Is This What You Want God? | Pastor Mike Frisch

Devotional

Day 1: Fleece and Fire

Gideon stood in a threshing floor, hiding from Midianite raiders. God called him to lead Israel’s deliverance, but fear choked his courage. He laid a fleece on the ground, daring to ask for dew on the fleece alone. Morning revealed wool soaked while dirt stayed dry. Still uncertain, he reversed the test—dry fleece, wet ground. God answered both times without rebuke. [44:31]

God didn’t scold Gideon’s shaky faith. He met him in the tension between calling and fear. Each damp fleece proved God’s patience to confirm His voice to those who feel unqualified. He isn’t annoyed by honest questions—He invites them.

You’ve likely hesitated to step into a God-sized task, doubting if He’d use someone like you. Name that fear today. Lay your “fleece” before Him—a specific ask for clarity. Will you risk trusting His patience over your perfection?

“Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know…’ And that is what happened.”
(Judges 6:36-40, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to confirm one decision through His Word or circumstances this week.
Challenge: Write your current uncertainty on paper. Pray over it daily: “Lord, if it’s You, confirm it.”

Day 2: The Voice in the Night

Young Samuel lay in the temple when a voice shattered the silence. Three times he ran to Eli, mistaking God’s call for his mentor’s. Finally, Eli recognized divine interruption: “If He calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord.’” When the voice came a fourth time, Samuel whispered, “Your servant listens”—and received a prophetic word for Israel. [46:01]

God persisted through Samuel’s confusion. He honored the boy’s willingness to keep showing up, even misdirected. Our missteps don’t disqualify us from hearing—He adjusts our ears as we keep responding.

How many divine prompts have you dismissed as coincidence or others’ voices? Practice pausing when life interrupts. Next time your phone buzzes, a friend calls, or sleep evades you, ask: “God, are You speaking here?” What ordinary moment might He make holy?

“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”
(1 Samuel 3:1-10, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one assumption blocking you from hearing God’s voice clearly.
Challenge: Silence your phone for 15 minutes. Sit still and say aloud: “Speak, Lord. I’m listening.”

Day 3: Leaping for Confirmation

Mary hurried to Elizabeth’s house, her womb swelling with the unborn Messiah. Before Mary spoke, Elizabeth’s baby leaped—John the Baptist recognizing his King. Elizabeth declared Mary blessed, confirming the angel’s promise. Two women, two miracles, one explosive moment of God’s “yes.” [47:30]

God used community to anchor Mary’s faith. Elizabeth’s prophetic words and John’s kick turned private revelation into shared certainty. He still confirms through His people—a friend’s insight, a mentor’s nudge, a stranger’s timely word.

Who are your Elizabeths—those who recognize God’s work in you before you voice it? Reach out to one this week. Share your “Mary moment”—the thing God’s stirring. Ask: “Do you see His hand here?”

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women!’”
(Luke 1:39-45, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for someone who confirmed His voice in your life.
Challenge: Text a spiritually mature friend: “Has God shown you anything about my journey lately?”

Day 4: Doors Unlocked by Obedience

Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, bruises still fresh from stonings and opposition. Yet they reported “how God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” Every locked prison door, hostile city, and broken plan had paradoxically spread the gospel wider. [01:04:41]

God’s open doors often look like obstacles to human eyes. Paul didn’t force entry—he walked through divine alignment. A “no” here redirected to a “yes” there. Our job isn’t to pry doors open but to notice which ones swing easily at His touch.

What door have you been pushing against? Stop shoving. Step back. Ask: “Does this align with God’s character? Do wise people affirm it? Does it bring peace?” If answers unsettle you, consider it a redirection, not rejection.

“They reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
(Acts 14:27, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to shut one door you’ve been forcing open.
Challenge: List three recent “closed doors.” Write one way each redirected you toward God’s heart.

Day 5: Umpire of the Heart

Paul told the Colossians to let Christ’s peace “umpire” their hearts. Ancient referees decided plays with shouts and gestures. Similarly, God’s peace doesn’t whisper—it shouts “safe!” or “out!” in our spirits. [01:09:58]

Peace isn’t passive absence of conflict. It’s active discernment—a spiritual gut-check. Like Peter walking on water, peace keeps us afloat until we take our eyes off Jesus. The second we sink into anxiety, His hand pulls us up.

Where are you ignoring the umpire’s call? That relationship that churns your stomach? The opportunity that feels rushed? Pause. Let peace arbitrate. Ask: “Does this decision help me rest in Christ’s control or claw for my own?”

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”
(Colossians 3:15, NIV)

Prayer: Hold your hands open. Pray: “Jesus, umpire my heart. Overrule my fears.”
Challenge: Before making a decision today, rate your peace level from 1-10. Act only if above 5.

Sermon Summary

A simple RSVP metaphor frames a longing for divine confirmation and describes why people crave a clear, unmistakable sign that God is present in life’s choices. Biblical stories from Gideon, Samuel, Paul, and Mary illustrate that God habitually confirms directions to those who seek him, often repeating or publicly validating the same call. Four practical means for discerning and confirming God’s voice anchor the guidance: Scripture, godly community, divine alignment, and the gift of peace. Scripture functions as a lamp and offers three concrete ways to test a sense of direction—look for a principle, a pattern, or a command that fits the situation. Community provides counsel that exposes blind spots and tests alignment, affirmation, and action against the life of Jesus. Divine alignment shows itself through open doors that come together without coercion, the sensible excitement to pursue a path, and recurring affirmation from trusted people; closed doors show persistent resistance and signal a need to pause. Peace operates not merely as emotional ease but as spiritual confidence, acting like an umpire that calls a decision safe or out in the heart. The content insists that God will never lead where Scripture forbids, and that perfect clarity rarely precedes faithful obedience; obedience, not perfection, receives priority. Practical next steps include weighing Scripture, bringing the matter to wise and godly advisers, watching circumstances for God’s hand, and asking whether Christ’s peace rules the heart. Finally, a simple communal exercise models lifting one specific decision before God and praying a short petition: if it is God, confirm it; if not, remove it. The overall aim centers on moving from paralysis-by-uncertainty into faithful, prayerful action, trusting that God confirms and, when needed, redirects those who seek him with integrity.

Key Takeaways

1. Scripture reveals God’s direction Scripture provides testable categories: principle, pattern, and command. These categories help distinguish wishful thinking from divine guidance by measuring a choice against best practices, recurring biblical rhythms, and direct commands of Jesus. Because God will not lead where Scripture forbids, returning to the text protects both conscience and calling and narrows ambiguity into actionable clarity. [51:24]
2. Seek wise community for counsel Trusted, godly advisers expose blind spots and translate private impressions into public discernment. Present the facts, listen without defending, and evaluate counsel for alignment with Scripture, likeness to Jesus, and practical next steps. Community does not replace the Spirit’s voice but provides a human refining process that confirms or corrects private conviction. [59:27]
3. Watch for open and closed doors Divine alignment shows itself when circumstances cohere without forcing and when excitement and simple provision accompany a step. Persistent resistance, recurring obstacles, or consistent warnings from wise people usually signal a closed door and call for pause rather than panic. Treat doors as diagnostic: they confirm, redirect, or clarify the posture of obedience required. [65:22]
4. Let Christ’s peace be umpire Peace functions as spiritual confidence, not mere comfort; it rules the heart and adjudicates decisions. When peace accompanies a choice that aligns with Scripture and wise counsel, it signals safety to move; when anxiety or rush predominates, it signals the need to pause. Use peace as a litmus test alongside the other three confirmations rather than as the sole criterion. [69:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:24] - RSVP metaphor and longing for confirmation
[42:55] - Series focus: hearing God in noise
[50:23] - Introduction to four confirming ways
[51:24] - Scripture: principle, pattern, command
[59:27] - Godly community and wise counsel
[63:56] - Divine alignment: open and closed doors
[69:16] - Peace as the heart’s umpire
[76:45] - Prayer exercise and next right step

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Proverbs 15:22 (ESV)
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Colossians 3:15 (ESV)
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Observation Questions

What three categories does the sermon suggest using to test a decision against Scripture (principle, pattern, command)? [53:27]
How does the story of Gideon in Judges 6 illustrate God’s willingness to confirm His direction? [44:31]
According to Colossians 3:15, what metaphor does the sermon use to describe the role of peace in decision-making? [09:58]
What two types of “doors” does the sermon associate with divine alignment? [01:05:22]

Interpretation Questions

Why might God use both inward impressions (like peace) and outward confirmations (like community or circumstances) to guide believers? [49:23]
How does the story of Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45) demonstrate the importance of combining private spiritual experiences with public validation? [47:30]
The sermon warns that “God will never lead where Scripture forbids.” How does this truth guard against self-deception when seeking guidance? [58:34]
Why might “perfection” in decision-making be an unrealistic expectation, while “obedience” remains essential? [01:12:30]

Application Questions

When facing a recent decision, how have you specifically used Scripture’s “principle, pattern, or command” framework? What made this helpful or challenging? [53:05]
Identify one area where you tend to resist seeking counsel. What practical step could you take this week to bring this to a trusted, godly adviser? [01:01:09]
Describe a time when you experienced a “closed door” that initially frustrated you but later revealed God’s protection or redirection. How did this shape your trust in His timing? [01:07:17]
The sermon describes peace as an “umpire” rather than mere comfort. What decision are you currently weighing where you need to discern between temporary ease and Christ-centered confidence? [01:09:16]
What recurring decision or responsibility in your life requires less “paralysis by analysis” and more faithful obedience? How will you take the next right step this week? [01:15:55]
Practice the prayer exercise from the sermon: physically “hold” one specific decision in your hands. What emotions or thoughts surface as you pray, “Lord, if it’s You, confirm it; if not, remove it”? [01:19:09]

Sermon Clips

45s

#NextRightStep

“``Look to the word of God, look to the people of God, Look to the alignment of God. Listen for the peace of God and take the next right step. Don't be afraid. Be obedient. Don't search for perfection. Search for obedience. Because the God of heaven and earth, the God who created it all, the God who defeated death, he's in this with you. And if you find yourself moving in a direction that doesn't honor him, let's be confident that he will redirect you because he's given us the tools and the people to do that.”

44s

#TakeFirstStep

“So whatever it might be that you are longing for God's confirming voice in your life, here's the invitation from the word of God and from Jesus himself, is to take the first right step. Look to the word of God, look to the people of God, Look to the alignment of God. Listen for the peace of God and take the next right step. Don't be afraid. Be obedient. Don't search for perfection. Search for obedience. Because the God of heaven and earth, the God who created it all, the God who defeated death, he's in this with you.”

30s

#PeaceNotJustComfort

“Because we've treated peace as just emotional comfort. And could I just be clear with you? Peace does bring emotional comfort. Peace from God does bring emotional comfort. But you need to know that the peace that we receive from Jesus himself that he promises through the power of his holy spirit in you and in me isn't just about emotional comfort, that his peace gives us spiritual confidence, that we are confident in the way that we're going and in the direction that we're taking and in the decisions we're making.”

23s

#PrinciplePatternCommand

“And so here's what I wanna invite you to do. Here's specifically what I have found to be helpful and I wanna invite you to do as well as you're looking for God's voice and wanting God to confirm his voice in your life. When you open up the word, look for one of three things or all three things. Look for a principle, a pattern, or a command. Look for a principle, a pattern, or a command.”

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Is This What You Want God? | Pastor Mike Frisch | Active Church Yucaipa