Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation

Pastor Robert Young
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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.

  1. Discernment as a Lifestyle | Daily Devotion (Saturday)

    10H AGO

    Discernment as a Lifestyle | Daily Devotion (Saturday)

    Send a text Ever wish you could tell the difference between a shiny half-truth and the quiet ring of the real thing? We open Hebrews 5:14 and get practical about how ordinary people train their spiritual senses to discern good from evil—not by chance, but by practice. Rather than pitching discernment as a rare gift, scripture frames it as a skill you can build with small, repeatable habits that stretch your attention, test your impulses, and anchor your choices. We walk through simple daily moves that make wisdom more likely: unhurried scripture reading, short prayers threaded through the day, honest journaling, and two-minute pauses that catch you before autopilot takes over. Then we grow it wider with weekly rhythms—digital rest, reflective walks, and community check-ins—that help you spot patterns and resist performative decisions. Along the way, we talk about how to test voices, filter cultural noise, and use trusted counsel to challenge blind spots. You’ll hear a guided reflection question to spark action, a spoken affirmation to align identity with practice, and a short closing prayer asking God to train your senses for clarity and courage. If you’re craving steadiness in a loud world, this conversation offers a grounded path: listen, test, evaluate, and walk in truth daily. Come ready to try one new habit, repeat an empowering affirmation, and take the next faithful step toward maturity. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s seeking clarity, and leave a review so more people can find practices that grow real discernment. Support the show 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

    4 min
  2. Discernment is Impossible Without the Holy Spirit | Daily Devotion (Friday)

    1D AGO

    Discernment is Impossible Without the Holy Spirit | Daily Devotion (Friday)

    Send a text When confusion gets loud and choices blur, we return to a promise that doesn’t waver: He will guide you into all truth. Anchored in John 16:13, we walk through what it looks like to practice discernment with the Holy Spirit—not as a rare breakthrough, but as a daily rhythm that steadies your heart and sharpens your steps. This short, focused message blends scripture, quiet reflection, a simple affirmation, and a closing prayer to help you notice God’s guidance in the real moments that test your patience and your peace. We unpack how the Spirit reveals truth, exposes deception, and offers insight beyond human understanding. You’ll hear how gentle nudges, timely warnings, unexpected comfort, and subtle direction often arrive before we realize it—and how learning to recognize His voice can turn second‑guessing into confident, humble action. We invite you to pause for two minutes and ask: How is the Holy Spirit currently guiding, nudging, or warning me? That pause becomes a doorway to clarity. To help you carry this practice through your day, we share an affirmation—“The Holy Spirit leads me into truth every day”—and close with a prayer for sensitivity to His voice and protection from deception. If you’ve been craving clear next steps, or if your inner noise keeps drowning out quiet wisdom, this reflection offers language and tools to listen well and respond with trust. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review so others can find messages of guidance and hope. Support the show 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

    4 min
  3. Discernment is Anchored in Scripture | Daily Devotion (Thursday)

    2D AGO

    Discernment is Anchored in Scripture | Daily Devotion (Thursday)

    Send a text When the noise gets loud and the signals get mixed, how do we know what to trust? We turn to the one source that doesn’t sway with trends: God’s Word. Pastor Robert Young leads a focused, heartfelt time on making Scripture the believer’s primary filter for truth, showing how every dream, prophecy, and inner impression must align with the Bible before it shapes our steps. We unpack what it looks like to be anchored in Scripture rather than pulled by personalities, moods, or hype. You’ll hear a simple framework for discernment: test the message, test the fruit, and test the alignment with the whole counsel of Scripture. Along the way we talk about why emotional intensity can’t replace biblical clarity, and how a steady rhythm of reading and reflection forms reflexes that hold when pressure rises. This moment isn’t about checking a religious box; it’s about cultivating a relationship with God through His Word so that peace, courage, and wisdom become your daily companions. To make it practical, we pause for a two-minute guided question that helps you name one concrete way to deepen your relationship with the Bible right now. Then we speak a short affirmation together—“God’s Word guides me, grounds me, and guards me”—and close with a prayer asking the Father to anchor our thoughts, decisions, and discernment in truth. If you’ve been chasing signs or second-guessing your next step, this conversation offers a clear path back to center: let Scripture be your compass and Christ your captain. If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs clarity today, and leave a quick review to help others find these moments of grounding. Support the show 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

    4 min
  4. Discernment vs Suspicion | Daily Devotion (Wednesday)

    3D AGO

    Discernment vs Suspicion | Daily Devotion (Wednesday)

    Send a text 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. Support the show 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

    4 min
  5. Discernment Test the Spirits | Daily Devotion (Tuesday)

    4D AGO

    Discernment Test the Spirits | Daily Devotion (Tuesday)

    Send a text When every feed and platform claims authority, how do we know which voice is truly from God? We open 1 John 4:1 and walk through a clear, practical framework for spiritual discernment that anyone can practice: pause first, test the source, look for lasting fruit, and measure everything by Scripture. Instead of chasing what sounds impressive, we learn to value what proves faithful over time. We share why good-sounding words can still be harmful, how charisma can mask shaky foundations, and what real spiritual fruit looks like in daily life—humility, repentance, and steady love. You’ll hear a short guided reflection to name the voices and messages in your world that need testing rather than instant trust. Then we anchor the day with a simple affirmation—“I pause, I test, and I discern with God’s wisdom”—followed by a closing prayer that asks God to reveal truth, expose deception, and lead us into maturity. If you’ve ever felt torn between confident claims, viral prophecies, or your own stirred emotions, this conversation offers a calm path forward. We keep it grounded, Scripture-centered, and intensely practical so you can apply it to sermons you hear, posts you read, and even the inner nudges you feel. Listen to cultivate a wiser, slower, more faithful way of hearing God. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review to help others find the show. Support the show 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

    4 min
  6. The Danger of Outsourcing Your Discernment | Daily Devotion (Monday)

    5D AGO

    The Danger of Outsourcing Your Discernment | Daily Devotion (Monday)

    Send a text What if your spiritual life has been living on borrowed batteries? We explore how to move from secondhand guidance to a steady, personal connection with God’s voice, building spiritual sensitivity through Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit’s gentle leading. We start by naming a common drift: relying on prophets, personalities, or trusted friends to tell us what God is saying. Helpful as counsel can be, it cannot replace direct relationship. We talk about why you were created to recognize God’s voice and how discernment grows when you stop outsourcing your decisions. Then we lay out a simple path to practice: unhurried reading of Scripture that tunes your ear to God’s character, quiet prayer that includes real silence, and attention to small inner prompts that align with love, truth, and peace. You’ll pause for a two-minute reflection to notice where you’ve substituted other people’s certainty for your own listening. We reinforce the shift with a daily affirmation—“I hear God’s voice, and I trust His leading”—so the truth you confess becomes the posture you carry. Finally, we pray for clarity and courage: to see when we depend too much on others, to seek God directly, and to walk forward with restored confidence. If you’ve longed for a faith that feels alive, intimate, and steady, this short, focused guide will help you step away from the noise and toward a clearer, kinder voice. If this speaks to you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find it. Tell us: where will you create space to listen this week? Support the show 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

    5 min
  7. How To Recognize Truth When Everything Feels Urgent | Meditation on Discernment

    6D AGO

    How To Recognize Truth When Everything Feels Urgent | Meditation on Discernment

    Send a text When every feed screams for your attention, how do you know what to trust? We open Scripture to Matthew 24:4—“Take heed that no man deceive you”—and move through a grounded practice of confession, breath, and worship that quiets the noise and restores focus. From there, we unpack what discernment really means: not living scared, but living steady, alert, and anchored in God’s truth when rumors rise and hot takes multiply. We talk candidly about the pull of internet prophets, doom cycles, and spiritual FOMO, and we offer clear, usable tests to filter what you hear. Does the message align with Scripture in context? Does it produce the fruit of the Spirit rather than fear and pride? Is there humble accountability, or just hype? These simple gates help you recognize truth, spot counterfeits, and avoid the swirl of half-claims that drain your peace. Along the way, we return to the basics—confession that clears the fog, breathwork that settles the body, and worship that lifts your gaze—so your mind is ready to listen and your heart stays soft. You’ll leave with a reflective question to take into the week—where do you need clearer spiritual discernment?—and a life-giving affirmation: God gives me clarity and I walk in His truth. If you’re hungry for a calm, practical way to engage Scripture, resist deception, and build a resilient faith in a world of misinformation, this guided meditation offers a path that is peaceful, biblical, and doable. If this helped you find clarity, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a steady word, and leave a review so others can discover it too. Support the show 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

    13 min
  8. Daily Devotion: God's Peace is Given, Not Earned | Thursday

    FEB 5

    Daily Devotion: God's Peace is Given, Not Earned | Thursday

    Send a text Stop chasing calm like a prize you have to earn. We take a fresh look at John 14:27 and discover why peace works best when it’s received, not manufactured. That single shift—from striving to openness—changes how we move through stress, how our bodies respond to pressure, and how we return to center when life gets loud. We unpack the habit of treating peace like an achievement unlocked after the inbox is cleared or the project is done. Instead, we invite you to try a different rhythm: let peace arrive first. You’ll hear how the text turns a well-known verse into a daily practice, and why this matters not just for the mind but for the body. Jaw unclenches, shoulders drop, breath lengthens—signs that your nervous system recognizes safety. We share simple cues to receive peace in real time, including a short affirmation—“The peace of Christ rests on me and within me”—that feels like a weighted blanket for the soul. Along the way, we wrestle with a bracing question: if peace is a gift, are we sometimes refusing it out of pride or busyness? Rather than piling on guilt, we offer a path back to a “home base” you can return to all day long. Think micro-pauses before you reply, a quiet breath between meetings, or a brief prayer that reminds your heart it doesn’t have to hold the world together. This is practical spirituality for people with full calendars and restless minds—no special conditions required, just a willingness to open the door to what’s already offered. If this conversation helps you breathe a little easier, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s striving for calm, and leave a quick review so others can find it too. What would receiving peace look like for you today? Support the show 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

    5 min
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About

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.

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