Listen Before You Obey

In one paragraph

Brian was out of town this Sunday, so Joy Abad brought the message, building on what Brian taught the week before about simple obedience. She came to it not as someone who has it figured out, but as someone working through it right now. The heart of what she shared was this: in Hebrew, the word for obedience is shema, and it means listening and obeying together. You cannot have one without the...

Read together

1. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 The Shema, read in multiple translations as the central text of the sermon on listening and obeying
2. Exodus 19:5-6 God's covenant promise read in multiple translations to show the word Shema translated as both obey and listen
3. James 1:22-24 Hearing the word without doing it compared to a man who looks in a mirror and forgets his face
4. Matthew 7:26-27 End of the Sermon on the Mount, hearing Jesus's words but not obeying compared to building a house on sand
5. 1 Kings 19:9-13 Elijah in the cave, God not in the wind earthquake or fire but in a gentle whisper, used to teach how God speaks quietly
6. Exodus 3 Moses receiving his call, referenced as background to the wilderness wandering narrative
7. Exodus 20:20 Moses telling the people not to be afraid, the fear of God keeping them from sinning, connected to obedience
8. Matthew 14:24-31 Peter walking on water toward Jesus amid wind and waves, used to encourage testing and pursuing God's voice amid complexity

What was said

• Set aside a small, specific block of time each day, even just one or two minutes, to sit in silence with no inputs and ask God a simple question like 'What do you want me to know about today?'
• Keep a pen and paper nearby during that quiet time and write down the first thought that comes to mind after you ask God a question, without immediately analyzing or acting on it.
• If you hear or sense something from God that seems strange or unclear, do not dismiss it, but write it down and keep returning to it in prayer, asking him to bring clarity rather than trying to figure it out yourself.
• Pick one moment in your existing daily routine, like a shower or a commute, where you normally let your mind run free, and intentionally use that time to listen for what God might want to say rather than filling it with music or podcasts.
• Ask God for a healthy fear of the Lord and an obedient spirit, so that when you do hear something from him, you follow through on it rather than just adding it to a list of things you know.

Talk about it

1. Joy said that in Hebrew, the word for obedience is 'shema,' which means listening and obeying together as two sides of the same coin. Where in your own life have you been doing a lot of activity that you thought counted as obedience, but you may not have actually listened first?
2. Joy drew a distinction between the crowds who followed Jesus and his apprentices or disciples, who not only heard his words but did what he said and became like him. Which of those two categories would you honestly say describes you right now, and what makes you say that?
3. When Elijah heard God speak, it was in a gentle whisper rather than in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. What does it mean practically for your own schedule and habits that God tends to speak in a whisper rather than something loud enough to cut through all the noise?
4. Joy suggested starting with a very small amount of time in silence and solitude, asking God a simple question like 'what do you want me to know about...' and writing down the first thing that comes to mind. What makes that feel easy or difficult for you, and what gets in the way of you doing it?
5. Several people shared ways they have learned to recognize God's voice over time, including writing things down without immediately analyzing them, staying in the listening place longer than feels comfortable, and returning to unclear words or images over days or weeks. Which of those resonates with you, and is there anything you would add from your own experience?