Embracing Divine Dialogue: A Journey of Faith

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, there is a profound longing to experience a life deeply connected with God, a life where communication with the divine becomes as natural as breathing. This desire is beautifully illustrated through the story of a man who, in his quest for intimacy with God, would climb Signal Hill daily, engaging in a dialogue with the Creator. He would speak to God and then articulate what he perceived God was saying back to him. This practice led to moments of profound beauty and joy, where he felt God’s presence so vividly that it inspired poetry beyond his own capabilities. Although he couldn’t remember the exact words later, the experience itself was a testament to the divine interaction.

This narrative challenges us to consider the nature of communication with God. It suggests that God can guide our thoughts without the need for spoken words, as God is infinite and not bound by the limitations of human language. This opens up the possibility that our thoughts can be divinely inspired, a concept that can be both mysterious and comforting.

The story also highlights the importance of being open to God’s voice, despite the skepticism that can arise from the misuse of phrases like "God told me." Even in biblical times, there was a need to discern true prophecy from falsehood. This discernment is crucial in maintaining a genuine relationship with God.

Moreover, the idea of playing a "game with minutes" to be consciously aware of God’s presence is a practical approach to nurturing this relationship. It encourages us to measure our awareness of God throughout our day, fostering a continuous connection with the divine.

Ultimately, the journey of faith is about experimenting with how much of God we can carry within us at any given moment. It’s about being open to the possibility that God is guiding our thoughts and being willing to engage in a dialogue with the divine, even if it means stepping into the unknown.

Key Takeaways:

1. Desire for Divine Connection: Cultivating a deep longing for a life with God can lead to profound experiences of divine communication, where God’s presence becomes a source of joy and inspiration. [02:34]

2. God’s Infinite Communication: God, being infinite, can guide our thoughts without the need for spoken words, allowing for a mysterious yet comforting form of divine interaction. [06:37]

3. Openness to God’s Voice: It is essential to remain open to God’s voice, discerning true divine communication amidst skepticism and misuse of spiritual language. [05:26]

4. Game with Minutes: Practicing awareness of God’s presence through a "game with minutes" can help nurture a continuous connection with the divine, making spirituality a practical part of daily life. [07:14]

5. Experimenting with Faith: Our journey with God is an experiment in how much of the divine we can carry within us, inviting us to engage in dialogue with God and embrace the mystery of faith. [06:06]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:52] - Desire for Divine Connection
[02:34] - Experiencing God's Presence
[03:29] - The Power of Divine Communication
[04:18] - Public and Private Faith
[05:11] - Openness to God's Voice
[06:06] - Experimenting with Faith
[06:37] - Infinite Communication
[07:02] - Game with Minutes
[07:53] - The Modern Mystic
[08:04] - Closing Remarks

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 - "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good."
2. 1 Kings 19:11-13 - The story of Elijah hearing God's voice in a gentle whisper.
3. John 10:27 - "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

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#### Observation Questions
1. What was the practice of the man who climbed Signal Hill, and how did it impact his relationship with God? [02:34]
2. How did the man describe the poetry that flowed from him during his time on Signal Hill? [02:47]
3. What was the man's reaction to not being able to remember the poetry he spoke? [03:02]
4. How does the sermon describe the concept of a "game with minutes"? [07:14]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the story of the man on Signal Hill illustrate the idea of divine communication without spoken words? [06:37]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest we can discern true divine communication from falsehood? [05:26]
3. How might the concept of God guiding our thoughts challenge or comfort someone in their faith journey? [06:15]
4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of being open to God's voice despite skepticism? [05:11]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt a deep longing for a connection with God. How did you pursue that desire, and what was the outcome? [01:52]
2. The sermon mentions the misuse of phrases like "God told me." How can you ensure that your claims of divine communication are genuine and not misleading? [05:11]
3. Consider the "game with minutes" concept. How can you incorporate this practice into your daily routine to increase your awareness of God's presence? [07:14]
4. How do you currently discern whether a thought or idea is divinely inspired? What steps can you take to improve this discernment process? [06:15]
5. The man on Signal Hill experienced moments of profound beauty and joy. How can you create space in your life for similar experiences of divine interaction? [02:34]
6. How can you balance being open to God's voice with a healthy skepticism to avoid being misled by false prophecies? [05:26]
7. What practical steps can you take to experiment with carrying more of God's presence within you, as suggested in the sermon? [06:06]

Devotional

Day 1: Longing for Divine Intimacy
In our spiritual journey, there is a deep yearning to experience a life intimately connected with God, where communication with the divine becomes as natural as breathing. This longing is beautifully illustrated through the story of a man who, in his quest for closeness with God, would climb Signal Hill daily, engaging in a dialogue with the Creator. He would speak to God and then articulate what he perceived God was saying back to him. This practice led to moments of profound beauty and joy, where he felt God’s presence so vividly that it inspired poetry beyond his own capabilities. Although he couldn’t remember the exact words later, the experience itself was a testament to the divine interaction. This narrative challenges us to consider the nature of communication with God and suggests that God can guide our thoughts without the need for spoken words, as God is infinite and not bound by the limitations of human language. [02:34]

"For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." (Psalm 107:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to cultivate a deeper longing for God's presence in your daily routine?


Day 2: Embracing God's Infinite Communication
God, being infinite, can guide our thoughts without the need for spoken words, allowing for a mysterious yet comforting form of divine interaction. This opens up the possibility that our thoughts can be divinely inspired, a concept that can be both mysterious and comforting. The story of the man on Signal Hill illustrates this beautifully, as he experienced moments of profound beauty and joy through his perceived dialogue with God. This challenges us to be open to the idea that God can communicate with us in ways that transcend human language, inviting us to embrace the mystery of divine communication. [06:37]

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8, ESV)

Reflection: How can you become more aware of God's guidance in your thoughts today, even when it doesn't come in the form of spoken words?


Day 3: Openness to God's Voice
It is essential to remain open to God’s voice, discerning true divine communication amidst skepticism and misuse of spiritual language. Even in biblical times, there was a need to discern true prophecy from falsehood. This discernment is crucial in maintaining a genuine relationship with God. The story of the man on Signal Hill reminds us of the importance of being open to God’s voice, despite the skepticism that can arise from the misuse of phrases like "God told me." By cultivating discernment, we can nurture a genuine relationship with God and remain open to His guidance in our lives. [05:26]

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take today to discern God's voice more clearly in your life, especially when faced with skepticism or doubt?


Day 4: Practicing the Game with Minutes
Practicing awareness of God’s presence through a "game with minutes" can help nurture a continuous connection with the divine, making spirituality a practical part of daily life. This approach encourages us to measure our awareness of God throughout our day, fostering a continuous connection with the divine. By consciously bringing God into our daily activities, we can cultivate a deeper relationship with Him and make spirituality an integral part of our lives. This practice invites us to experiment with how much of God we can carry within us at any given moment. [07:14]

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate the "game with minutes" into your daily routine to increase your awareness of God's presence throughout the day?


Day 5: Experimenting with Faith
Our journey with God is an experiment in how much of the divine we can carry within us, inviting us to engage in dialogue with God and embrace the mystery of faith. This journey is about being open to the possibility that God is guiding our thoughts and being willing to engage in a dialogue with the divine, even if it means stepping into the unknown. By experimenting with faith, we can discover new depths of our relationship with God and experience the joy and inspiration that comes from divine interaction. [06:06]

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can experiment with faith today, trusting God to guide your thoughts and actions?

Quotes

and that desperate desire to want that life with god more than you want anything else and then for the thought to come that god really could speak to him and and then for it to come in such an interesting way as best as i can understand it the way that he would actually experience prayer is he would talk to god and then he would say back what he understood god to be saying to him in fact john i have a little passage of that you know he went to signal hill virtually every day [00:01:39]

just at this moment you must hear of this sacred evening the day had been rich but strenuous so i climbed signal hill back of my house talking and listening to god all the way up all the way back all the lovely half hour on top and god talked back i let my tongue go loose and from it there flowed poetry far more beautiful than anything i ever composed it flowed without pausing and without ever a failing syllable for half an hour i listened astonished and full of joy and gratitude [00:02:34]

i wanted a dictaphone for i knew that i should not be able to remember it and now i cannot why someone may ask did god waste his poetry on you alone when you could not carry it home you will have to ask god that question i only know he did and i am happy in the memory but it's wonderful how out of this he learned a presence of god with him and a speaking voice that then he became this world figure yeah inventive uh of a technique for teaching people to read that is still used [00:03:29]

the very lovely story about how he taught one chief of the morrows to read and the chief out of gratitude asked if he if there's anyone that he wanted him to kill because that was one way that the morrows tried their love language yeah in fact i think in gary chapman look that's one of that's the sixth love language you know the thing is that it it seems so private and yet you can't contain it and it was so public i mean he would say in a it was another little book learning the vocabulary of god [00:04:18]

he would say that little child that can't read is that you speaking to me god which led him to this great right off literacy yeah yeah and uh that that that it his great work came in the area of language you see is actually tied right into the issue of communication and intimacy that comes through that conversational relationship that that he was walking into with god i loved his uh definition of a mystic which i thought was so memorable he said a mystic is somebody who believes when you talk to god god talks back [00:05:11]

and it puts it so simply because either that's the case or god doesn't talk back and i know for me and i think it's probably true for a lot of people i tend to be so suspicious put off by the abuse of god told me some language that i would tend to go to the other extreme exactly close myself off from the possibility yes i think that's what most people do and so you know you know really even in the bible era i mean paul had to tell right and say despise not prophesy [00:06:06]

i think he had to say that because there was so much holy baloney going all right that he said now you know test thing don't despise it test what is true i mean hold fast part of what was so helpful to me and i think dallas that you heard about this and hearing god i know cs lewis wrote about it lol book talks about i love he says the reason that there are so many human beings is god is running experiments with all of them to see how much of me can this person carry in this moment [00:06:37]

and that thought that was so helpful to me is that communication is simply guiding somebody's thoughts exactly you know that all the communication is is guiding somebody's thoughts because we're finite we have to use finite means we have to use sounds or written images and then because that's happening because i'm making these sounds you're having thoughts that you would not otherwise have but because god is infinite he can guide our thoughts without needing to have any finite means in between [00:07:02]

and that means it really it becomes very possible that i could be having this thought because god is guiding it and there's still a mystery to it but it's not so confusing then no you you know one of the things that's so lovely i mean we can't be on signal hill and and in that kind of context but that little book he wrote game with minutes was this sort of practical one that all of us yes and i and i always found it such a delight that he called it a game right how many minutes can i be aware of god's presence [00:07:53]

and at one point in one of his writings he would put these were journal writings and at the top of the journal entry he would put 50 conscious seventy percent yes whatever and i used to go conscious of what until you know he was playing this game with minutes but you know that's one of the most encouraging thing about this though for those of us who think we're modern and up to date and all of that is that he he was an extremely well-educated person in the social sciences especially and in psychology [00:08:04]

and that he would put a percentage on it yeah try to get precise with it absolutely well unfortunately speaking of minutes we're to our last minute so that's it for now i'm sorry dallas you had a really profound thought no doubt it was everybody who's watching this video is gonna have to go into eternity never having heard it perhaps perhaps god will talk to them [00:08:04]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?