We all have something to say but when was the last time you listened? We communicate but we don’t have a real connection. Why is that? Listen in as Pastor Jeremy DeWeerdt teaches on an aspect of communication we’ve lost in our culture, the sacred art of listening.
No one likes to be told what to do. The human in us wants to be in control. But is that the best way to live? Pastor Jeremy DeWeerdt wraps up our series, “Analog Faith,” with a message that may step on your toes and challenge your thinking but promises to equip you to live the life of faith God promised.
Notes 📓✏️:
Communicating For a Change – Pastor Jeremy DeWeerdt
Here’s why… the relational principles of Jesus are for EVERYONE, no matter what your status is, because we all have relationships.
Some are romantic
Some are friendships
Some are family
Some are work associates
Some are classmates
And all of them can have the potential of having this: Drama!
Life = Relationships
“I’m going to work on myself first.”
“Communicating for a Change”
Healthy, thriving relationships have healthy and thriving communication habits.
The sacred art of listening
We communicate but don’t have real connection.
55% Non-verbal
38% Tone of voice (change in pitch)
7% Our words
What are you doing here!!!?
God says this to Moses…
Exodus 24:12 (NKJV) “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”
We are distracted people.
So the first thing we must do to have better communication in our relationships is to…
Eliminate the barriers to listening.
Some common barriers to listening include:
Noise
Preoccupation
Differences
Closed-mindedness
Turkish Proverb: “To speak is to sow, to listen is to reap.”
To build healthy relationships…
Listen with the goal of understanding, not the goal of replying.
Listening to understand doesn’t mean you have to agree.
Romans 5:8 (NLT) “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
In her book, “You’re Not Listening – What You’re Missing and Why it Matters,” author Kate Murphy writes…
“People get lonely for lack of listening. Psychology and sociology researchers have begun warning of an epidemic of loneliness in the United States. Experts are calling it a public health crisis, as feeling isolated and disconnected increases the risk of premature death as much as obesity and alcoholism combined.”
Show attentiveness by asking questions.
There are almost 80 questions in the Bible where Jesus asks “HOW” and “WHY.”
“Why don’t you come and have a cup of tea?”
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
- What is both a difficulty and a comfort that our relationships can bring to our lives?
- What are some ways we can become better at asking how and why questions?
- Knowing that listening has become a lost art, what is a way you can be a more active listener to those around you?
- As a Christian, how can we grow in the area of not only engaging with those we agree with and how can we respond like Jesus would?