Centenary United Methodist Church John M. Criswell Copyright©2007 by John M. Criswell. Please do not duplicate or distribute without permission.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

 Matthew 23:24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.  Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.  Isaiah 3:12 Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.

 Discernment = the ability to perceive and understand; associated with wisdom.  Proverbs 1:5 Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—  Discernment is preceded by a teachable spirit and a willingness to follow through.  Psalm 119:125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

 There’s no lack of desire.  Sometimes there’s a lack of understanding.  Sometimes there’s a lack of courage.  Sometimes there’s a lack of obedience.  The general will of God must be followed before you can understand the specific will of God.

 If we knew our future in detail, then there would be no need for faith.  Jesus said, “Follow me.” This implies that we must keep our eyes on him, that he is going somewhere and that we must keep our eyes on him to know where he is going.

 Life unfolds each day. We need faith for each day. If we could know all that God has for us, life would be boring. We enjoy life because we do not always know what’s coming next.  Reality is complex. There are many variables. This makes discerning God’s will difficult sometimes.

One Dimension Three Dimensions The Static Point The Dynamic Cube

Conformed to the Image of Christ Every Possible Choice We Could Dream Up Span of Life

 Three parts to the cosmos.  Magic is the means to get the gods to give you what you want.  Christians sometimes slip into this worldview. Magic Influence

 Discernment is the master key to the Christian life.  Aids to discerning the will of God: The Word of God Christian community Your own gifts and interests Inner witness of the Holy Spirit/peace Circumstances Prayer Reality is a complex system.