I think sometimes we approach spiritual growth like we're gathering information.

Read more Scripture. Learn more about God. Understand more of what we're supposed to do.
Those are good things. Important things.

But Scripture consistently calls us toward something greater than knowing more.
Paul describes followers of Jesus being transformed into His image through the work of the Spirit.

We're becoming more like Jesus. And that transformation changes the way we see the world. It changes how we understand other people. It changes what we value and what we desire.
Which means there's a connection between who we're becoming and how we recognize God's direction.

Think about that for a moment.

If we're becoming more like Jesus, shouldn't that change the way we approach the decisions in front of us?

The people we notice? The priorities we establish? The things we're willing to do?

Discernment isn't simply about knowing more. It's about being formed more fully into the image of Jesus.

Reflect
Consider what has been shaping your thoughts and priorities lately.

What gets most of your attention? What influences the things you value?

Spend time asking God to continue forming you through His Spirit.

And consider one way you can give greater attention to Jesus in the days ahead.

Samuel is young. He's serving in the house of the Lord under Eli.

And one night, Samuel hears someone calling his name.

He assumes it's Eli.

Three times he goes to Eli, and three times Eli tells him that he hasn't called.

Eventually, Eli recognizes what Samuel hasn't yet understood.

The Lord is calling Samuel. And Eli helps Samuel know how to respond. I think there's something worth noticing in this story.

Samuel needed someone else to help him understand what was happening. Now, our experiences with God aren't necessarily going to look like Samuel's. But the story reminds us of something important.

We need one another. We aren't meant to figure out faithfulness entirely on our own.
Sometimes another person's wisdom helps us recognize something we've overlooked.  Sometimes a question challenges an assumption. Sometimes we need someone who knows us well enough to speak honestly into our lives.

Discernment doesn't happen in silos.

We're entering this season as a church community, not simply as individuals completing a reading plan.

A Conversation
Think of someone whose faith and wisdom you respect.

Reach out to them today, or make time for a conversation soon.

You don't need a great question or some significant decision to discuss.

You might simply ask: "What's something God has been teaching you lately?"

Listen to their answer.

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to sit quietly?

Not because anything is wrong. Just because we're so accustomed to noise. There's always something to listen to. Something to watch. Something to check on our phones. Even when things are quiet around us, our minds don't necessarily cooperate.

Psalm 46 describes a world filled with instability. The earth gives way. Nations are in turmoil. Trouble surrounds God's people. And in the middle of it all, we're reminded that God is our refuge and strength.

Then comes the invitation in verse 10 to be still and know that He is God. Notice that the psalm doesn't promise that everything troubling us will immediately disappear. It reminds us who God is in the midst of it.

I think that's worth remembering as we practice discernment. We're not trying to create enough silence that God will finally give us the answer we're looking for.

We're learning to be present with the God who is already present with us.

Today's Practice: Silence
Read Psalm 46.

Then put away your phone, turn off the music and spend five minutes in silence.

You might find yourself distracted. That's fine. When you notice your mind wandering, gently return your attention to God.

Don't feel the need to fill every moment with words.

Allow yourself to be still.

And remember who God is.

There's a father in Mark 9 who comes to Jesus desperate for help.

His son is suffering. He's tried to find help through Jesus' disciples, but they haven't been able to heal him.

And now he stands before Jesus with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. He wants to believe Jesus can help. But he's struggling.

And I love the honesty of his response in verse 24: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

There's something incredibly human about that. Faith and uncertainty can exist in the same person at the same moment. We sometimes approach prayer as though we need to have everything figured out before we come to God. We want to know what to say. We want to have the right understanding. We want to be confident.

But this father brings what he actually has. His need. His hope. His uncertainty.
And he brings all of it to Jesus. As we enter this season of discernment, I don't want anyone to think they need to have some great insight about Heritage's future.

You may have questions. You may have concerns. You may have no idea what God might be doing next. That's okay. We can bring our questions to God just as readily as we bring our convictions.

Pray Honestly
Today, don't worry about having the right words.

Tell God what you believe. Tell Him what you're struggling to understand. Tell Him where you're uncertain.

And ask Him to help you grow in faith.

You don't have to pretend to be certain in order to pray faithfully.

We generally know ourselves pretty well.

We know what we like. We know what bothers us. We know the things we're convinced are right.

At least, we think we do.

Psalm 139 ends with an invitation that I find both beautiful and a little uncomfortable.
The psalmist invites God to search his heart, examine his thoughts and lead him in the everlasting way.

Think about what he's asking. He's inviting God to reveal something about himself that he might not recognize on his own.

That's an important part of discernment.

Sometimes we're so focused on trying to understand what God wants us to do that we never give much consideration to what God might want to change within us.

Our fears. Our motivations. Our assumptions. Even the things we've become convinced we already understand.

And perhaps there's something about ourselves that we haven't been willing to see.

A Prayer of Examination
Spend a few minutes reading Psalm 139:23–24 slowly.

Then ask yourself:

• What has been occupying most of my thoughts lately?
• Are there fears, desires or expectations that might be influencing how I see God's direction?
  
  

Bring those things before God in prayer.

You don't need to share them with anyone else today. Just be honest with God.
Search me, God. Help me see what I might be missing. And lead me in Your way.

One of the things I love about Luke's Gospel is how frequently he draws our attention to Jesus praying.

And I find the timing of those moments interesting.

In Luke 5, Jesus' ministry is growing. People are hearing about Him. Crowds are gathering to listen and to be healed.

There's work to be done. Good work. Important work.

And yet Luke tells us Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
He made room to be with the Father.

I wonder how often we convince ourselves that we're too busy to spend intentional time with God because we're busy doing good things.

The reality is, there will always be something that needs our attention. A responsibility. A conversation. Something at work or home. Something at church.

And all of those things can fill our days before we realize what's happened.
Discernment requires time. Relationships require time.

If we're inviting God to shape our understanding, we need to make room for that relationship.

Today
Don't just plan to pray sometime today.

Decide when and where you'll spend time with God. Maybe it's ten minutes before everyone else gets up. Maybe it's during lunch or after the house gets quiet.

Read Luke 5:15–16 again.

Then spend some time with God without rushing to the next thing.

What might need less of your attention so that you can give more of it to God?

Over the next 30 days, we're inviting everyone at Heritage into a season of Scripture, prayer and discernment.

We're asking a big question together: Who is God calling Heritage to become in our second decade?

Now, I suppose we could begin by making lists. What should we do? What should we change? What should we keep doing? Where should we go?

Those aren't necessarily bad questions. And eventually, some of them will need to be asked.
But I want us to begin somewhere else.

In Romans 12, before Paul talks about discerning God's will, he calls followers of Jesus to offer themselves to God. He speaks about being transformed by the renewing of our minds.

In other words, discerning God's will involves more than finding an answer. It involves allowing God to shape us.

Discernment is the process of tuning into God's desires. And tuning into God is also turning to God.

So that's where we'll begin.

Not with our plans for Heritage. Not with our preferences or even our best ideas.
With ourselves, offered to God.

Consider
When I ask God for direction, am I also willing to let Him change my understanding?

Today's Practice: Open Hands
Find a quiet place and spend five minutes in prayer.

Begin with your hands open in front of you as a simple expression of offering yourself to God.
You don't have to solve anything today.

Just begin by turning toward Him.

For the next 30 days, we're inviting our church family to spend intentional time in God's Word, prayer and reflection as we learn to recognize His work and seek His direction together.

This is not an assignment to come up with a vision for our church. And there is no expectation that everyone will arrive at a particular answer.

We are simply asking each other to make room for God.

Spend time in Scripture. Allow God's Word to shape your understanding, challenge your assumptions and renew your mind.

Spend time in prayer. Bring your hopes, questions and concerns before God. Ask Him to shape your desires according to His.

Pay attention. Consider where you've seen God working in our church, in your life and among our neighbors.

Listen with others. Discernment is not only a personal practice. We are a community seeking God's direction together.

Who is God calling Heritage to become? We aren't beginning with a list of plans or programs. We're beginning with a desire to seek God together.

And we're inviting everyone at Heritage to participate.