Learning to Recognize and Respond to God's Voice | The Branch

"I don't separate too much in my own mind of what's me and what's the Holy Spirit at this point." — Pastor Matthew Johnson

On this episode of The Branch podcast, Pastor Chris Reed sat down with Pastor Matthew Johnson to dig deeper into his recent sermon on hearing and responding to God's voice. The conversation moved beyond the original message to explore practical questions many people ask once they start actually trying to live this out.

The episode opened with a fun, informal exchange about unusual pieces of advice both pastors have received and actually used. Pastor Matthew shared a practice of writing out raw, unfiltered thoughts in a private document when he feels upset or anxious, then deciding later whether it still needs to be addressed once the initial emotion has settled. Pastor Chris shared his own experience training for and completing a 100 mile race, an experience that would return as a meaningful illustration later in the conversation.

Pastor Chris asked why believers still need the Holy Spirit's specific direction if scripture already provides wisdom for how to live. Pastor Matthew explained that scripture gives clear guardrails and general direction for major areas of life, but every person and situation still requires personal application. He used the example of forgiveness, explaining that while scripture is clear that believers should forgive, applying that command inside an ongoing difficult relationship still requires specific wisdom.

He pointed to the varying levels of closeness Jesus had with different groups of people, His twelve disciples, His three closest friends, and those He kept at a distance, as an example of how even Jesus operated with Spirit led discernment rather than a single formula applied the same way to everyone. Pastor Matthew also connected this to the early church, which relied heavily on the Holy Spirit to navigate new situations scripture had not directly addressed, such as how to include Gentile believers.

The conversation turned to a common tension many Christians feel, how to balance careful planning with dependence on the Holy Spirit. Pastor Matthew acknowledged that scripture holds both values at once, celebrating wise planning in Proverbs while also cautioning against presumptuous planning in the book of James. He explained that his own daily rhythm involves asking God for general wisdom each morning, then moving through his day with confidence rather than pausing before every small decision to ask for direction.

He cautioned against believers becoming what he called locked up, constantly waiting for a sign before making even minor choices. Instead, he described a healthier rhythm of knowing scripture, asking for wisdom, and trusting the Holy Spirit to interrupt with a check or a nudge when something truly needs attention.

Pastor Matthew shared that in seasons when he is consistently walking closely with God, he often cannot clearly separate his own thinking from the leading of the Holy Spirit. He described a recent meeting with a staff member who needed encouragement, explaining that the wisdom and compassion he offered in that moment did not feel like something he had to work to produce. He contrasted this with seasons of his life marked by laziness or emotional distraction, where he could clearly sense the difference between his own limited response and a Spirit led one.

Pastor Chris asked whether some requests are simply too small to bring before the Holy Spirit, using the example of praying to find lost keys. Pastor Matthew said nothing is too small, explaining that if something matters to a person, it matters to God because that person matters to Him. He shared a lighthearted personal story about misplacing both his Swiss Army knife and his Leatherman tool right before a recent sermon, praying about it, and having a clear sense of where both items were located, one of which turned out to be exactly where he sensed it would be.

He also pointed out that unlike human relationships, where growing independence is generally seen as healthy, dependence on God is never something believers are meant to outgrow.

One of the more detailed parts of the conversation explored the difference between seeking a sign from God and seeking His voice. Pastor Matthew used the story of Gideon in the book of Judges, who asked God to confirm his calling through a specific physical sign involving wool and dew. He explained that while God graciously responded to Gideon, scripture elsewhere describes seeking a sign as something Jesus associated with a lack of faith, since it essentially asks God to prove Himself before someone is willing to obey.

Pastor Matthew explained that a biblically healthy sign is one that follows obedience rather than one that is demanded beforehand. He said that when someone steps forward in faith first and then experiences God's confirmation afterward, their faith grows in a way that simply receiving proof up front never accomplishes.

Pastor Chris connected this idea to his recent experience completing a 100 mile race, describing how difficult decisions along the course, like whether to continue after his knee began hurting, could only be made one step and one aid station at a time rather than planned out in advance. Both pastors agreed this mirrored the experience of following God's direction in life. Pastor Matthew shared that looking back on difficult seasons in his own life, he does not believe he would have had the faith to move forward if he had seen the entire path laid out ahead of time.

The conversation also addressed what to do when God's direction feels unclear or absent. Pastor Matthew offered a simple, practical checklist for these moments, first asking whether there is something God has already spoken that has gone unaddressed, then asking whether enough time has genuinely been set aside to connect with Him, and finally considering whether the season of waiting itself might be something God intends to use for growth. He returned to a story he referenced in the original sermon, describing a season when funding for a building project unexpectedly fell through, leaving him confused and overwhelmed at the time, but later revealing itself as a season that strengthened the church in ways he could not have seen in the moment.

Both pastors reflected on how God's voice, in their experience, tends to shape character far more often than it directs specific outcomes or achievements. Pastor Matthew shared that while he is naturally driven and goal oriented, he has learned that God is ultimately far more concerned with who he is becoming than with what he accomplishes. He put it simply. It's more important the man I become than it is the things that I accomplish.

They also discussed why God often speaks through quiet internal checks and nudges rather than more dramatic, unmistakable signs. Pastor Matthew compared this to the depth of a close marriage, where a spouse who knows someone well enough can anticipate their needs without being told, illustrating this through a tender moment from Pastor Chris's race, where his wife Cassie intuitively understood exactly what he needed without him having to explain it.

Toward the end of the conversation, Pastor Matthew shared a personal story from early in his ministry, when God spoke to him as a young youth pastor in a way that was later confirmed. He described this as one of the most pivotal moments of his 27 years in ministry, saying it settled a long standing insecurity about whether he could actually trust what he sensed God saying to him. He closed by encouraging every listener, not just pastors or church staff, to build a consistent rhythm of listening for God's voice, saying, I can't imagine doing life without God. I'm saying I can't imagine not having his voice.