-Drew Blackston


Where we live in the Tampa Bay Area we are surrounded by water on all sides. Anytime we are driving from one place to the next, there is a pretty good chance that you will have to use a bridge to go over some body of water. One of the most famous bridges in our area is called the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. If you’ve never seen it or driven over this massive icon, the Skyway Bridge is 430 feet tall and is the is considered the longest cable stayed concrete bridges in the world. For work, I have the opportunity to drive over the Skyway about once and week and I notice something every time I get to the top of the bridge: I lose cell phone service. Now I know this sounds weird because at 430 feet above the ground I should have perfect cell phone service, but something about the bridge and crossing Tampa Bay causes my phone to either lose all service or go down to only one bar. If I happen to be on the phone, hands free of course, when I start my ascent up the bridge, the person on the other end sounds like an old radio transmitter. I get bits and pieces of the conversation, but nothing more than that. It’s not until my car starts its decent on the other side of the bridge that I begin to hear what the other person is saying clearly again. Sometimes, I feel like our conversations with GOD are like my phone conversations crossing the Skyway Bridge. On my end, I am speaking clearly and I can hear myself, but on GOD’s end I’m only picking up bits and pieces. Like my cell phone with zero bars, I don’t know if GOD’s actually speaking because I can't hear anything through my receiver. I know that many Christians feel the same way and that is why I wanted to write this blog post in our “Back to Basics” series. I believe that GOD speaks to us in more ways than we know, but we aren’t tuned in to how He is speaking. Let’s look at 3 simple ways that GOD speaks directly to you and identify those moments so that you can be better prepared to hear the direction of our Creator.

1. Reading your Bible

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Psalms 119:105 NLT

GOD is always speaking to us. Maybe not verbally, but He is always speaking through His written word. In America, we have the amazing opportunity to have the Word of GOD, the Bible, at our fingertips whenever we want. Whether it's the physical book, online, or in the Bible App, the Bible is readily available at all times and in all places. Throughout the 66 books of the Bible, GOD is speaking in every one of them. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is filled with the wisdom, direction, and even humor of GOD. When we read the Bible, we are not just reading a book, but we are reading the actual words of GOD. Have you ever noticed that when a certain situation has come up in your life and you go to read the Bible, what you are going through seems to show up in the pages you are reading? I know that I have. That is GOD speaking directly to you through the pages of your Bible. Don’t discount the Word of GOD as just a good book to live by. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of GOD is “living and active” and “it exposes our innermost thoughts and motives.” You could say the Bible is our cell phone to Heaven connecting us directly to GOD our Father. When you question whether or not you are hearing GOD, open up your Bible and see what His Word says about your specific situation. Your physical Bible has a concordance in the back and Bible apps give you the ability to search for anything you want. 

2. Through other people 

“Teach a wise man what is right and he’ll grow even wiser. Instruct the lovers of God and they’ll learn even more.” Proverbs 9:9 TPT

Many times GOD will use other people to speak directly to us. Whether it's a pastor's sermon, the counsel of a close friend, or even a strangers quick conversation, GOD oftentimes speaks through those around us. In my own life, I have seen where the words of my wife have been the wisdom of GOD in many different situations. In other situations, the words from a podcast or sermon have touched my life and spoken something directly to me. In one moment I might be stressing about bills or expenses and then GOD will bring me across a particular podcast where the preacher is urging listeners to remember the promises of GOD on provision and abundance. Instantly I realize that GOD is speaking to me through that podcast and reminding me of His promises over my life.  In the scripture referenced above, Solomon is urging an already wise man to listen and be taught so that he can become wiser. What is the secret to becoming wiser? Listen to wise people. How do we hear the voice of ultimate wisdom which is GOD the Father? Listen to the wisdom that He has put in other people. 

3. In your heart

“And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son.
Hebrews 1:2 NLT

The most common way that GOD speaks to you and to me is through the Holy Spirit Who lives on the inside of us. In order for us to hear the voice of GOD, we have to put ourselves into position to hear His voice clearly. If you read one of our recent posts, “How do I study the Bible (click here to read)” you’ll remember that one point to having good study time is to put away all distractions. The same is true for hearing the voice of GOD. When you have a conversation with someone, can you really hear them if you are constantly looking at your phone or watching TV? In the same way, how can we hear the voice of GOD if we are surrounding ourselves with distractions in our prayer time. There’s a difference between distracting ourselves and distractions around us. We can push through the distractions around us and focus solely on talking and listening to GOD, but it's much harder to hear GOD’s voice when we are the ones putting the distractions in place. A book that I highly recommend is “The GOD I never knew” by Pastor Robert Morris (click here to buy on Amazon) which dives deeper into recognizing and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

GOD is always speaking, the question is are we listening? Through His Word, other people, and the Holy Spirit, GOD is always giving us opportunities to hear His voice. 


Over the next several weeks and months, Anchor Movement is going to focus on a series called “Back to the Basics” where we answer and define what it actually means to be a Christian. We want to answer some of the questions that new and old believers have in their walk of faith. Some examples include, “How to study the Bible,” and “Why should I go to church.” If you have a question you’d like us to answer or explore on the blog, go to our connect page and leave your response or visit our Instagram page here and leave your response in the comments.  

If you’ve ever stood in the line at Starbucks you know what it’s like to be labeled. The coffee giant labels each one of its white and green cups with the specific order of each coffee consumer. Some are as simple as, “coffee, black” others can be as complicated as, “grande, iced, sugar-free, vanilla latte with soy milk.” Both are essentially coffee drinks, but both are very different in their taste, appearance, and label. My Starbucks order is pretty simple, “grande, cafe latte, with soy or almond milk.” You can read more about my Starbucks experiences and  orders in a previous blog post here. When it comes to coffee labels things can get complicated and in the same way when you mention the term Christian, things can get as easily complicated. Between denominations—baptist, lutheran, pentecostal, methodist, church of Christ, Catholic, worship styles—hymns, contemporary, hands raised, hands down, choir, live band, and Bible translations—King James Version, New Living, The Message, New International, Amplified, and my personal favorite New King James Version—things can get pretty sticky when it comes to being a Christian. But what does it really mean to be a Christian? When you dig down to the foundation of all Christianity, what holds the church together and what does a person who calls themself a Christian actually look like? This post is not about church attire, worship styles, or even your preferred Bible version, but more about what the core of Christianity is. 


When I was 9 years old I gave my life to Jesus. I remember the little church we attended and being asked one straightforward question, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of GOD and that He died for your sins?” With my simple “yes” I was welcomed into the world of Christianity and all its different traditions, denominations, and unfortunately arguments. But through all the noise of doctrinal disputes, hermeneutical interpretations, and theological examinations, what being a Christian actually means is having a real intimate relationship with Jesus. That is the only label that truly matters and its the only label that we should allow to stick. Jesus is the reason we came to be a Christian. Romans 5:8 says, “But GOD demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That is why we are Christians and that is why we want to have an intimate relationship with the One who gave everything for us. One of the most famous scriptures in all the world sums it up like this, “For GOD so loved the world (thats me and you!) that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16. For GOD so loved you, before you cleaned yourself up, before you had your act together, before you knew you needed a Savior He loved you in the before. And He gave everything for you. Can you imagine sacrificing one of your children for someone else? How about your only child? I know I couldn't!  But that is what GOD did and that is why today, more than 2.2 billion people around the globe declare that they are Christian. But here is another reality check for you: our planets population is 7.53 billion individuals. That means that more than 5 billion people are destined for an eternity separated from GOD if we don’t do something about it. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 


There is no other way to GOD except through Jesus and as Christians we have the answer that the world is looking for. Since the beginning of time, people have been looking for the secret to everlasting life. During the time of the conquistadors, they searched for “The Fountain of Youth.” Today, researchers look for it in medical advances and artificial technology. Why such interest among people who don’t know GOD? Because deep down they fear what happens after death, but that is why Jesus came. The writer of Hebrews says this about Jesus, “That He, by the grace of GOD, might taste death for everyone.” Jesus has already experienced, tasted, and defeated death for all 7.53 billion people living on the planet today and the billions more to come. With one simple answer, each one of those individuals, no matter what they have done in the past, or where they were born, or how they grew up, or even how old they are now, can make that decision to give their life to Jesus Christ. The question is, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of GOD and that He died for your sins?” 


If you’d like to make Jesus the Lord of your life, click here to learn how to do that and pray a simple prayer with Drew. If you made that decision today or recently and would like us to pray for you, click here to connect with Valerie and Drew.

Over the next several weeks and months, Anchor Movement is going to focus on a series called “Back to the Basics” where we answer and define what it actually means to be a Christian. We want to answer some of the questions that new and old believers have in their walk of faith. Some examples include, “How to study the Bible,” and “Why should I go to church.” If you have a question you’d like us to answer or explore on the blog, go to our connect page and leave your response or visit our Instagram page here and leave your response in the comments.