Who Will You Listen To? Discerning Voices

Feb 22, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Discerning the Voices in a Noisy World

We are constantly surrounded by a cacophony of messages, both external and internal. This noise can make it difficult to hear what is truly important and life-giving. The challenge is not merely to hear, but to learn what deserves our attention. In the midst of this din, we must cultivate the ability to listen for truth. This requires intentional practice and a heart attuned to God's gentle whisper. [36:47]

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:1-4 NIV)

Reflection: What are the loudest voices currently competing for your attention, and what specific practices could help you create moments of quiet to better discern God's voice among them?

Day 2: Testing the Truthfulness of What We Hear

Not every voice that sounds convincing is entirely truthful. Deception often works by mixing a fragment of honesty with dishonesty, making it persuasive and enticing. These partial truths can easily lead us away from the fullness of life God intends. We are called to develop a discerning spirit to recognize these distortions. Learning to test what we hear is a vital part of our spiritual growth. [45:32]

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5 NIV)

Reflection: Can you identify a recent message you encountered that contained a partial truth? How did you, or how could you, test its validity against the broader character of God's love and wisdom?

Day 3: Grounding Ourselves in Spiritual Awareness

Jesus was able to counteract distorted messages because of his deep grounding in Scripture and his relationship with the Father. Our own discernment is strengthened when we immerse ourselves in the wisdom of our faith tradition. Engaging with the Bible and the community of believers provides a foundation for truth. This grounding helps us recognize the voice of God amidst a chorus of others. [49:34]

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

Reflection: What is one way you can more consistently engage with Scripture or your faith community this week to strengthen your foundation for discernment?

Day 4: The Litmus Test of Love and Fruit

A reliable way to evaluate the voices we hear is to apply a simple litmus test. We can ask whether a message leads us toward love, kindness, honesty, and courage. We can consider if it moves us toward community and abundance rather than isolation and scarcity. Observing the fruit that a message produces in our lives and in the world reveals its true source. This test helps us align our listening with God's purposes. [48:56]

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

Reflection: When you consider a dominant message in your life right now, what kind of fruit is it producing? Does it lead you to greater love for God and others, or somewhere else?

Day 5: Creating Space for Silence and Stillness

In a world growing increasingly loud, we must intentionally carve out space for silence. It is in the quiet that we can often hear the Spirit's gentle nudging most clearly. This practice of stillness allows us to process the noise and attend to what is truly important. Making room for silence is not a passive act, but an active discipline of listening for God. [50:27]

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12 NIV)

Reflection: Where can you practically schedule a few moments of silence into your week, and what resistance do you anticipate in making that space?

Sermon Summary

Lent begins as a season of intentional seeking, inviting the community to ask a central question: who will be listened to in a noisy world? The scriptures retell Jesus’ testing in the wilderness, where competing voices use scripture, promise, and temptation to sway action. The narrative highlights how partial truths and attractive offers can distort good things—food, protection, power—into paths away from God’s intended life. Children practice discerning helpful and harmful voices by asking whether words lead to kindness, honesty, courage, and love.

The world’s noise forms a major obstacle to discernment. Recordings of natural soundscapes now require vastly more effort to capture, and human-made sound and constant media blur the ability to hear quieter truths. Internal clutter—worries, tasks, fears—adds another layer of distraction, so attention often falls to whatever is loudest or most immediate rather than what is true or life-giving. The work of discernment therefore requires intentional filters: evaluating whether a voice leads toward connection and abundance or toward selfishness and scarcity; checking the source for integrity and fruit; and recognizing when enticing offers rest on half-truths.

Practical spiritual practices appear as remedies. Grounding in scripture, liturgy, and the wisdom of the faith tradition provides a fuller context to counter distorted uses of scripture. Community plays a role: fellow pilgrims help surface blind spots and offer perspective when discernment proves difficult. Silence and stillness function as spiritual tools for hearing the “still, small voice” beneath the clamor. The assembly receives invitations to engage with weekly circles, Lenten devotional resources, and simple habits—touching the offering plate as a sign of shared responsibility or lighting a candle to honor dependable voices—that cultivate attentiveness.

The call issues forth clearly: cultivate ears to hear the voices that bring life, build practices that sharpen discernment, and participate in relationships that test and confirm truth. Lent offers structured space to practice these disciplines, to sift partial truths from faithful truth, and to choose paths that lead toward love of God and neighbor.

Key Takeaways

1. Test voices by their fruit Discernment begins with consequences: a voice that encourages kindness, honesty, courage, and connection likely aligns with life-giving truth. Evaluate proposals not by appeal or familiarity but by whether they enlarge community and foster abundance rather than scarcity. This litmus test trains moral imagination and protects against persuasive half-truths that mimic goodness. [41:03]
2. Partial truths often deceive Temptation frequently arrives wrapped in scripture, fact, or desirability, mixing truth with distortion to persuade action. Recognize that plausibility does not equal wholeness; examine how isolated claims fit within the broader narrative of God’s purposes. Practiced discernment separates enticing fragments from the gospel’s larger claim on life and love. [42:10]
3. Ground discernment in community Faithful listening grows in conversation with tradition and companions who practice honesty and vulnerability. Scripture study, liturgy, and trusted fellow pilgrims supply corrective lenses when individual judgment falters. Relying on communal wisdom prevents isolation-based errors and nurtures courage to follow costly, countercultural truths. [49:34]
4. Practice stillness to hear God Silence creates space for the quiet guidance that the world’s noise otherwise drowns out. Regular intervals of stillness train attention away from frenetic inputs and toward the Spirit’s nudging. Even sparse practice opens a pathway to deeper clarity about whom to trust and how to act. [50:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:13] - Announcements and Connections
[06:54] - Confirmation & Small Groups
[08:04] - Circles and Community Formation
[09:54] - Lenten Resources and Devotional
[18:30] - Scripture: Temptation of Jesus
[19:33] - Children's Time: Who To Listen To
[36:47] - The Noise of Modern Life
[39:47] - Bernie Krause: Nature's Silence
[41:03] - How to Discern Voices
[50:27] - Stillness and Spiritual Practice
[61:57] - Closing Blessing and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give to you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Observation questions

What were the three specific temptations or offers presented to Jesus in the wilderness?
How did the tempter use scripture in his attempts to persuade Jesus? [42:10]
What simple litmus test was suggested for discerning whether a voice is helpful or not? [21:47]
What are the two main categories of noise that make listening difficult in our modern lives? [36:47]

Interpretation questions

Why are partial truths or "truthiness" often more dangerous and persuasive than outright lies? [45:32]
How does the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 illustrate the same pattern of deception we see in Jesus' temptation? [44:40]
In what ways can even good things like providing for family, rest, and work become distorted beyond their God-given purpose? [46:39]
Why is grounding our understanding of truth in community and tradition important when individual discernment proves difficult? [49:34]

Application questions

What are the loudest voices competing for your attention right now, and what simple filter could you use to test whether they lead toward kindness, honesty, courage, and love? [41:03]
Where in your life have you encountered "partial truths" that sounded good but ultimately led away from God's best for you? How can you recognize these more quickly?
This week, what practical step could you take to create regular moments of stillness and silence to better hear the "still, small voice" beneath life's clamor? [50:27]
Who are the reliable voices in your life that consistently point you toward connection and abundance rather than selfishness and scarcity? How could you express gratitude for them this week?
What spiritual practice—scripture reading, liturgy, or conversation with trusted fellow pilgrims—could you engage to grow in discernment during this Lenten season? [49:34]
When you notice internal noise—worries, tasks, fears—distracting you, what simple habit could help you refocus on what is truly life-giving?
How might touching the offering plate or lighting a candle become a tangible reminder to listen for voices that build up rather than tear down? [14:56]

Sermon Clips

81s

#FindStillness

“Third and and last suggestion, carve out regular times of stillness for something like silence. Sounds of nature are great as Bernie Krauss demonstrates for us. If you're doing it at home, the the of your refrigerator is perfectly acceptable, but no music. It's good for us to sit in stillness and silence. Sprinkling in that that silence often makes all the difference in what we're able to hear. As Bernie Krause says, the world is getting louder and louder. In my experience, at least, what would seem to support that. And when everything is so loud, there are often things that are quieter and sometimes truer that we miss. Like, each one of us has this still small voice, this nudging of the spirit trying to lead us into the fullness of life that God imagined for us. And many of us can't still ourselves long enough to hear that. There are often messages and truths that that want to be heard, but in the busyness and chaos of our lives that it may take more than, you know, the 15 to one ratio. It may take more time to carve out space that we could begin to hear those things. So you don't have to do it every day. You could do it once a week, but practice that stillness and that silence and see what you can begin to hear in the midst of the quiet.”

81s

#ShareAndListen

“But I hope that whether it was in your conversations with circles before this or as you continue through the cards this week or just continue in reflection, I hope that you come up with your own things, and and I would actually like to listen to you. I would like you to share with me what what helps you sort of sort through these things. Send me an email. Call me. Shoot me a text. Let's have a conversation. I wanna hear from you, but here's some suggestions that I might offer. First is is what we've already talked about with the students. Filter the voices you hear through questions like, does this help me does this voice help me love God and other people? Consider the impact that it has on you. Is it leading you to kindness and honesty and courage and love to connection and abundance? Consider the source. Is the source demonstrating those fruits of the spirit? So that's one thing we can do to sort of filter, hold that up as a litmus test. A second example that might help us faithfully answer the question, who will we listen to? I think can be found if we look at the example of Jesus in the scripture today. Jesus is able to counteract the scriptural distortion because of his own spiritual awareness. So then we ought to grow in our understanding of faith, our engagement with the Bible, our connection to the wisdom of our tradition, and the network of fellow pilgrims that we call Saint Paul's that we get to do this life with.”

62s

#DiscernTheVoices

“But the problem is that that's not always what we ought to be listening to. So how do we navigate this? How do we attune our ears and our hearts and our minds to hear what is important? How do we ascertain, discern, and learn to listen? There is what I told the children a few minutes ago. You know, we could do worse than than holding up a litmus test. Is this voice that I'm hearing helpful, true, good? We could filter it through questions like, does this voice help me love God and other people? We could sit consider the impact that it has on us. Does it lead us to kindness, honesty, courage, and love? We could also think about the source. Does the source display kindness, honesty, courage, and love? Does it move us towards abundance or scarcity? Does it move us towards community or withdrawal? And we can do all of that as a sort of filtering, and that's a good way to start when we decide what voices we will listen to.”

23s

#EarsToHear

“Friends, in the midst of all the noise of our world right now, we need people that know how to listen today more than we ever had. So as we enter into this Lenten journey, may we be those with ears to hear and minds to process and hearts to follow as we learn to listen to the voices that truly bring life. Amen.”

63s

#CutThroughTheNoise

“And so what I found is that it was difficult to find follow conversations with people, but but it was so loud and and often like music competing, with other music that, even my own thoughts, I had a hard time processing through and and and focusing on. And and the reality is that sometimes there is so much noise that it's hard for us to truly listen. And it turns out that that happens to us in a lot of ways in a lot of places. We are constantly inundated with sound and messages all of the time. From TV and and radio and advertisements that are all around us, there are podcasts and strangers and sales pitches that that that come at us at all times in all directions. Sometimes that's intermixed with with the sound of music, a rhythm and a beat behind it. I also wanna say that sometimes the noise is audible and and and that's sort of our focus, but we also get this this rush of of images and of advertisements all the time. These visual messages flashing before us a million times a day that that we have to process as well.”

35s

#SpotPartialTruths

“This is how deception often works. It's a partial truth or a fragment of honesty, and it gets stirred in with dishonesty, a a bunch of garbage, and then we end up taking all of it together. And if that weren't enough, we get another example of how sometimes this happens to us. After the serpent leaves, it it says that it's noticed that the the fruit on the tree is enticing. It's a delight. It's desirable. It's good for eating. And and sometimes that's a reality too. That which is less than the fullness that God intends for us can sometimes be enticing and delightful and desirable.”

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St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Lenexa, KS This sermon · AI assistant

Who should Christians listen to in temptation?

How can we discern God's voice amid noise?

How does Lent shape intentional listening and seeking?