DIGGING DEEPER

WEEKEND OF OCTOBER 26, 2025

SERMON NOTES

The Art of Listening:

Compassionate Curiosity



The Art of Listening — Engaging Stories Like Jesus
This month we’re focusing on the L in BLESS: LISTEN.

Jesus loved people by listening to their stories. As we learn “The Art of Listening,” we want to slow down, be present, and make space for real conversations that lead to gospel moments.

Go & Be Focus: Compassionate Curiosity
When Jesus saw people, he felt compassion deep within him that led him to be present with them in their suffering. We start listening well by tapping into the compassionate curiosity of God as we engage the stories of those around us.
Go & Be Challenge: Use compassionate curiosity this week to listen to others, noticing and suspending your own assumptions that might get in the way.

  1. Good listening begins with compassion and presence.
  2. Good listening challenges its own assumptions.
  3. Good listening embraces curiosity.


Incarnational model of listening:

  1. Jesus is “God with us.” God has never left us alone.
  2. Jesus entered into our world, meeting us here.
  3. Jesus suspended his divine privilege to hang between our world and his.
  4. Jesus brought the kingdom of God to bear in our world.


Curiosity framework (Genesis 3):

  1. Where are you? Be curious about where people are spiritually.
  2. Who told you? Be curious about their story and where they learned to live like they do.
  3. Have you eaten from the tree? Be curious about how people have chosen to cope and what they believe.


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DIGGING DEEPER

Self-assess your listening skills. Where do you think you are strong? Where do you think you are weak?


Read Matthew 9.35-36. Good listening begins with compassion and presence.


  • How did Jesus’ compassion help him listen, love, and minister to others?


  • How can you tap into greater compassion for those that you have the opportunity to listen to?


Read Proverbs 18.13. Good listening challenges its own assumption.


  • Read the list of the nine roadblocks to listening (found in the QR code for additional resources). Discuss ways that these get in the way of listening


  • Which ones do you struggle most with? What is one step you can take to grow in this area?


Read Proverbs 18.2 and 18.15. Good listening embraces curiosity.


  • Read the common assumptions that kill curiosity (found in the additional resources button below). Which ones do you struggle with? Would you add any?


  • How could you grow in becoming more curious as you listen to people?


Additional Resources

Looking for questions based on a past sermon?

Digging Deeper Archive