Finish Strong With Fearless Faith

Hearing God's Voice #02

January 11, 2021 FinishStrong Season 1 Episode 2
Finish Strong With Fearless Faith
Hearing God's Voice #02
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Show Notes Transcript

Hosts Dan Wheeler, Terry Steen, and Brian Roland discuss how hearing God's voice isn't as hard as we make it. God wants to speak to you!  You just have to learn how to listen!

They will help you live your life with purpose, change someone’s life for the better and leave a lasting impact on those around you. Everyone starts the race... but only the Fearless Finish Strong!

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Terry Steen:

I remember when I was on staff at the church, and when you're on the pastoral staff, you tend to have people that will come and ask you for counsel and ask you for input. And I know you guys probably don't believe that someone would do that come to wisdom or advice?

Unknown:

Well, we do, Terry, we give him a hard time.

Terry Steen:

But what I found was, it was very interesting how something that I may have just read about that morning in my devotions was the exact verse that I was able to share with this person that was perfectly applicable to what they were going through.

John Matarazzo:

Live your life with purpose, change someone's life for the better and leave a lasting impact for those around you. Welcome to finish strong, the podcast designed to help you discover your unique purpose and develop a plan to leave a powerful legacy. Today, Terry, Dan, and Brian answer the important question, how do you hear God's voice? Here's Terry, just start the conversation.

Terry Steen:

Wow, guys, another week, we're already into our second podcast, how's everything been going?

Dan Wheeler:

Well, good. I just love that we can communicate this way because we can go a little more in depth on topics. And today's topic is a great one guys how to hear God's voice.

Terry Steen:

Yeah, but I gotta say, I was a little disappointed. I listened back to the first one. And I thought these new microphones would make my voice deeper and richer, but it apparently doesn't work that way.

Dan Wheeler:

Oh, wait, are we going into humor now? Is this Oh,

Brian Roland:

yeah. There's there's a button on the back.

Dan Wheeler:

It's called the manly man button.

Terry Steen:

Apparently, mine doesn't have one. Oh, take it back? Well,

Dan Wheeler:

we'll have to get your new microphone. You

Terry Steen:

know, Dan, as you said, Today, we want to talk about an incredible subject. And it's something that some people, they cannot wrap their heads around the idea that we can communicate with a God that created the entire universe. But I know you guys well enough to know that we can hear from God can't wait.

Dan Wheeler:

I don't think there's anything more important, more necessary, more rewarding than that. And I know some people have said, do hear an audible voice. And we're going to go into all of that. Because I usually don't, but you usually know for sure. When God is speaking to you. And Brian, that kind of happened as we form fearless faith for all three of us. That's the truth. You know, it's

Brian Roland:

not that you said it's not a voice that you actually hear. But it's the nudging, there's a nudging. There's an urge, you know, and you get this push to that, you know, you're going in the right direction with especially when you commit it to prayer, and ask the Lord to guide you and that you know which way you're going, because you are comfortable in that that vein, if not that there's roadblocks where you says don't go there. I mean, it's it's almost a fear that comes over saying I'm not doing the right thing, then you know that you're on the right road.

Terry Steen:

And you know, we talked about not hearing an audible voice, and I always tongue in cheek, tell people that, hey, I can hear God's audible voice. But if you want to hear it, you've got to take the Bible and read it out loud, right? Because the Bible is God's word. And, you know, as far as I'm concerned, that's one of the ways we hear God's voice. What are some of the others that you guys can think of?

Brian Roland:

Well, a lot of it is through circumstances and things they may be happening around you than other things are scripture and prayer and, and the Holy Spirit.

Dan Wheeler:

Yeah, I absolutely feel a nudging, that I know is the Holy Spirit. Just, I feel it in my soul. But you're right, Terry scripture is the main one. And if you're hearing voices, and they don't align with Scripture, with the Bible, you're probably not listening to the right voices. The Holy Spirit, of course, is when we pray, he comes upon us. And that's when I feel the nudging, and also other people and circumstances. as Brian said, we're gonna talk about all that today. Right?

Terry Steen:

Well, let's do let's talk about, you know, I, you talk about the Bible, being a voice of God, and I always come back for some reason this scripture, I learned when I was in like a daily Vacation Bible School be in my early early years, just a couple years ago. Yeah, a couple years ago, and I'm not great at memorizing scripture, but this one pretty much stuck with me quite a bit and is founded in Second Timothy, the third chapter, and it's first 16th and 17th. And it says, All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for Good work. So it's basically telling us that if we'll read the Scripture, God will reveal to us the doctrine what we should believe. He'll rebuke us if we need rebuked or disciplined he'll correct us. And then he instruction instructs us in how to live correctly. And so right in that verse, it tells us how powerful His Word is.

Dan Wheeler:

Yeah, I go with Joshua one, seven, and eight really talks about this. It says, only be those strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do, according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee and the law up until that time was the written word of God. Turn not from it to the right hander to the left, that thou mayest prosper with our server, das ghost and this book of the law shall not depart out of the mouth, but thou shall meditate there in day and night, that thou must observe to do according to all that is written, then it there in for them, shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and thou shalt have good success. And that's God's saying, you know, if you follow my word, follow what I've laid out in the Bible, you're going to have good success. But we need to stay true to that. And it's important to read it I know a lot of people might say, Man, I, what do I do? Do I start in justice and just go through the Bible? I always recommend starting in the book of john. JOHN kind of lays it out from the beginning. Yeah, scripture, and then a john three, of course, we learn about accepting the Lord. But it's so true. I think, whenever we're making a big decision, prayer and reading the Bible are probably the most important things we can do.

Brian Roland:

Yeah, you know, what's important to them is that we use the Bible as our truenorth. I mean, that is what we are founded on. It's weightless we base our beliefs on and if you don't have that, I don't know what you what you go to, and what you stand by. And so when I'm talking to people, and they say, Well, I don't believe in the Bible, I go, where, where's your truenorth? Where, where's your foundation? And this is our foundation. So we had that to go to, and it's in has the answers are there for us every time?

Terry Steen:

Yeah, yeah, I'm reminded of the scripture in Psalm 119, chapter, verse 105, that says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light into my path when you're trying to walk through a dark area, and you have the lamp, that's where your light is. And it's interesting that it says my feet, because it's like, for me, I read that as to say, hey, that's right in front of me. That's what's happening today. He's my light for the day, His Word will direct me for the day. And then it's a light to my path. So it looks on ahead. It looks into the future, and God's word, and his voice speaks to us through His word for today. And for our future, it covers everything.

Unknown:

Mm hmm.

Dan Wheeler:

I remember my mom used to have a little plastic container, it looked like a loaf of bread that said, your daily bread, and she'd have scriptures, right, that we'd pull out and pray. And it was amazing to me how appropriate those scriptures were. And throughout the years, she would, when and when she would be in prayer. And she would pull one of those scriptures, God would impress on her who it was for, and she jot our name on it, and send it to us in the mail. And that was always so inspiring to me,

Brian Roland:

named Ryan, you

Terry Steen:

did you have those two? My parents did as well.

Brian Roland:

I did. And it's it would Dan just said about it's funny how it was so appropriate for the day. It's like how in the world is just kind of falling right into what we're doing. Almost like, we used to do a thing called family altar where we'd sit around after after dinner, and we'd read the Bible. And there was, I think, was called my daily bread. And we had each day in there. And it was just amazing to me how those was always seen the follow up on what was going on in our lives at the time. So God use that, to speak to us then to

Dan Wheeler:

you know, I'm gonna throw something out there guys, because there are people who maybe don't read the Bible. Maybe people say, Well, I meditate or I read the Qur'an or I read some other, you know, book on Buddhism. How do we know for sure that the Bible is God's Word? I'll throw that out to you. And then I'll tell you my experience.

Terry Steen:

What do you think we are biblical scholars here?

Dan Wheeler:

You have some some knowledge of

Brian Roland:

the Bible is a written Word of God. Terry said that right to begin with,

Terry Steen:

it comes back to Faith In reality, and it comes back to what you sense deep down in you. In fact, it says, of course, you have to believe the Bible to believe what the scripture says. But in Romans 1017 it says so then Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And for me, it's something deep deep down. That gives me that peace or sense that I really am hearing from God. Mm hmm.

Dan Wheeler:

Should we see if our producer wants to throw anything in on this John Matarazzo young Man, only 35 years of age, what is your experience been as far as knowing that God speaks through the Bible?

John Matarazzo:

Oh my goodness, there's been so many times in my life where I've been on a on a mission trip somewhere. And the things that I read in my Bible that morning, even if I felt like God was just leading me to random places, I had one experience where I was in New York talking to a guy on the street, and literally, almost exactly the same order of things that I just flipped randomly through. God led our conversation through that exact thing. So I had an I literally had an answer for everything that he was saying, it was amazing to see just how God led that he's actively involved in our lives today.

Terry Steen:

So true. I remember when I was on staff at the church. And when you're on the pastoral staff, you tend to have people that will come and ask you for counsel and ask you for input. And I know you guys probably don't believe that someone would do that. Come to me, wisdom or advice?

Unknown:

Well, we do Terry, we give him a hard time we do,

Terry Steen:

even though his voice might not be low. But what I found was it was very interesting how something that I may have just read about that morning in my devotions was the exact verse that I was able to share with this person that was perfectly applicable to what they were going through. And, and all you can do is go Thank You, Lord, you know, I don't have the wisdom, but you do. And as long as we're willing to listen and be used,

Brian Roland:

he'll use us. That's where the Lord always goes before and after us. He's always before us. He knows what's ahead. And it's after us too, because he's following up with what he's just taught us earlier. And it's pushing us right along to that direction.

Dan Wheeler:

Yeah. For someone that may not be familiar with us, though, you know, we have our Facebook page at ffm 60, fearless faith ministries, and we do our morning cup of inspiration. But we're very open and transparent. And and I'll tell you that about eight years, eight plus years ago, now I went through a very hard time I was having an emotional breakdown. And I actually ended up in a hospital for it. And I couldn't even talk I couldn't even think I was on a lot of medication, I was having trouble thinking clearly. But when I go to my room, I kept being drawn to this verse And I say, a 41. It's first 10. And it's become a real theme of mine that said, and I was afraid because I couldn't feel God I couldn't find it. But I kept reading this verse, fear thou not frying with the be not dismayed for I am by God, I will strengthen the Yay, I will help thee Yay, I will uphold the with the right hand of my righteousness. And it reminded me of a picture I keep in my office here at home of Christ holding up a man who's collapsed in his arms, he's holding him with his right hand, and he has the hammer in one hand, and a spike in the other as if he were the one that had crucified Christ. But the power of that verse to me and and I rely on that verse, throughout life's toughest times. But God says fear, though not I'm with the and when I read that first, I know that that is God's word to me. So scripture, the Bible, yeah, that is definitely one way we hear from God.

Terry Steen:

powerful, powerful. And Brian, you mentioned the Holy Spirit. Tell us a little on that.

Brian Roland:

We know the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ, and he lives in us and he's in our heart. And the Holy Spirit is working through us. I go to john 1027, where the Bible tells us My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. So we hear God's voice and it's inner, that inner voice, that center when we're listening for it, it's there now. It's almost like being trained, having a trained voice and listening for it. Because when you get away, you're not studying in the word and you're not praying daily in that, that voice can become faint. It's when you start really seeking and searching without voice becomes loud to you. It's you know, when God is speaking to you. Another one is Isaiah 3021. Other verses and your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, this is the way walk in it. When you turn to the right or turn to the left. It always tells us which way we should be going. So guy, that's what I mean about the Holy Spirit, working in a still small voice in us and other ones Dan's talking about, and we said before, I feel a nudge, feel an urgency, the urgency to go this way and to do this, do this one thing, or to go on in a light manner where I need to be and where I've might think it's the other way around. I I look at look at Jonah, for instance. He was not going to Nineveh but God was going to send him there no matter what. So it wasn't a word. I mean, he had an action that told him he was going And Nineveh, right. So if the gods spoke to him, and he knew it, and God was speaking to him, and he was trying not to listen to him, but he finally got his attention to a circumstance. So there's different things. But the Holy Spirit often speaks to us with an inner witness, you know, it's an inner witness of the Holy Spirit in our spirit. And that's where we hear God's voice

Terry Steen:

is so true. Yeah, I go ahead in

Dan Wheeler:

the verses I go to on that are first Corinthians two, nine and 10, where it says, but as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him, but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the spirit search of all things, yay, the deep things of God. And when we read in the book of Acts that the Lord said, he would send his comforter, send His Holy Spirit to us, and he would guide us into all truth. So I, I feel that nudging from the Holy Spirit many times, is how I feel God directing me and speaking to me,

Terry Steen:

yeah, that's good. Another thing that comes to my mind is john 1426. And it says, but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he'll teach you all things. And he'll bring the remembrance all things that I've said to you. And so that's another area that the Holy Spirit teaches us. But it reminds us of Scripture. But I think for me, it also, you know, for me, the Holy Spirit, is the way God speaks to me on my daily interaction with people and he and he sometimes reminds me or brings a person to mind that I need to contact or I need to text or email. And as he brings those people, to my mind, I tried to be obedient and respond to it. Many times, that is what that person needed. They just needed to hear from somebody. And as we're sensitive to the Holy Spirit, he'll teach us he'll remind us, it's just helping us interact daily with people. Mm hmm.

Brian Roland:

And I go back to the still small voice that when I hear this, in my mind, it's in my head, I hear a voice and I know God's speaking to me to do something. And even in the first kings, a, the ninth ninth chapter that can read about Elijah the story of Elijah where he was camping in a cave of Mount Sinai, and God manifested itself to him and, and he was Elijah saw powerful when he saw a mighty earthquake and a fierce fighter. But God wasn't in that. It we spoke to him in a still small voice, or the Bible says a gentle whisper. And he spoke to him so that he knew he was hearing from God.

Terry Steen:

Yeah, that's good. That's good. And Dan, you had mentioned as we kind of come to the end of our time here, you had mentioned circumstances and people tell us what's your thinking there? What do you got?

Dan Wheeler:

Well, I often think that God uses other people to speak to us and it's an area kind of have to be careful of because a lot of people come to say, Boy, I have a word of the Lord for for you. And I always say, Well, if God's got a word, why would he speak to me, but he has some others. And I often think it's the people closest to us that he uses. He used to write my wife, Beth, she would always settle me down when I'd get worked up. She'd say, Dan, don't sweat the small stuff. And really would give me such good advice. And I think the people closest to us that can happen. And I remember when Beth was really sick when she was home after she had stopped all treatment. My neighbor knocked on my door One day, a guy named Daryl, he's a helicopter mechanic. Not known for being you know, a speaker for doing much public speaking. But he said, Dan, I, I've been up all night and I feel like God has given me a message for Beth, can I talk to her and you know, God impressed on me that he did have a message. And we had to get Beth all ready and cleaned up. He waited 45 minutes in my kitchen.

Unknown:

Wow,

Dan Wheeler:

walked into her bedroom. And he turned into Billy Graham, he said that I have good because God's either going to heal you right now. And we're all going to celebrate, or it's going to take you into heaven, and you're going to be healed forever. And then he went into the story in Matthew nine. So he used scripture. And in Matthew nine, near the end of the chapter, verse 20, it says, Behold a woman which diseased with with an issue of blood, 12 years came behind them and touch the hem of His garment. Now Beth's issue was with her blood with her platelets, but Daryl didn't know that. And she said within herself, if I may touch the hem of His government, I shall be whole and Jesus turned about when he saw his daughter Be of good comfort. They faith had made the hole and the woman was healed from that hour on and he said to Beth When you're going through difficult times, if you get fearful at all in the next couple of days, just reach out and touch Jesus. He's here. He's in the room touched the hem of His garment, and her hands were so swollen. She couldn't even lift her hands. But Brian was there at the time, Brian, you remember so many times she'd be asleep, and we'd see her hands go straight up in the air. She wasn't touching

Brian Roland:

Jesus. Yeah, sure. Was. Jan, looking up to that corner, man. And she'd see she'd see heaven. Yeah. So amazing. And she would tell us, and she was, can't you see this? Did you see them? They're saying, Come on, come on. It's just wild. And we're saying who is that? She was? I don't know. But they're, you know, they're she's waving, waving at them. It was just amazing.

Dan Wheeler:

Now, you know, Terry, in the Scripture, it warns us about bad counsel and Second Chronicles 1011 through 12, king Ray, a bomb. Solomon son took some bad console, and it ended up bad with him. But, you know, God use so many people. I also think of when it used Nathan to confront David. Yeah, after David had sin with Bathsheba and he told that story about the man that had a little sheep, and that he, his neighbor took the sheep and use it for sacrifice when he had all these other things. And David said, That man should die. And Nathan said, You are that man. So God throughout Scripture did use prophets and other people.

Terry Steen:

And that's so critical, you know that most of my big decisions have always, as I reflect on him have always been made due to circumstances, whether they be job decisions, or moves or things like that, and confirmed by people. You know, counsel is so critical. Proverbs is full of it. Proverbs 1522 says, plans fail without advice. But with many counselors, they're confirmed. And 1920 says, listen to advice and receive discipline that you may become wise, by the end of your life, so it's not too late for us, we can still become wise.

Dan Wheeler:

I'm sure you guys have had other experiences, to where someone spoke word to you when I was in my early 20s. I think 2122 I was at a Bible study. And a lady prophesied over me. And she said, You are Daniel, and you have great capacity to lead people astray, great capacity for that, or great capacity to lead people to God. And I've kept coming back to that thing, and I've got to use whatever talents God's given me to lead people to him. But big decisions. You're right. And I've counseled with both of you guys on big decisions of my life. And that's what a great friend will do is give you their honest opinion and what they feel the Lord is speaking to them about so

Terry Steen:

true, so true. And that's, that's why it's so important. I mean, we cannot be successful without hearing God's voice. So as we, as we look to the days ahead, we can reinforce reading his word, we gotta read the Bible. We've got to pray. We've got to listen to the Holy Spirit. And then we have to let that Holy Spirit exposes us to the right people, for counsel, allow circumstances to come into play. This is all been great stuff, guys, and hopefully something that our listeners can really ponder and take with them and use as they walk forward in their lives.

Dan Wheeler:

Yeah, Terry, if I may, a verse I'd like to end on to give is Hebrews 313. It says, but exhort one another daily while is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. So we do need others, we need to encourage each others. And that's what we want to do with fearless faith. We want to encourage you with this podcast, and our other morning cups of inspiration. And our writings want to encourage you to be all you can be in life and finish strong, no matter where you are.

Brian Roland:

And then I agree I was gonna throw in finish Scrum, but then did that. Well, you know,

Dan Wheeler:

what has become our mission. And for those of you that may be don't our background, we just decided that in our 60s, it was time to really do something for the kingdom of God. And obviously, we all heard from God. That's, that's the point of that. hearing God's voice. Guys, I remember, all three of us were in unity. And you know, as a ministry, we don't make a move or decision unless all three of us agree on it hasn't been something. We've all been in agreement on almost every major decision.

Terry Steen:

Yeah, yeah, that's mad for sure. That's for sure. And it's, it's gonna be exciting as we keep moving forward with these podcasts, guys. What a privilege and a pleasure to once again come together with you guys and share God's word.

Dan Wheeler:

And I think even our producer john, you know, young man, are you getting something out of these podcasts? Yeah.

John Matarazzo:

I am definitely enjoying listening to you guys talk and learning from your experience. And I just want to say to anybody that is from a younger generation. These guys have a lot of good things that we can all glean from to help us In a strong,

Dan Wheeler:

he's saying we're old Terry,

Terry Steen:

picking up on that.

Brian Roland:

He didn't say Brian.

Terry Steen:

Okay guys, great to be with you again. We look forward to you for the next time.

Brian Roland:

Thank you everybody and be sure to give us a five star rating on our podcast. Yeah, God

Dan Wheeler:

bless look for more podcasts from fearless faith finish strong.

John Matarazzo:

Thank you for listening to finish strong. For more information about finish strong and fearless faith. Check out their website@faith.org make sure that you rate and review this podcast to help more people accomplish their God given purpose so that together we can finish strong