Proverbs 18:15
“The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
Q: What does it look like to have the ear of the wise? In other words, how do you listen wisely so that you can acquire knowledge?
You are willing to listen to others and hope to understand more from what they are saying than what you may respond with. You have to humbly admit that you are able to learn from others’ experiences.
Psalm 34:15
“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.”
Q: Who does God listen to? Why do you think that is?
He listens to those pursuing and crying out to Him because He is a good Father who wants to help His people.
Picture
Luke 8:15 – “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”
Q: Describe the illustration of the sower who sowed his seed in the weeds, the rock, the path, and the good soil. Why is someone who listens and responds to God’s Word like a seed in the good soil?
Seed in the weeds – people hear the Word, but worries, riches, and pleasures of life chokes the Word in their heart.
Seed in the rock – people hear the Word and believe for while, but temptations lead them astray.
Seed in the path – people hear the Word, but the devil takes the Word from their hearts.
Seed in good soil – people hear and receive the Word, bearing fruit in perseverance.
The good soil means that they are firmly rooted in the Word and have a strong foundation.
Matthew 13:16-17 – “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
Q: What was Jesus saying in this passage? What is Jesus saying to you in this passage?
Jesus was talking to a crowd of people from a boat and telling them how blessed they are for truly hearing and believing the Word of God and not just being ritualistic about their faith. We should be evermore grateful as we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us!
Paul
2 Timothy 4:3 – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires…”
Q: What are things you hear at school or from friends that may “tickle” your ears (sound good) but do not line up with God’s word?
Gossip, whether at school or in the news; Also, when people talk about the “party” scene and how fun it seems, but we know that the promise of God is greater.
Peter
2 Peter 1:18 – “…and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”
Q: How can you be like Peter and hear the voice of God?
By stopping, praying, searching and listening to God.
APPLICATION: How do these passages relate to me today? What changes do they bring to my life?
LOCKER ROOM: Is there anything this week that you have been enslaved to, and how we can help you?
