How can we discern direction in life? What are reliable and unreliable sources of knowledge for Christians? How can Christian believers understand what God wants them to do? Using biblical insight, philosophical theology, and experience from over 30 years as a Christian believer, this lesson shares valuable truths about how to Know God's Will. Podcast: http://cardoza.link/PodcastGodsWill

1. COMPASS
Finding Discernment and
Direction for Navigating Life
Freddy CardozaDr. Freddy Cardoza

2. How to Know God’s Will:
Finding Your Way Through Life’s Decisions

3. When we don’t know
God’s Will, we feel lost

4. Being Lost Brings Deep Emotions

5. Thousands of People Were Lost
in America’s Greatest Natural Disaster

25. Being
Directionally
Lost in Life
Brings Danger
and Intense
Emotions,
Which is Why
We Need
To Know
God’s Will

26. God Wants You To Feel The Relief of
Finding Your Way to His Will
Rescue of Solider Jessica Lynch

27. How Do You Know God’s Will
and the Joy of Finding It?

29. TRUTH, REALITY, BEING, KNOWLEDGE,
RIGHT AND WRONG, VALUE, BEAUTY,
LOGIC, MEANING FROM GOD’S VIEW
PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY

30. PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY
Content Area
1. Reason, Thought, the Use of
Language/Argument & Validity
2. Truth and Reality; What is Real?
- Being, Existence, Meaning
3. Beauty and Value
4. Right and Wrong; Good or Evil
5. Theory of Knowledge, “How Do
You ‘Know?’” What are Valid
Sources of Knowledge/Wisdom?
Field
1. Logic
2. Metaphysics
- Ontology
3. Aesthetics
4. Ethics
5. Epistemology

31. To Understand “How to Know
God’s Will” We Must Understand
the Christian View of What
God Says Constitutes
“Reliable Knowledge”
(biblical epistemology)
Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of
what is falsely called “knowledge”
1 Tim. 6:20

32. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
Ouija

33. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
Crystals: Universal Planetary Consciousness

34. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
Tarot

35. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
Runes

36. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
Mediums or Psychics (aka “Psychos”)

37. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
Paganism and Witchcraft .

38. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
(Extrabiblical) Prophets, Gurus, & Meditation.

39. Things Falsely Called Knowledge
(Extrabiblical) Prophecy .

40. Beware of False Prophets: 1 John 4:1-6 .

41. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits
to see whether they are from God, for many false
prophets have gone out into the world. By this you
know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and
every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was
coming and now is in the world already. Little children,
you are from God and have overcome them, for he who
is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are
from the world; therefore they speak from the world,
and the world listens to them. ...
1 John 4:1-6 .

42. Valid Sources of

43. 1. Properly Interpreted Word of God
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a
workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15

44. The Scriptures Cannot Be Broken
John 10:35
Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my Word
shall never pass away. Mark 13:31

45. 2. Sound Reason and Logic
As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue
and… reasoned with them from the Scriptures
Acts 17:2

46. 3. Discernment of the Conscience
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the
right or when you turn to the left. Isa 30:21

47. 4. Holy Spirit’s Voice and Prayer
A still, small voice 1 Kings 19:13

48. 4. Holy Spirit’s Voice and Prayer
“And he [God] said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount
before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a
great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in
pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in
the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord
was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire;
but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still
small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he …
went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And,
behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest
thou here, Elijah? ” (I Kings 19:11–13)

49. 5. Sound Counsel of Other People
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test
the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone out into
the world. 1 John 4:1

50. 6. Time and Life Experience
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a
heart of wisdom. Ps 90:12

51. 7. Research, the Sciences, and the
Observable Universe
Ps 19:1; Rom 1:19-21; Acts 17:24-28; Acts 2:14-15
“The Heavens Declare the Glory of God…”

52. 8. Life Consequences
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear
God and keep his commandments, for this is the
whole duty of man. c.f., Solomon in Eccl. 12:13

53. These Are True Statements
But There Are Three Caveats

54. Caveat 1
1. Each of these sources has “rules” to follow
or a person is subject to confusion & delusion
Dr. Bart Ehrman
Former Bible Believer

55. Caveat 2
2. Sometimes God uses one source,
sometimes more (to deepen our relationship
by teaching us how to listen to His Voice)

56. Caveat 2
There seems to be a hierarchy of sources
regarding confirming God’s Will with God’s
Word, God’s Spirit, and Our Spirit often
seeming to be most crucial
WORD
HOLY
SPIRIT
OUR
SPIRIT
Mutual
Agreement
Seems To Be
Paramount
To Establishing
God’s Will

57. 1 Corinthians 6:17
But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty,
that makes him understand. Job 32:8
The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,
searching all his innermost parts. Proverbs 20:27
For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person,
which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God
except the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:11
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of
marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by
the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
1 Corinthians 2:13

58. Caveat 3
3. As one spiritually matures, God’s Will is
often revealed by fewer & more covert ways

59. www.freddycardoza.com
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Freddy Cardoza, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved © 2015