Clarity: Is It Too Loud to Hear God?

Originally posted October 11, 2007; updated July 21, 2025

Our world is louder than ever. Smartphone notifications, endless posts on X, streaming platforms, and 24/7 news cycles constantly clamor for our attention. It’s relentless. Podcasts, viral videos, and breaking news alerts fill nearly every spare moment, leaving little room for silence—let alone reflection.

But why do we let all this noise consume us?

Silence forces us to confront life’s biggest questions:

• Who am I?
• Is there a God?
• What’s my purpose?

These are weighty questions. Facing them can feel overwhelming—so instead, we drown them out. True-crime documentaries, celebrity gossip, political debates, YouTube rabbit holes—they keep us busy and distracted from what truly matters.

And in the midst of all that noise, God's voice often gets drowned out.

In 1 Kings 19:12, the prophet Elijah discovers that God isn’t found in the windstorm, the earthquake, or the fire—but in a gentle whisper. That’s a powerful image. Yet with earbuds in and screens always on, how can we hear that still, small voice?

Many people wonder why God feels distant. But maybe it’s not that He’s silent—maybe it’s that we’ve turned the volume up too loud to hear Him.

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The Noise That Distracts

I saw this firsthand years ago at a youth camp. It was during the early days of smartphones and tablets. For one week, the students had to unplug. No texting, no playlists, no games. And they struggled. Even without their devices, the mental pull of media lingered, keeping their minds distracted from God’s presence.

We need to ask ourselves a hard question:

Are we, as Christians, adding to the noise?

When churches lean on movie nights, polished video sermons, and social media influencers, are we pointing people to Jesus—or simply joining the cultural clamor?

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A Christian Worldview: Cutting Through the Noise

This post is part of our Clarity series, where we’re building a biblical worldview to help us navigate life’s tough issues—from politics to morality to identity. And here’s the question we’re wrestling with today:

How do we hear God in a deafening world?

Colossians 3:17 challenges us: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” That includes how we engage with technology and media.

As citizens of God’s Kingdom (1 Peter 2:11), we’re called to live differently—not conformed to the world’s noise, but transformed by God’s truth (Romans 12:2). That means facing two realities:

1. Mass Media Is Here to Stay

We can’t escape the digital world. Social media, YouTube, and streaming platforms shape how we communicate and connect. Rather than reject these tools, we should ask how we can redeem them. Can we share the Gospel through a thoughtful podcast or a meaningful post? Can our digital presence reflect Christ rather than contribute to the chaos?

Discernment is key. Not every trend is redeemable. But dismissing digital platforms altogether means missing opportunities to shine light in dark places.

2. Distraction Is a Spiritual Issue

Media doesn’t just fill our time—it often steals our attention from God and the people around us. It dulls our senses to our neighbor’s pain, the world’s injustices, or our family’s needs. Whether it’s a teen scrolling YouTube Shorts or a parent glued to work emails, the result is the same: disconnection from God’s purpose.

Churches must help people simplify life. We need to create space for the practices that attune our hearts to God’s voice: Scripture, prayer, worship, fellowship, and service.

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Hearing God’s Voice in the Quiet

Psalm 46:10 reminds us: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Stillness isn’t just about physical quiet—it’s also mental and spiritual. In today’s distracted world, hearing God requires intentional habits.

Here are a few ways to start:

• Unplug Regularly: Designate times to disconnect from screens and reconnect with God. Start small—like a 10-minute walk without your phone—and use that space to listen for His voice.
• Prioritize Community: Join a small group, serve with others, or simply share a meal. Christian community grounds us in God’s truth and helps us resist cultural isolation.
• Serve Others: When we shift our focus from our feeds to the needs around us, we open our hearts to God's mission and presence (Matthew 22:39).

As we discussed in our Clarity post on politics, prayer remains our greatest tool. It aligns our hearts with God’s, clears the noise, and opens our ears to His whisper.

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Your Challenge: Make Space for God

Ask yourself:

• What’s drowning out God’s voice in my life?
• What can I simplify to hear Him more clearly?

As Kingdom citizens, we’re called to live intentionally—using media for God’s glory and carving out space for His presence. Reflect again on Colossians 3:17:

How can your words, actions, and screen time honor Him?

Our Clarity series helps us view life through a biblical lens. Whether we’re talking about truth, spiritual warfare, or how we engage with the world, the invitation is the same: Guard your heart. Be still. And seek God’s voice above all.

How do you stay focused on God in a distracted world? Share your thoughts below!

Lessons from the King: Two Ways

Back in January of 2011, Jenny and I were engaged, and I began preaching my first series through the Sermon on the Mount up in Storm Lake, Iowa. I was eager to prepare well, so I bought a few books—some commentaries, and a couple of older works. One was John Wesley’s book on the Sermon on the Mount—Jenny was attending a Free Methodist Church, so I figured I’d better get to know Wesley a bit. Another was by a guy named Emmet Fox. I didn’t know who he was—just saw it was an older book with good reviews on Amazon, so I downloaded it to my new Kindle.

It didn’t take long to realize something was off. As I read Fox’s take, his teaching felt…self-focused. It wasn’t lining up with what Jesus was saying in the Sermon on the Mount. It was more about me than the Kingdom. So, I Googled him. Turns out, Emmet Fox was a New Thought leader—a philosophy that says if you just think the right thoughts, you can manifest your desires. That’s infiltrated everything in our culture—from self-help books to Oprah to even corners of Christianity.

Here’s the thing: I spotted that as false because it didn’t match what I’d been taught about following Jesus, how I practiced following Him, or what biblical scholars have said for centuries. That moment taught me something crucial—discernment isn’t optional for us as followers of Jesus. It’s what keeps us on the right path. This is the truth Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:13-23. We need to be people of discernment.

Discernment Keeps Us on the Narrow Road

Through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us what it means to live as Kingdom citizens—to see God’s will done on earth as in heaven. It’s not about us—our comfort, our dreams. It’s about God’s Kingdom and our loyalty to King Jesus. In Matthew 7:13-23, as He wraps up this sermon, He doesn’t give new rules. He gives a warning: without discernment, we’ll follow the wrong way.

Two Roads, One Choice (Matthew 7:13-14)

Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” When Matthew wrote this, Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD was still future. People thought the Kingdom would come through violence, power, and wealth—the wide road. But Jesus points to the narrow way: poor in spirit, meek, merciful, peacemakers.

For them, it wasn’t “hell vs. heaven” like we might read it today. It was “destruction vs. life”—the popular way or Jesus’ way. He wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) because they missed it. Today, the warning’s for us, the church. Are we chasing power, comfort, wealth, or Jesus’ character and dependence on God? Ask yourself: Am I following Jesus’ vision for the Kingdom, or my desires with Him as a mascot?

Watch Out for Wolves (Matthew 7:15-20)

Then Jesus warns, “Watch out for false prophets… By their fruit you will recognize them.” Not false teachers—prophets. They claim to speak for God, with visions and dreams. They’re dangerous because they sound right—talking about the Father, Jesus, the Spirit—but lead us off the narrow road. In Jesus’ day, they might’ve preached rebellion and riches. Today, it could be prosperity or self-fulfillment dressed up as faith.

Test them, Jesus says. Don’t just swallow their words. Here’s how:

1. Be vigilant with anyone claiming to be a prophet—don’t lower your guard.
2. Compare their teaching to Scripture and wise counsel (that’s how I spotted Emmet Fox).
3. Look at their lives—deception or integrity? A false prophet can’t live the narrow way any more than a thistle can grow grapes.

The Sobering Truth (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus gets real: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father.” People will say, “Didn’t we prophesy? Perform miracles?” And He’ll reply, “I never knew you.” It’s not about words or wonders—it’s about a life reflecting the Beatitudes, a heart transformed by the Spirit, a relationship with the King.

You can think you’re on the narrow road and miss it. So evaluate: Are you following Jesus’ way or what feels right to you? To stay on track, do this daily: pledge allegiance to King Jesus and surrender to the Holy Spirit. That’s the path.

Living It Out

Matthew 7:13-23 isn’t just about salvation—it’s about whether we’ll follow God’s way as His people. Jesus warns us because He loves us too much to let us wander. The Kingdom isn’t popular or comfortable—it’s Jesus’ character, teaching, and reign. Test the voices you hear—Scripture and fruit, not feelings, are your guide. Test your heart, too.

The big idea is this: Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven are discerning about what influences their live so they can remain on the narrow road of King Jesus. Discernment isn’t optional—it’s survival. Test the voices you listen to—weigh them against Scripture, watch how they live. But more than that, test your own heart. Pledge your allegiance to King Jesus. Surrender to the Spirit’s leading. That’s how we stay on the narrow road. That’s how we become citizens who don’t just pray “Your Kingdom come,” but live it out—right here, right now.

To paraphrase Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the book The Martyred Christian: “God’s will isn’t ours to control—it’s His grace, fresh daily. It’s not your gut feeling or a spiritual rule. God reveals His will only to those who seek it anew.” We don’t set the Kingdom’s path—that’s the King’s job. Follow Jesus. Use His words in these chapters to weigh everything. That’s the narrow road of King Jesus.

A Prayer for the Journey

Take a moment. Thank God for Jesus and His Kingdom. Ask for wisdom to live as a good citizen. Surrender to the Spirit. If God’s nudging you to follow Jesus more closely, don’t wait—reach out to someone today. Let’s pray: “God, thank You for Jesus. Give us wisdom to follow Your way. We surrender to Your Spirit. Keep us on the narrow road. Amen.”

Sunday Prayer: Guide Me on the Narrow Way

Heavenly Father,

I come before You seeking the narrow gate, the difficult road that leads to life. Guide me, Lord, away from the broad paths of destruction, and help me to find the way that few discover—Your way of truth and righteousness. Grant me wisdom and strength to walk this path with faith and perseverance.

Lord, I ask for discernment to guard against false prophets who disguise themselves as Your servants but seek to lead me astray. Open my eyes to recognize them by their fruit, just as a tree is known by what it bears. May I not be deceived by appearances, but test all things against Your holy Word.

Father, cultivate in me a heart like a good tree, rooted in Your love, producing fruit that honors You—fruit of kindness, truth, and righteousness. Prune away anything within me that bears thorns or thistles, that I might not be counted among those cut down and cast aside.

I pray for those lost on the wide road, that they too might turn and seek the narrow gate. Use me, Lord, as a bearer of Your light, reflecting Your goodness in all I do, so others may see and glorify You.

In Jesus’ name, I pray,
Amen.

How do I Know if My Pastor is Teaching the Truth?

 

In a world filled with diverse voices claiming to represent God's Word, discerning truth from error is essential for every believer. Scripture exhorts us to be like the Bereans, who "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). But how can you apply this principle practically? Here are three key ways to test the teaching you receive:

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1. Compare the Teaching with Scripture

The Bible is our ultimate standard of truth. Isaiah 8:20 reminds us, “Go to God’s instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them” (CSB). A faithful pastor’s message should align with the clear teachings of Scripture. Ask yourself:

• Is the passage being interpreted in its proper context? Look at the verses before and after to ensure the message isn’t being twisted to fit an agenda.
• Does this teaching align with the whole counsel of God’s Word? Scripture interprets Scripture, and any teaching that contradicts other parts of the Bible is a red flag.
• Is the teaching based on one passage of Scripture or does it jump around the Bible? The historical, cultural, and narrative context of a passage take time to unpack, but are crucial to understanding and applying the text to our modern times.

Since it is difficult to both listen to the teaching and read passages in context, it is good idea to read the passages for yourself after the sermon. You may even consider keeping a notebook to jot down key points and questions to study further.

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2. Examine the Fruits of the Teaching

Jesus said, “You’ll recognize them by their fruit.” (Matthew 7:16a; CSB). Truthful teaching produces spiritual growth, godly character, and a deeper love for God and others. Here are some signs of good fruit:

• Does the teaching exalt Christ? Sound doctrine always points to Jesus, not the preacher’s charisma, personal opinions, or self-help philosophies.
• Does it lead to repentance and transformation? True biblical teaching challenges sin and encourages obedience to God’s commands.
• Does it promote unity and love in the body of Christ? If the teaching causes division or fosters pride, it may not be rooted in truth.

Also, beware of messages that emphasize your potential, avoid the reality and consequences of sin, or prioritize worldly success over spiritual maturity.

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3. Pray for Discernment and Listen to the Holy Spirit

Discernment is a gift from God, and the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in guiding us into all truth (John 16:13). Before, during, and after a sermon, pray for clarity and wisdom. Ask the Lord to reveal anything that is out of line with His Word.

• Do you sense the Spirit’s affirmation or caution? Sometimes, you may feel unsettled or unsure about a message. Take those feelings to God in prayer and compare the teaching with Scripture.
• Seek wise counsel from mature believers. If you have concerns, discuss them with trusted Christians who are grounded in the Word.
• Use a good Study Bible or One Volume Commentary. There are many good study resources available to us, and some of the most accessible ones are the study notes found in Study Bibles.*

Remember, while no pastor is perfect, a faithful shepherd humbly welcomes questions and strives to teach God’s Word accurately.

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Final Thoughts

Testing your pastor’s teaching is not about being critical or suspicious but about being a responsible disciple. Paul urged Timothy to "correctly teach the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15), and we should expect the same diligence from our spiritual leaders. By comparing teachings with Scripture, examining their fruit, and praying for discernment, you can grow in confidence that you are being nourished with sound doctrine.

Let’s be Bereans together, faithfully testing all things and holding fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Remember, God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105)—and with it, we will not be led astray.

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What steps have you taken to discern the truth in teaching? Share your thoughts in the comments!

* I have found these Study Bibles useful: NLT Study Bible, NLT Life Application Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, CSB Study Bible, NIV Study Bible, and NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study BIble. 

A Silent Message

 

"Before and since Tolkien’s death there have been numerous articles and books on the meaning of his fiction. Kilby [one of his biographers] records Tolkien’s favorable reaction to an essay sent to him from Australia, concerned with the themes of kingship, priesthood, and prophecy in The Lord of the Rings. He [Tolkien] endorsed the spirit of the essay in finding Christian meaning in his work, even though, as he remarked, it displayed the tendency of such scholarly analysis to suggest that it was a conscious schema for him as he wrote. He [Tolkien] didn’t deliberately try to insert Christian meaning into his work—a point over which he disagreed with C.S. Lewis, in whose fantasy he felt the Christianity was too explicit."  

—Colin Duriez, The J.R.R. Tolkien Handbook

Our worldview—the underlying philosophy of life—shapes everything we do. It is formed out of our beliefs about God, humankind, and the world. Our worldview is created, not only by what we have learned through Scripture and Church, but also by other things such as what we learned at school, the family we grew up in, and the movies that we watch.

One of the things that have informed my worldview is J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. In this story I have discovered metaphors and illustrations for what it means to follow Jesus. 

As the above quote shows, Tolkien didn’t set out to write a theological work, but Christian themes naturally emerged nonetheless. His worldview, whether consciously or unconsciously, influenced his storytelling. This reality reminds us that our worldview always affects the work we do.

Since our worldview affects the things we do, then other people’s worldview will affect the things that they create. This is why it’s dangerous to consume stories, TV shows, music, and movies without a discerning eye. Even if creators don’t intentionally embed messages in their work, there’s always a message—something their worldview conveys. 

We need to be mindful of the subtle ways these messages shape how we see the world. As Christians, we should be particularly aware of how the stories we consume influence our thinking.

The effect of these stories can be so subtle that we might not even notice it happening. We may begin to adopt the worldview of the storyteller. For instance, if an author portrays the world as dark and hopeless, we might develop a similarly negative outlook. Or, if an author paints a picture of unrelenting optimism, we might develop an unrealistic expectation of life. Stories profoundly impact how we interpret the world around us.

So, how do we, as Christians, maintain a Christ-centered worldview? 

We maintain a Christian worldview by not allowing the world's narratives to have the primary influence over us. Instead, we need to immerse ourselves in the study of God’s Word and meditating on its truth. We must spend time in prayer, seeking His wisdom. 

It is also important to remember what Thomas à Kempis wisely wrote, “Why wish to see what you cannot have?” 

The stories we consume, along with the music and social media we engage with, often stir desires within us for lives we cannot or should not pursue. While all forms of media can awaken emotions that lead us closer to Christ the opposite can also be true. If taken without discernment, these things can lead us away from Jesus. That is why, as Christians, we must be careful about what we allow into our minds. The power of stories and songs lies in how easily they infiltrate our thinking without us realizing it.

I want to urge all of us to carefully examine the things we read, watch, and listen to, because they hold the power to shape our lives. More importantly, we need to make sure we are regularly filling our hearts and minds with God’s Word. Scripture should be our primary guide and influence.

As Philippians 4:8 (NLT) reminds us:  

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”