Our Communicating Father 10 Sep 17

(Message 1) What if it really was possible to hear from God—personally, consistently, intimately—as we navigate life here on earth? In this message, we’ll learn how God has used his “voice” to speak in the past and how He often speaks to us, even today.

6 ways God has spoken to us:

A phenomenon and a voice
A supernatural messenger or an angel
Dreams and visions
An audible voice
The human voice
The human spirit or the “whisper” of God

Click here to print.

Before you start answering the Discussion Questions, take a moment to get to know each member of the Group and read through or review your Small Group Covenant.

Just for fun, go around the room and answer: if you could choose one way for God to communicate with you, would you choose a text message, a tweet, an email, a phone call, thunder, a burning bush or some other way?
Seriously, what is the primary way God communicates with you? Share an example with the group.
Read Joshua 5:13-15. This is one instance of God speaking through an angel. In this instance God would give the people of Israel instructions on defeating the city of Jericho. What are the purposes of angels? How has God used them throughout history? Check out this gotquestions.org for some helpful insights:
- Do angels appear to people today?
Pastor Troy said that, “The Bible itself is an example of God using the personalities and styles of his children and inspiring them and speaking his words through them to other humans.” In addition, God uses the voices and words of human beings, e.g. teachers of His truth, pastors, encouragers in the faith, small group members, family members, or even a stranger . . . as one of His primary ways of communicating to people. Share a time when you believe God has used a human being to speak to you.
Read Jeremiah 20:9. Share a time when God used your voice to speak to you or others?
Read Proverbs 20:27. How does our spirit serve as the candle or lamp of the Lord? How does the Holy Spirit interact with our spirit?
Read 1 Corinthians 2:9-12. From these verses we understand, the Spirit communication is a 2-way conversation. According to this passage, what can we know about communicating with God? Think about your communication with your parents, your spouse, or your own children. How can you tell when they are paying attention to you or tuning you out?
Read John 16:12-14. What do these verses say about the role of the Holy Spirit in communicating God’s truths to you? Do you have a hard time listening to God or do you ever just tune him out? Discuss times when you didn’t pay attention to God? What were the consequences?
Read Acts 16:9-10. Why do you think God uses dreams and visions to speak to people? Can you think of an example to share of God using dreams or visions in your life or in the life of someone you know? Check out this gotquestions.org for some helpful insights:
- Does God still give visions to people today?
Close your time together discussing ways that you can “listen” for God to speak to you this week.