Bible Study - HEARING GOD - When There's Silence on the Other End
Sermon-Based Bible Study – September 25, 2022
- What is something God has done for you that you are thankful for? What is something you are celebrating? How have you experienced God’s love and faithfulness this week?
- Where are you experiencing stress, anxiety or discouragement? How would you like to see God move in your life or in the life of someone close to you?
- What did you hear in this week’s sermon that was new or particularly interesting? Did anything stand out to you as puzzling or troubling?
- Read Psalm 22:1-2. Jesus echoes the sentiment of the Psalmist when he is on the cross and essentially quotes these verses. Has God ever gone silent on you? Have you ever felt like God has abandoned you, or turned His back on you? What comfort do you get from knowing that others have had the same experience? Do you equate God’s “silence” with Him being disappointed or displeased with you?
- Read Hebrews 11:6. On a scale of 1 – 10, how would you rate your level of expectation of hearing from God: with 1 being “I have no expectation of ever hearing from God;” and 10 being “I anticipate that God has something important to say to me at almost every moment of the day.” Why would you put your expectation of hearing God at that level?
- Read John 10:2-4. Would you say it’s easier for you to recognize the voice of the evil one or the voice of God? Why? If someone were to ask you what the voice of God sounds like, how would you answer? What could you do to increase your recognition of God’s voice?
- Read Luke 8:14. On a scale of 1 – 10, how would you rate your level of distraction when it comes to hearing from God: with 1 being “I have nothing in my life that distracts me from hearing from God;” and 10 being “I’m so distracted by my pursuit of riches and cares of this world that I couldn’t hear God’s voice if was thunder.” Why? What could you do to eliminate some distractions in your life so you could hear God’s voice more clearly?
- Read Isaiah 58:2-9a. How much of your time, energy effort or money to you spend on advocating for or providing for the least and the lost? What might it mean if you are not aware of any situation involving others that requires or could benefit from your involvement, care and concern?
- When it comes to hearing God’s voice, what does it mean to say, “Hearing nothing does not mean that nothing is happening? What does it mean to say, “God can be silent, but still present?” Do you find comfort or encouragement from either of those sentiments?
- What is a simple, next step you could take in obedience to what the Spirit is saying to you through this time in the Word? Who would benefit, or be interested in hearing about what you’ve learned in this study?