Gary Neal Hansen

Theology. It's good for you.

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You are here: Home / Archives for Discerning the will of God

Letters to a Young Pastor: “Specialness B”

August 20, 2015 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

Dear ______: Yes, you are right: I did say that in ministry God brings out gifts in ordinary people. And that can lead people to do extraordinary things. That is true everywhere in life, actually. But please don’t let that lead you into thinking that ministry makes you special. That dangerous way of thinking is […]

Filed Under: Ministry Tagged With: discerning a call to ministry, Discerning the will of God, Letters to a Young Pastor, Servanthood, Specialness

Letters to a Young Pastor: Hearing God’s Side of the Conversation

August 6, 2015 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

Dear ______: I’m glad you like the idea of finding guidance for your life in Scripture—where God has always spoken, God does speak still. But you are right: there is a learning curve. It takes a while to get the big picture of things in the Bible. You have to invest some time before it can […]

Filed Under: Ministry, Prayer, Saints Tagged With: Discerning the will of God, Hearing God's voice, Ignatius of Loyola, Prayer of the Senses

How Do You Find God’s Will? (Heidelberg Catechism, Q91)

November 11, 2014 by Gary Neal Hansen Leave a Comment

If you follow Jesus, sooner or later the question is going to come up: What is God’s will?” We love God. We want our lives to please God. But how on earth can we figure out what God really wants? A full century after the Pentecostal movement drew our attention to the presence of the Holy Spirit, […]

Filed Under: Heidelberg Catechism, Theology Tagged With: Discerning the will of God, Finding the Will of God, Hearing God's voice, Ten Commandments, Third use of the Law

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Theology. It’s good for you.

I'm a Church historian by trade. My writing, speaking, and teaching explores the Christian past to equip today's disciples. Join me here for regular posts on the best of theology, spirituality, community, and ministry. read more…

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