They Recognize His Voice and Come to Him

In one paragraph

This was the sixth and final week of Tribe's summer series on hearing the voice of God. Pastor Brian tied the series together using John 10, where Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd whose sheep recognize his voice and come to him. The service was also marked by open sharing from the congregation, a word about forgiveness, and ended with communion. Brian opened by acknowledging where the...

Read together

1. Matthew 6:14 quoted directly during the open-mic sharing time on forgiveness: 'for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you'
2. John 10:1-19 read aloud by the congregation in turns as the main text for tying a bow on the hearing-God's-voice series
3. Song of Solomon (opening section) Brian quoted the young woman saying 'dark am I yet lovely' to illustrate that Jesus still draws near to those who feel like a mess
4. John 8:32 Brian quoted 'you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free' from his Bible during the discussion of hearing God's voice before surrendering to him

What was said

• Pick one thing from the hearing-God's-voice funnel that you have been neglecting and practice it deliberately every day this week.
• If there is someone you have been avoiding because forgiveness felt impossible, reach out to that person this week.
• Pay attention this week to the moments when you feel scattered or pulled away from community, your spouse, prayer, or God's word, and treat that feeling as a signal to turn back rather than drift further.
• If you have never fully surrendered your life to the Lord and asked the Holy Spirit to take up residence in you, use this week to sit with that question honestly and talk to someone at Tribe about it.
• Make a point to show up and be present with your community this week, even when staying home alone feels easier, because Brian reminded us that the peace of the Lord is found in being together, not in the comfort of isolation.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about how learning the name 'lupin' made him suddenly notice that flower everywhere in the mountains. Has something similar happened to you with hearing God's voice, where once you recognized it you started noticing it more often? What changed for you?
2. Brian said obedience is the key that unlocks hearing God's voice, and that even small, stumbling acts of obedience open the door to greater revelation. Can you think of a time when obeying something you found in scripture, even reluctantly, led to something unexpected from God?
3. Several people shared different ways they tune in to God's voice, including repetition across unrelated sources, the absence of peace, and needing visual stillness to focus. How do you personally tend to hear God most clearly, and is there anything on that funnel graphic that you have been neglecting?
4. Brian pointed out that when the wolf comes he scatters the sheep first, putting a little distance at a time before moving in. Where have you seen that scattering tactic at work, either in your own life or in a community you have been part of?
5. One person in the room shared that before surrendering their life to the Lord they were repelled by his voice, and Brian said the sheep always come to the shepherd when they recognize his voice. What does it actually look like in daily life to stay close enough to the shepherd that you keep recognizing his voice rather than drifting?