Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation
Welcome to the new season of the podcast, now titled "Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation"!
Join your host, Pastor Robert Young, as we embark on a journey of spiritual exploration and renewal. This podcast is designed to help you deepen your faith and find inner peace through calming, reflective, and transformative meditative practices inspired by scripture.
Our Evolution
While the podcast, formerly known as Not Your Parent's Religion, focused in Seasons 1 and 2 on correcting misinformation and myths about religious beliefs and the teaching of Jesus Christ, the program has evolved. In Season 3, we began drawing closer to God with guided meditations, exploring all the details of why and how to meditate, and discussing the Biblical origins of Christian meditations.
With over 30 years of experience in Church planting and mentoring other Pastors, and 30+ years of training leaders in evangelism/discipleship, Pastor Young is here to guide you through these moments of stillness and connection with God.
What to Expect in Season 4
We are excited to return with Season 4 starting Sunday, October 5. We will continue to offer a structured weekly schedule:
- Sundays: Our weekly guided meditation episode.
- Monday through Friday: Daily devotions and reflections that expand on the topic of the Sunday meditations.
- Wednesdays: Audio episodes of our House Church series. This series reflects the Bible's teaching that believers should gather together for corporate worship, fellowship, encouragement, and even admonishment.
For those seeking an enhanced experience, we are adding video versions of the meditations and devotions to our Patreon page. These videos are designed to give you a more immersive experience as you meditate on the Father, His teachings, and His presence.
Tune in each week as we lead you on this path to connecting more deeply with God.
Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation
Discernment vs Suspicion | Daily Devotion (Wednesday)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Ever felt certain you were being “discerning” only to realize later it was fear steering the wheel? We take a deep, honest look at how true wisdom shows up in everyday decisions, using James 3:17 as our compass: pure, peace-loving, considerate, and steady. Instead of glorifying hypervigilance, we challenge the reflex to suspect, second-guess, and brace for the worst, and we show how spirit-led discernment cuts through noise without feeding anxiety.
We unpack the quiet difference between suspicion and discernment. Suspicion is rooted in insecurity and mistrust; it narrows your world and saps your energy. Discernment listens for the Holy Spirit, weighs evidence with humility, and produces a calm clarity that leads to action. You’ll hear practical ways to test the fruit of your thoughts: Are you driven by dread, or guided by peace? Are you bracing your body and mind, or breathing with confidence and kindness? Through a brief reflection, we invite you to name where fear has been posing as wisdom and to trade it for guidance that is both truthful and gentle.
To make this shift stick, we offer a simple, memorable affirmation you can carry into your day: I walk in spirit-led discernment, not fear-driven suspicion. Repeat it before tough meetings, challenging conversations, or decisions that keep you up at night. We close with a short prayer for clarity and confidence, leaving you with tools you can use right away. If this conversation helps you breathe easier and see straighter, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs peace today, and leave a quick review so others can find this message too.
Consider helping us to take the Gospel to others here:
https://patreon.com/churchplanting
https://cash.app/$WellnessInstitute
Leave a voicemail question or prayer requests here:
(585) 331-3424
Leave an email question, prayer requests or comment here:
robyoung51.ry@gmail.com
Today's scripture is coming from the book of James, chapter three, verse seventeen. The wisdom from above is pure, peace-loving, considerate. Discment is not suspicion. Suspicion is rooted in fear, insecurity, and mistrust. Discernment is rooted in wisdom, peace, and the Holy Spirit. God does not call us to paranoia or constant skepticism. He calls us to clarity. True discernment brings peace, not anxiety. Let's take two minutes to reflect on the following question. Are there areas where fear has masqueraded as discernment in my life? Repeat this affirmation now and throughout your day. I walk in spirit-led discernment, not fear-driven suspicion. Again, I walk in spirit-led discernment, not fear-driven suspicion. The closing prayer. Help me see with clarity and confidence. For Christ's sake. Amen.