Is Speaking in Tongues for Today? | Bobby Schuller | Podcast Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Is Speaking in Tongues for Today?

Shepherd's Grove • Jan 22, 2026 • 21 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this teaching, Pastor Bobby Schuller explores biblical truth regarding speaking in tongues, demonstrating that spiritual gifts remain active and vital for believers today. Bypassing the limitations of the analytical mind, praying in tongues allows the Holy Spirit to pray perfect intercessory prayers through yielding believers. Rather than force or dominate, the Holy Spirit invites believers into a loving partnership where their spirit connects directly with God.

Themes

The Gift of TonguesThe Work of the Holy SpiritIntercessory PrayerFaith and YieldingSpirit vs. Soul

Key Points

1.
Speaking in tongues is an active and essential gift of the Holy Spirit for believers today, not a temporary phenomenon that ceased with the early apostles.
2.
The belief that tongues have ceased often relies on reading 1 Corinthians 13 out of context, ignoring that chapters 12 through 14 guide the church on properly using spiritual gifts.
3.
God is a generous Father who delights in giving good gifts and the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him in childlike faith.
4.
Praying in tongues humbles the analytical mind and yields human speech so the Holy Spirit can intercede with perfect prayers according to God's will.
5.
The Holy Spirit never forces or dominates a believer; He gives utterance, but believers must actively choose to yield their voice in divine partnership.
6.
Effective prayer in the Spirit requires understanding the distinction between the human soul—mind, will, and emotions—and the regenerated spirit where God's Spirit dwells.
7.
Spiritual gifts flow through faith and active desire, requiring believers to step past fear and intellectual embarrassment to experience God's supernatural power.

Sermon Moments

“Speaking in tongues is insulting to the analytical mind, which makes it a humbling and powerful exercise for the Christian walk.”

“Praying in tongues allows the Holy Spirit to intercede for situations beyond our human knowledge or analytical understanding.”

“Demonic influence dominates and controls, whereas the Holy Spirit gentle yields utterance while honoring human choice and partnership.”

“Tongues acts as a spiritual practice that bypasses the soul—the mind, will, and emotions—allowing the regenerated spirit to pray directly to God.”

This Week

Set aside time this week to pray in faith, choosing to yield your voice to the Holy Spirit without overanalyzing the words.

Ask God with childlike confidence for the Holy Spirit and His spiritual gifts, trusting His generous nature.

Practice stepping past analytical overthinking in your prayer life to allow your regenerated spirit to connect directly with God.

Pray in the Spirit over challenging or unknown situations, allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede where human wisdom falls short.

Approach spiritual gifts with reverence and a sincere heart rather than flippancy or casual detachment.

Examine your understanding of 1 Corinthians 12–14 to see how God intended spiritual gifts to build up believers and the church today.

Share testimony and encouraging stories with other believers about how God answers Spirit-led prayer in daily life.

Remember This

Speaking in tongues is a vital gift for believers today that humbles human intellect, allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede through us in perfect alignment with God's will.

A Challenge for You

Submit your mouth to the Holy Spirit, ask with faith, and receive the gifts God desires to give His church to fulfill His purpose.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.