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Silent No More: God Speaks to You
December 15, 2025 · 35 min
Have you ever wondered what it means when God seems silent? In this powerful message, Pastor John Mark unveils how God is constantly speaking, even in seasons of apparent silence.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton December 15, 2025 · 35 min · "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton
Have you ever wondered what it means when God seems silent? In this powerful message, Pastor John Mark unveils how God is constantly speaking, even in seasons of apparent silence. ...more Show the full description Show less Have you ever wondered what it means when God seems silent? In this powerful message, Pastor John Mark unveils how God is constantly speaking, even in seasons of apparent silence.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
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101K followers
John Mark is the Senior Pastor of the thriving Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, where he has served since 1995.
101K followers
God Still Speaks: The Power of His Voice 0:00 Hey church family, are you glad you're in God's house again? Man, what a blessing it is. As we journey in this Christmas season, we start a brand new series today entitled Silent No More. God still has0:11 something to say. How many of you believe God still has something to say? He's been speaking from the beginning of creation, if you didn't know this. Go read Genesis chapter 1. That 10 times in Genesis chapter0:23 1, the opening chapter, it says Then God said, and then God said, and then God said, and then God said. 9 times, He spoke the world into existence. The tenth time,0:35 after He created male and female, it says He blessed them and spoke to them. So I want you to know, God had something to say in Genesis, God still has something to say today. I was doing a little0:47 research this week on listening and speaking and let me just share a few of the stats with you, but I want you to know that they have actually tracked it, they can look at your brain. Your brain actually0:59 responds to a spoken voice that you know faster than any other sound you hear. Faster than a hammer on a nail, when they hear, when you hear someone whose voice you recognize,1:11 you actually hear it faster than anything else. Why? Because you process it faster. Let me just tell you a couple of things I learned this week. When it comes to speaking1:23 and listening, ladies, this is true, science said it, you actually speak and listen with both sides of your brain. How many of you know that? More the emotion and the1:35 logical side, men, we're half wits. We pretty much speak and listen with just the logical side of our brain. That's why1:47 ladies, you you can look at your husband and with both sides of your brain you can say, I love you and he'll say, I mowed the yard. Because that's exactly the same thing1:58 for him, right? It's the same thing, you're sitting there being all emotive. The average person speaks, this is the average, some of you are below average. Wait until I finish.2:10 Some of you are well above average. The average person speaks about 16000 words a day. Let me just ask you a question, don't point at them. But if you're sitting next to2:22 someone who you know speaks well over 16000 words, they just raise your hand, don't point at them, just raise your hand. Here's another 1. Did you know your voice is as unique as your2:34 fingerprint? Your voice, your tone, and everything that they actually have have recorded it and done all the your voice is just as distinctive as your finger speaking engages2:46 listen to this, when you talk, it engages 100 muscles in your body. So I think I'm gonna be able to skip leg day this week, right? I'm working out real hard.2:58 Tone, listen to this guys, theological guys, your tone is responsible for about a third, now listen to this, of received meaning. So3:10 you might be communicating 1 thing, but the tone in which it is communicated shapes about a third of the received meaning. Does that make sense? Here's another thing, people trust a voice they3:22 recognize faster than a face they see. They trust the voice. Think about an infant. You have children, we have parent dedication all through 1 through our services. I think 26 or 27 families just3:33 represented, some with multiple kids, what a blessing it is. But, think about an infant, when an infant is born they can't see. They see black and white, blurry. What do they tap into that first 6 months before their3:45 eyes really start developing? Mom's voice, dad's voice. Get it? So we actually grow to trust a voice faster than we learn to3:57 trust a face. Here's another 1, speaking something out loud increases your belief, faith, and commitment in it. In other words, what what4:09 they have found out that if you will simply verbalize something you want to do, there is a much higher percent chance that you're actually going to do it. So if if as we speak today about God speaking to4:21 you and speaking to me, and you say, you know what, I want to do that. Don't just think it say it. So if you say, I want to get in the gym. Don't just think it say it. I want to do this. Don't just think it say it4:31 because it impacts your life. The human voice can trigger emotion immediately, even much more so than an image. Here's something more about hearing. That was more4:43 about talking, here's about hearing. Hearing is automatic. Listening is a decision. Everybody in here knows exactly what I'm talking4:55 about. How many of you know there's no on off switch on your ears? But there is in your brain. Right? Ladies, can I get an amen? Amen. You ever looked at your husband and you said, hey, are you5:06 listening? And he says, I hear you. That's exactly what he did. He heard sound. He didn't gather the meaning. So repeat it, or do what Gina does sometimes,5:18 just put your hands on my cheeks and just look me in the eye. And I know, guys I don't know about you, but but when my wife tells me, hey we need to talk.5:31 I translate that immediately as, I'm in trouble. Am I the only guy in the room? If your wife looks at you and says, hey we just need to talk. I'm like, okay what did I do? What did I do? Bundy5:43 too. I think I'm good but she's got something on me or we wouldn't be talking. Here's another, you can't turn your ears off. We remember only about 25 percent of what we hear, which5:55 made me think I should preach longer. That way you would leave with more. So that's just the way I read this. This is science, so when I go along and on, you'll know,6:07 distractions, like looking at your phone reduces listening, and and and hearing, by over 50 percent. You know that. Emotions, your emotions, depending on how6:19 what emotional state you're in, it affects what you hear. And so as you you think about that, that's why every time throughout scripture from Genesis to Revelation, when an angel shows up,6:31 guess what? The first emotion is fear. How does the angel respond? Remember God trained, do not fear. Why? Because the angel says and knows that if the emotion driving that6:43 person right then is fear, they're not going to hear the message to follow. And I love it because neuroscientists have figured that out. That's exactly right. Emotions actually affect what you hear and how you hear.6:56 Listening actually uses more brain power than speaking. So y'all will be working your brains way harder than I will today. I'm just gonna be throwing out a bunch of words. Y'all try to catch up. Alright, so when we think7:06 about this, God is silent no more. He still wants to speak, today's idea is to you. God wants to speak to you. Look at Psalm 19 verse 1, God is still7:18 speaking through his creation. The heavens declare the glory of the Lord, the skies proclaim the work of his hand. God is still speaking. Now notice, day by day, what does creation7:30 do? It pours forth speech and night after night, they reveal knowledge. From the beginning of creation, God's creation has been speaking and it still speaks. It shouldn't7:42 shock us when a scientist discovers some new galaxy or a new place. Why? Because the psalmist said it in that day and God created it this way, that listen, day by day, speech is going to be poured7:54 forth with that speech that God is all powerful and an incredible designer. But creation is not the only way God speaks to us. God speaks to us through his word, his bible. Boy, in the old testament, God showed up8:06 a lot more in dreams and other ways. Why? Cause they didn't have a Bible. That's why every week we come in and we say, open your Bible, here's the verse, here's the point, here's the verse, here's the point. That's also8:17 why what? With every series we do, we put together a daily devotion. Because I want God to speak to you 7 days of the week. If you are not involved, we just started another 1 with Silent No More as we8:29 roll through Advent season. If you want to get on our daily devotions so you can read God's word and Him speak to you, text the word plan to 77978 and we will send you a devotion each and every day.8:41 So God speaks through his creation, God speaks through his word, God's word, God speaks through the Holy Spirit that is in you. Bible tells us every time that we are saved, the Holy Spirit comes in and8:52 seals us, but it teaches us, it corrects us and it communicates with us. There'll be times when you are going and all of a sudden you'll feel a prompting of the spirit, hey go talk to that person.9:05 Or sometimes the prompt to know Holy Spirit is, hey you need to stop doing this. You need to stop going this way, you need to start going that way. Sometimes God speaks to you through circumstances. Remember Gideon?9:17 There might be some people in this room that you're going through some stuff right now. Man, circumstances are crazy. Listen, if you want and you say, I just want to know what God wants me to do. Dive in his word, listen9:29 to his spirit, say, God help me interpret the circumstances. God will do it for you. God also speaks with people, through people. God put people around you in your life. We're going to see this last point today after9:41 the after the angel shows up to Mary and says, you're pregnant. She goes, how can this be? Said, well the Holy Spirit's going to come upon you and then she immediately goes to Elizabeth. Why? Because God wants9:53 people in your life that will help you deal with those difficult situations and those difficult seasons. God also speaks to his church. And that's when we come together, we worship so collectively,10:05 we can sing songs that will uplift us and encourage us, and we read God's word that will drive us and point us toward him. And listen, what is the result that God wants in your life10:17 for all these communications from creation, from the word, from the spirit, from the church, from circumstances, from other people? God wants you, the end result, to have a clarified purpose on10:29 how he wants you to live. That's why God speaks to you in so many ways. Look at Isaiah chapter 30 verse 21, I love this verse. In Isaiah chapter 30 it says, hey, doesn't matter whether you turn to10:41 the left or turn to the right, kind of God is your back seat driver, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it. I love10:52 what Isaiah was saying. He says, man, as we're journeying through life, once we've filled our head and our heart with God's word and we've got his spirit in our life, we've surrounded ourselves with godly people, we're11:02 involved in a church, we're worshiping him, and we're taking note of creation, that when you are journeying through, that God can be your back seat driver. You're like, hey God, what should I do here? What should I say11:12 here? That he says you will hear a voice behind you say, do this, say this, turn this way, don't turn that way. Now granted there are times and seasonsFaithful in Silence: God's Preparation Behind the Scenes 11:24 that it feels like God has gone silent. Is there anybody in here that you've ever been or maybe online, you've ever been 1 of those seasons you feel like just God's gone silent on you? I want you to know your pastor11:36 has. And I'll go through something and I'm like, God, I just need to hear from you. Nothing. I need to hear from you. Nothing. That does happen. But 1 of the greatest examples of that is Job. How many remember where11:46 remember Job in the Old Testament? Job loved the Lord, worshiped the Lord, raised a great family, was healthy, had a great business. And remember chapter 1, he lost everything,11:59 including his health. And so if you look at chapter 1 and 2, he lost everything. Chapter 3, he cries out to God, no answer. Chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, God doesn't12:11 answer, God doesn't speak, God does God is for 35 chapters. From chapter 3 to chapter 38, God is quiet. Now, there are people talking, how12:22 many of you remember his friends? Don't need those friends. Child of God, there are sometimes that, man people show up in your life and they'll give you advice but it's not good advice. And Job kept12:34 saying, no no no. Then his friends go go read from chapter 3 to chapter 37, Job's emotions were talking.12:46 Job's pain was talking. But when Job just stayed faithful in chapter 38, all of a sudden God shows up. Everybody should say shows up. God shows up and spoke and what did12:58 he say? He said, Job, remember I'm God. I'm the 1 who created the universe. You weren't there, I was. And then God speaks favor on him. He says, now that you've been faithful to me, I'm going to13:10 bless you more in the latter part of your life than at the beginning of your life. What an incredible thought. And so maybe there's someone here or maybe someone online that you're in a silent season. Let me just13:22 encourage you, stay faithful. Because there's going to come that day when God is silent no more. And he's going to speak something into your life through his word or through13:34 godly people or around you. I I love what the psalmist says and this is when you and I get to make a choice. When God speaks, I love what Psalm 81 verse 13 says. We got a choice to listen. He says, if my13:46 people Everybody say, if. If God spoke to you right now, would you listen? If God told you to do something right now, would you listen? Because he gives us a13:57 choice. Here it is, if my people would only listen to me. And he says what? Israel would only follow my ways. He says, you have a14:09 choice. How many times do we see Israel repent and come back to God then they go off the wrong way and then they come back to God and cry out to God and then they go off in the wrong way? We do the same thing and he14:19 said, if my people would simply listen to me, I would show them the way. I I think a lot of times people forget why God has a will for you anyway. I14:30 think a lot of times people think, well you know the Bible and God's will is just restrictive. Can I tell you it's way more than restrictive? It's protective.14:43 From Genesis to Revelation, God has given you biblical wisdom, biblical principles, laws and commands that are there to protect you, not to restrict you. Because God,14:55 men in the room, God wants to protect you, your reputation, and your family. Ladies in the room wants to protect you, your families, your reputation, your15:07 kids. So listen, when God says, hey, don't do this, do that. It's not that God's restricting you from something that he just doesn't want you to have for any for no good reason. He's trying15:19 to protect you from something that will hurt you and those you love the most. So God is always speaking and God still has something to say to you. So now15:31 as we go back to the Christmas season, the Christmas story, look at Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1. I love to read this story and and just notice. It says in the past, this is the right of the book of Hebrews, talking to15:42 Hebrews, saying in the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways. God was speaking through the preachers and prophets of yesteryear.15:54 He says, but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. So here it is, write a book of Hebrews, it's saying God's been speaking all along.16:07 But now He's spoken through His Son. When you go to the Old Testament from the end of Malachi to to the first cry of the baby in Bethlehem was 400 years. Everybody say 400 years. A lot of theologians16:20 call those 400 years the silent years. And some of you said, sometimes I feel silent. I want you to know, although God was silent, He wasn't still. See,16:31 God cannot speak but still be doing something behind the scenes. Now think of what was happening behind the scenes. Well, yet Alexander the Great and the Greeks basically took over the whole world and16:43 Alexander the Great said, I want everybody in my kingdom to speak 1 language. Everybody say 1 language. So he instituted Koine Greek. Said if you're gonna if you're gonna do trade in the marketplace, if16:55 you're gonna speak in public, you're going to speak in Koine Greek. You have to be able to understand that. So all of a sudden, now we had 1 language for when the son of God comes, the gospel can spread because17:07 everybody in the world around speaks that 1 language. So God was silent, but He wasn't still. Not only that, then the Romans overthrow the Greeks. Everybody still has17:18 1 language and the Romans start building what? Roads. So see, God is silent in those 400 years but he's not still. He's still doing something pretty powerful. And he's saying,17:30 listen alright Romans, I want you to come in, I want you to build a road. So now we have the 1 language where the gospel is going to travel and the many roads that when they're persecuted, they go out sharing the gospel.17:41 Also during that silent 400 years, God was setting the stage because the children of Israel were scattered all over. God was planting synagogues. If you want to know when synagogues came up,17:53 not just the temple, you had people all over the Roman kingdom and the Greek kingdom and they said, listen, we can't make it down to Jerusalem. So they built these little mini churches, they were called synagogues,18:05 in that silent 400 years. What was God doing? Preparing a place for Jesus to show up and speak, for Paul to show up in a different city in Philippi and speak. And so God is He's silent but he's not18:17 still. So I want you to know, in that whole time, the old testament, which was written in Hebrew, was translated to Greek. So when all the new testament disciples and18:29 apostles stood up and began to read, they could read it in Greek because they understood Greek and the people who heard it understood it also because it was in Greek. So I want you to know, for 400 years18:41 God was silent, but he wasn't still. So maybe you're here today and you're thinking God's just not talking to me. Well maybe God is silent, but he's doing18:53 some things in the background that you don't yet see. That he's preparing a road and a way for you. He's preparing a new language for you in a powerful and real way which is a God is19:05 still doing something. So we think today, this whole series is God speaks to you, God speaks in you, God speaks through you, and God's going to speak in such a way that he changes19:16 you. Let's take the first 1 today, God speaks to you. So when God speaks to you, number 1, God speaks to you personally. Everybody say personally. This is where we go back to, to the story. LukeGod Speaks Personally: From Mary to Your Burning Bush 19:28 chapter 1 verse 26. It says, In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent an angel Gabriel to Nazareth to a town in Galilee to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. Very19:40 personal who this is, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. Everybody say Mary. Now, God didn't look and say, Gabriel, hey just go pick 1 out. Alright? He said, no19:52 no no. That's the 1 we want. The 1 engaged to Joseph, the 1 who is a virgin, the 1 who is there and she's a descendant. And so here you think about it, God's looking at you? God's not just20:04 saying give me someone, God wants you. God wants to speak to you personally. And he says, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David, the virgin's name was Mary. Very20:16 specific, Hey, you. So put your name in there, God wants to speak to you. Look at verse 28. He says, the angel went to her and said, greetings you who20:27 are highly favored.' Alright? How many of you would like the favor of God to be on you? You do. 3 of you raise your hand. Just trust me on that, I'm a preacher, right? I20:39 know these things. I just read them. Hey, you want God's favor, why? Because read the next part. When you have God's favor, the Lord is with you. Do you get it? Alright, see,20:51 when I walk in God's favor Now let me just tell you this, Mary wasn't perfect. There's something to teach. She was just like you and me, but God chose her because she did some things. She had a lifestyle that pleased21:01 God. She was a virgin. She was pledged to be married. She had a God honoring path and a God honoring relationship. The result was God's favor and God's presence. So if you want God's favor and God's21:13 presence as He speaks personally to you, man, live a God honoring lifestyle. And God will show up with His favor and also show up with His presence. Now, when God21:25 shows up even with his favor, doesn't mean life always gets easier. But it does mean it will eventually get better. Let me say that again. When God shows up with favor in your life, it doesn't21:37 always mean God's the life's gonna get easier. But it will get better for her. It wasn't easy all of a sudden finding out that I'm with child. But it ultimately ended up being better.21:49 So that's the first 1. Man, God speaks to you personally. Remember the old testament? Exodus chapter 3, the children of Israel had been in bondage and slavery in Egypt for 40022:02 silent years. But God was preparing a guy named Moses out there to do something special. And so when God finally showed up to Moses after him being out there 40 years in the22:14 wilderness, God shows up and talks to him personally. And so maybe there are some of you that you're just going through life, tending your flocks, You're wondering if God's going to talk to you. Well let me just22:25 encourage you, when you leave here today, look for your burning bush. Where God can call it, call out to you personally. Look at verse 1, he says, now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro in his father-in-law, the22:37 priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb. Alright? So God often speaks in the daily things that we do in life. I want you to know, don't think when I22:49 pray in a few minutes and you leave here that God's done talking to you. Now my guess is, there aren't a lot of you that tend sheep for a living. But whatever you do,23:01 God wants to show up where you work, where you are, in your house or in your school. It says, the mountain of God. Look at verse 2, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the flames of23:13 fire from within a bush. Why didn't it need fire? Ladies, you know, sometimes you just have to get your husband's attention. Usually for boys, fire does that, right? So she he knows. He said,23:25 just set that bush on fire. He'll he'll turn around. And so Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up. So what did Moses do? So Moses thought to himself, hey, I better go over and23:37 check this out. Right? So he goes over to check it out. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, when God saw that he had gotten your attention, remember, you can't turn off your hearing, but you can turn off23:49 your listening. When God saw that he got his attention, God called from within the bush. Remember God wants to speak to you personally? Moses, Moses.24:00 And Moses said, here I am. First thought is God wants to speak to you, he wants to speak to you personally. But you've got to give him your attention.24:12 Are you willing when all of a sudden God begins to move in your little burning bushes over there, are you willing to stop and pause and say, God, what do you want to say to me?24:25 Because if you don't, you're gonna miss it. I want you to know as your pastor, I truly truly truly believe that God has a burning bush for everybody in this room24:37 sometime this week. And it might be a burning bush that just says something simple like, hey, just go pray with your wife or go24:48 apologize to someone or just give someone a call. Maybe your burning bush is don't go down that path again.25:01 I'm not trying to restrict you, I'm trying to protect you. Don't don't head down that way again. See, I truly believe that God will speak to everyone in this room personally. There might be some others in here that your25:12 burning bush is just a bush of encouragement. Well, God just says, I know it's been a hard season, but just trust me and stay on the path and stay in25:24 the way. So thought number 1 is God wants to speak to you personally. Here's number 2, when God speaks to you, he is going to try to move you out25:36 of your comfort zone. The worst thing for our spiritual growth, worst thing for your spiritual growth, is for you to find a comfort zone that you're like, okay I'm good. Most days of the week,25:48 most Sundays of the week, I'm going to wake up, I'm going to go to church, and I'm just going to roll in, I'm going to find a parking spot, I'm going to go in and I'm going to sit down, I'm going to sing a couple of25:57 songs. The pastor's going to drone on and on again, but it's just going to be better because I've done what I've Said I was going to Then I go have lunch and nothing else. Let me tell you what,26:09 God, if that's your life, I truly truly believe that God wants to speak to you this week and shake you up and move you out of your comfort zone. Why? Because if you stay in26:21 your comfort zone, you'll never rise to the level of your calling. Does that make sense? I will promise you there is no 1 in this room, no 1 listening here that God has said, I am calling you26:33 to come to church once a week and then leave. That's comfort zone. God has a calling for your life, but let me try let me let you know, when he calls you to do26:45 something, when he talks to you, he's gonna break you out of the comfort zone. So here's how it happened in Mary's life. Look at verse 29, pick it up. So the angel showed up, she's afraid. Mary was greatly troubled26:58 at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Now notice, but the angel said to her, do not be afraid.' Remember the stat I just showed, told you a few minutes ago? I love what God did. All of a sudden27:09 science has caught up. Is that your emotions affect what you hear? And so the first thing the angel needed to do is to let me calm your emotions.27:22 Let me get rid of the fear because I've got something powerful I want to tell you. He says, do not be afraid. Mary, you have found favor with God. A second time he shows it up. So since it was the second time, I just27:32 begin to dabble around. Everybody say dabble. That's from the Greek word dabble almost. I don't know about that. So since it was the second time, I said, Yeah, let me just let me just dink around just a little bit. And I27:44 want to create what would go with me and for me an acrostic for favor. So again, for the 3 of y'all, remind me again, which 3 of y'all wanted God's favor? Oh, all of a sudden a couple of27:56 y'all are in. Yeah. Let me just give you a crossroad for God's favor. So I was just I was just dinking around and writing things down. If you want God's favor, it starts with faith in God. Have faith28:08 that God's got something important for you to do in your life, for your family, for your community, for your church, have faith in God. Here's number 2, it's not a 2, it's an28:19 A. Y'all know how to spell favor, right? Alright? Favor, be available to serve. Have faith in God and then say, you know what? God just tell me where I'm going to serve somewhere. Whether it's on28:31 mission, it's in children ministry, student ministry. I'm going to serve my neighbors because it's Christmas, be available to serve. Here's the v, voice your acceptance. Say, God, I am going to do that.28:43 Voice that. Remember what I said earlier, scientists have said and they have found out that if you think something like, I want to do that, if you voice it, you're much more likely to follow it.28:55 So, voice your acceptance. Okay God, I have faith in you that you have some power for me to do. I'm gonna be available to serve and now I'm gonna say God, I am going to do that, alright? Everybody, I don't know what it29:06 is. Everybody say, I'm going to do that. Alright. Whatever God says to you, then you need to voice your acceptance. God, I am going to do that. Here's the o, be open to a course correction.29:20 Be open to a course correction. Now, if you are on a course right now that is away from God, not towards his will, not towards his way, God's favor may29:32 well start with a course correction. Does that make sense? But also you and I need to understand that as we journey through life and God's calling is tweaked in our life and we get more29:43 spiritually mature because of obedience, God might tweak our course and say, alright now, head a little bit this way. So be open to a course correction and then here's the29:55 R, respond in obedience. Respond in obedience. So faith in God, available to serve, voice your acceptance, be open to course corrections,30:08 And then as you think, respond in obedience. Here's number 3, God wants to speak to me personally. Thought number 1, He wants to speak personally. Thought number 2, He wants to speak in such a way that He moves us out of30:18 our comfort zone. Here's number 3, God speaks to stretch you before He settles you. Did you get that? God might stretch you before he settles you. You say, where do you see that?30:30 Look at Luke chapter 1 verse 31. Now the angels continue in his talk. You will you will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call him Jesus. So here it is, Mary finds out,30:42 although I'm a virgin, I'm gonna have a baby. And you're gonna call him Jesus. So the angel just shows up and lays it out there. How many of you know she wasn't quite ready for that?30:55 She's being stretched. Verse 32, and he will be great and will be called the son of the most high, and the lord will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever and ever.31:07 His kingdom will never his kingdom, not yours, Mary. His kingdom will never end. Now notice, Mary is stretched, perplexed. She's freaking31:18 out. She's like, I'm engaged to Joseph. I am a virgin. How can I be with y'all? How many of you know that stretches you just a little bit? And so she asked a very natural question. She31:30 asked a biology question. How can this be? And here it is, since I'm a virgin. I don't get31:42 this. Guess what, she's just been stretched. And so when God shakes you out of your comfort zone to allow you to pursue your calling, he's then gonna stretch you beyond what makes sense to you in your own mind. This31:54 didn't make sense to her. Virgins don't get pregnant. Angels don't show up and talk, but they did that time. So here's the fourth idea,32:06 God wants to speak personally to you. God wants to shake you out of your comfort zone. God wants to stretch you before he settles you. Just like when you go work out. If every every time you went into32:18 the gym, if every day you went lighter and lighter weights, you'd never be sore, but you'd never get stronger. You gotta work those muscles and stretch them out spiritually as well. Here's32:30 number 4, when God speaks to you, he will bring some proof and some people in your life to strengthen you. You say, where do you see that? Look at Luke chapter 132:41 verse 35. Here's some proof and some people. The angel of the Lord, she said, how can it be? The angel of the Lord said, the Holy Spirit will come on you. Power of the most high God will overshadow you. There's the32:52 proof. So the holy 1 to be born will be called the Son of God. Now, notice some people with some more proof. He says, even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a33:04 child in her old age. Everybody say old age. That means well beyond child bearing days. So here's what happened, the angel Lord spoke to her33:15 personally, got her out of her comfort zone, to her calling, you're gonna be a mother of the Christ child, his name is gonna be Jesus. Then he stretched her and now we're gonna settle her by giving her proof that33:27 God can do what he says he's gonna do. He says, listen, even Elizabeth in her old age, that means way way way way beyond33:39 childbearing days, is pregnant. So here, the angel says, didn't just say trust me, there's your proof. God did it through a natural way, but through you it's gonna be a33:50 supernatural way. So here it is, there's the proof. And now notice what happens. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age and she who is who it was said is unable to conceive.34:02 She was unable to conceive. She's now in 6 months. For no word of God will ever fail. Says, I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May your word to me be34:14 fulfilled. Remember, proof and people. Then the angel left. That time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea where she34:26 entered Zachariah's home and greeted Elizabeth, her people. Child of God, God won't speak to you personally. He won't shake you out of your comfort34:38 zone. He's gonna stretch you a little bit. He's gonna give you some proof. He wants you to surround yourself with some good people. And then just believe in your heart34:49 that God's gonna do something powerful. Let's pray. God, thank you so much for this Christmas season, for what it means in so many ways. God, my prayer is that everybody in this room35:01 and online would walk out of here with a strong belief that God wants to speak to them. In Jesus' name we pray.35:13 Amen and amen.In this video 0:00 God Still Speaks: The Power of His Voice11:21 Faithful in Silence: God's Preparation Behind the Scenes19:25 God Speaks Personally: From Mary to Your Burning Bush
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