“god wants to reveal his will to you more than you want to know it.” ~ garry friesen

““God wants to reveal his will God wants to reveal his will to you more than you to you more than you

want to know it.”want to know it.”

~ Garry Friesen~ Garry Friesen

““We must substitute the idea of We must substitute the idea of ‘finding God’s will’ with that of ‘finding God’s will’ with that of ‘following God’s program for ‘following God’s program for

guidance’.guidance’.

~ Dr. Bruce Walthe~ Dr. Bruce Walthe

““It is easier for me to know God’s will It is easier for me to know God’s will for my for my wifewife than it is for me to know than it is for me to know

God’s will for my God’s will for my life.”life.”

~ Charles R. Swindoll~ Charles R. Swindoll

““Everything that has happened in your Everything that has happened in your life to this moment has been part of life to this moment has been part of

God’s determined will for your life. It God’s determined will for your life. It has happened because He has has happened because He has

determined it to be so.”determined it to be so.”

~ Grant Howard~ Grant Howard

““Scripture presents man as being a Scripture presents man as being a free moral agent who is responsible free moral agent who is responsible

for his decisions. God is not a Cosmic for his decisions. God is not a Cosmic Puppeteer, and we are not marionettes Puppeteer, and we are not marionettes that jump when He jerks our strings.”that jump when He jerks our strings.”


““Nothing happens unless the Nothing happens unless the Omnipotent wills it to happen.”Omnipotent wills it to happen.”

~ Augustine~ Augustine

““Scripture does not support the view Scripture does not support the view that there must be a specific divine that there must be a specific divine

reason behind all events.”reason behind all events.”

~ Gregory A. Boyd~ Gregory A. Boyd

““All events are governed by God’s All events are governed by God’s secret plan.”secret plan.”

~ John Calvin~ John Calvin

““Everything that happens is part of Everything that happens is part of God’s will.”God’s will.”

~ Pastor Bill Thompson~ Pastor Bill Thompson

““Nothing happens to the Christian by Nothing happens to the Christian by chance.”chance.”

~ Dr. Bruce Walthe~ Dr. Bruce Walthe

““This is a challenging world where This is a challenging world where chance has a role and in which things chance has a role and in which things do not always go as God would desire. do not always go as God would desire. But for this same reason it is a world But for this same reason it is a world

that is, by God’s grace, capable of that is, by God’s grace, capable of love. Hence God chose to create this love. Hence God chose to create this

world rather than the safer but world rather than the safer but uninteresting world of predestined uninteresting world of predestined

puppets.”puppets.”


““If chance existed, it would destroy If chance existed, it would destroy God’s sovereignty.”God’s sovereignty.”

~ R. C. Sproul~ R. C. Sproul

“The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.”

~ King Solomon(Ecclesiastes 9:11)

““God desires creatures who are God desires creatures who are capable of choosing love, so he risks capable of choosing love, so he risks

the possibility that their free decisions the possibility that their free decisions will interact in unfortunate and will interact in unfortunate and

unplanned ways.”unplanned ways.”


““Control is an illusion, you Control is an illusion, you infantile egomaniac!infantile egomaniac!

Nobody controls anything.”Nobody controls anything.”

~ Nicole Kidman to Tom Cruise~ Nicole Kidman to Tom Cruisein in Days Of ThunderDays Of Thunder

(Not a very good movie; so don’t bother renting it.)(Not a very good movie; so don’t bother renting it.)

““Why would a God who wants us Why would a God who wants us to do His will hide it from us? to do His will hide it from us? Why do Christians go through Why do Christians go through

such convoluted, painful efforts such convoluted, painful efforts to know it? His will needn’t be to know it? His will needn’t be hidden or elusive; a mystery, a hidden or elusive; a mystery, a

puzzle, an enigma.”puzzle, an enigma.”~ Dr. Bruce Walthe~ Dr. Bruce Walthe

““The idea of an individual will of God The idea of an individual will of God for every detail of a person’s life is for every detail of a person’s life is not found in Scripture. The most not found in Scripture. The most startling ramification is that many startling ramification is that many

believers are investing a great deal believers are investing a great deal of time and energy searching for of time and energy searching for something that is nonexistent.”something that is nonexistent.”


““Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see spiritual eyes so that I will not see

clearly what is required of me now.”clearly what is required of me now.”

~ Elisabeth Elliott~ Elisabeth Elliott

““Do not conform any longer to the Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test mind. Then you will be able to test

and approve what God's will is – his and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”good, pleasing and perfect will.”

~ Romans 12:2, NIV~ Romans 12:2, NIV

““You cannot continue life as usual or You cannot continue life as usual or stay where you are, and go forward stay where you are, and go forward

with God at the same time.”with God at the same time.”

~ Henry Blackaby~ Henry Blackaby

““Therefore, I urge you, brothers and Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer

your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God –this is your spiritual act pleasing to God –this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to of worship. Do not conform any longer to

the pattern of this world, but be the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your transformed by the renewing of your

mind. Then you will be able to test and mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, approve what God's will is – his good,

pleasing and perfect will.”pleasing and perfect will.”

~ Romans 12:1-2, NIVi~ Romans 12:1-2, NIVi

Not A Blueprint, A Game Not A Blueprint, A Game PlanPlan

““WhateverWhatever you eat or drink or you eat or drink or whateverwhatever you do, you must do all for you do, you must do all for

the glory of Godthe glory of God.”.”

~ 1 Corinthians 10:31, NLT~ 1 Corinthians 10:31, NLT

How To Hear Our Coach…How To Hear Our Coach…

1)1) Scripture Scripture 4) Inner Witness 4) Inner Witness

2) Wise Counsel 5) Delighting 2) Wise Counsel 5) Delighting Desires Desires

3) Circumstance 6) Divine 3) Circumstance 6) Divine InterventionIntervention

7) MAXIMUM IMPACT: 7) MAXIMUM IMPACT: The Way of WisdomThe Way of Wisdom

“ “Plans fail for lack of counsel,Plans fail for lack of counsel,but with many advisers they succeed.”but with many advisers they succeed.”

~ Proverbs 15:22, NIV~ Proverbs 15:22, NIV

We’ve All Got Blind Spots…We’ve All Got Blind Spots…

WHO TO ASK AROUND HERE…WHO TO ASK AROUND HERE…

1. Mature brother or sister.1. Mature brother or sister.

2. Home Church leader.2. Home Church leader.

3. Home Church 3. Home Church elder/pastor.elder/pastor.

4. Overseer or Staff pastor.4. Overseer or Staff pastor.

PROBLEMS WITH “FLEECING”…PROBLEMS WITH “FLEECING”…


1.) He did not use the fleece to receive 1.) He did not use the fleece to receive guidance but to confirm guidance that guidance but to confirm guidance that had already been given.had already been given.



2.) Gideon’s request was for a 2.) Gideon’s request was for a supernatural miraculous sign, not an a supernatural miraculous sign, not an a supernatural arrangement of natural supernatural arrangement of natural circumstances.circumstances.



2.) Gideon’s request was for a 2.) Gideon’s request was for a supernatural miraculous sign, not a supernatural miraculous sign, not a supernatural arrangement of natural supernatural arrangement of natural circumstances.circumstances.

3.) Gideon’s request was not born out of 3.) Gideon’s request was not born out of faith, but out of fear and doubt! faith, but out of fear and doubt!



2.) Gideon’s request was for a 2.) Gideon’s request was for a supernatural miraculous sign, not an a supernatural miraculous sign, not an a supernatural arrangement of natural supernatural arrangement of natural circumstances.circumstances.

3.) Gideon’s request was not born out of 3.) Gideon’s request was not born out of faith, but out of fear and doubt! faith, but out of fear and doubt!

4.) There is no NT example of this kind of 4.) There is no NT example of this kind of decision making.decision making.

““An evil and adulterous generation An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign”asks for a sign”

~ Matthew 12:39, NRSV~ Matthew 12:39, NRSV

““So she departed and went and So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; gleaned in the field after the reapers;

and she happened to come to and she happened to come to [Lit. [Lit. “her chance chanced upon”]“her chance chanced upon”] the the

portion of the field belonging to Boaz.”portion of the field belonging to Boaz.”

~ Ruth 2:3, NASB~ Ruth 2:3, NASB

““Now a certain man drew his bow at Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in random and struck the king of Israel in

a joint of the armor.”a joint of the armor.”

~ 1 Kings 22:34, NASB~ 1 Kings 22:34, NASB

““Now by chance a priest was going Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, down that road; and when he saw him,

he passed by on the other side.”he passed by on the other side.”

~ Luke 10:31, NRSV~ Luke 10:31, NRSV

““Perhaps this is the reason he was Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, you might have him back forever, 1616 no no

longer as a slave but more than a longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother – especially to slave, a beloved brother – especially to me but how much more to you, both in me but how much more to you, both in

the flesh and in the Lord.”the flesh and in the Lord.”

~ Philemon 15-16, NRSV~ Philemon 15-16, NRSV

““Anyone who lives on milk, being Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. the teaching about righteousness. 1414 But solid food is for the mature, who But solid food is for the mature, who

by constant useby constant use have trained have trained themselves to distinguish good from themselves to distinguish good from

evil.”evil.”~ Hebrews 5:13-14, NRSV~ Hebrews 5:13-14, NRSV

““For it is God's will that by doing right For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of you should silence the ignorance of

the foolish.”the foolish.”

~ 1 Peter 2:15, NRSV~ 1 Peter 2:15, NRSV

““Whatever you eat or drink or Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for whatever you do, you must do all for

the glory of God.”the glory of God.”


““WhateverWhatever you eat or drink or you eat or drink or whateverwhatever you do, you must do all for you do, you must do all for

the glory of Godthe glory of God.”.”


““In everything give thanks; for this is In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB

“god wants to reveal his will to you more than you want to know it.” ~ garry friesen

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