Listening & Hearing: Keys to Making Progress in Life

Sunday, June 24, 2012 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments

Listening & Hearing: Keys to Making Progress in Life The Seven "Sins" of Not Hearing

Again Jesus said, Mark 4:23, "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24] And He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25] For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

The seven "sins" of not listening (Adapted from Dan Bobinski). These are not biblical sins, but instances of "missing the mark" where it concerns listening.

Sin #1: Filtering. This is when a person's mind is sifting through another's words and tuning in only when he or she hears agreement. Commonly, a Filterer replies to someone else's statements with "yeah, but…."

Sin #2: Second Guessing. Someone who is second guessing usually misses important details because they are too busy (a) imagining someone has hidden motives for saying what they're saying, and (b) trying to figure out what those hidden motives might be.

Sin #3: Discounting. This sin occurs when a listener lacks respect for a speaker. What the speaker is saying could be 100% dead on correct, but a Discounter will either internally or publicly scoff at what's being said, for any number of reasons. The sad thing about Discounters is that they often miss the solutions to the problems before them, simply because they don't like the source.

Sin #4: Relating. A Relater is someone who continually finds references from his or her own background and compares them to what the speaker is saying. Relaters often appear self - centered, as everything they hear is publicly compared or contrasted to his or her own experiences.

Sin #5: Rehearsing. This sin blocks much listening as it is simply waiting for the other speaker to finish what he or she is saying so the Rehearser can start talking again. While someone else is talking, the Rehearser is thinking about how to say the next sentence. Different from the Filterer in that the other party may actually be agreeing with the Rehearser, but any words other than the Rehearser's own are just noise.

Sin #6: Forecasting. Someone who takes an idea from the speaker and runs light years ahead of the topic at hand is forecasting. Forecasting can stem from being bored with the subject matter, or simply because one's mind automatically thinks ahead.

Sin #7: Placating. One of the worst of all listening sins, placating agrees with everything anyone else says, just to avoid conflict.

Are You Hearing or Only Listening?

Saturday, June 23, 2012 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments


Mark 4:23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24 And He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

Listening and hearing are not always the same thing. While listening is a function of our ear to detect sound waves that register in our brain, hearing is a function of our will to understanding what is being said. The fact is: Many people do not hear in many areas of life spiritually, vocationally and relationally.

Listening is a natural, physical ability, but hearing must be cultivated through training one’s heart and mind to grasp what is being said. According to Jesus, having "ears to hear" greatly affects our capacity to progress in life.

Go To Your Place Called F.O.R.W.A.R.D.

Tuesday, June 05, 2012 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments


Exodus 14:13, And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14]The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 15]  And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16] But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Forward defined: To cause to proceed or progress toward a goal. To cause to go or be taken from one place, person, or condition to another.

Our God is a forward-looking God. He is all about leading us foward, proceeding and progressing towards the future. He does not believe in going backwards. Ask  Lot's wife about that! Gen. 19:26, "But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."

Forward is a place to which God leads people of purpose and destiny. Forward is a place that stretches your faith and exercises your prayer life. Forward is the place and the direction the vision takes you.

Forward is a place beyond the present obstacles, barriers, limitations and trouble

Go F.O.R.W.A.R.D.

F - Follow instructions. Face your God given responsibilities. Stop complaining and do something! Carry your weight. Be an effective part of the body of Christ.

O - Open your heart to God. Turn to Him and not to fear. “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” Prayer keeps you sensitive to God's direction.

R - Remember your covenant with Jesus, family, leaders, and brothers and sisters in Christ. “Remember” is a covenant word.

W - Walk by faith, not by sight. Don’t trust your feelings or your carnal mind. Only through prayer will you be sensitive to what God is doing and saying. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Activate spiritual principles.

A - Act on the Word. Act on spiritual principles. Be doers of the Word, so you won’t deceive yourself. (James 1:22, But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.) Mrs. Lot deceived herself. Be faithful, supportive, and obedient.

R - Roll with the punches, and then punch back. Don't live in denial, but not lay down and left life, or people, run over you. "Fight the good fight of faith!" (1 Tim. 6:12)

D - Dream big and get to Work! Work on yourself, your plans, and invest into your dreams.

Go to your place called “Forward” and do not make the mistake of looking back or clinging to the things, or people, that God has instructed you to release. Don’t forget about what happened to Lot’s wife when she disobeyed God’s instructions and turned back towards Sodom. She became a pillar of salt, frozen in her position of compromise looking backwards. (Gen. 19:12-17)

Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.