STORIES YOU SHOULD KNOW | JULY 6, 2025
Samuel: Listening To God – Chip Henderson
Sermon Highlights
Key Passage: 1 Samuel 3
Samuel’s story begins with answered prayer. His mother, Hannah, had been unable to have children, but when she cried out to God, He gave her a son. She kept her promise and dedicated Samuel to the Lord, placing him in the care of Eli, the priest.
As a young boy, Samuel served in the temple. One night, while lying near the ark of the covenant, he heard someone call his name. Thinking it was Eli, he got up, but Eli hadn’t called. After this happened three times, Eli realized it was the Lord. He told Samuel to respond, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” God gave Samuel a difficult message of judgment, and though afraid, he faithfully delivered it.
God speaks. God desires to communicate with His people. He wants you to know Him, understand His will, and walk in His ways. God wants to speak to you more than you want to listen.
How does God speak? God speaks in many ways: through Scripture, the Holy Spirit’s promptings, dreams and visions, godly counsel, personal desires, open and closed doors, and even creation.
How do I listen to God?
- Remove distractions
- Quiet your soul
- Cleanse your heart
- Surrender your will
- Invite the Holy Spirit to speak about one thing
- Wait with open hands in stillness
- Pray back what you sense the Spirit saying
What do I do with what God says to me? Obey it. God speaks so that we will follow Him. Worship is also part of our response. Thank God for speaking, and honor Him through your actions.
Hearing God begins with surrender. If you want to hear His voice, you must first decide to be His servant, fully available and committed to His will. Hearing Him requires discipline to stay in the Word, awareness and discernment to recognize His promptings, and patience to wait for His timing.
INTRO
Icebreaker
If your GPS could use any voice, who would you choose and why?
Transition to Discussion
Most of us follow the voice on our GPS without a second thought. But when it comes to hearing God’s voice, we often wonder if we’re getting it right. Today, we’re looking at Samuel’s story to learn how to recognize when God is speaking and how to respond.
GROUP DISCUSSION TIME
Read 1 Samuel 3 as a group.
What stood out to you in Samuel’s story, and what does it reveal about how God speaks?
Eli helped Samuel recognize God’s voice. Who has helped you learn to listen to God, and what did they teach you?
The text says, “The word of the Lord was rare in those days.” Do you think that’s still true today? Why or why not?
Samuel heard God while resting near His presence, not while he was busy or serving. What does that say about how we posture ourselves to hear from Him?
What helps you recognize that it’s really God speaking—and not just your own thoughts or emotions?
What gets in the way of listening to God in your everyday life—and how do you usually deal with it?
What are some voices or influences in your life that compete with God’s voice?
Have you ever sensed God speak something difficult or unclear? How did you respond, and what did it teach you about trust?
NEXT STEP
Let’s take a moment to move from conversation to action. What’s one intentional step you can take this week to be more available, quiet, or obedient to God’s voice? It could be setting aside a specific time to sit in silence, turning off a distracting input, or choosing to obey something God has already made clear. Choose one step and commit to taking it this week.
PRAYER
Let’s spend a few quiet moments inviting God to speak. Ask Him to reveal anything that might be keeping you from hearing Him clearly, and then listen to what He says.
After some silence, invite group members to pray short, honest prayers like:
“Speak, Lord, I’m listening.”
“Help me hear and obey You this week.”
“Thank You for still speaking. Help me trust You more.”
Close by thanking God for being a God who speaks and asking for hearts that are ready to respond.