Experiencing God

Chapter Fifteen—God Speaks Through the Church

Question 1. Are you interconnected in a church body so God can speak to you through other church members? If so, what is something God has said to you through fellow Christians?

I, unfortunately do not attend a church on a regular basis because of my work schedule. However, I do have the opportunity to learn from fellow Christians?

I have experienced several types of Christians throughout my life. One type is the judgmental Christian. This is the person who carries the holier than thou attitude. This type of Christian will judge others for things they do and not look at themselves.

The other type of Christian is the hypocritical one. They will judge a person for what he does. Then this person will do the same type of thing and not think he is doing anything wrong.

Then there is the contagious Christian. This is the type of Christian who has a positive outlook on life. I need these types of Christians in my life. When I witness them I find that their ways of following God addicting.

God talks to me through the testimony of other Christians. I can see what God is doing around me just by hearing wonderful stories of other Christians.

I understand that while my walk with God is independent, independence and self-will go hand-in-hand. I must be dependent on other Christians in order to further strengthen my love relationship with him. Being dependent on other Christians will help me have a clearer understanding of what God is doing around me.

Question 2. How do you respond when you become aware of a need in your church that you might meet? How do you know if you are the person God wants to use to meet this need?

There are always needs in a church body. It might be a need for prayer. It might be a need for healing. It might be a need for financial assistance. It might be a need for guidance. If you go to a church and there are no needs, there is something wrong. It is best to find a new church.

Since there are many needs in a church body, I realize that I cannot respond to each one. I must use the following ways to know if God wants me to respond to a specific need:

By reading the Bible

Through prayer

Personal experience

Through the counsel of other Christians

I must trust God to use other Christians to give me direction. God speaks through other believers to help me know when and how to respond to a need.

Reference:

Questions are taken from Experiencing God Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Henry and Richard Blackaby.