READ: JOHN 10:1-30

Every time I get a voicemail from my mom, I smile. I’ve heard her voice almost every day of my life. So if I know anyone’s voice, it’s hers. What always makes me smile is the fact that she still feels the need to tell me that it’s her leaving the voicemail.

It’s not just my mom’s voice that I hear and instantly know. I have some close friends and family members I talk with all the time. They can leave a voicemail without a name, and I know who they are. But, if someone I didn’t know very well left me a message without a name, I would have no clue who they were.

Jesus says His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we become His sheep. He is our good shepherd (John 10:11). So, as Christians, we spend time listening to His voice so we can know it and follow Him. We can do this by absorbing the truth of the gospel—meditating on who Jesus is and what He has done in the pages of God’s Word, the Bible. Throughout the Bible, God reveals His unending love and steadfast character, ultimately making Himself known to us through Jesus (John 1:18). As we press into relationship with Jesus through spending time in His Word, in prayer, and with His people, it will become easier and easier for us to discern His voice. • Melissa Yeagle

• How have you heard people talk about listening to God’s voice?

• Have you ever tried to listen to God’s voice? What was that like?

• The primary way God speaks to us is through His Word, the Bible. And the gospel (good news) is the lens through which we understand His Word, because the whole Bible points to Jesus and hinges on His death and resurrection. If you want to know more about the gospel, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• Learning to listen to God’s voice takes time, and we’ll keep learning until the day Jesus returns— then we won’t need to discern anymore because we’ll see Jesus face to face! But in the meantime, if we know Jesus His Holy Spirit lives in us, reminding us of everything Jesus has said and helping us discern His voice. We can also talk to trusted Christians and help each other answer questions like: Does this agree with the Bible? Does this glorify God the Father and God the Son? Does this bring the fruit of the Spirit and hope, or condemnation and fear? Remember, God will never ask us to sin, and He will never break His promises. If you want to dig deeper, read John 3:17; 14:26; 16:12-15; Romans 8:1; Galatians 5:22-23.

[Jesus said,] “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (CSB)