"My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;"
- Proverbs 3:21 (NIV)

The wise Christian will try and test everything that claims to come from God. To do this the wise Christian must get to know God's word which takes time. Reading plans are well and good but topic specific study is a better teacher. So take down the main points of each sermon and the scriptures given and then go look up the scriptures and read the entire passage.

You are a web user so do a web search and find other topic studies to see what other preachers have placed with the scripture. This will clue you into further scriptures that might support the point or challenge it. Even if you do not have the depth of expirence to identify scriptures on the topic you can use the wealth of the internet to help you.

Write down what you find and give every point a trail by fire. Eliminate what can not stand this test and then see if the sermon stands. If it does not stand then carefully write down why not and challenge the preacher.

"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn."
- Isaiah 8:20 (NIV)

We are all flawed and sinful ("for all have sinned...") and so are our leaders. As such we can expect them to make errors. When they do we should be willing and able to offer love and forgiveness.

However, we must be wise and discern when the preacher is consistent in error and untruth. We all know that a good apple tree will produce good apples even though one or two might be below average. We also know that a bad tree will produce nasty bitter (bad) fruit. A bad teacher will produce bad teaching and a good teacher good teachings.

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
- Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)

As new Christians we can be expected to have little knowledge or understanding of the things of God and have only the Holy Spirit as a guide. It is important that those young in the faith be protected from bad teachers and these bad teacher be exposed, corrected and/or withdrawn from teaching (in such a way that shows love, care and other fruits of The Spirit).

For evil to prosper it requires that good men do nothing. When you see error in teaching or prophecy you should, therefore, speak up.

As you grow mature in the faith your knowledge will grow and your ability to test everything (both within and without) will increase so that you are harder to lead astray.

If you do not practice this discernment you become a fat sheep unable to walk and eating whatever you are given good, rotten or toxic. When the wolves come all they need do is start eating as you are half dead and unable to resist, not even knowing that you should.

Be spoon fed no longer. Learn to feed yourself.

Further reading:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:21
• Proverbs 3:21
• Galatians 5:22
• Ephesians 5:9
• 2 Corinthians 13:5