The Fruit of Bad Listening

David Achata:

After a number of conversations and emails regarding my last blog entitled Two Approaches to Disciple Making, I see a need for a follow-up post. Specifically, some folks have been asking what it looks like to make space for the Spirit to lead in the work of disciple making. Simply put – a good starting point for letting the Spirit lead is to listen. Listen to the Spirit and listen to those we are discipling.

I was talking with a neighbor recently who said he felt like every time he talked with Christians, they were just looking for a blank in the conversation to insert their information. Yikes! Why is this?

As believers, when we don’t listen well, it reveals something about the heart. After all, didn’t Jesus say that you know a tree by the fruit it produces? (Mt. 7:17) If bad listening is the fruit, what is at the root? To understand this, let’s work through four questions.

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