What is a spiritual discerner and how can I be spiritually discerning? This was a middle school assembly presentation I gave at Tianjin International School (China). A formatting issue takes place during the upload which slightly affects slide five.

1. ARE YOU A
SPIRITUAL DISCERNER?
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound
more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so
that you may be able to discern what is best and may be
pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with
the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ-to the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians 1:9-11

2. SPIRITUAL DISCERNERS
Spirituality - A focus on spiritual things and the spiritual world instead of
physical things.
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world -
the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he
has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world.”
1 John 2:15-16
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19
“Set your mind on above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2

3. Spiritual Discerners

4. SPIRITUAL DISCERNERS
Do you understand the true meaning of life?
Do you demonstrate Christlike character by applying
truth to all pursuits and dealings?
Do accept yourself and others as created in the
image of God?
Do you view yourself and others as stewards of their
time, talents and treasures?

5. SPIRITUAL DISCERNERS
“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you the elementary
truths of God's word all over again.You need milk,
not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still
an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about
righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who
by constant use have trained themselves to
distinguish good from evil.”
Hebrews 5:12-14

7. HOW CAN I BE
SPIRITUALLY DISCERNING?
DESIRE IT.
"Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart
to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your
voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and
search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will
discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the
knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-5

8. HOW CAN I BE
SPIRITUALLY DISCERNING?
PRAY FOR IT.
“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I
may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you
have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your
enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I
now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that
none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.”
1 Kings 3:9-12
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all
without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

9. HOW CAN I BE
SPIRITUALLY DISCERNING?
LEARN FROM OTHERS.
“...to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to
distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the
interpretation of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:10
“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.”
1 John 4:1-3
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to
his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
To him be the dominion forever and ever.Amen. 1 Peter 5:10

10. HOW CAN I BE
SPIRITUALLY DISCERNING?
RELY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all
truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he
hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of
the flesh.” Galatians 5:16
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Against such things
there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

11. HOW CAN I BE
SPIRITUALLY DISCERNING?
STUDY GOD’S WORD.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that
the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.To him be the glory both now and to
the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:16

12. ARE YOU A
SPIRITUAL DISCERNER?
“The natural person does not accept the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not
able to understand them because they are spiritually
discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is
himself to be judged by no one. ‘For who has
understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct
him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:14-16