At Gateway Church in Austin we continued our new series Momentum which is about overcoming our issues and struggles. This week at the South campus Bruce Gilson shared. Here are some of his insights:
“We are surrounded by noise and voices. In our lives, there is a competition between the voice of God and the noise of the world. To whom are we listening?
We tend to be like the hare in Aesop’s fable ‘The Tortoise and the Hare.’ We rush into relationship or race after our careers, but we allow arrogance to make us think shortcuts are ok. This pursuit wears us out which leads to falling asleep on the path of life.
Are we going to listen to the voices that will wear us out or to the steady voice of God?
‘Who will listen to me?’ Jeremiah 6:9-10
We seem to like the noise because we don’t have to hear what is really going on inside of us.
What if we took the time to be still in order to hear God’s voice? What if we took the time to be in solitude or in silence?
Blaise Pascal: “All of man’s misfortune comes from one thing, which is not knowing how to sit quietly in a room.”
How does God speak to us?
1. Through the Scriptures
We can develop a better understanding of who God is by seeing how He has interacted with others throughout history. We can learn from others who had close relationships with Him. The more time we spend with Him through the Scriptures on our own or with others, the more His message impacts our lives. Memorizing Scriptures helps us
At www.gatewaychurch.com there are resources for those of us who are skeptical of whether we can trust the Scriptures.
2. Through other people
Paul was encouraged through a conversation with Titus. 2 Corinthians 7:6
When we feel prompted to encourage someone, we should do it!
The more we become familiar with God, the more we can discern His voice in our lives through others. John 10:3-6
3. Through a whisper
God was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire but in a whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-13
We can hear Him if we are willing to listen. We need to become intentional in our pursuit if hearing God.”
You can watch this message here in a couple of days and the rest of the series at http://www.gatewaychurch.com/podcast.
