Sermon Recap
This week Pastor Nikki continued to take us into a deeper understanding of the power and significance of the Holy Spirit in the context of the Sacred Rhythms journey. Drawing from Galatians 5:19-25, we once again examined the contrast between the fruit of living life set to the rhythm of self and the fruit of setting our lives to the rhythm of the Spirit.
Through the conversation between Jesus and His disciples during the Last Supper, we not only discovered that Jesus’s desire was to eliminate a troubled heart in His disciples, and in fact promises us that as He leaves this earth what He is leaving us with is a two-fold gift. First and foremost, the gift of the Holy Spirit who will dwell not just with us but within us. Leading believers into truth and empowering their lives. The second part of this incredible gift is His peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding. The very same peace that can only be produced through the power of the Holy Spirit.
However, in a world that wrestles constantly with worry and anxiety we, as the followers of Jesus must recognize that we have an enemy that comes to steal, kill and destroy. And quite often what he is coming to rob us of is our peace. We become particularly vulnerable to this snare in three different ways.
When we want the blessings of Jesus' promises without being fully obedient to what He has called us to. Attempting to live one foot in the Kingdom of God and one foot in the world never ends well yet, so many Christ followers lack true peace in their lives for this exact reason. The enemy deceives us into believing that we can have our cake and eat it too; that we can have the peace that Jesus offers yet, we forget that His conversation started by telling His disciples that if we love Him we will obey Him.
The second obstacle to producing peace in our lives is that we are often living disconnected to our power source, which is the Holy Spirit. A lamp cannot light a room all its own. It has the ability to, but it must first be connected to electricity which is its power source. The same is true for every believer. For the fruit of the Spirit to come alive in our lives, for us to experience the fullness of the gift of peace that Jesus left us with we must remain in Him and be sourced by the Holy Spirit.
Finally, our need for control often leaves us living independent of the Spirit that brings about the supernatural peace Jesus talks about. Not a peace that says our world and our lives will be absent of all hard things, all struggles, and all heartache. Rather it is a peace that says because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives peace can be ours despite our circumstances.
True peace can only come through fully surrendering our lives to the Holy Spirit's authority over our lives. Allowing Him to source us. It is only then will the fullness of the gift Jesus left us with be realized. This fruit that can only be produced through the transformative power of trusting God.
Key Scripture
Read through these passages together:
Discussion Questions
Discuss together, pushing yourself toward transparency. The more we are authentic and humble with one another, the more we can grow in Christ.
How does the contrast between the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, as outlined in Galatians 5:19-25, impact your understanding of living a life sourced by the Holy Spirit?
Reflect on the significance of Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit as an Advocate, Comforter, and Guide. How does the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life empower you to live differently from the world?
In considering the attribute of peace, how does the world's definition of peace differ from the peace promised by Jesus? Reflect on any personal experiences where worldly circumstances affected your sense of peace.
The sermon suggests that while anxiety is absolutely a mental health issue, the epidemic levels we are seeing in our world and within the church suggests there is also an element of spiritual attack to it. How does this perspective change your understanding of and response to anxiety in your life or the lives of others?
Evaluate your own connection to the Holy Spirit as a power source for producing the fruit of the Spirit, including peace. How can you increase your reliance on the Holy Spirit in your daily life and overcome potential distractions that hinder this connection?
Prayer
This week daily surrender yourself to the power of the Holy Spirit. Give Him full authority as you open your day up with prayer and thanksgiving to the Father who has given us the Advocate to lead us into all truth.
Life Application
This week takes time to reflect; are you living one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom of God. If God reveals a “yes” to this question, confess and repent whatever it is that your flesh is producing and surrender that very area of your life to the Holy Spirit’s authority.
Take time to disconnect from technology. Put your phone down to read a chapter or two of Scripture. Let the first thing you do when you wake up is lift a prayer of praise to God. Let the last thing you do before you go to sleep is acknowledge all the things you are grateful for from the day that has just passed. Record how praise and gratitude brings greater peace to your day.
Don’t Forget!
A Lifestyle of Prayer Class begins January 24th.
Rhythms of the Spirit, Online Class begins January 25th.
Starting Point Class begins January 28th.
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