Written by Mr Yak, on May 20, 2019

Posted in Blog,

Growth by Discovery

Our God is alive and He speaks to us! Take a second to think about how incredible this is.

John 10:27- “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

John 14:26- “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

John 16:12-13a- “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth,”

John 6:45- “As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.”

Very simply, discovery is the process of allowing the Holy Spirit and the Bible to teach and direct us. Our goal is to create opportunities where the best teacher, the Holy Spirit, and the best source of instruction, the Bible, speak directly to us and others.

Discovery is impossible unless we take time to ask questions, listen and reflect. As you work through this theme, try to increase the amount of time that you spend seeking to hear from God. Take time to consider how discovery impacts these different areas and others as well.

Hebrews 4:12- “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Living and active are both words that describe the power that the Bible has TODAY. This dynamic nature has the power to change our hearts and minds right now. Ask God what His word can teach you and how it can change you.

“The New Testament teaches a concept often referred to as the “priesthood of the believer.” It basically says that the believer can go directly to God & hear directly from God like John 6:45 says. They don’t need a priest or a mediator because they already have one — Jesus Christ!

As the participants read the Scriptures, they are “taught by God” like it says in John 6.

They “listen to” and “learn from” the Father directly and as a result, it says they’ll be drawn to Jesus!

POWERFUL!

Plus, aren’t people more committed to truths they discover for themselves than what other people teach them? Luke commended the Bereans for searching the Scriptures to make sure what Paul was saying was true (Acts 17:11). They wanted to “discover” it for themselves from God’s Word with the Holy Spirit as the teacher.” (source)

The Discovery Bible Study (DBS) process invites the Holy Spirit to be the teacher with the Bible as the curriculum.

The Body of Believers
1 Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 4:11-16
Proverbs 12:15- “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
Fellow believers are a powerful tool that can be used to help us discover and understand God’s direction. Seeking the counsel of those who know and love us can lead to better discernment. Be quick to ask others to speak into your situation and ask them to seek God for you.
Coaching Others
When we coach others, it can be easy to fall into a pattern of directive instruction. Straightforward direction has its place, but it is easy to overuse it and lean too heavily on our own understanding. The most powerful agents that we have are the Holy Spirit dwelling in them and the Word of God. While our guidance might be flawed, we know with all certainty that the Spirit and the Bible will lead them where God is most glorified. We can help the individual hear from God, clarify what they have heard and assist in its application. This requires that we ask good questions, listen to them and seek God on their behalf.
Reflection
In our fast-paced culture it can be incredibly difficult to take time to reflect. But, in order to hear from God and assess how we have obeyed, we must reflect. Reflection can be done after small decisions or life altering situations. We can reflect on our day, week, month and/or year. Through the process of reflecting, we are opening up more time for God to speak, direct and correct us.

Helpful Questions


Who knows and loves me?
Who is wise?
Who do I trust to hear and obey God?
Who can I be completely honest with?
Who can help me see my blindspots?
Who can I ask to help me apply what God is teaching me?
Who has different giftings than me that might have a different perspective?

How can I become a better question asker?
How can I be a better listener to those I am coaching?
How can I help others discover what God is teaching them?
How can I push others to seek God’s direction for their circumstances?
How can I become the type of coach that I want to have?

What is God teaching me through his word?
What is the most interesting/surprising/difficult thing God is teaching me?
What is God teaching me through fellow believers?
What is the Holy Spirit speaking to me?
Did I fully trust God today/this week/month?
What did I do well?
What can I be thankful for?
What was challenging for me?
Did I trust God? Why or why not?
What can I do better in my day/week/month/year?
How was my obedience?
What do I need more/less of?
Was I most concerned with God’s glory?