Listening to Understand | Can We Talk? | Drew Moore
What if we listened not just to be heard, but to understand someone else’s perspective? As we see across the Book of James and the Psalms, the key to communicating well with one other also leads us to relate well with God. What ways can you listen well to understand, and also check for understanding this week?
Key Verses
James 1:19 NLT: Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
Proverbs 18:2 NLT: Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.
Proverbs 18:13 NIV: To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.
Proverbs 18:17 NLT: The first to speak in court sounds right— until the cross-examination begins.
Proverbs 20:5 NLT: Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.
Mark 12:31 NLT: The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Psalms 116:1-2 NLT: I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!
James 1:19 NLT: Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
James 1:18-21 NLT: He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
Psalms 1:1-3 NLT: Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.
Recap
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To begin the study, each person answers these questions:
What are you thankful for?
What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?
What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?
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Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.
Did you live out your response from last week?
Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?
DISCOVERING WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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One person reads the story out loud to the group.
Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.
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Read the passage again (different version if possible)
What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?
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Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.
What does this passage say about people in general?
DISCOVER WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?
How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?
Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.
SHARING WHAT GOD IS SAYING
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Take prayer requests
Pray together
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Who in your life needs to hear this story?
Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?
Practice Generosity Here
Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.