Faith,
What’s happening right now as you’re reading this? Let’s break it down.
You stopped what you were doing.
You turned your attention toward these words.
You are reading and processing each one.
You’re seeking to read, to listen to me.
Thank you for the generosity of listening! One of humanity’s fundamental felt needs is to be heard. Yes, we can be generous with our time, our finances, our presence, but in so doing, if we don’t stop to listen to one another, none of the other gestures of generosity matter. The first act of love is listening.
When we learn about God’s generosity, one of the critical actions of His love we often miss is His listening. Look at these verses:
- “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”
Psalm 5:3 - “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry…” Psalms 10:17
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1
This Sunday, we will apprentice ourselves to the One who gave us two ears and one mouth and has asked us to use them in proportion to their number. We will learn the fundamentals of listening and grow in the generosity of God’s love.
I pray you’ll generously turn your attention to the One who loves you enough to listen!
Attentive to His voice,
Pastor Brad
Message Notes and Group Discussion Guide can be downloaded here.
And here are some next-step videos for your journey!