Sermons on Discerning:

Is It Time To Build?

Contributed by Bobby Cagle on Dec 30, 2003

This Sermon is to help the Church understand and discern the need to build

Text: Luke 5:1-7 Title: Is It Time To Build? October 27, 2002 Illustration: Church Building experts say that its time to build when you’re church has reached 80% of your max capacity. They also say that if you don’t build, you may reach 100%, but statistics prove that you will begin to lose ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-7

Denomination: Pentecostal

How The Holy Spirit Guides

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 22, 2016

How do we discern the Holy Spirit's guidance?

Intro How can we tell if an idea comes from the Holy Spirit or not? Purpose Many people claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, but we need to test what they say and find out the truth for ourselves. Plan One place that we can look at is John 16:12-15 where Jesus teaches about what the Holy ...read more

Scripture: John 16:12-15

Denomination: Baptist

Choosing The Right Kind Of Friends. 1 Corinthians 15:33

Contributed by Larry White on Jan 6, 2016

How to discern if your friends are spiritually healthy for you.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." (ESV) 33 Don't fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you. (CEV) One of the most important decisions a person will make is who his/her companions are. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:33

Denomination: Baptist

20 Spiritual Steps That May Indicate God Did Not Approve Your Spouse For Marriage: Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Dec 3, 2024

Follow these traits and be careful and discern before you marry.

1. _Lack of Peace_: You feel a persistent lack of peace or unease about the relationship. (Colossians 3:15) 2. _No Confirmation_: You do not receive confirmation from God through prayer, fasting, or seeking counsel. (Romans 8:14) 3. _Red Flags_: You notice red flags, such as a history of abuse, ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:15, Proverbs 12:17

Don't Judge Me! Discernment Or Condemnation?

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Apr 27, 2021

What is the difference between judgement and discernment in the scriptures? The Bible says don't judge your neighbor, for the same measure you judge them by, you will be judged by

What is the difference between judgement and discernment in the scriptures? The Bible says don't judge your neighbor, for the same measure you judge them by, you will be judged by (Matthew 7:1-2). The Bible also says "test everything" (1 Thessalonians 5). Jesus said don't judge by ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, Matthew 7:1-2, John 7:24, 1 Corinthians 2:15

Denomination: Salvation Army

15 Traits And Characters Of A Spirit Sent By God Vs. The Devil Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Jan 20, 2025

Here are 15 traits and characters that can help us discern.

As Christians, we are often faced with the challenge of discerning whether a spirit is from God or from the devil. The Bible provides us with guidance on how to distinguish between the two. Here are 15 traits and characters that can help us discern: Godly Spirit: Peaceful: A spirit sent by God ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:15-20

Hearing Heresy? Rebuke It In Jesus Name!

Contributed by Kelly Durant on Mar 2, 2018

Many people have been exposed to voices, aliens, angels or demons and these messages have confused their ability to discern what is truth. It is important to discern with scripture these communications.

Hearing Heresy? Rebuke It In Jesus Name! Kelly Durant 3-4-18 Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-4, John 4:8-11

Denomination: Salvation Army

How Can I Discern God's Truth Today

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Nov 10, 2001

Teaching on how we can decipher truth in a maze of "spirituality" that we find ourselves in today

How Can I Discern God’s Truth Today The obvious fact is that people disagree. That can lead to conflict, wars have been fought over disagreements. Yet, every Christian wants (or should want!) to be able to separate fact from fiction. A. SEARCH & CHECK THE BIBLE 1. Listen with openness to the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:11

Denomination: Evangelical Free

How The Holy Spirit Uses Discernment To Protect Us

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Apr 10, 2003

The Holy Spirit gives us a discerning mind to help us distinguish between truth and partial truths. Hebrews 5:14 says, "Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

How the Holy Spirit Protects Us From People Who Would Use the Scriptures for Their Selfish Ambitions (Mark 7:11,12) Illustration:Get the right perspective. When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, "He’s so big we can never kill him." David looked at the same giant and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:10-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Testing The Spirits To See If It's From God Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on May 6, 2025

Let's explore what the Bible says about testing spirits and examine relevant examples.

The Bible instructs believers to "test every spirit" to determine if it's from God (1 John 4:1). This command is crucial in today's world, where various spiritual influences vie for attention. Let's explore what the Bible says about testing spirits and examine relevant ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

How To Discern Between God's Will And A Thoughtful Suggestion - Acts 21:1-4

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Mar 14, 2002

How to Discern Between God’s Will and A Thoughtful Suggestion - Acts 21:1-40

How to Discern Between God’s Will and A Thoughtful Suggestion - Acts 21:1-40 Perhaps one of the greatest difficulties we face is deciding what is God’s will and what is a thoughtful suggestion from a friend. Many people are eager to give good advice, but it may not be God’s will for your life. We ...read more

Scripture: Acts 21:1-40

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Not Settling For Less Than The Best

Contributed by Dana Chau on Mar 22, 2002

Learn how to discern and secure the best deal for your life

"How many people in this room would agree that you do what you do because you either want to avoid a loss or gain a benefit?" Let me repeat that question, "How many people in this room do what you do because you either want to avoid a loss or gain a benefit?" Some of the very spiritual people ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-11

Denomination: *other

The Relentless Quizzer Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 5, 2007

God wants us to be both discerning and selectivist as a matter of habit.

The Relentless Quizzer (I Thessalonians 5:21-22) Intro 1. The hardest courses I took during my time at Moody Bible Institute was New Testament Greek, 16 hours, 4 courses. 2. One of my teachers was Mr. Wise and Greek quizzes: I think it was 14 days in a row. 3. In some ways, God calls us to be ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

Denomination: Independent/Bible

How Can I Know God's Will For My Life? Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Jun 11, 2009

How do we discern God’s will for our life?

Intro Continuing our series entitled… “You Asked For It” in which we have drawn topics from those submitted from all who gather throughout our four weekend gatherings. Today we are going to seek what God says to us about one of the most noted subjects among us… how to know His will. Here are some ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Trash Talk Series

Contributed by Pat Damiani on Aug 25, 2014

James describes the difference between unrighteous condemnation and righteous discernment.

This week AP sportswriter Jon Krawczynski wrote an article about the NBA playoffs that began with these words: Talk is cheap in these NBA playoffs, and it seems as if everyone wants in on the act. As the stakes grew in the first round, the venom being spewed became ever more toxic. Superstars are ...read more

Scripture: James 4:11-12

Denomination: Baptist