Marked by His Word

In one paragraph

This message was the second in a series on hearing God's voice, preached on Father's Day at the Virginian Saloon during Tribe's four-week trial run there. Pastor Brian walked through why Scripture is the most recognizable way God speaks, and what it looks like to actually build that into your life. The congregation joined in throughout, sharing questions, connections, and encouragement as the...

Read together

1. Isaiah 62 Brian quoted it to describe God placing watchmen on the wall who would not sleep but pray and intercede, applying it to fathers as watchmen over families
2. Romans 15:4 Scriptures were written long ago to teach us, and give hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled
3. 1 Corinthians 10:11 Things that happened to Israel in the Old Testament were written down as examples and warnings for those living at the end of the age
4. 2 Timothy 3:15-16 All scripture is inspired by God, useful to teach, correct, and equip people for every good work; also gives wisdom to receive salvation
5. 2 Peter 1:3-4 God has given everything needed for life and godly living, along with great and precious promises, through coming to know him
6. Psalm 119:105 God's word described as a lamp to guide feet and a light for the path
7. Jeremiah 15:16 Brian quoted it to describe devouring God's word as joy and heart's delight when it is discovered
8. Psalm 37 Congregation member cited it as a series of conditional promises: trust in the Lord, delight in him, commit your way, and he will act
9. Deuteronomy 6:7-8 Moses exhorts Israel to commit wholeheartedly to God's commands and repeat them to children, at home, on the road, at bedtime and rising

What was said

• Set your alarm tonight so you actually have time in the morning to open your Bible before the day gets away from you.
• Pick up your Bible and read something, even a few verses, and ask the Holy Spirit to make it come alive rather than just reading the words with your eyes.
• When you feel an emotion you cannot explain this week, like loneliness or restlessness, pause and ask God whether he is trying to get your attention rather than reaching for a distraction.
• Use the six questions Brian shared last week to test whatever you sense God might be saying to you, so you are practicing discernment rather than just guessing.
• If there is a broken relationship in your family, take a step toward reconciliation this week, whether that means asking for forgiveness or extending it.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about spending time with ropes until you can tell them apart just by feel, and said hearing God's voice works the same way. What has your own experience been with learning to recognize when God is speaking versus when it is your own voice or something else?
2. Brian suggested that a feeling of loneliness can sometimes be God's invitation to spend time with him, and that we miss it when we try to distract ourselves instead. Has there been a time when something you initially tried to push away turned out to be God trying to get your attention?
3. Brian said the promises of God are always guaranteed but not automatic, and that faith is an active word, not a passive one. What does actively holding on to a promise from God look like in practice, based on what was said or from your own experience?
4. Brian described the morning after he got saved, opening his Bible on the van ride home and finding it suddenly alive in a way it never had been before. Has there been a moment when scripture shifted from feeling like words on a page to something that felt directly meant for you?
5. The Hebrew word translated 'repeat' in Deuteronomy 6 carries the idea of leaving a mark, the way teeth leave a mark on something they bite into. Brian closed by asking whether God's word has left that kind of mark on your life. How would you honestly answer that question right now?