join Him on His mission to love and serve our hurting world (i.e. become “fishers of men”). He empowers all of His disciples to pray, to serve and to testify wherever we go so that His kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven. Now that’s discipleship. That’s living!
“Disciple” is the word Jesus used to describe His followers. “Disciple” is used over 270 times in the Bible to describe those who live a Christ-centered life. So, what is a disciple? In this 3-week series we are reviewing Jesus’ 3-fold description of a disciple according to Matthew 4:19. Last week we learned that a disciple “follow Jesus.” In this message we discover that a disciple also “abides in Jesus.” If you want to honor God, experience His presence in your daily life and join Him in His mission to heaven-ize the world, this message will encourage you whether or not you would presently describe yourself as a disciple of Jesus.
Throughout history the word used to describe those who worship and center their lives on Jesus is disciple. The New Testament describes Christ followers as disciples over 270 times. The mission Jesus left to His church is to, “make disciples of all nations.” So, what is a disciple? In this 3-week series you will discover Jesus’ 3-fold description of a disciple according to Matthew 4:19. If you long to honor Jesus, live with Jesus and ultimately join Jesus in His mission on earth, this messages will guide you whether you or not you would presently describe yourself as a disciple of Jesus.
The teacher is in a boat, the students are on a shore and the lesson is about a farmer. Before the story begins the crowd hears a one-word summons, “Listen!”, and after the story is over they receive a one sentence appeal, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” We were created with ears to hear. Yet, with our world’s increasing level of noise and expanding access to so many voices, it can be hard to actually listen. In His training from the boat, Jesus acknowledges the reality of distractions and He declares to those attentive enough to listen that there is great reward for those who engage their ears to hear His voice.