Judges 6:7-10; John 10:1-5

"Over the years," writes pastor Roger Barrier, "I have developed a checklist to help me distinguish when God is speaking to me. It is not complete or foolproof. No one point, of course, is sufficient in itself to prove or disprove the voice of God. But these principles have helped me discern more accurately the voice of God."

God tends to speak gently. Remember how God spoke to Elijah? God was not in the whirlwind, earthquake, or the fire. "And after the fire came a gentle whisper," and God spoke in the whisper. Whenever the voice within me drives and demands like a pushy, used-car salesman, God is not speaking. God is never pushy; he seldom urges sudden action without giving us time to reason through the issues.

God's voice produces freedom. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Satan loves to put people into bondage; God loves to set us free.

God tends to speak while we are consciously seeking him. I remember shaving one morning ...