Discernment I Cor 2:1-15

\Numbers 22-24.

1 Corinthians 2:1-15

The phrase "gut instinct is right" refers to the idea that our intuition can be a reliable guide to making good decisions. Intuition is often described as a feeling or hunch that we have about something, even though we may not be able to explain why we feel that way.

There is some scientific evidence to support the idea that gut instinct can be right. For example, one study found that people were more accurate at detecting deception when they relied on their intuition than when they relied on logic. Another study found that people were more likely to make good financial decisions when they followed their gut instinct.

• Be aware of your biases. Everyone has biases, so it is important to be aware of them so that they don't cloud your judgment.
• Consider all of the relevant information. Don't just rely on your gut instinct. Gather as much information as possible before making a decision.
• Trust your gut, but don't be afraid to question it. If your gut instinct is telling you something that doesn't make sense, it is okay to question it.
• Be willing to learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from them and not make the same mistake twice.

• You meet someone for the first time and you get a bad feeling about them.
• You are offered a job that seems too good to be true.
• You are about to make a big purchase and you have a nagging feeling that it's not the right thing to do.
• You are in a situation that feels dangerous or threatening.

 Horse sense is a colloquial term for common sense, practical judgment, or good sense. It is often used to describe people who are shrewd, astute, and able to see through things.

The term "horse sense" is thought to have originated in the 19th century, and it is likely related to the fact that horses are known for their intelligence and keen senses. Horses are also very good at assessing danger and making quick decisions.

Sherlock Holmes

People with horse sense are often able to see things that others miss.

Here are some examples of horse sense:

• A person with horse sense might be able to see that a business deal is too good to be true.
• A person with horse sense might be able to sense that someone is lying.
• A person with horse sense might be able to come up with a creative solution to a problem.
• A person with horse sense might be able to anticipate problems and take steps to avoid them.

• Pay attention to your gut. Oftentimes, our gut instinct is right. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.
• Be observant. Pay attention to the details of your surroundings and the people you interact with.
• Be open-minded. Be willing to consider different perspectives and ideas.
• Be willing to learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to _

 There is some scientific evidence to support the idea that gut instinct can be right. For example, one study found that people were more accurate at detecting deception when they relied on their intuition than when they relied on logic. Another study found that people were more likely to make good financial decisions when they followed their gut instinct.

The Bible story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22-24. Balaam was a non-Israelite prophet who was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites. However, God intervened and prevented Balaam from cursing the Israelites. Instead, Balaam blessed them.

The story of Balaam is a complex one, and there are many different interpretations of it. Some see Balaam as a wicked man who was led astray by greed. Others see him as a flawed man who was ultimately obedient to God.

One of the most interesting aspects of the story is the role of Balaam's donkey. When Balaam and his donkey are on their way to Moab, they encounter an angel of the Lord blocking the road. The donkey sees the angel, but Balaam does not. The donkey refuses to go any further, and Balaam beats it. Three times the donkey refuses to go, and three times Balaam beats it.

Finally, God opens Balaam's eyes and he sees the angel. The angel rebukes Balaam for beating his donkey, and Balaam repents. The angel then allows Balaam to go to Moab, but tells him that he can only speak the words that God gives him.

When Balaam arrives in Moab, he delivers four prophecies. The first three prophecies are blessings on the Israelites. The fourth prophecy is a warning to Balak that Israel will eventually be defeated, but not by Moabites.

The story of Balaam is a reminder that God is sovereign and that He can use even flawed people to accomplish His purposes. It is also a reminder that we should be careful not to let greed or other worldly desires lead us away from God.

Here are some of the key lessons that we can learn from the story of Balaam:

• God is sovereign. Even though Balak tried to hire Balaam to curse the Israelites, God ultimately prevented Balaam from doing so. God is in control, and He will accomplish His purposes, even when we try to resist Him.
• We should be careful not to let greed or other worldly desires lead us away from God. Balaam was tempted by Balak's offer of money, and he almost disobeyed God. However, God intervened and prevented Balaam from making a mistake. We should all be careful not to let our own desires lead us away from God.
• We should be obedient to God, even when we don't understand His ways. Balaam didn't understand why God was allowing him to bless the Israelites, but he obeyed God nonetheless. We should also be obedient to God, even when we don't understand His ways.

 To "distinguish between spirits" in the Greek New Testament is to be able to discern between the Holy Spirit and the spirits of darkness. It is the ability to recognize the influence of God's Spirit in our lives and in the world around us, and to identify the work of Satan and his demons.

Here are some specific things that we can look for to help us discern between spirits:

• The fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces good fruit in our lives, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If a teaching or message is not producing good fruit in our lives, then it is likely not from the Holy Spirit.
• The Word of God. The Bible is the standard by which we should measure all teaching and revelation. If a teaching or message does not agree with the Bible, then it is not from God.
• The peace of God. The Holy Spirit brings peace to our hearts. If a teaching or message is causing us to feel anxious or troubled, then it is likely not from God.

The Greek word for discernment is diakrisis, which means "to distinguish, separate, or judge." It is used in the New Testament to describe the ability to distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood, and the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world.

In Ephesians 5:10, Paul tells us to "be discerning" and to "test everything that is said." This means that we should carefully examine everything that we hear or read, and we should not accept everything at face value. We should be especially discerning when it comes to new teachings or ideas.

Discernment is also important in our relationships with others. We need to be able to discern the motives of others and to identify those who are trying to deceive us. We also need to be able to discern the spiritual condition of others and to offer them the help that they need.

Here are some specific examples of how discernment is used in the New Testament:

• In Matthew 16:2-3, Jesus warns his disciples about false prophets who will come in his name. He tells them to be discerning and to test the spirits to see if they are from God.
• In 1 John 4:1-3, John warns us about false teachers who will come into the world. He tells us to test the spirits to see if they are from God.
• In Acts 17:11, the Bereans are commended for their discernment. They carefully examined the teachings of Paul and Silas to see if they were true.

Discernment is an essential gift for all Christians. It helps us to make wise decisions, to avoid being deceived, and to grow in our spiritual lives.

1 Corinthians 2:1-15

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,

and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

What does this passage mean?

In this passage, Paul is explaining how he preached the gospel to the Corinthians. He did not come with eloquence or human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. This means that he preached the gospel in a way that was simple and direct, and he relied on the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of his listeners.

Paul's goal was for the Corinthians' faith to rest in the power of God, not in the wisdom of men. He knew that the gospel is a message that is foolishness to the world, but it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (1 Corinthians 1:18).

What does this passage teach us about preaching the gospel?

This passage teaches us that we should not rely on our own eloquence or wisdom when we preach the gospel. Instead, we should rely on the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of our listeners. We should preach the gospel simply and directly, and we should trust that the Holy Spirit will do the work of convicting people of sin and leading them to repentance and faith in Christ.

Sources

1. bethanybible.org/new/sermon/2019/2019-10-13/speaking-to-edify-1-corinthians-146-19
2. books.google.com/books?id=yuJUAAAAcAAJ
3. stpaulcenter.com/a-preacher/

I read a story the other day of a great preacher. His name was Harry Ironside. He said that, after he had preached one day, a woman came to him with a ten-year-old boy and said, “I want my little grandson to meet you. I hope you won’t be offended about what he said. I had been telling him about you and he wanted to hear you. He said to me, ‘Why, grandma, he is not a great preacher; I could understand every word he said.’”

Dr. Ironside said that he couldn’t have received a higher compliment.

When we get together as the family of God and in the name of our Lord Jesus, it’s that kind of clarity of speech that we want to have happen. After all, we handle the greatest truths the world could ever know. We handle the revealed word of God together. We speak of the great truths of our Savior Jesus Christ—the Son of God. And if there was ever a time when we should be clear, and plain-speaking, and understandable in what we say to each other, it’s when we are handling and teaching and sharing the sacred truth of God’s word together. There ought never to be any question of what we mean when we handle sacred truth. It ought to be as plain as it can possibly be.

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit, he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification (1 Corinthians 14:1-5).

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:4-11).

Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order (vv. 39-40).

I also remember what he said in verse 12;

since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel (v. 12).

1. WE MUST EXPRESS AN ACTUAL IDEA WITH OUR WORDS.

In order for our words to edify, they have to have what I call ‘propositional content’. They must be able to set forth a clear ‘idea’. The ministry of setting-forth a clear word of God is a ministry that deals—not with subjective feelings and emotions—but with concepts and propositions and assertions and ideas. Actual ideas. Paul says;

But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? (v. 6).

To give a ‘revelation’ means that I speak forth something that God has made clear to human beings. If I speak forth a ‘prophesy’, I am speaking something special that God wants us to know—perhaps something about what will happen in the future. If I speak forth ‘teaching’, I am explaining a truth from God and showing how it is to be applied. These all involve clear, plain, discernible ideas and thoughts and propositions and assertions.

2. WE MUST BE CLEAR IN THE SOUNDS WE MAKE (vv. 7-9).

Paul went on to give some examples that are very familiar to us. He wrote,

Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? (v. 7).

Many years ago, I inherited a saxophone. I wasn’t very good at it though. All I could do was make it sound as if I was giving a goose the Heimlich maneuver. A friend of mine came along, though; and he was a music teacher. I was amazed at the sounds he was able to make come out of it. He played clear, recognizable songs. Even a musical instrument—if it doesn’t make clear sounds—can’t communicate music.

Or think of the trumpet. Isn’t it amazing what history the trumpet has? It has been used for thousands of years in military activities; and that’s because it makes a clear sound that can give instructions that everyone can hear—even from far away. But Paul wrote,

For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? (v. 8).

If the trumpet doesn’t make a clear, distinct sound—if someone just blows air through it without any purpose—the soldiers don’t know what command it is that is being given to them.

So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air (v. 9).

3. WE MUST SHARE A SENSE OF MEANING WITH ONE ANOTHER (vv. 10-12).

Paul, I believe, went on to speak of actual, known languages when he wrote;

There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance (v. 10).

Whatever the language may be—whatever form of common speech that a people group share—we can be sure that the words that are used are meant to have a significance and a clear meaning to that people group. They share a common lexicon—a common meaning of the specific word of their language. They learn their language as they grow up, so that they can share that meaning with each other.

I heard a story told once by Dr. J. Edwin Orr. He was a great evangelist—and he also happened to be an Irishman. He was ministering here in the United States; and he stayed with an American family. And he told the man of the house once, “I need to tell you, dear brother. You have a wonderful home. You have such wonderful, well-behaved children. And I have to tell you that your wife is one of the homeliest women I’ve ever met.”

The host had the presence of mind to say, “Eh … what exactly does it mean, in your understanding, to say my wife is ‘homely’? And Dr. Orr explained, “Well; isn’t the meaning obvious? If someone is kind, you say that they’re ‘kindly’. If they are a good friend, you say that they’re ‘friendly’. If someone is a good home-keeper, you say that they’re ‘homely’.”

“Well,” said the host; “That may be what it means in Ireland. But it doesn’t mean that here in the United States.” And Dr. Orr sought to defend himself; “Well, perhaps not. But I will remind you that we had the language before you did!”

But that illustrates the point. Unless there is a shared sense of meaning—even if the sound of the words is clear—communication cannot happen. Paul wrote;

Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me (v. 11).

When Paul speaks of ‘foreigners’, he’s using the word ‘barbarian’. We often think of something like Conan when we think of barbarians. But really the word is one that speaks of a foreigner who’s language is not understood. His or her words just sound like they’re saying “Bar-bar-bar.” If I don’t share a common understanding of the words with the person that I’m speaking with, then I’m just a barbarian to them, and they are a barbarian to me. It just sounds like ‘Bar-bar-bar.” So Paul wrote;

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel (v. 12).

4. WE MUST REACH THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR LISTENER (vv. 13-17).

It’s a dangerous thing to seek to move people by their emotions alone—in disregard to the mind. It is by the mind that we understand the truth and then bring the will into conformity to God’s commands as we understand them in the mind. Sadly, many churches focus on tongues as a way to impact the emotions apart from—or as a way to completely bypass—the mind. Paul wrote;

Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified (vv. 13-17

yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue (v. 19). yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue (v. 19).

In 1 Corinthians 2, the apostle Paul writes about the importance of spiritual discernment. He says that the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (2:14). This means that those who are not spiritually mature cannot understand the deeper truths of God's Word and the things of the Spirit.

Paul goes on to say that the spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one (2:15). This means that those who are spiritually mature have the ability to discern between truth and error, good and evil, and right and wrong. They are not easily deceived by false teachers or worldly philosophies.

Paul concludes by saying that the spiritual person has the mind of Christ (2:16). This means that they have been given a new perspective on life and the world, which is based on God's truth and love. As a result, they are able to see things that the natural person cannot see.

Spiritual discernment is a gift from God, but it is also something that we can grow in. We can develop our discernment by spending time in God's Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and seeking wisdom from other mature Christians.

And that is… filtering. Or as Ernest Hemingway put it, crap detection. Someone asked the Nobel prize-winning author if there were one quality needed, above all others, to be a good writer, and he answered “a built-in, shock proof, crap detector.”¹. The year was 1950².

I’ve tweaked up the criteria and the questions a bit to suit our purpose. Here they are:

1. How recent is the information? (Criteria: Currency)
2. Is it current enough for the topic? (Criteria: Currency)
3. What kind of information is included in the content? (Criteria: Relevance, Reliability)
4. Is the information meaningful / useful for the audience? (Criteria: Relevance)
5. Who is the creator or author? What is their expertise on the topic, and what are their credentials? (Criteria: Authority, Reliability)
6. Who is the publisher or sponsor? Are they reputable? (Criteria: Authority, Reliability)
7. What is the publisher's interest (if any) in this information? (Criteria: Authority, Reliability)
8. Is it primarily data or opinion? If it’s the latter, is it balanced? (Criteria: Purpose / Point of View)
9. Does the author provide references or sources for data or quotations? (Criteria: Purpose / Point of View, Reliability)
10. Is the creator / author trying to sell you something? (Criteria: Purpose / Point of View, Reliability)

 

CRAP testing

One critical thinking tool popular in schools is the memorable mnemonic CRAP (Orenic, 2008), which teaches students to consider four key elements when evaluating information.

• Currency
• Reliability
• Authority
• Purpose/Point of View

As an example of how to use the CRAP test, here are some questions we use to guide students in evaluating a Wikipedia article:

• Currency – Use the [View history] tab on a Wikipedia article to check when it was created, and whether it has been kept up-to-date. Review the publication dates on the references at the end of the article;
• Reliability – While vandalism and spam can be an issue for Wikipedia, every edit is recorded, and all versions can be easily restored. There are automated filters plus human patrollers who monitor recent edits and pages of interest to them. Wikipedia has a checklist of reliability criteria that considers accuracy of information, appropriateness of images, style and focus of articles, exclusion and removal of false information, comprehensiveness, scope and coverage, susceptibility to editorial and systemic bias, and quality of writing;
• Authority – All statements in Wikipedia should be facts backed up by references to reputable third-party sources. A quality article should have no [citation needed] flags, and a quality reference list. Readers can check who has made edits on an article in the [View history] tab by clicking on the editor's username and a link to the editor's other Wikipedia contributions;
• Purpose/Point of view – Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, written from a neutral point of view. Its content should include facts, not opinions. To check for debates and contentious issues related to topics, click on the [Talk page] of an article and read the discussion.

 PC Pro magazine (August 2007) asked experts to compare four articles (a small sample) in their scientific fields between Wikipedia, Britannica and Encarta. In each case Wikipedia was described as "largely sound", "well handled", "performs well", "good for the bare facts" and "broadly accurate". One article had "a marked deterioration towards the end" while another had "clearer and more elegant" writing, a third was assessed as less well written but better detailed than its competitors, and a fourth was "of more benefit to the serious student than its Encarta or Britannica equivalents". No serious errors were noted in Wikipedia articles, whereas serious errors were noted in one Encarta and one Britannica article.^[58]

 A crap detector is the ability to recognize when someone is exaggerating, lying, talking nonsense, etc. It is an important skill to have in today's world, where we are constantly bombarded with information from a variety of sources.

There are a number of things you can do to improve your crap detector skills:

• Be aware of your own biases. We all have biases, and these can cloud our judgment when it comes to evaluating information. Be mindful of your own biases and try to be objective when evaluating information.
• Be skeptical of claims that seem too good to be true. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of claims that promise quick and easy solutions to complex problems.
• Look for evidence to support claims. Don't just take someone's word for it. Ask for evidence to support their claims and be sure to evaluate that evidence critically.
• Be aware of logical fallacies. Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that can be used to mislead people. Be familiar with common logical fallacies and be on the lookout for them when evaluating information.
• Use fact-checking websites. There are a number of websites that specialize in fact-checking news stories and other claims. If you're unsure about the accuracy of something you've read or heard, check it out on a fact-checking website.

Here are some specific questions you can ask yourself to help you detect crap:

• Who is the author or speaker? Are they a credible source?
• What is the author's or speaker's purpose? Are they trying to sell you something? Are they trying to promote a particular agenda?
• Is the information presented in a balanced way? Or is it one-sided?
• Are there any logical fallacies in the argument?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Is the information current?

If you can answer most of these questions in a negative way, then it's likely that the information you're reading or hearing is crap.

It's also important to remember that your crap detector is not perfect. Even the most experienced people can be fooled by misinformation. That's why it's important to be critical of all information and to be willing to change your mind when presented with new evidence.

Here are some examples of poor discernment from the Bible:

• Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. God had clearly commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they were persuaded by the serpent to disobey. This shows that they lacked discernment and were easily deceived. [Genesis 3:1-6]

• Cain killing Abel. Cain and Abel were both offering sacrifices to God, but God only accepted Abel's sacrifice. Cain was angry and jealous, and he killed his brother. This shows that Cain lacked discernment and was unable to control his emotions. [Genesis 4:1-8]

• The Israelites worshiping the golden calf. After Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the Israelites became impatient and demanded that Aaron make them a god to worship. Aaron made a golden calf, and the Israelites began to worship it. This shows that the Israelites lacked discernment and were easily led astray. [Exodus 32:1-6]

• King Saul disobeying God. God had commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites, but Saul spared their king and the best of their livestock. This showed that Saul lacked discernment and was not fully obedient to God. [1 Samuel 15:1-3]

• Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus. Judas was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, but he betrayed Jesus to the authorities for money. This shows that Judas lacked discernment and was willing to betray the one he claimed to love. [Matthew 26:14-16]

These are just a few examples of poor discernment from the Bible. It is important to learn from these examples and to develop our own discernment so that we can avoid making the same mistakes.

Here are some more examples of poor discernment from the Bible:

• The people of Israel following Balaam. Balaam was a false prophet who was hired by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Israelites. However, God intervened and prevented Balaam from cursing the Israelites. The people of Israel, however, were tempted by Balaam's offer of riches and followed him into the land of Moab. This shows that the people of Israel lacked discernment and were easily led astray by false promises. [Numbers 22-24]

• The Israelites worshiping Baal. After the death of Joshua, the Israelites began to worship Baal, a pagan god. This shows that the Israelites lacked discernment and were easily led astray by their own desires. [Judges 2:11-15]

• The Israelites believing the false prophets of Ahab. Ahab was a wicked king of Israel who was led astray by his wife, Jezebel. Ahab consulted with false prophets who told him that he would be victorious in battle. However, God sent Elijah to warn Ahab that he would be defeated. Ahab refused to listen to Elijah, and he was defeated in battle. This shows that the Israelites lacked discernment and were easily led astray by false promises. [1 Kings 22:1-38]

• The people of Corinth following false teachers. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to warn them about false teachers who were leading people astray. Paul warned the Corinthians to test everything they heard and to hold on to what was good. This shows that the people of Corinth lacked discernment and were easily led astray by false teaching. [1 Corinthians 11:1-16]

• The people of Galatia following false teachers. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia to warn them about false teachers who were teaching that salvation comes through works of the law, not through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul warned the Galatians that they were being deceived and that they were in danger of losing their salvation. This shows that the people of Galatia lacked discernment and were easily led astray by false teaching. [Galatians 1:6-9]

Here are some more examples of poor discernment from the Bible:

• The Israelites believing the spies who brought back a negative report about the Promised Land. The spies were sent to explore the Promised Land, but they brought back a negative report. This caused the Israelites to lose faith and to refuse to enter the Promised Land. This shows that the Israelites lacked discernment and were easily discouraged. [Numbers 13-14]

• King David committing adultery with Bathsheba and then trying to cover it up. David saw Bathsheba bathing and was immediately attracted to her. He slept with her and then tried to cover it up by having her husband killed in battle. This shows that David lacked discernment and was easily led astray by his own desires. [2 Samuel 11-12]

• Saul sending David to fight Goliath. Saul was jealous of David's popularity and wanted to get rid of him. So he sent David to fight Goliath, knowing that David would likely be killed. This shows that Saul was willing to use others to achieve his own selfish goals. [1 Samuel 17]

• Ananias and Sapphira lying to the Holy Spirit about the amount of money they had donated to the church. Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of property and gave part of the proceeds to the church. But they lied to the Holy Spirit about the amount of money they had given. As a result, they were both struck dead. This shows that Ananias and Sapphira lacked discernment and were willing to deceive God. [Acts 5]

• The Corinthians being divided over different leaders. The church in Corinth was divided over different leaders, each of whom claimed to be the greatest. This shows that the Corinthians lacked discernment and were easily misled by pride. [1 Corinthians 1:10-13]

Here are some YouTube videos on discernment:

• 4 Helpful Rules for Discernment by Ascension Presents
• I Need Discernment | Discernment | (Part 2) | Jerry Flowers by REDEFINED TV
• How to Know You Have the Gift of Discernment - 5 IMPORTANT Signs by David Diga Hernandez
• Developing Your Discernment - Kevin Zadai by Kevin Zadai
• The Power Of A Discerning Spirit – Dr. Charles Stanley by In Touch Ministries

 

• Be aware of your own biases.
• Be skeptical of claims that seem too good to be true.
• Look for evidence to support claims.
• Be aware of logical fallacies.
• Use fact-checking websites.

• Here are 10 examples of logical fallacies:

  • Straw man fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone misrepresents or exaggerates their opponent's argument in order to make it easier to attack.

  Example:

  Person A: I think we should raise taxes on the wealthy to fund social programs.

  Person B: So you want to take all of the rich people's money and give it to the poor? That's socialism!

  • Ad hominem fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone attacks the person making an argument instead of the argument itself.

  Example:

  Person A: I think that the new tax plan is unfair to the middle class.

  Person B: Of course you would say that, you're just a lazy liberal who wants everything for free.

  • Appeal to authority fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone uses the opinion of an authority figure to support an argument, even if the authority figure is not actually an expert on the topic at hand.

  Example:

  Person A: I'm not sure about the safety of this new drug, but Dr. Oz said it's great, so I'm going to take it.

  • False dilemma fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone presents two options as the only possible choices, when in reality there are other options available.

  Example:

  Person A: Either we raise taxes or we cut spending. There is no other option.

  • Hasty generalization fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone makes a broad generalization based on a small sample size.

  Example:

  Person A: I ate a bad apple once, so all apples must be bad.

  • Correlation does not equal causation fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone assumes that because two things are correlated, one must cause the other.

  Example:

  Person A: The number of ice cream sales increases every summer, and the number of drownings also increases every summer. Therefore, ice cream sales cause drownings.

  • Red herring fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone introduces an irrelevant topic into an argument in order to distract from the main issue.

  Example:

  Person A: I think that we should ban assault weapons.

  Person B: But what about all the people who use guns for self-defense? You're going to take away their guns?

  • No true Scotsman fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone makes a claim about a group of people, and then excludes anyone who does not fit their definition of the group.

  Example:

  Person A: No true Scotsman would ever vote for Donald Trump.

  • Texas sharpshooter fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone cherry-picks data to support their claim, while ignoring data that contradicts their claim.

  Example:

  Person A: I'm right about this because I can point to a few examples that support my claim.

  • Appeal to pity fallacy: This fallacy occurs when someone tries to win an argument by appealing to the listener's emotions.

  Example:

  Person A: I know I'm not the most qualified candidate for this job, but my family is really struggling financially. Please give me a chance.

  Here are a few illustrative stories about horse sense:

  • The horse who refused to cross the bridge. A horse was being ridden across a bridge when it suddenly stopped and refused to go any further. The rider tried everything to get the horse to move, but it wouldn't budge. Finally, the rider dismounted and looked over the bridge. He saw that there was a large crack in the bridge and that it was about to collapse. The horse had saved the rider's life by refusing to cross the bridge.
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  • The horse who sensed danger. A group of people were riding horses through a forest when one of the horses suddenly stopped and refused to go any further. The rider tried to get the horse to move, but it wouldn't budge. The other riders also stopped their horses, and they all looked around. They saw a large bear coming towards them. The horse had sensed the danger and had saved the riders from being attacked by the bear.
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  • The horse who knew the best way. A man was riding his horse through a mountain range when he got lost. He tried to find his way back, but he couldn't. He was about to give up when his horse suddenly started walking in a different direction. The man followed the horse, and eventually they found their way back to the trail. The horse had known the best way to get back, even though the man didn't
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