A STUDY ON THE WAYS GOD SPEAKS TO BELIEVERS - Bible Study Series
YOU – Fall 2026
Bible Study Lesson
Session 1
“GOD SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE”
EXODUS 3:1-5,11-14; 4:28-31
THE POINT
GOD LOVES US ENOUGH TO SPEAK TO US.
INTRODUCTION
Most of us have had moments when we really wished God would just speak clearly—like a friend sitting across the table. I remember a season when I was trying to make an important decision, and no matter how much I prayed, I felt like heaven was silent. But one morning, while I was going through my normal routine, a verse I’d read dozens of times suddenly stood out in a new way. It wasn’t loud or dramatic, but it was timely, and I knew God was gently nudging my heart. That experience reminded me that God does speak—just not always in the ways we expect. And learning to recognize His voice is something that grows over time as we walk with Him.
Some people believe that God no longer speaks. Others believe that God speaks all the time and says whatever they want to hear. The truth is that God does speak all the time, but He does this in a unique way. If you spend enough time talking with someone, you
learn to pick up patterns in their speech. You can quickly identify their tone, pitch, diction, and cadence. God’s desire is that we spend time with Him and learn to identify His voice. Because God made us to bear His image, we can talk to Him, but not like we talk to other humans.
Instead, God does not leave us alone to try and figure out how to live life. In this study, we will examine how God Speaks:
• ...to His People
• ...through His Word
• ...through circumstances
• ...through His Church
• ...and we respond
We can discern God’s voice, and as we seek to follow Him, He graciously provides avenues for us to know and follow Him.
Exodus 3:1-5
1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?” 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. 5 “Do not come closer,” he said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:11-14
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
MEMORY VERSE
12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” 13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”
Exodus 4:28-31
28 Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and about all the signs he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. 30 Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people. 31 The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention to them and that he had seen their misery, they knelt low and worshiped.
KEYWORDS
Angel of the Lord (v.2)–The term angel means “messenger.” The special title the angel of the Lord does not designate ordinary angels. The term becomes interchangeable with the Lord Himself in some biblical passages (see Judges 6:11-16). In the book of Genesis the angel of the Lord acted to inform, rebuke, protect, and provide success and guidance.
I AM WHO I AM (v.14)–God revealed the significance of His name Yahweh. The name Yahweh, typically translated as LORD using both large and small capital letters, is derived from the Hebrew verb “to be.”
WHAT SHOULD BELIEVERS KNOW ABOUT HOW GOD COMMUNICATES TO HIS PEOPLE?
Relationships require effort and the people involved must agree to communicate regularly. The same conditions are needed for a good company to thrive, for a church to prosper, and for married couples to be joyful. But these conditions do not just appear out of thin air. Someone must take the initiative and vulnerably communicate, hoping their efforts are reciprocated. I find myself doing this every time I visit a new church or get invited to a social event.
In my younger days, I would often think that no one cared about my presence at church or the gathering because no one came and spoke to me. I would hang around, endure some of the awkwardness for a while, and swiftly exit once I felt it was appropriate. I have learned that situations like this can often be avoided when I take the initiative and engage with people. But I must force myself to act lovingly for the benefit of my neighbor. God always takes the initiative and does this for our benefit. He is not distant. He desires to bring us closer to Himself. Moses is just one of the many individuals who have experienced God’s loving initiative.
God Initiates Conversation // Exodus 3:1–5
You probably know Moses as a famous deliver of God’s people. His importance is highlighted by the fact that the New Testament mentions him more frequently than any other Old Testament individual. But, as you might recall, the famous Moses was not always a hero. His first encounter with God took place while he was living in Midian on the run from the Egyptian authorities for murder. He acted as a vigilante trying to bring justice to his people, but they did not affirm him as a Hebrew (see Exodus 2:11). They viewed him as a murderer (see Exodus 2:14–15).
To make matters worse, when Moses arrived in Midian, he was identified as an Egyptian (see Exodus 2:19). Moses ends up helping the daughters of Reuel, the priest of Midian, and is invited into his home. Reuel, also known as Jethro, is the first person in this section of Exodus to refer to Moses simply as a “man” (see Exodus 2:20). Thus, Moses’s identity transitions from the label of “Hebrew” to “murderer” to “Egyptian” and finally to “man.”
Each of us might have experienced similar identity issues based on decisions we made in the past and others’ perceptions of us. The labels placed on Moses were arguably true. However, none of these labels replaced the one that was given to him at birth. Moses was a man, a human. At the time, he was an ordinary man working an ordinary job. While there is an unstated time gap that occurs between the birth of Moses’s son Gershom (see Exodus 2:22) and Moses’s encounter at the burning bush, Stephen explains that Moses lived in Midian for 40 years (see Acts 7:30). Moses chose to live a humble life as a shepherd for his father-in-law’s flock simply as a man. He left past labels behind.
Still, we might have expected God’s first encounter with Moses to have come while he was at the peak of his life, living in the royal court of Egypt. We might have expected God to speak while Moses was on the run to reassure him of His presence. Instead, God was silent for 40 years. He did not speak to Moses for the first time until he was roughly 80 years old (see Exodus 7:7).
Moses was near the end of his life. But God spoke to Moses anyway. God wants to speak to us because we are his creation, because we are human. Our wealth, status, power, or youth have nothing to do with God’s desire to communicate with us. Moses had lost all these things, and God still spoke to him. God took the initiative at the right time, in the right place, and while Moses was living the right way. This appears to be part of the reason that God chose to appear in a burning bush. The event is supernatural, but the bush is something that Moses would have seen every day. God chooses to speak to his people during the daily activities of life.
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS GOD SPEAKS TO YOU DURING DAILY ACTIVITIES?
DIGGING DEEPER – A CALL OF REDIRECTION
Did you notice God’s first words to Moses? God repeated Moses’s name twice. This is a literary technique often used when God wants someone to redirect their attention. The angel of the Lord called Abraham’s name twice right before Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:11). God wanted Abraham to notice the ram in the thicket. God repeated Jacob’s name in a vision to reassure him that his family would be safe in Egypt (Genesis 46:2). Jacob needed to focus on moving to a new location so he could participate in God’s plan of redemption. Samuel was only a boy when God spoke to him. After receiving some basic training from Eli, Samuel heard his name called twice as he responded to God’s curse against the house of Eli (1 Samuel 3:10). In His conversation with Moses, God redirects Moses life and focus so that he can redeem His people in Egypt.
When have you been blessed by God’s redirection in someone else’s life?
God Authenticates His Voice // Exodus 3:11–14
In Scripture, to know someone’s name is to know their reputation. This is why God changing the name of Abram to Abraham was so important. We just read through all the negative labels and names that had been given to Moses. Moses was a man who was unworthy of meeting with God. We are all unworthy. Still, God chooses to commune with us. The divide between our unworthiness and God’s holiness is greater than we can comprehend. This might cause us to doubt whether God really wants to speak with us. Why would He make Moses wait 80 years to hear from Him if He really cared? I can’t answer this question directly. However, I can reaffirm that God does want to speak with us and that when He does speak, He will always prove that His voice is valid and true.
God caused the bush to break the normal rules of nature so that Moses would break from his normal routine. This is the first authentication of God’s voice. We should expect a consistent pattern to transpire during our daily lives. The only thing that can change our daily habits and move them to be something better is God’s voice. Just like the burning bush was something natural made supernatural, God’s voice enhances our daily experiences.
The second authentication came when God provided Moses with the proper context for understanding His voice. God called Moses by his name to let him know that He was aware of his reputation (see Exodus 3:4). God reminded Moses that His holy nature needed to be respected (see Exodus 3:5). Then God summarized how He had communed with others in the past (see Exodus 3:6). When God’s voice appears to us it will always affirm God’s holy status while also affirming who we are to God. Realizing exactly what was going on, Moses hides in fear. This response should give us pause and is the third authentication. The burning bush did not scare Moses. Hearing God’s voice and being told to remove his sandals did not cause Moses to want to hide. Instead, Moses does not become afraid until God formally introduces Himself as the God of his fathers.
This is the moment Moses came to realize exactly how unworthy he was to be able to have this encounter. He was not just meeting with a messenger of God, or a priest. God had shown up to meet with him directly.
DOES THE WAY YOU APPROACH GOD REVEAL HOW YOU VALUE HIM?
This is why Moses says, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” How could an outcast refugee Hebrew born into Egyptian culture who chose to become a murderer be able to go before Pharaoh? This seems like the least likely scenario to lead to a positive outcome for the Hebrew people. Moses’s first attempt to liberate his people had led to his rejection, why would a second attempt be any different? This attempt was different because this time God was with him. Moses learned how to deal with injustice God’s way. God guided Moses just like He did with those He spoke to in the past.
God Validates His Servants // Exodus 4:28–31
The importance of this last point cannot be underestimated. God not only validates His voice. He also validates those who pass His word on to others. We might be led to think that God spoke to us because we are special or holier than someone else. We might want to hear God’s audible voice so that we can prove to others, and to ourselves, that we have a genuine connection to God. Reasons like these will cause us to undervalue the reality of hearing from God. God is always doing more than just dealing with our own insecurities. God wants to help us deal with these issues, but God does not stop there.
We don’t need to be special to have a genuine connection to God. We just need to be human and humble. Human in that we seek to bear the image of God in our actions, thoughts, and words. This is God’s original purpose for humanity. Humble in that we need to remember our place before God. We are all just “men” like Moses and should reverently seek to encounter God.
Now, Moses was the main character in this story, but Aaron played an important role as well. Moses came up with five different excuses for why he could not be the one to deliver God’s message to Pharaoh (see Exodus 3:11–4:17). God did not let him off the hook. Instead, God sent Aaron to help validate Moses’s experience and His message. We should expect the same to happen to us when we hear from God. God expects us to be part of a local church. The people in this congregation should know us well enough to validate our reputation and experiences.
When Moses hears God’s voice, and agrees to obey, he does not become prideful and demanding. He instead humbly requests to leave the service of his father-in-law so that he can respond to God’s voice. He then explained everything that had transpired to Aaron before delivering God’s message to the final recipients, the enslaved Hebrews in Egypt. We should want to hear from God because we want to encourage ourselves and others to worship Him. This is what the Hebrews did when Moses delivered God’s message to them. If I tell others what I heard from God and they only seek to honor me, I have missed the point.
God was on the move, so Moses got on the move. And once he was on God’s agenda, he moved other people onto God’s agenda with him. The people of God had concluded that He had forgotten them. They were discouraged. Moses and Aaron contradicted that flawed perception. Often, God will confront our inadequate or incorrect perspectives with a clear and compelling picture of the way things really are.
When God speaks it will be to call people to Himself. “The people believed” (v. 31). They worshiped God. They were filled with joy by the good news Moses preached to them. Has God spoken to you? Then you can be sure that He intends for you to act on what He has said. Obedience to God is the doorway for you to experience everything He intends for your life.
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND WHEN GOD CALLS YOU TO SERVE?
DID YOU KNOW?
You have probably heard someone say, “God works in mysterious ways.” Christians have always affirmed that God is at work bringing redemption to people even when we are unaware of His exact actions. It can be hard to trust God while we wait. Often skeptics doubt God’s very existence because, according to them, He does not respond quickly or directly enough. Christians should remember that God is often slow to act because He is just as merciful as He is purposeful. God spoke to Aaron long before Moses saw the burning bush (Exodus 4:14). In perfect conditions the journey from Egypt to Horeb would have taken several weeks. God orchestrated the reuniting of Moses with his brother by calling on everyone involved to trust Him. They had to be obedient at the journey’s beginning, when only part of the plan was revealed, to see the results. God does not solve every mystery, but He does support His people.
Biblical Truth: God is always at work, even if we don’t see it.
What are some ways you can remember that God is working things out for our good and His glory?
LIVE IT
Can you recall a moment when your curiosity caused you to encounter God?
God initiated the situation that led to His conversation with Moses, but God did not speak until He saw that Moses had decided to turn aside. Moses could have missed hearing directly from God had he placed his commitment to his routine over his curiosity to see the source behind this supernatural event. God wants us to explore the world around us and find ways to be salt and light.
•PAUSE. Spend time considering ways to encounter God more in your daily activities. You might need to adjust your routine to accomplish this.
•REFLECT. Pick a Bible verse that reminds you to slow down and reflect on what God might be doing in your life and community. Memorize that verse this week.
•REACH OUT. Invite someone to church or Bible study. Encourage them by explaining God’s desire to speak to His people. Help them know that you are willing to walk with them as they seek to hear from God.
DAILY READINGS
1. NO MORE FEAR //1 KINGS 19:12
In this passage of Scripture, Elijah was running for his life. God spoke directly to him in the cave that he was hiding in. God asked him what he was doing there; He wanted Elijah to know that he did not need to hide. God could have spoken to him in the fierce wind, the loud earthquake, or the consuming fire; but instead, He spoke to Elijah in a soft whisper. God’s whisper has power. God told Elijah to stop hiding and do what he was called to do. God has a plan for our lives; we must silence the noise of our fears so we can hear His still small voice. We do not have to live in fear, when we live in faith.
Father, allow us to be so close to You that we hear Your still small voice.
2. HIDDEN TRUTH //JEREMIAH 33:3
Can you think of a situation you’ve been in when you called everyone in your contact list, and no one answered? That’s a hard position to be in. Have you ever had difficulty understanding something and asked someone to explain it and they couldn’t? Do you remember how you felt? Jeremiah was a prophet to the nation of Judah. God spoke to him directly and told him he could call on Him and He would answer him. He told Jeremiah that He would reveal to him things that were not only great but things that he had not known before. God not only answers when we call Him in prayer, He reveals things we can’t get from anyone else.
Lord, thank You for always answering our call.
3. FAILURE-PROOF DIRECTIONS//PSALM 32:8
I have a terrible sense of direction. I can’t go anywhere without using my GPS. I’m turned around and headed in the wrong direction when I don’t. The bad thing about that is GPS is sometimes wrong or not updated. It has taken me to construction sites and closed roads. This passage of Scripture is encouraging because God assures us that no matter what we go through in life we can be confident that He will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go. He will counsel us and keep His eye on us. There is no greater source of direction in life than God. His directions never fail.
Lord, teach us to follow Your instructions in all areas of our lives.
4. RIGHTEOUS INSTRUCTIONS // 2 TIMOTHY 3:16
The Word of God is our instruction book for life. This passage of Scripture reminds us that God is the author of the Bible no matter what translation you read, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.” Through His careful instruction manual He speaks to us, directs us, teaches us, corrects us, and helps us become holy like Him. His Word speaks truth. Unlike people, we can count on the Word of God to speak truth to us. God is our Father. Just as our earthly father corrects us when we are wrong, our heavenly Father corrects us, so we are trained to be righteous. God wants us to be equipped to do the work He called us to do.
God, thank You for guiding our lives to Your truth through Your Word.
5. CUTTING EDGE WORD //HEBREWS 4:12
The author of Hebrews describes God’s Word as living and active. Being active means it has power to change things and cause growth. His Word is sharper than any two edge sword. The author wants us to know that the Word can do what no human or human made instrument can do. God’s Word cuts through deception to reveal truth. It reaches the deepest parts of us to include our will, emotions, and inner being to expose our hidden motives, sin, and weaknesses. This divine dissection exposes our true selves. This is not done to condemn, but to bring us to healing, confession, and repentance, allowing God’s Spirit to work. God loves us and His Word draws us back to Him.
Lord, thank You for Your Word that cuts to reveal truth and causes us to grow.
Bible Study Lesson
Session 2
“GOD SPEAKS THROUGH THE BIBLE”
THE POINT
GOD’S WORD IS HIS PRIMARY MEANS OF SPEAKING TO US.
PSALM 19:7-14
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. 10 They are more desirable than gold—than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward. 12 Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. 13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion.
MEMORY VERSE
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
KEYWORDS
Fear of the Lord (v.9)–To obey Him with an attitude of reverence and humility. The expression highlights the relationship between fearing the Lord and knowing and understanding His truth.
Warned (v.11)– One meaning of this verb is “to teach” or “to instruct.”
Unintentional sins (v.11)– The word derives from a verb meaning “to stray” or “to err.” The term primarily emphasizes sins committed inadvertently or in ignorance.
Redeemer (v.14)– Hebrew term meaning “to buy back” or “fulfill the obligations of a kinsman.”
HOW DOES GOD USE HIS WORD TO SPEAK TO HIS PEOPLE?
Imagine getting a meaningful text from a close friend—something you read twice because it hits you at just the right moment. Messages like that help us feel connected, understood, and grounded. God designed us for that kind of connection. Communication and community are at the heart of our human experience. We constantly seek conversations—at events, over lunch, through messages—because they make us feel known. But even in our best efforts, we forget things. That’s why we write them down. In the same way, God gave us Scripture so we could clearly hear Him. His written Word guides us even better than an audible voice ever could. When we talk about hearing God, many of us wish He would just speak out loud and make things simple. But one of the clearest, most consistent ways God speaks is through the Bible. Scripture isn’t just an old book—it’s God’s voice captured in words we can return to again and again. As we read, reflect, and apply what we learn, we begin to recognize how God guides, encourages, and shapes us through His Word
The Bible Encourages Us // Psalm 19:7–9
The goal of Psalm 19 is to explain the importance of Scripture in the life of every believer. The psalm begins with an example from the community of the cosmos. By way of poetic metaphor, the psalm states that at every moment the stars and planets are gathered speaking to one another. The content of their message is always the glory of God. We should not think of their conversation as repetitive, boring, or mundane, as if every day they assemble and just repeat the same story. No, we should view their gatherings as enthusiastic celebrations. When the Sun shows up to these daily meetings (see verses 4–6), it talks about the glory of God just like a bridegroom would talk about the wonderful life he is experiencing with his wife. David made an abrupt shift from praising God for revealing Himself through creation, to praise for revelation through His Word.
Too often the Bible is mistaken to be a sort of rule book. It is not. It is in fact, the record of God’s revelation of Himself to His people. It is the perfect instruction of God; it is the testimony of God (v. 7). It is God’s teachings! His revelation of His character and nature simultaneously becomes the basis for the life and action of His people.
God’s revelation demonstrates the way of God, and a righteous person will take great delight in making whatever adjustments are necessary to join God in what He is doing, in the way that He is doing it (v. 7). As the Holy Spirit gives us understanding of the Word of God, we are revived, made wise, and filled with joy as we experience Him working in, through, and around us (vv. 7-8). The psalmist used various terms to describe God’s Word and its benefit to those who follow it.
• Instruction (v.7) - The Hebrew word translated instruction is written in English as Torah. You may recognize it as the word for “law.” The term generally designates the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Pentateuch.
• Testimony (v.7) - David used the term testimony as a synonym for “law.” The Hebrew word is always used to refer to the testimony of God. The Lord’s testimony is trustworthy. It enables us to stand firm and provides wisdom for daily living.
• Precepts (v.8) - The term precepts functions as another synonym for law in this beautiful psalm celebrating the Lord’s revelation through His Word. They guide us on the right course, steering us away from evil. Thus, following these guidelines brings true joy to life.
• Command (v.8) - The word translated command identifies the instruction of a wisdom teacher to his student (Proverbs 3:1). The Lord’s commands radiantly reveal truth and enlighten all who follow them.
• Ordinances (v.9) - The term translated ordinances comes from a Hebrew verb meaning “to judge” or “to govern.” The term calls attention to the reality that the Lord is a God of justice. The Lord’s ordinances are reliable. They provide us with the divine standard for daily living.
No matter the name, the psalmist made clear the value of Scripture. Our understanding of God’s Word is incomplete until it has been thoroughly applied to our lives. Every act of obedience is an intentional act of worship and a declaration of the kind of people we want to be. We must thoughtfully welcome the bearing of God’s will on us and trust Him.
WHAT THOUGHTS COME TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF GOD’S WORD?
DIGGING DEEPER
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLESHIP
Psalm 19:7 says the instruction of God is capable of “renewing one’s life.” The Hebrews words for “renewing” (shûb) and “life” (nephesh) are also used in conjunction in two other locations. In 1 Kings 17:21-22, these terms appear when God responds to Elijah’s prayer and resurrects a widow’s son. In Esther 4:13, these terms are used to explain how Mordecai convinces Esther’s servants to plead with her to focus on the lives of her people and not herself. The point of these parallels is to show that convincing someone on live according to God’s Word is just as spiritual as someone being resurrected from the dead (Luke 16:29–31). The work of building community according to God’s truth is important work that requires us to support one another as we discuss how to apply Scripture to our daily situations.
How might you remind yourself that discipleship is a miraculous process?
The Bible Warns Us // Psalm 19:10–11
I am confident that you would be hard pressed to find someone who does not want some gold. Even people who are allergic to the metal, would still probably receive a gift of gold and sell it to someone else. Gold is a valuable precious metal. This section of the psalm wants to assure us that God’s Word is even more precious. This is not because God’s Word is hard to find, like gold. It is because God’s Word provides us with more than material wealth can supply. Scripture enlightens our eyes so that we can see things as they are truly. Scripture points us toward enduring, unchangeable truth that makes everyone who listens to it righteous. Everyone wants to live a life of measurable abundance and prosperity. However, gold, just like all material wealth, does nothing to heal the problems of the heart.
Scripture teaches us to live righteously, which implies that those who do not listen to the teachings of Scripture are choosing unrighteousness. We are often glad to hear that God’s Word encourages us, but we might shy away from the fact that it also warns us. God understands that we can only truly feel loved and connected when we live properly. Let us reconsider the cosmic community metaphor mentioned at the beginning of this psalm. You are probably aware of how precisely the solar system is arranged for human life to be on Earth. It would be devastating if any of the planets or stars moved out of their orbit. So, we don’t want the Sun to do whatever it wants. We want the Sun to continue to run the course God laid out for it. When the Sun does this, it rejoices and we get to feel its heat, which should cause us to rejoice as well.
Scripture contains warnings so that we can encourage each other to live righteously. The goal of referencing these warnings is not to make someone break away from the community.
We should keep in mind the ordering of these verses. Scripture is compared to gold and honey before the nature of its warnings are mentioned. Just as gold helps someone gain a better life externally and honey makes someone feel good internally, we should highlight the warnings of Scripture with the same goal in mind. We want the world to see that God’s Word leads to an abundant reward. It might take time to get to the reward, but once it is gained it will be more than worth the effort.
WHAT DO THESE VERSES TEACH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF GOD’S WORD?
The Bible Guides Us // Psalm 19:12–14
I read a meme the other day. At the top it said something like, “I read through the Bible and found many contradictions...” In the middle, was a picture of someone sitting at a desk reading through a book. Then at the bottom is continued the message with “…and all of them were in me.” This meme expresses exactly the point of verses 12–13. Scripture guides us by pointing out the ways that we have sinned against God and providing us wisdom for correcting our behaviors. Guidance is a term that brings the first two parts of this session together. Encouragement and warning do not help us unless they are brought together. When this happens, we are guided to live in harmony with God, His creation, and His people.
We can recall Moses’s conversation with God to help us here (Exodus 3–4). Moses was doing well in his daily tasks and was contributing to his community by watching the flock of his father-in-law. He was an upstanding citizen. However, as God continued to talk to Moses, the conversation continued to reveal more about Moses’s sinful nature. Moses was comfortable living in his neighborhood serving his newfound community. He did not want to return to Egypt and be a part of God’s plan there.
We might easily argue that Moses could have served God anywhere. This is true, but we are not serving God by just living out the letter of the law. We serve God when we listen to Him and follow His guidance. The same is true of unintentional sins. We don’t see them as a problem until they are revealed to us. They will never reveal if we just keep going through the motions or just reading the same Bible passage repeatedly. Yes, we must start somewhere. But we must also be ready to move forward and grow deeper in our knowledge of God and ourselves.
This is why the psalm moves from mentioning unintentional sins to willful sins to blatant rebellion. The more we examine God’s Word the more we understand how to follow God’s ways. Having God’s Word written for us to constantly refer to is key for us to be able to get to the point where the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts become acceptable to the Lord.
If we will not allow God to purge our hidden faults, then we become those who “willfully sin” (v. 13). This flagrant sin is brazen rebellion against the lordship of Christ. These sins will fiercely “rule over us.” God speaks to us in His Word in a way that is accessible to us. The psalmist did not approach the Lord as his accuser or judge but as his refuge and champion. The psalmist ends with a desire to live acceptable before the Lord, this must be our desire as followers today.
WHAT UNINTENTIONAL SINS HAS GOD REVEALED TO YOU? WILL YOU RESPOND IN REPENTANCE?
DID YOU KNOW?
Many believe in the suitable combination of science and faith. When both are understood properly, they always complement each other. Psalm 19:1-3 explains that the heavens speak about the glory of God, but they do this in a language that humans cannot understand. In an article on Thoughtco.com, John P. Millis explains that “every planet makes its own unique song.” This is due to the different frequencies that are emitted from each of them. Psalm 19 uses a metaphor to explain the function of the heavens. Back then, no one would have had a way of verifying if this metaphor was correct. Instead, the ancient people could have only observed that the objects in space moved and intertwined with one another. Still, God allowed this metaphor to be used in Scripture because it speaks to an eternal truth. God has designed all things to point back to Himself because He is the source of all wonder and joy.
Biblical Truth: “He is before all things, and by him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).
What is a natural phenomenon that leaves you in awe of God?
LIVE IT
What has been life changing about your engagement with the Bible?
I still remember the first time someone pointed me to the full context of 1 Timothy 6:10. Before that moment, I had heard people say that “money is the root of all evil.” As a young child, this led me to believe that every desire to obtain money was against God’s will. However, the immediate context clarifies that the point of this verse is that we should put money in its proper place as we seek to live in the kingdom of God. Clear understanding is essential to applying the truth of Scripture to our lives.
• TALK. Spend some time discussing with someone some of the Bible verses that you might have misunderstood in the past.
• SHARE. Send out a Bible verse to people you know. This can be done through social media or by texting.
• GROW. Identify a verse in Psalm 19 and consider how God is using it to speak to your current circumstances. Pray that God will use this activity to help you increase in your ability to hear His voice more clearly.
Session 3
“GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT”
THE POINT:
THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US IN KNOWING HIS WILL.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:6-16
6 We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
MEMORY VERSE
9 But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived—God has prepared these things for those who love him.
10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone.16 For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
KEYWORDS
Mystery (v. 7)–Paul used this term to describe something that was previously unknown but now had been disclosed by revelation.
Depths of God (v. 10)– This expression corresponds to God’s hidden wisdom (v. 7a), to what God predestined before the ages (v. 7b), and to what God has prepared for people who love Him (v. 9).
The mind of Christ (v.16)– Paul quoted Isaiah 40:13 in the Septuagint, a major Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. In context, the expression the mind of Christ is synonymous with God’s hidden wisdom.
HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT HELP BELIEVERS UNDERSTAND GOD’S WILL?
Have you ever wished life came with clearer instructions? Maybe you’ve stood in the middle of a big decision—whether to take a job, repair a relationship, or just figure out how to get through the week—and thought, “I just need to hear from God.” You’re not the only one. Surveys show that most adults feel unsure about the “right next step” in daily life, even though we’re surrounded by more information and technology than any generation before us. Phones track our habits, watches monitor our sleep, apps guide our diets, and yet people still feel spiritually directionless.
And that’s where a deeper question emerges: How is the Holy Spirit superior to any technology we can comprehend? For all our devices can do, none of them can comfort us in grief, convict us of truth, or whisper wisdom into the quiet places of our hearts. In this session, we’ll discover how God still speaks today—and why the Holy Spirit offers guidance no technology could ever match.
The Holy Spirit Provides Wisdom // 1 Corinthians 2:6–8
Let us continue the analogy from above. How is the Holy Spirit superior to any technology that we can comprehend? In a world with Artificial Intelligence (AI), many believe that AI might become as powerful and as wise as God. This is impossible due to a basic principle of creation. Nothing created can be better than its creator. Stated differently, everything that is created bears the mark of its creator. The internet can only do what humans created it to do. We can modify it but then it can only do what it has been modified to do. AI is in the same category. It has limits and one worth highlighting is that it cannot contain ultimate wisdom. It might contain all human wisdom, but it will never contain the full depth of the wisdom of God. This is what Paul is getting at when he talks about “God’s hidden wisdom.” This wisdom is hidden in God and people can only gain access to it through gaining access to God.
This is not a cop out statement. Paul is not making a circular argument, this would be a misunderstanding of his argument:
• You need God’s Spirit to understand God
• So, if you disagree with Paul (or Christianity)
• You must not have God’s Spirit
This is only partially true. You do need God’s Spirit to understand the truth of Christianity. However, Paul is not trying to dismiss people’s concern or desire for true knowledge. Paul is on a quest for knowledge just like every other human being. Instead, he wants to sort through the different sources of knowledge. The “wisdom of this age” is focused on whatever humans believe is important during any given generation. This wisdom is not always bad, but it is always limited. During Paul’s lifetime, conventional wisdom taught people to worship many gods as if they were true divine beings, even though they were demons. In the early 19th century, there was a belief that people might suffocate from traveling too fast on railroad trains (above 10 miles an hour). We now know that humans can survive at much higher speeds and suffocation is not a primary concern. Hopefully, you get the point. In every age, we think we have things figured out only to have future generations look back at us and wonder why we were so confident.
Paul described the wisdom of God as a wisdom that belongs to the mature because they have come to recognize the reality of human limitations. Here is Paul’s real argument:
• You need God’s Spirit to understand God.
• People only have limited knowledge.
• Maturity is humbly accepting your limitations and looking to Jesus.
• God’s Spirit works in such people so they might gain true wisdom.
God created us to depend on Him as the ultimate source of wisdom. This limitation is not a detriment to our existence but a benefit. When God’s Spirit enters a believer and supplies them with the wisdom of God, the Holy Spirit also grants them access to a portion of God’s glory. This would be like not only connecting to an online meeting but truly entering the virtual space where the meeting is being conducted. And the longer we are in that space, the more we gain a deeper knowledge of ourselves and of God.
HOW DO YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOD’S WISDOM AND THE NOISE OF YOUR OWN REASONING AND OUTSIDE INFLUENCES?
DIGGING DEEPER
GOD REVEALS TRUE KNOWLEDGE
Within this section of 1 Corinthians, Paul alludes to Daniel 2 twice. This is the famous chapter where Daniel explains an unrevealed dream to King Nebuchadnezzar. Everyone around the King made it very clear that they could not tell the King the content of his dream. The Chaldeans were trained in worldly techniques of dream interpretation according to specific manuals and traditions. Nebuchadnezzar knew this and he knew that they would tell him what he wanted to hear to preserve their own lives and livelihood. Daniel showed up and did what the worldly trained magicians were unable to do. He acted according to the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of the Chaldeans. Paul alludes to this story because through the Holy Spirit we gain God’s wisdom just like Daniel did. We must humble ourselves before God knowing that He will supply us with all the knowledge we need.
When has God’s Spirit supplied you with knowledge right when you needed it?
The Holy Spirit Reveals the Mind of God // 1 Corinthians 2:9–11
Paul mentions Jesus Christ and His crucifixion twice in this section of 1 Corinthians, the first time is in verse 2. Paul wrote that he decided to know nothing among the Corinthians “except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul is not saying that all he wanted to explain to the Corinthians was who Jesus was, how He fulfilled the role of the promised Christ, by dying on the cross. We know this because Paul wrote about many other topics in his letters to the Corinthians. Instead, Paul’s point is that he wanted the Corinthians, and every other Christian, to understand how all of life is connected to Jesus being the solution. Knowledge of how Jesus Christ and His death fit into your life and circumstances is the only knowledge that brings purpose to your present situation. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal how a person should combine their life with the knowledge of Jesus.
CAN YOU NAME A FACT ABOUT YOURSELF THAT MAKES MORE SENSE BECAUSE OF JESUS?
The second time that Paul mentions Jesus and his crucifixion is in verse 8. Paul explains that if the rulers of this age had understood God’s wisdom they would not have “crucified the Lord of glory.” There is a contrast here between the nature of power in this world (represented by the “rulers of this age”) and the power of God (represented by the crucifixion of Jesus who is the “Lord of glory”). Jesus came into the world and proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand. However, Jesus did not exert physical force to maintain this kingdom, which is what every worldly kingdom does. The rulers of this age must disseminate knowledge to people in ways that keep them in charge.
The average person cannot just approach a human authority without going through the proper channels. In contrast to this, Jesus allows everyone to have access to him and does not keep the knowledge of salvation to himself. God sends out His knowledge to the world by filling people with the Holy Spirit and allowing Scripture to be disseminated in any language. This means that all Christians have equal access to the mind of God. The Holy Spirit awakens us to be able to see what is truly important to God.
The Holy Spirit Transforms Our Thinking // 1 Corinthians 2:12–16
Within 1 Corinthians 1, Paul contrasts the themes of wisdom and foolishness. He explains that the foolishness of God is better than the wisdom of men (1:25) and that God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise (1:27). This is because the ways of God seem as if they are powerless in the eyes of the world. Loving your enemy means doing things for your enemy that are beneficial for them. However, if your enemy continues to prosper while they are behaving badly won’t they continue to act badly? Jesus came to lay down His life for the kingdom of God. How can a king rule over a kingdom if he is dead?
Both questions are foolish to those who think about getting justice and power according to the design of the world. They would argue that the following is true. You should report your enemy to the authorities so that he or she can be punished. Then they will behave correctly. Jesus should have summoned a legion of angels to destroy the Roman Empire. Then everyone would have believed in him.
Paul understood that it takes a spiritual mind to be able to understand spiritual things. This is his way of referring to Christian discipleship. Once Christians have the Holy Spirit they have access to the mind of God. However, having access is just the beginning. For this access to be meaningful, we have to take advantage of what has been offered. We need to spend time with God and follow the Spirit’s leading as the Spirit explores the “depths of God.” In other words, we need discipleship to know what is truly important to God.
Let’s return to the two questions I posed before. Loving one’s enemy means doing things that are beneficial for them including highlighting how their behavior had negative effects on yourself, themselves, and on God’s design for society. Christians should do this in a way that is not about seeking worldly justice but spiritual restoration. Jesus died and rules the kingdom of God because this kingdom is a resurrected kingdom. A kingdom that brings life out of death. It is not like the worldly kingdoms that hold on to life until it can no longer do so.
This is why only the spiritual person can understand spiritual things. God is not hiding wisdom from the world. Instead, His wisdom appears to be mysterious, hidden, and foolish because it requires sacrifice, time, and thoughtfulness before it can be implemented.
Every Christian is up for this task since we “have the mind of Christ.” When we want to engage in an online meeting, all we can do is connect our lifeless devices to a lifeless internet modem and facilitate a conversation through lifeless software. When God wants to engage in a meeting with us, He connects us to Himself by His Spirit within us as we read through His Word that “is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12).
When the Holy Spirit awakens us to the things of God, it is a simultaneous invitation to join Him in His activity. Our eyes are opened for us to make spiritual progress.
HOW HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT TRANSFORMED YOUR MIND AND IN TURN CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul cites from Isaiah 40:13. He does this for two reasons. First, he wants us to understand that God contains the highest form of intelligence in the universe. God does not need to take counsel with anyone because He has all information. Second, Paul wants to encourage us to grow in our knowledge of God so that we can understand the mind of God better. The beginning of Isaiah 40 highlights that everyone will see the glory of God on an even playing field. While this should lead everyone to repent and trust in God, only those who are spiritual will respond properly to encountering God. We do not need to be able to answer everyone’s questions about God. Instead, we should focus on responding well to what we do know. This is why Paul says that the spiritual person cannot be evaluated by anyone (1 Corinthians 2:15).
Biblical Truth: God has the answer to every question in our lives.
How can you move from doubt to trust in God’s knowledge of all things?
LIVE IT
Is the Holy Spirit speaking or am I hearing my own thoughts?
We can be confident about two main facts. First, Scripture is God’s voice written down. Every verse of Scripture helps us understand the mind of God better. Second, the Holy Spirit never speaks in a way that contradicts Scripture. When these two statements are combined, we can navigate our thoughts with confidence. The more we understand about God’s Word the better we will be able to identify the voice of God’s Spirit.
• PRAY. Ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal a topic that you can learn more about. Trust that God will speak to you if you have asked in humility.
• STUDY. Once this topic has been revealed, study what Scripture has to say about it. Use a Bible Concordance, if needed.
• DISCUSS. Bring this topic up with members of your church, a close friend, or your pastor. Remember, Paul says that we have the mind of Christ. Spiritual matters were always meant to be explore in community (see 1 Corinthians 6:1–4).
