Learning to Listen — How to Hear God’s Voice, Part 1 | 1 Samuel 3

Every day, we are surrounded by voices. Some tell us what to believe. Others tell us what to fear. The question is not whether someone is speaking, the question is—which voice can you trust? The Bible makes an astonishing claim: The God who created us is not silent. This is Part 1 of our three-part series, Hearing the Voice of God. Today's message, "Learning to Listen," takes us into one of Scripture's most tender and instructive moments; a young boy named Samuel lying in the house of the Lord, hearing God's voice, but not yet recognizing it. His story teaches us that hearing God begins not with God speaking louder, but with us learning to listen. David D. Ireland, Ph.D. | Lead Pastor | Christ Church In this message, we work through three questions every believer must honestly face: • Is God SPEAKING? — God's apparent silence is not God's absence. Samuel never sought God that night. God called first — three times, patiently and personally. The question is not whether God speaks. The question is whether you recognize it when He does. "Where might God already be at work in your life that you've mistaken as coincidence, circumstance, or simply your own thoughts?" • Am I LISTENING? — God's voice didn't change. Samuel's posture had to change. Listening requires a teachable heart and a servant's heart. Samuel said, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" — before he knew what God was going to say. That is the essence of biblical listening. We also unpack 5 practical guidelines for recognizing God's voice and avoiding the pitfalls of claiming to hear God. • How Will I RESPOND? — Samuel's first prophetic assignment was his most difficult. God asked him to confront the very man who had raised and mentored him. He hid nothing. He softened nothing. He edited nothing. Responding to God requires courageous obedience and complete faithfulness — not just when it's easy, but when it costs something. "Hearing God is not a special skill reserved for a few. It is meant to be the normal life of those who follow Him." — Dallas Willard (philosopher, author, speaker) Key scriptures: 1 Samuel 3.1–18 | John 10.27–28 #LearningToListen #HearingTheVoiceOfGod #HowToHearGod #SamuelAndEli #1Samuel3 #SpeakLordYourServantIsListening #IsGodSpeaking #HearingGodSeries #BibleTeaching #Nondenominational #Rockaway #Montclair #Lodi #NewJersey #ChristChurchUSA Speak to a Christ Church Prayer Leader Privately During Our 11AM Sunday Service: https://bit.ly/CCPrivatePrayer Prayed to accept Jesus as your Lord? Go to https://www.christchurchusa.org/NextS... to learn next steps, receive prayer, and get free resources. NEED PRAYER: Place your PRAYER REQUEST in CHAT for our team to pray for you. If you’d like to receive PRIVATE ONE-ON-ONE PRAYER via chat, please visit this link DURING the LIVE 11AM Sunday Service: https://bit.ly/3uU0xqI CHAPTERS: 00:00 Host Welcome and Updates 4:19 Praise & Worship 25:47 Raven Dos Santos Exhortation 28:42 Welcome & Connect With Christ Church 29:56 Life at Christ Church Updates 33:15 Tithes & Offerings 37:01 Praise & Worship 41:01 Pastor Dr. David Ireland Introduction - SERMON STARTS 47:50 Is God Speaking 57:31 Am I Listening? 1:06:12 Five Guidelines to Hearing the Voice of God 1:26:06 Prayer for Salvation 1:32:23 Accepted Jesus for the First Time - NEXT STEP LIKE this video if it blessed you! COMMENT below: What's one lesson you learned today? SUBSCRIBE for more life-changing messages! SHARE with someone who needs to hear this! VIDEO MENTIONS Your Feedback Matters: Take the CC Family Survey: https://christchurchusa.org/ccfamilys... Sign Up for Small Group Leadership Training: https://christchurchusa.org/smallgrou... Christ Church exists to “Unite People to God and People to People.” We are a non-denominational Christian Church. Our doors are open to everyone, and we celebrate being a multicultural Church with over 70 different nationalities. Founded in 1986 by Lead Pastor, David D. Ireland, Ph.D., Christ Church features dynamic music and creative arts in our services. We have physical locations in Montclair, Rockaway, and Lodi, New Jersey, along with our online campus. Learn more at www.ChristChurchUSA.org. --Stay connected Christ Church YouTube:    / christchurchusa   Christ Church Instagram:   / christchurchusa   Christ Church Facebook:   / christchurchusa   Christ Church Online: https://www.live.ChristChurchUSA.org Christ Church TikTok:   / christchurchusa   Download Sermon Notes: https://bit.ly/4guK4nm Thank you for your generosity! To give, visit: https://www.ChristChurchUSA.org/Giving To give by text, text "Give" to 1-844-316-4483. First time with us? Let's connect! Text "EConnect" to 973-784-8822 for free resources. COPYRIGHT USE: Used with permission. Church Copyright License® 125599, Size H and CCLI Streaming License™ CSPL048684, Size H