Life.Church with Craig Groeschel

Episode: Hear God in Your Everyday Life
Date: February 9, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Pastor Craig Groeschel tackles a question fundamental to many Christians: How can I hear God's voice in my everyday life? He explores the biblical promises that Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, speaks to His followers, and offers practical steps to recognize and respond to God’s guidance. With humor, relatable stories, and direct application from Scripture, Pastor Craig encourages listeners to seek, hear, and obey God's voice in both ordinary and challenging moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Challenge and Desire to Hear God

• Struggle to Discern God's Voice:
  Pastor Craig opens by acknowledging the confusion many feel: “Was that God or was that me? Was that my emotions? Is that what I want? Was that the Holy Spirit or was that the pizza I had late last night talking to me today?" (01:00)
• Humorous Story—The Magic 8 Ball Analogy:
  He jokes about wishing for a Magic 8 Ball to get clear answers, using this as a humorous illustration of people’s desire for direct, unmistakable clarity from God. (02:00)

Jesus' Promise: The Good Shepherd & His Voice

• Scripture Foundation:
  Referencing John 10, Pastor Craig highlights Jesus’ promise that His sheep (followers) can know and recognize His voice.
  • “Jesus promised that we would know his voice.” (09:35)
• Relational Nature of God:
  God knows us by name and leads us individually, just as a shepherd does.
  • “God loves you as if there were only one of you.” (10:40)

Three Practical Steps to Hearing God

1. Ask God to Speak to You

• "If you’ve got a decision to make... God, what is your will? Speak to me." (12:02)
• Warning:
  Don’t ask if you’re not ready: “Don’t ask God to speak to you if you don’t wanna hear what he has to say.” (13:30)
• Story of Samuel:
  • Samuel, serving in the temple, heard God’s voice after being instructed to say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” (16:45)
  • Sometimes, God’s message is challenging—not what we want or expect. (21:00)
  • Memorable Prayer:

    "Speak Lord, your servant is listening." (17:45, repeated throughout segment)

2. Listen to What He Says

• Just Because You Can’t Hear, Doesn’t Mean God Isn’t Speaking:
  “The more you listen, the better you’ll be able to recognize God’s voice.” (24:30)
• ATC Pilot Analogy:
  Learning to hear God is like learning to hear your plane’s tail number among radio chatter; with practice, your ear becomes attuned. (26:00)
  • “The more you listen, the better you get at recognizing your name.” (27:45)
• How Does God Speak?
  • Through the Bible: “The most reliable way to hear from God is to listen to what he says through His Word.” (32:40)
  • Through a friend’s wisdom, sermons, songs, circumstances, the Holy Spirit, dreams, visions, supernatural peace, or absence of peace. (34:50-36:50)
  • "God may speak to you through confirmation, through His Word, through a message, or through a friend.” (37:30)
  • God is always speaking—the challenge is, are we listening? (39:30)

3. Do What He Tells You To Do

• “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and do what else? And obey it.” (43:50)
• Warning: God’s direction often calls for faith and action. (44:10)
• Why Isn’t God Speaking Now?
  • Sometimes God is silent because we haven't obeyed His previous instruction.
    “Maybe because you didn’t do the last thing that he told you to do.” (46:15)
  • Many have "Bible knowledge, but not a lot of obedience.” (47:00)
  • “Many Christians are educated beyond their level of obedience.” (47:20)
• Practical examples: Prompted to forgive, give, confess, serve, or invite, but you haven’t followed through. (48:00-48:45)

Turning Down the World to Hear God

• Exercise: 20 Sounds of Silence
  Pastor Craig describes a mindfulness practice of sitting quietly to hear at least 20 distinct sounds, paralleling how God is speaking but we often aren’t still enough to notice.

  • “God is speaking. He speaks every day to anyone who will listen to Him.” (51:20)

• Ref: Psalm 46:10:
  “Be still and know that he is God.” (53:00)

• Elijah’s Whisper—God Speaks in the Ordinary:
  Story from 1 Kings 19:12, where Elijah hears God in a gentle whisper, not the wind, earthquake, or fire. (54:30)

  • “He was waiting for God in the extraordinary—but after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (56:05)
  • Memorable Note:

    “Maybe one of the reasons he whispers is to draw you close. Because our God is a relational God.” (57:00)

Invitation and Call to Respond

• Jesus Knocks—Revelation 3:20:
  "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them." (01:01:56)
• No Need to Clean Up First:
  “What if I’m still sinning and messing up? You just let Him in…Your servant is listening.” (01:03:00)
• Prayer of Surrender:
  “Heavenly Father, I surrender to you. I hear your voice and I’m letting you in. Save me, forgive me, fill me with your spirit. Speak to me daily so I can do your will and show your love in all I do. My life is not my own. I give it all to you. In Jesus’ name I pray.” (01:04:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Don’t ask God to speak to you if you don’t wanna hear what he has to say.” — Craig Groeschel (13:30)
• “The most reliable way to hear from God is to listen to what he says through His Word.” — Craig Groeschel (32:45)
• “The more you listen, the better you get at recognizing your name.” — Craig Groeschel, on learning to hear God (27:45)
• “Maybe one of the reasons He whispers is to draw you close.” — Craig Groeschel (57:00)
• “Many Christians are educated beyond their level of obedience.” — Craig Groeschel (47:20)
• “He whispers: I am with you. I am for you. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I’m working in all things to bring about good. You can trust me. God whispers.” (58:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Humorous Opening / Magic 8 Ball Illustration: 01:00 – 05:00
• The Good Shepherd—Promise from Jesus: 09:00 – 11:25
• How to Hear God: Step 1—Ask (Samuel story): 12:02 – 21:00
• Samuel’s Prayer—Repeat After Me: 17:45
• Step 2—Listen for God’s Answer: 24:30 – 32:45
• How God Speaks: 32:45 – 39:30
• Step 3—Do What He Says: 43:50 – 49:00
• 20 Sounds Practice / Mindfulness: 51:20 – 53:00
• Elijah’s Whisper: 54:30 – 57:00
• Invitation, Prayer, and Call to Jesus: 01:01:56 – end

Tone and Style

Pastor Craig’s language is friendly, humorous, and relatable. He mixes biblical teaching with modern anecdotes and self-deprecating humor, making deep spiritual concepts accessible and practical for listeners.

Summary

• Hearing from God is possible and promised by Jesus—but it requires intentional asking, careful listening, and willing obedience.
• God speaks most reliably through His Word, but also through people, circumstances, His Spirit, and even a gentle whisper in everyday life.
• Slowing down and tuning out worldly noise are vital for spiritual attentiveness.
• God’s voice often calls us to steps of faith.
• Responding in obedience to what God says will deepen our relationship and capacity to hear Him next time.

Key takeaway:

“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” (17:45, 59:10)

For listeners seeking to deepen their communion with God, this episode offers encouragement and a clear, Scripture-rooted path: Ask Him to speak, listen intently, and have the faith to respond.