Wise People Ask Questions and Then Listen

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Vision For the Rest of Your Life

Wise People Ask Questions and Then Listen By Rick Warren — Sep 6, 2016 “People’s thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there” (Proverbs 20:5 NCV). If you want to be wise, you’re going to have to learn how to ask wise questions. Proverbs 20:5 says, “People’s thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there” (NCV). In other words, everybody’s got something to teach you. It’s like deep water in a well, and you’ve got to draw it out of them. How do you draw the wisdom out of every person? By learning to ask smart questions. As I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve asked questions of taxi cab drivers and prime ministers, and they’ve both taught me. You can learn from anybody if you know the right questions to ask! One of the things I’ve learned is that I have never learned anything while I’m talking. If my mouth is moving, I’m not learning. You don’t learn when you’re talking. You learn when you’re listening. So you’ve got to learn to listen. I’ve done an awful lot of interviews over the years, and I’ve noticed that the interview shows have changed. They’re no longer about the guest. They’re about the interviewer. The whole goal of the interviewer is to draw attention to himself. I long for the old Larry King days. I didn’t always agree with Larry King, but I liked that he would ask a question and then let you talk. He realized that people weren’t going to listen to Larry King. They tuned in to listen to all the fascinating guests that he had and learn from them. Larry King once said that in an interview show, if the host is talking 50 percent of the time, something is terribly wrong. The host should listen the most and talk the least. A good TV host sets up the question and then just listens. You can learn from anybody, but you’ve got to be willing to ask questions and then listen. That’s the mark of a wise man or woman. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Try to spend a whole day focusing on listening rather than talking. What difference does it make? What do you communicate to someone when you ask him or her a question and then listen to the answer with focus and interest? What would be an example of wise question? Our Gift: Daily Inspiration for The Purpose Driven Life Book In Daily Inspiration for The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick has taken all the key verses that explain how God created each of us for five purposes and put them into an easy-to-use reference tool that will help anyone study and memorize God’s Word. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren God's Vision For the Rest of Your Life teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: ​​Choosing Your Future Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​​Learning to Live Wisely Message 3: ​​​Embracing the Vision Message 4: ​​Why You Need a Church Family Message 5: Enabling the Vision Message 6: ​​How to Get Ready to Be Used By God PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe