Hearing God's voice - Mark Cerfonteyn

The Rock - Paarl

This week Ps. Mark tackled the question; how do we know if it is God speaking to us? Just as we would recognise the voice of a loved one, we can also recognise God’s voice in a world with a lot of noise. But responding to the voice of God is a faith exercise. (John 10:3-5) We can’t only step out on our opinions or best efforts. We need to step out in faith. 5 ways to test if something is from God: 1️⃣ Does it line up with the word of God? We need to know what scripture has already said on the matter. (Psalms 19:7-8) His word helps us navigate our lives. Q - Has scripture helped you understand God’s will for you life in the past? Share some examples. 2️⃣ Does it make me more like Christ? God will not lead us down a path that doesn’t make us more like Jesus. (Philippians 2:5) Our desires need to be taken captive and made obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). 3️⃣ Does godly counsel agree? These people show the fruit of the Spirit in their lives without pretending to be overly religious. They have a good track record following God. (Proverbs 12:15) Q - Who do you have in your life that you can turn to for godly council? A common mistake is asking for advice when you have already made up your mind. Or only asking people who you know will tell you what you want to hear. (Proverbs 19:20-21) 4️⃣ Do I have peace? Only once we have reflected on Gods word, considered if it is making us more like Christ, and sought godly counsel, then we can ask ourselves whether we have peace in our hearts. (Philippians 4:6-7) Remember that that faith is what brings peace, even when we feel afraid to step out into new territory. So, fear is expected. 5️⃣ Does it stretch me? God will never leave you where you are. He is always growing us to more like Jesus. We always have another faith step to take in our lives. (Hebrews 11:16) _Q - what are the next faiths steps that God is calling up to take? _ Spend some time prayerfully considering where God’s voice is calling you to step out in faith.