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Teachings
The Word We Are Sitting Under
"Observe God's Signs"
February Teaching Emphasis at Creative Worship Center
“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”
— John 10:27 (NRSV)
As we continue in the word for this year—"Stay in the Faith"—the Lord brought our house to a foundational discipline: learning to hear.
Staying in the faith is not sustained by emotion. It is not preserved by routine. It is not protected by personality. Faith remains steady when it is instructed. And instruction requires hearing.
This teaching was not delivered as inspiration. It was delivered as formation. If believers are going to remain rooted in a world that is often hostile to truth, then we must learn to recognize when God is speaking.
Jesus makes the order unmistakable:
Hearing comes first.
Following comes second.
No one follows what they cannot hear.
From the pulpit it was declared plainly:
“Nothing can advance for you or me, spiritually, outside of hearing the heart of God.”
Purpose cannot advance without hearing.
Calling cannot mature without hearing.
Staying cannot happen without hearing.
God Speaks Through Signs
The Bible is the written Word of God, and it remains our anchor. But Scripture itself reveals that God’s communication is not limited to one mode. He speaks through dreams. He speaks through circumstances. He speaks through signs.
This teaching stated without hesitation:
“God speaks through signs."
Signs are not superstition.
They are not spectacles.
They are not spiritual entertainment.
They are part of God's language.
Some believers hesitate here because of Jesus' warning:
“An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign.” Matthew 16:4 (NRSV)
But the issue is not the sign. The issue is demanding proof from God before obeying Him. That posture is unbelief disguised as caution.
Yet Jesus also says:
“And these signs will accompany those who believe…” Mark 16:17 (NRSV)
Signs accompany faith.
They are not demanded.
They are observed.
The mature believer does not chase signs. The mature believer learns to recognize when God is communicating.
Learning to Watch
The sermon anchored this discipline in 1 Samuel 5–6 (NRSV), where the Philistines captured the Ark of the Lord. When they placed it beside Dagon, their god fell. Then he fell again—this time broken. The hand of the Lord was heavy upon them, and fear spread through the land.
Eventually, their priests gave this instruction:
“And watch; if it goes up on the way to its own land… then it is He who has done us this great harm.” 1 Samuel 6:9 (NRSV)
They would send the Ark away and observe its direction.
Even pagans understood the necessity of watching.
Observation is the first discipline of discernment.
Before interpretation comes attentiveness. When something repeats. When something shifts. When something arrests your spirit. Do not rush past it.
Ask:
Holy Spirit, is this natural, or is this spiritual?
This teaching pressed into prayer as well. If we pray and then forget what we prayed, we live inattentively. Expectation is part of faith. Faith watches for answers.
As was asked from the pulpit:
“If you’re not expecting an answer, why are you bothering to pray to begin with?”
Hindrances to Hearing
The message did not leave the church without warning. There are reasons believers miss what God is saying.
Three hindrances were named clearly:
A noisy spirit.
Blind eyes.
A dull heart.
A noisy spirit is distracted and preoccupied.
Blind eyes cannot recognize what God is revealing.
A dull heart loses sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s presence.
The prayer that followed was direct and necessary:
“Lord, I can’t afford to be blind.”
Spiritual blindness does not only affect the individual. It affects families. It affects leadership. It affects a house. Hearing is not optional for those who are called to stay.
Staying in the Faith Through Hearing
This teaching reinforces the January charge. Staying in the faith is not passive endurance. It is active attentiveness.
We quiet our spirits.
We guard our hearts from dullness.
We train our eyes to observe.
We remain expectant in prayer.
Faith does not require full visibility of tomorrow. It requires trust in the One who speaks today.
When we hear, we follow.
When we follow, we remain.
And when we remain, we stay in the faith.
Worship With Us
Creative Worship Center is a Holy Spirit–led, Christ-centered church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. If you are seeking a place to worship, grow, and listen for God together, you are welcome with us.
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WORSHIP ADDRESS: 1300 Martin L. King, Blvd. Chapel Hill, NC 27514
MAILING ADDRESS: 1129 Weaver Dairy Rd. 17134, Chapel Hill NC 27516
PHONE: (984) 363-2680
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