Hearing Aids

In one paragraph

This message was part of Tribe's ongoing series on hearing God's voice. Pastor Brian walked through a set of practical tools he called "hearing aids," drawn from scripture, that help believers tune in to what God is saying. The conversation was interactive, with members of the congregation sharing their own experiences alongside the teaching. Before the main teaching began, a speaker opened from...

Read together

1. Song of Solomon 2 Jesus as the lover longing to see and hear his beloved, used to open the service
2. Philippians 4:6 don't worry about anything, pray about everything, and you will experience God's peace
3. Colossians 3:15 let the peace of Christ rule as umpire in your hearts
4. Proverbs 25:2 it is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of a king to search it out, used in context of prayer and fasting
5. Psalm 16:7 I will bless the Lord who guides me, even at night my heart instructs me, used in context of dreams and visions
6. Job 33:15-16 God speaks in dreams and visions of the night when deep sleep falls on people
7. Proverbs 15:22 plans go wrong for lack of advice but many advisors bring success, used in context of godly counsel
8. Proverbs 24:6 don't go to war without wise guidance, victory depends on having many advisors
9. Romans 13:1 there is no authority but that which God has established, used in context of delegated authority
10. Isaiah 62 appointed as watchmen on the wall praying night and day over Jerusalem, used in context of prayer and fasting
11. Psalm 62 holding God to his promises, not letting him rest until his promises are fulfilled

What was said

• Write down the hearing aids Brian covered and note which ones you have actually used before, then pick one you have never tried and bring it to whatever decision is in front of you this week.
• Before you make a decision you have been sitting on, pause and honestly ask whether you have God's peace on it or just comfort and familiarity, because Brian drew a clear line between those two things.
• Take notes during your personal Bible reading this week the same way Brian asked you to take notes during the sermon, jotting down what stands out so you have something to return to later in the day.
• Identify one person in your life who qualifies as godly counsel and reach out to them this week to ask their thoughts on something you are wrestling with, giving them actual time to pray about it rather than expecting an instant answer.
• At some point this week, pray the question Brian suggested: not just what do I need, but what do you want me to know about you in this situation.

Talk about it

1. Brian opened with Song of Solomon chapter two, where Jesus is pictured longing to see our face and hear our voice because our voice is pleasant and our face is lovely. How big is the gap for you personally between how you feel about yourself and what that passage says? What has helped bridge that gap, or what do you think might?
2. Brian described hearing God's voice as a skill to develop rather than a gift some people get and others don't. Does that framing change anything for you? Have there been seasons in your life when you felt that skill was stronger or weaker, and what made the difference?
3. The peace of God as umpire came up a lot, and someone in the room pointed out that peace and comfort are not the same thing. You can have God's peace and still be nervous or uncomfortable. Can you think of a time when you had to tell the difference between the two? How did you know which was which?
4. Brian listed several hearing aids alongside Scripture and the Holy Spirit: prayer and fasting, a personal mission statement, dreams and visions, godly counsel, delegated authority, and circumstances. Which of those do you actually use, and which have you mostly ignored? Is there one you feel prompted to take more seriously?
5. The story about the hike in Cascade Canyon described a moment when the peace lifted, both people noticed it, ignored it, and then a second prompting came through godly counsel before the hailstorm hit. What does that story say to you about what happens when we ignore an initial check from the Holy Spirit? Has something similar happened to you?