Today if You Hear His Voice
Priceless Lessons from Dr. Price
Today If You Hear His Voice: Why Listening Changes Everything
Obedience to God doesn't begin with action—it begins with actively hearing His voice through His Word. Drawing from Hebrews 3 and Israel's wilderness experience, this lesson reveals how a hardened heart develops gradually through neglect, and why "today" is always the right time to listen, trust, and align your life with God.
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Picture this: a snowy Sunday morning. The power flickers on and off. Trees are down. The roads are treacherous. You could easily skip worship today—after all, who would blame you? But here's the thing: this isn't just a weather event. It's a test. A test of whether you'll worship God on the commanded day, whether you'll trust Him when comfort is stripped away, whether you'll hear His voice and respond—today.
In Hebrews 3, the writer confronts us with an urgent question: Are we truly listening to God, or are we just going through the motions? Drawing from Israel's wilderness wanderings and Psalm 95, we discover that the capacity to obey God is not built on perfect performance but on active listening. As Dr. Richard Price powerfully reminds us, "The capacity to obey is preserved by listening, strengthened in community, and sustained by trust."
Let's explore what it means to truly hear God's voice—and why "today" is the only day that matters.
Christ Deserves Greater Glory—and We Are His House
Hebrews 3 opens by elevating Jesus above Moses—a significant statement for a Jewish audience. Moses was faithful as a servant in God's house, but Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God's entire house (Hebrews 3:5-6). The analogy is clear: every house has a builder, but God is the builder of everything.
Then comes the stunning declaration: "We are God's house if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ" (Hebrews 3:6, NLT). Notice the condition—if. Our identity as God's dwelling place depends on perseverance, on maintaining courage and confidence in Christ. This isn't about earning salvation; it's about enduring faithfully to the end.
But endurance requires something foundational: hearing God's voice.
Hearing God's Voice: The First Word of Obedience
"Today, when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7-8). Notice the verb tense: the Holy Spirit says—present, not past. This is not ancient history being reviewed; this is God's urgent, present voice calling to us right now.
Obedience to God doesn't start with doing something. It starts with hearing something. Before obedience becomes action, it's an orientation of the heart. God initiates with conversation—His Word—before He issues commands. The danger, then, is being present but not listening, being religious but resistant, being informed yet hardened.
Dr. Price identifies three qualities that reveal whether someone is truly hearing God's voice:
- Openness: A receptive heart toward the gospel, God's truth, His warnings, and His ordinances. You're saying, "I'm open to what You have to say, Lord."
- Availability: Taking unhurried time for God. Not rushing past His Word, but slowing down to truly engage and learn.
- Submission: A willingness to obey what you hear. Openness and availability mean nothing without a commitment to act.
These qualities aren't just theoretical—they're observable. When someone responds to the invitation of the gospel, we look for these signs. Are they open? Are they available for study and discipleship? Are they willing to submit to God's will?
The urgency of "today" cannot be overstated. Not tomorrow. Not after things settle down. Not next season. Today. Delayed obedience, as Dr. Price warns, is often disguised disobedience.
The Gradual Hardening of the Heart
Hebrews 3 transitions from the language of drifting (Hebrews 2) to the language of hardening. Drifting is passive neglect; hardening is active resistance. A hardened heart doesn't happen overnight. It forms gradually—like a muscle that stiffens from disuse—when we neglect to hear, refuse to be open, and decline to submit.
Israel's story is the warning. For forty years, they witnessed God's miracles—manna from heaven, water from the rock, divine protection. Yet they tested God in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:8-9). Their issue wasn't that they stopped believing God existed. They stopped trusting Him.
They went through the motions. They attended worship. They followed the rituals. But their hearts were far from God. They saw miracles but resisted direction. They enjoyed God's provision but rejected His authority. And the result? "They will never enter My place of rest" (Hebrews 3:11).
A hardened heart, Dr. Price reminds us, is not one that lacks knowledge. It's one that refuses dependence. You can know all the right theology, quote all the right verses, and still have a heart closed off to God's active lordship in your life.
Unbelief Is Active Disobedience—Not Passive Doubt
Here's where it gets convicting. The text tells us that Israel's hearts "always turn away" from God (Hebrews 3:10). Their unbelief wasn't confusion or uncertainty. Unbelief is a decision to trust self over God.
Think about that. Unbelief isn't passive—it's active disobedience. It's choosing to rely on your education, your network, your social power, your circumstances instead of fully depending on God. Dr. Price testified powerfully during a power outage mid-sermon: "I still trust God… my power just went out… It's only a test."
That's the heart of belief: trusting God even when the lights go out. Even when the diagnosis comes back negative. Even when the relationship falls apart. Even when the provision seems delayed. Obedience is not about perfection; it's about alignment. It's aligning your life with God's will, trusting His care and His timing, even when you can't see the outcome.
For believers today, rest is not a geographical location—it's a relational reality in Christ. But we can forfeit that rest, just as Israel did, by choosing self-reliance over God-dependence.
Warning Each Other Every Day—Community Strengthens Obedience
"Warn each other every day, while it is still 'today,' so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God" (Hebrews 3:13, NLT). Obedience to God is not a solo journey. We need each other.
The church is a guardrail—daily exhortation, mutual encouragement, loving accountability. A hardened heart can be invisible, routine, robotic. That's why we need brothers and sisters who will speak truth into our lives, who will notice when we're drifting or hardening, who will remind us of God's faithfulness.
Dr. Price shared how the elders and deacons mobilized a task force during the snowstorm—gathering shovels, checking on members, serving the city. That's community strengthening obedience in action. We stand in the gap for those without power, without heat, without hope. We worship together, even when scattered. We encourage one another—today.
How the Holy Spirit Speaks Today
Some might ask: If the Holy Spirit is speaking "today," does that mean God gives new, separate revelations apart from Scripture? Dr. Price addresses this head-on. The answer is no.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). The Word of God is "the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17). The Holy Spirit speaks through the inspired, sufficient, living Word of God—not through new verbal revelations.
The Spirit's voice is heard when Scripture is:
- Written by inspired authors
- Preached with clarity and conviction
- Understood through illumination
- Obeyed with a willing heart
The Spirit works through illumination (helping us grasp Scripture's meaning), conviction (pressing truth upon our conscience), application (shaping obedience in real-life contexts), and remembrance (bringing Scripture to mind at critical moments). That's how the Spirit speaks "today"—by making ancient truth urgently relevant right now.
Living This Out: Responding to God's Voice Today
So where does this leave us? The call is clear: hear God's voice today and don't harden your heart.
For those who have not yet given their lives to Christ, the path is laid out clearly in Scripture:
- Hear the gospel (Romans 10:17): Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
- Believe in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 11:6): Without faith, it's impossible to please God.
- Repent: Turn from the wrong direction and lean into God's Word with openness, availability, and submission.
- Confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God—the One who deserves far more glory than anyone.
- Be baptized for the remission of your sins and be added to the church of Christ.
For those already walking with Christ, the call is just as urgent: Lean into God's Word. Unclog your ears. Practice the three qualities of hearing—openness, availability, submission.
Remember God's past faithfulness. Reflect on how He worked things out when you were in the NICU with your newborn, when finances were tight, when health was failing. Let those memories fuel your trust today. Control less. Surrender more.
Pull Quote: "Delayed obedience is often disguised disobedience. The capacity to obey is preserved by listening, strengthened in community, and sustained by trust."
Reflect & Respond:
- Which of the three qualities—openness, availability, or submission—is most challenging for you right now? Why?
- In what area of your life are you trusting yourself more than you're trusting God?
- Who in your community needs encouragement "today" to prevent a hardened heart? How will you reach out to them?
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The capacity to obey God is crucial for every Christian. It's not built on perfection but on listening—hearing His voice through His Word, being strengthened by community, and trusting Him even when the storms rage. Israel's failure in the wilderness serves as our warning. Let's not repeat their mistake.
Today—not tomorrow, not next week—today is the day to hear His voice, open your heart, and align your life with God's will. Don't let your heart become hardened through neglect. Listen. Trust. Obey.
Because when the power goes out—literally or figuratively—we want to be found faithful, worshiping the God who never leaves us or forsakes us.
Barry's Bureau | Inspired by Dr. Richard Price's sermon at Schrader Lane Church of Christ
Barry's Bureau – Inspiring Excellence in Christian Living | www.BarrysBureau.org
From Dr. Price’s sermon delivered on January 25, 2026
Today If You Hear His Voice
Test Your Understanding of Hebrews 3 & God's Call to Listen
"Today, when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled."
— Hebrews 3:7-8 (NLT)
This quiz will help you reflect on Dr. Richard Price's powerful sermon about obedience, hearing God's voice, and avoiding a hardened heart. Take a few minutes to test your understanding and deepen your faith.
Quiz Complete! 🎉
Thank you for engaging with this important lesson on hearing God's voice and building your capacity to obey. May you cultivate openness, availability, and submission in your walk with Christ—today and every day.
🎮 Memory Match Game
Today If You Hear His Voice - Hebrews 3 Study
How to Play:
1. Click cards to flip them over and reveal the content
2. Find matching pairs of concepts and definitions
3. Match all 6 pairs to win!
4. Try to complete the game in as few moves as possible
This game reinforces key concepts from Dr. Richard Price's sermon on obedience, hearing God's voice, and avoiding a hardened heart. Have fun while deepening your understanding!
🎮 Memory Match
Match the concepts from Hebrews 3
"Today, when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts." - Hebrews 3:7-8