Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 8
The teaching claims that God often speaks wisdom through parents, church leaders, mentors, and even younger people—and warns about “conjuring up” feelings in prayer to replace that; what practices or filters could help a group discern the difference between God’s guidance through the body and self-authored “God told me” impressions?
Another way to ask: How can a group tell the difference between God guiding through parents, leaders, mentors, or others and someone just saying “God told me”? What simple habits could help test that?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the transcript, a group can discern by giving priority to the channels God already named—parents, leaders, mentors, and the church—and by testing whether guidance aligns with God’s wisdom as seen in Scripture and in the fruit of wise lives. The warning is that bypassing counsel can lead to “conjuring up” impressions that justify “crazy stuff.”
- He says God often speaks through people: “for children, that’s parents… for adults… leaders and authorities… brothers in the church… a mentor.”
- He notes even younger people may have needed experience: “The older you get… you’ll… listen to people who are younger than you.”
- He diagnoses a common mistake: “Why doesn’t God speak to me? Maybe God is. And you’re just not listening to where he’s trying to talk to you from.”
- He warns about replacing this with feelings: “we either try to conjure up… ‘I got this feeling… God told me’… and then we end up doing crazy stuff.”
- He gives filters for who to trust: people who are “listening to God’s wisdom,” have “more experience than you,” and are becoming what you want to become.
- He cites Jesus: “Wisdom is justified by all her children”—wisdom is recognizable by outcomes and fruit.