As Thanksgiving is upon us, our hearts and minds turn to "family" and what that means for each person. In this episode, Andrew focuses on adoption, family and how we find belonging and family in the church.

Feeling isolated and lonely? You're not alone. There are many who are walking in the fog, and what we all need is others to walk with us in community.

In this episode, Andrew shares how journaling can help us hear God's voice.

While many people have a love/hate relationship with journaling - there is a very helpful method of journaling called the "Immanuel Journaling" approach.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language)

5–6 Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart;

don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Habakkuk 2:1-3 (NIV)

1 I will stand at my watch

and station myself on the ramparts;

I will look to see what he will say to me,

and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

2 Then the LORD replied:

“Write down the revelation

and make it plain on tablets

so that a herald may run with it.

3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

it will certainly come

and will not delay.

20 The LORD is in his holy temple;

let all the earth be silent before him.

Here’s how Journaling helps you hear God’s voice:

1. Helps you de-stress & detoxify (healthy venting)

2. Gets your thoughts out of your head, into words

3. Helps you to let go of the thoughts that distract you

4. Writing slows down your thoughts

5. Writing helps you to organize and prioritize your thoughts

6. Ending your “free write” with a question for God to answer

https://www.amazon.com/Joyful-Journey-Dr-James-Wilder/dp/171183145X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=joyful+journey+listening+to+immanuel&qid=1686594145&sprefix=%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-1

Today's podcast is a 20 minute version of a sermon that was shared on Pentecost Sunday in our outdoor service. This devotional is more like an adventure through different passages of Scripture about Simon Peter, who is transformed by the Holy Spirit. It ties to the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.

We can relate to the shame, guilt and feelings of being disqualified that Peter walks through in Jesus' last days. The way that that the Holy Spirit changes Peter forever gives us a sense of what we can expect as we kneel to Jesus as our King, and the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside us. It is the power of the Holy Spirit and posture of forgiveness in Jesus that are game changers for us who follow Jesus.

John 21:15–17 (NIV) 

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape/unconditionally love) me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love (phileo/like me a lot) you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape/unconditionally love) me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (phileo/like me a lot) you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John,

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love (phileo/like me a lot) me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things;

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep."

Background Music "Emotional Cinematic" by: "Grand Project" sourced from Pixabay.com

In this episode Andrew gives us five ways to situate yourself better to hear the voice of Jesus.

1. Humility

2. Purity

3. Stillness

4. Fix your eyes on Jesus

5. Release your burdens first to Jesus

"There is something in humility which strangely exalts the heart." - St. Augustine of Hippo

Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

"Spiritual joy arises from purity of the heart and perseverance in prayer." - St. Francis of Assisi

Psalm 66:18 (NIV)

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened;

"God's silence doesn't mean His absence. Silence is God's call for you to grow deeper." - Chuck Swindoll

Psalm 62:1 (NIV)

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him.

In Matthew 7:7–8 (NIV) Jesus says, 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

22 Cast your cares on the LORD

and he will sustain you;

"No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow's burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear." - George MacDonald

Matthew 6:34 (NIV) 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In this episode Andrew tells the story of hearing God's voice audibly (only once ever), and then gives us a list of characteristics of what God's voice always, sometimes and never sounds like. That list is below here in the show notes:

The voice of Jesus sounds like:

 ALWAYS:

·      Peaceful and confident

·      Often it feels like the voice comes from “behind me”

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)  21 Whether you turn to the

·      It “sounds” slightly different from your own thoughts

·      In your own language (unless God is reminding you of a

·      The fruit (result) of obeying the rhema word from God

SOMETIMES:

·      SOMETIMES is a verse, or a phrase from a Bible verse

·      SOMETIMES it’s a warning

·      SOMETIMES it’s a directive to do something or give to

·      SOMETIMES God simply brings someone to mind to prompt

·      SOMETIMES it’s a prompting to forgive someone who has

·      SOMETIMES a word or a phrase is accompanied by a

·      SOMETIMES it comes to me as a question, that gets me

·      SOMETIMES it is a word of wisdom from God (1 Cor.

·      SOMETIMES it is a word of knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8) –

·      SOMETIMES it is a prophetic word for myself or

 NEVER

·      NEVER condemning

·      NEVER goes against His written Word

·      NEVER selfish or self serving

In this podcast Andrew looks at the role of the shepherd with sheep in the Bible.

In John 10, Jesus goes into great detail about how we (his sheep) hear and recognize his voice.

This podcast refers to Genesis 48, Revelation 7:17, Psalm 23:1, Isaiah 53:6, Ezekiel 34, James 4:7, John 8:47, Luke 15:4-7, Romans 2:4, Psalm 46:10, Matthew 12:19.

1)  Read His Word:  While God doesn’t use King James English with me, the Holy Spirit will often whisper a phrase from His written Word to me.

2)  Acting on impressions I get from God, then testing the fruit:  If I get a picture in my mind, have a dream about someone, or have someone “randomly” come to mind – I pray, send them a prayer via text message, call them, and check in.  If the timing is clearly miraculous, then I know that was God nudging me – and I pay attention to what that was like to “hear” or “sense” God’s prompting. 

3)  I take prophetic words that are given to me seriously:  I take time to pray about and test any word from God that someone gives to me, often making sure it is written form.  As I see some words radically on target, I pay attention to the heart posture and “feeling” of the word.  It tunes my ear to hear the

This is the first episode in a series about hearing God's voice.

In this quick look at 1 Kings 19, we learn from Elijah the prophet who had an encounter hearing God's voice. After his greatest victory over the prophets of Baal, (showing that Yahweh is the God over all other gods) - Elijah is depressed, running for his life.

It is in this low place that God ministers to Elijah through the actions of the angel of the Lord, then God, Himself reveals himself to Elijah and gives him the tangible direction he was seeking from God.

In this podcast, Andrew talks about the "Shalom" peace of God and how two ways that we can carry it more.

While the two pathways to peace mentioned in Philippians 4 are

1) prayer

2) thanksgiving

Here are 8 statements that are shared that help our understanding of God's nature remain true:

I've been telling the story behind the song for the last 12 weeks of the podcast, this is a bonus addition to what can be heard on my "proof in the mirror" CD.

In the fall of 2012, we laid to rest the body of a six week old baby named Lydia Rose Green.

As I prepared to do her memorial service, this was the song that the Lord gave me.

This podcast tells that story, and plays the recording of the song (I recorded it in the garage).

Click here to see a "Lyric video" of this song on YouTube

Verse 1:

Dancing in, the fields of

Hand in hand, with our king,

Spinning round, you are free,

Perfect joy, has come to you,

Chorus:

Jesus, you give us life, and

You hold us in your hands

And when it’s our time

You will be so kind,

You will come and carry us away

Verse 2:

Purple skies, tell a tale, of

He understands, who we are, he

As roses bloom in His time, we

To trust again, and hope is on

Bridge:

Prince of Peace

Lord of Lords

We fall into your arms

So, Lord Heal my heart

Heal every part

Someday we’ll dance with you,