Pastor Ralph Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted February 10, 2018 Report Share Posted February 10, 2018 Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? To make sure you are on the right track. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? So you can discuss things and ask questions. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? That person may tell you something different that what God is trying to tell you. Ask God for confirmation and guidance. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? Your paths may go separate ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted February 11, 2018 Report Share Posted February 11, 2018 On 11/28/2017 at 10:23 AM, Pastor Ralph said: Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? 1. To seek counsel from those who are more mature in the Lord shows wisdom and humility in that we are wanting to learn from their experience and history with the Lord, both from their mistakes and their growth! My mentor shared mistakes she made early on without a mentor and those helped me not make the same mistakes! 2. A spiritual mentor was not only valuable but critical for me, as we were immediately thrown into "deep water" and crises as new believers...My mentor gave guidance, encouragement and support which kept me from "sinking into the mire". She prayed for me, spent time with me, involved me in learning to pray for others with compassion, answered questions about the Bible, but also showed me in the Bible how to find answers for myself. She taught me how to listen for God's voice. She showed me in times of trouble that "He brought me here and how to rest in Him until in His timing and wisdom He would bring me out again." She prayed for me and with me. She was like a "stake the sapling tree is tied to until it can stand on it's own in the strong winds". Her mentoring enabled me to know how to mentor others as I grew in Him. She knew when to step back and let me try my wings but I knew she was nearby if I "crashed". 3. The danger is that others may give us a good answer, but not THE answer we need from God. There is also the danger of becoming dependent upon someone rather than upon the Lord. I've learned as a mentor it's time to step back when one Is "running to the phone (to me) rather than to the throne". Or one wanting the quick fix rather than putting in the time to seek out His guidance and wisdom. 4. We eventually grow enough to stand on our own and gain confidence in our ability to hear from God....and the "stake which supported us is no longer needed" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godswriter Posted February 11, 2018 Report Share Posted February 11, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? Because as you start to learn to differentiate His voice from the other voices the mentor can tell you when you are being misguided those other voices and are being told something that goes against the scriptures. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? It is helpful because you can ask them questions when you are confused about what voice you are actually hearing and they can tell you whether or not that voice is telling you something that is truly something that God would say. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? You may end up relying on them more than on the Lord which means you aren't growing in the Lord like you should be. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? It is such a common thing because as we grow we need someone more mature in the faith to guide us in our faith walk and show us where God is moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottie Posted February 12, 2018 Report Share Posted February 12, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? I believe it is valuable because sometimes we can mistake God’s voice for our own. Especially when we want something badly. It is important to get clarification and insight so we know we are doing what God wants and not what we want to do. When we have a spiritual mentor like a pastor or godly friend we can ask them for advice and know that they will not lead us astray. If they are close to God they will help us know what we should do or at least point us in the right direction. The danger of always going to another person is that we never learn how to discern His voice ourselves. We never learn to really rely on God and His timing or hear a clear Word from Him. In our walk, we should be learning to be patient and wait on Him to clarify things through the Word and the Holy Spirit first. Sometimes when we have been with the Lord for a long time we rely less on others to guide us. The mentor we started with might not be as close to God then as we are or maybe we have fallen away from each other or moved. Yet the Holy Spirit and the Word are always there to help us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisbarak Posted February 12, 2018 Report Share Posted February 12, 2018 They have already had experiences and might be given discernment to help you in your new experience. Spiritual mentors should be in our lives. I had them throughout my growing-up (in the Lord) years. I would bounce ideas off them and they in their godly wisdom showed me the right way. I praise God for each of them and their contribution to my spiritual life. Sounds like they are not growing at all. They're leaning on another's spiritual life. The more we learn, the more we put in practice all the more growing! We may outgrow our mentors, but they keep growing too!!! Praise God! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blezed Posted February 15, 2018 Report Share Posted February 15, 2018 On 11/28/2017 at 1:23 PM, Pastor Ralph said: Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? It is good to have spiritual people around you to help keep you on the right track. A spiritual mentor should be someone you trust and value his/her guidance What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? The danger is that person may not always have it right. You also need to listen for God's voice on the matter to confirm what He really wants. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? As you mature in your faith, you will learn God's voice for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? I have found with life changing decisions, it’s always safest to seek advice from fellow believers. On my own I might be blinded by prejudice, by emotions, or even by a wrong understanding of the situation. It might be that I do not have all the facts and have a wrong impression of where my decision might ultimately lead me. Here having a spiritual mentor might help, as so many of my believer family are experts in certain fields and their advice would be most valuable. But then again, they might also be blinded by their perceptions, so ultimately the decision is mine and the best is to rely on prayer and patience. I have found not being rushed and waiting on the Lord has always worked for me since His timing is always perfect! However, to trust Him with the timing is not the easiest thing to do, but it always works. We so often do not have the patience, and make hasty decisions that result in bad conditions. To avoid this, we must trust Him and not act in haste. We should never become despondent or discouraged when passing through trials, remembering that no problem is too great for our Heavenly Father. At the same time, some of our problems in life are never removed, and we must learn to accept them and to prove His grace sufficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheep35 Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? I may need someone to help me confirm whether a particular message could be God’s speaking to me, like Samuel & Eli. Some encouragement or caution, teaching or correction. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? They may be more confident & experienced in hearing & discerning God’s voice. I may need help to get to a place of “still waters” due to life issues or insecurity. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? My confidence in Christ is dependent on going to Him first & my faith grows as I’m appropriately working (John 6:29). If I habitually go to others instead of God, I might be trying to fill a spiritual need by putting my hope/trust/belief in whomever I go to for assistance. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? I have to guess that reasonable parameters weren’t determined or maybe were met. My few discipleship experiences just sort of faded from weak commitments. Unfortunately, it’s just not a priority in the church-heartbreaking! Nice traveling w/ ya’ll! “But THANKS be to our GOD that, though we used to be slaves to sin, we have come to obey from our hearts the pattern of teaching that has now claimed our allegiance.” Romans 6:17 (modified) Appreciated so much great input!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheep35 Posted February 16, 2018 Report Share Posted February 16, 2018 On 2/10/2018 at 7:16 PM, JanMary said: running to the phone (to me) rather than to the throne" GREAT STUFF! running to the phone (to me) rather than to the throne!! "stake which supported us is no longer needed" As you mature in your faith, you will learn God's voice for yourself. to trust Him with the timing is not the easiest thing to do, but it always works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Dave Posted February 18, 2018 Report Share Posted February 18, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? It is possible we could jump the gun and be moving to the wrong voice. I, myself are very compulsive about doing things, perhaps due to a job I once had that required constantly getting things done in an environment where, although doing the same basic thing, every situation was different and some very dangerous. It is good to have a mentor because sometimes we all, no matter how advanced we are at anything, need someone to shed light on a situation to make sure the voice we’re hearing isn’t conning us into doing something that doesn’t align with the Word of God. This also has dangers because there could be times the person you are looking to as a mentor is susceptible to deception. The devil is very cunning. The problem, however with always going to someone else to confirm something God may have told you is the fact they could, although being found dependable not be there when you need them as only one example of how things could go wrong but also a person really needs to discern God’s voice from others. Out-growing a mentor should be a common occurrence to serve as a gauge as to how far you have come at discerning the voices you hear. Hearing voices does not mean you are mentally unstable but acting on the wrong one can be fatal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Grant Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? 1. To make sure we're on the right track. 2. They are a spiritually mature person who seeks God and someone we feel we can trust. They can encourage us and help us in different ways to know if God is speaking and if we are following him and not flesh. 3. Doing something just because someone we trust tells us to do it, can lead us into a bad situation. They can lead us wrong and not listening to God. We can begin to rely on them too much which is not good. 4. Sometimes we do not need mentors because we have learned all advice they can give. We learn to seek God for ourselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johno Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 4 hours ago, Debra Grant said: Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? 1. To make sure we're on the right track. 2. They are a spiritually mature person who seeks God and someone we feel we can trust. They can encourage us and help us in different ways to know if God is speaking and if we are following him and not flesh. 3. Doing something just because someone we trust tells us to do it, can lead us into a bad situation. They can lead us wrong and not listening to God. We can begin to rely on them too much which is not good. 4. Sometimes we do not need mentors because we have learned all advice they can give. We learn to seek God for ourselves. Spiritual people are far more in tune with God and likely to give us the right advice. A spiritual mentor who we trust will most likely give us the right advice. If we always go to another person we will find it difficult to discern what God is saying to us. We will soon discover from a mentor whether he is always right, never giving us the right advice or just occasionally advising us correctly. Thus we will outgrow that mentor and will need to look for another mentor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johno Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Thank you Pastor Ralph for this study which I have found very worthwhile. I now look forward to going back to your previous studies and doing them.............God bless you for your commitment to the Lord........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zilka Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? Until now I don't have a Mentor, cause no one can help me from heart but I look for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damary Alembi Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? Being part of a healthy Christian community has a great many benefits. One of these is being able to talk to your pastor or to spiritual men or women in your congregation, to make sure you're on the right track. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? It helps one to stay on the right track. "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." (Proverbs 11:14, ESV). It is one of the ways God confirms his will. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Another person might give wrong counsel. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? This is all a process of discerning God's voice and promptings, and then being willing to obey without questioning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertha Posted February 26, 2018 Report Share Posted February 26, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? Spiritual people are daily seeking God's will and purpose. God reveals his plans to those who faithfully seek Him. Therefore, it's only wise to seek their counsel. Prov. 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellers they are established. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? A spiritual mentor can help keep you on the right track. He can offer spiritual guidance when we question our next move or when doubt creeps in. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? We will never learn to discern God's voice. We must take a leap of faith and learn from our mistakes as well, for we will once in a while err in recognizing God's voice, but with time comes maturity(spiritual). Just like a child learning to walk. He can hold on to mommy's hand forever because of fear he might fall, or take those few first steps and fall, but eventually learn to walk on his own. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence. Out growing a mentor is a common occurrence because it is a sign that one has finally learned to recognize God's voice and also is a sign of spiritual maturity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle du Toit Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? Older believers pass on treasures they themselves have received from the Lord. Their teaching and mentoring guides us along the path we should walk. Which is why body of Christ is vital to a young believers spiritual growth. A specific mentor/s within a body, can "do life" with a person teaching them to read scripture, pray and seek the Lord's counsel in different situations. Their advice and counsel can be helpful in discerning the voice of God amongst all the other voices. However, as we mature, we may become lazy in seeking the Lord for ourselves, and feel comfortable to rely on what other people have received from the Lord, rather than what we have received ourselves. LIke getting a story second-hand, or becoming comfortable in a relationship so that you don't feel you have to work so hard anymore. Out growing a mentor is the final goal. It says that they have taught you everything they know and you are ready to move on to do even greater things than they have. A mentor may be replaced by a new mentor to continue the process, since our ultimate mentor is Jesus. Outgrowing the need for a specific mentor, may be that process of moving on and being more independent of the help that they offered in the past, as you seek to apply all that they have taught you and seek to follow hard after the Lord yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Q. Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? A. God can use such spiritual friends to offer useful counsel/ advise that can help in situations that are not very clear. Q. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? A. The other person may not really know God's position on the issue in question and may thus not have a solution to the need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosegarden Posted March 28, 2018 Report Share Posted March 28, 2018 On 11/28/2017 at 1:23 PM, Pastor Ralph said: Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? a.) To make sure you're on the right track. b.)Having a spiritually mature person who seeks God as a mentor is helpful for "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." (Proverbs 11:14, ESV) c.) The danger is, we will never grow as a Christian, the Holy Spirit leads and guides. Trust Him, it will be like a GPS, if you are going the wrong way He will correct you. d.) We out grow mentors because we grow up in discerning the voice of God. We have a witness in our spirit. He leads and guides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted March 29, 2018 Report Share Posted March 29, 2018 I find it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community most of time. It will keep me on track and I am more likely I will be able to ignore the calling of the world. I think that the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word is that you start relying on the person and hearing them and not God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Irving Posted July 15, 2018 Report Share Posted July 15, 2018 On 11/28/2017 at 12:23 PM, Pastor Ralph said: Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? Because you get different input from one another and that strengthens our faith. God is a Spirit and we must worship God in the spirit and in the truth said Jesus Christ. Some people will hear different things from God or different interpretations of what is being said to the believers. A mentor can help you understand the harder versus of the Bible. A mentor can help you obtain more wisdom by having gone through some of the things you are going through. Sometimes God is speaking to only us and we don’t need confirmation of another person just God. Because through the years ministers of God have learned more and more through the centuries. So when we’re learning about God we can be taught the tricks of the trade so to speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosesam Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? In our early stages of learning to discern His voice, it is valuable to seek the counsel of people who are more mature in their walk with the Lord. We can learn from their experiences. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? They will help you to keep us on tract when we err in our walk with the Lord. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Bible says they that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. Jesus has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and to guide us and to lead us. If we go always to another person to confirm God’s word, then we are not taking the time to hear from the Holy Spirit ourselves. This will hinder our growth in the Lord. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong to ask counsel of another mature believer as a confirmation of what you have already received from the Lord yourself. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? As you grow in the Lord, we learn to discern His voice ourselves and so may out grow a mentor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyRockOfAges Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? In the early phases to walk with God, it is important to be part of a strong church community. Iron sharpens iron. It is always good to have a strong mentor or spiritual leader or pastor who listens to God, to guide and counsel correcting our walk and guiding us to obey and walk with Him. Where there is no counsel, people fall. But in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Spiritual mentor is helpful whom we can trust, who understands us and guides and counsels us. It is important to have spiritual mentor who hears from God and walks with God. He will then be able to guide us as the Lord leads. It is good to go to mentor initially to confirm God’s word. But when it becomes a regular habit, it means we are not excercising well spiritually to hear His voice. When we fail to recognize His voice, it means we are falling short in our walk with God in many ways. A good spiritual mentor will always encourage you to hear from God. A good spiritual mentor always wants you to walk with God and hear His voice. He ensures our walk will be easier than he walked using all the spiritual experience he had. Many times, when we learn to hear from God and obey His voice and guided well by spiritual mentor, will outgrow mentor in the walk with God to accomplish His purposes to advance God’s kingdom here on the earth as it is in heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAT Posted April 23, 2019 Report Share Posted April 23, 2019 On 11/28/2017 at 6:23 PM, Pastor Ralph said: Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? It is valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice because those who have a spiritual relationship with God may have some insight and maturity to help us discern with us whether we have heard form God or not. They also enable one to test where the voice may have come from. This is especially helpful when one has a spiritual mentor - a guide. The danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word is one does not really begin to develop and rely on the faith in God to speak to the individual directly. Out growing a mentor is a common occurence because one should be striving for maturity and relationship with the Father directly, developing and building a personal realtionship with the Lord Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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