Bible Study - HEARING GOD - Dreams and Visions
Sermon-Based Bible Study – September 4, 2022
- What is something God has done for you that you are thankful for? What is something you are celebrating? How have you experienced God’s love and faithfulness this week?
- Where are you experiencing stress, anxiety or discouragement? How would you like to see God move in your life or in the life of someone close to you?
- What did you hear in this week’s sermon that was new or particularly interesting? Did anything stand out to you as puzzling or troubling?
- Chris mentioned several occasions in scripture where the audible voice of God is associated with a weird or unusual occurrence (burning bush – Duet. 3:3-4; whirlwind – Job 38:1; bright cloud – MT 17:5; and blinding light – Acts 9:3-4). Why might God use occasions like these to speak rather than to just speak “out of the blue?”
- Read Acts 2:17. This passage says that one manifestation of God pouring out His Spirit on us will be dreams and visions. Has God ever spoken to you through a dream or a vision? Do you know someone who has heard God through a dream or a vision?
- Read Acts 10:1-16. What differences do you notice between the two visions in this passage? How are the people who receive the visions different? How are they the same? Are both people who receive the visions in the same state of consciousness when they receive the visions? Why might God have repeated the vision Peter received three times?
- Chris observed that visions: often occur during a season of prayer; the point is usually to direct the person toward Jesus; and typically are precursors to a season of difficulty/challenge for the person receiving them. How do you see these observations playing out in the visions referenced in Acts 10? Why might it be good to know these things are often true when God is speaking to us through visions?
- When it comes to dreams, Chris suggested that we should “welcome them but weigh them.” What does that mean? What are some questions we should consider that would help us “weigh” a dream we believe God is using to speak to us? Besides asking questions what other practical steps could we take to “weigh” a dream?
- Read Numbers 12:6-8. Which seems more likely to you; a person who hears from God is puffed up and proud that God spoke them; or a person is humbled that God spoke to them? Why might a person become puffed up or prideful after they hear from God? Have you ever been jealous of another person who seemed to hear from God more than? Why?
- What is a simple, next step you could take in obedience to what the Spirit is saying to you through this time in the Word? Who would benefit, or be interested in hearing about what you’ve learned in this study?