Sunday Message - The Breath of God

Devotional

Day 1: The Eagle’s Hover Over Formless Waters

The Spirit’s presence isn’t a vague force but a nurturing nearness. Like a mother eagle circling her nest, God’s Spirit hovered over primordial chaos, guarding potential only He could see. This same hovering continues over lives that feel shapeless or stuck in darkness. The Spirit doesn’t flee from mess but lingers with protective care, whether over ancient waters or modern grief. To recognize His hovering is to trust He sees purpose where we see emptiness. [05:21]

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
(Genesis 1:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life feels formless or chaotic? How might the Spirit’s hovering presence be actively holding space for new creation there?

Day 2: Breath That Turns Graves into Gardens

God’s breath animates dust. It resurrects dry bones. When the Spirit breathes, dead things shudder to life—addictions crack, despair lifts, stone hearts soften. This breath isn’t metaphor but divine CPR, reviving what the world declares hopeless. Just as Ezekiel’s bones stood up, the Spirit still exhales into graves of shame, loss, or stagnation. What seems buried is only waiting for the Ruach to speak. [12:39]

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
(Ezekiel 37:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What “grave” have you resigned yourself to? How might you posture yourself to receive the Spirit’s breath there?

Day 3: Unqualified Obedience, Unlikely Power

The Spirit empowers ordinary people for holy assignments. Bezalel crafted tabernacle art. Samson toppled armies. A retired pastor built an orphanage. Each hesitated, feeling inadequate, yet the Spirit supplied courage and skill. God’s callings aren’t about readiness but responsiveness. When we step toward the impossible, the Spirit meets us with strength beyond our resumes. [20:38]

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel… and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship.”
(Exodus 31:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: What has God asked you to do that feels beyond your ability? What would it look like to take one step forward in reliance on the Spirit?

Day 4: The Chick-fil-A Miracle and Everyday Resurrection

The Spirit breathes life in mundane moments—over lunch, on a mountainside, through cracked phones and broken stories. Resurrection isn’t just a future hope but present reality when the Spirit invades ordinary spaces. Like the girl at rappelling hill, our fractures become altars where the Spirit rewrites narratives. Look for Him in the unremarkable; He specializes in small resurrections. [17:01]

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
(John 3:8, ESV)

Reflection: When have you seen the Spirit’s work in an unexpected place? How might you cultivate awareness of His “small resurrections” today?

Day 5: Thirsty, Suspicious, or Unaware—Where Do You Stand?

Three postures shape our relationship with the Spirit: thirst for more, suspicion from past wounds, or simple unfamiliarity. The Spirit waits, never forcing but inviting. To the thirsty, He offers rivers. To the suspicious, gentle proof. To the unaware, awakening. Our hunger determines our capacity—He fills only what’s open. [24:54]

If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Now this he said about the Spirit.
(John 7:37-39, ESV)

Reflection: Which posture describes your current stance toward the Spirit? What practical step could you take to move from suspicion or indifference to holy curiosity?

Sermon Summary

The Holy Spirit stands at the center of the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” The thirsty, the suspicious, and the uninformed all bring something different to that question. The thirsty long to see the book of Acts kind of power happen today. The suspicious either fear feelings and things getting out of control, or they have seen enough wild stuff to say, “I don’t wanna ever go back there.” The uninformed are close to those people in Ephesus who said, “We have not heard of the Holy Spirit.”

Genesis one begins the reintroduction. The Spirit of God hovers over the waters when the earth is formless, empty, and dark. The Hebrew word for “hover” gives the picture of a mother bird over its young. God’s presence is not just a small-p presence, like God is technically everywhere. God’s presence is a big-P presence, tangible, near, sensed, known.

The tabernacle carries that same picture. The cloud settles, the glory fills, and God dwells right in the middle of his people. The cloud by day and the fire by night show the Lord over them, in front of them, alongside them, and around them. The prayer shawl gives the same reminder, that God has wings and hovers over his people like a mother bird over her young.

The word ruach opens another window. The Spirit is breath and wind. God breathes over nothingness, and life comes out. God breathes into dust, and the man becomes a living being. No tree, no animal, no blade of grass receives that breath like humanity does, so human beings carry a unique hunger to dwell with their Father.

Ezekiel 37 presses that truth into graves. Dry bones, slain bodies, addiction, broken relationships, anxiety, and situations that feel like death all need the breath of God. The Spirit cannot be seen directly, but his effects can be seen when dead places start coming alive. Camp stories, wounded students, a Muslim young man on his knees, and a girl crushed under responsibility all become pictures of the Spirit breathing new life.

The Old Testament also shows the Spirit coming with power for a task. David, Samson, and Bezalel receive power, strength, skill, ability, and knowledge. God’s prompting often meets a person right at the point of “I can’t do that.” Obedience steps forward, and the Spirit joins that step with power beyond human ability.

The Holy Spirit never forces himself. The Spirit waits for surrender. The question remains whether the church is thirsty, suspicious, or uninformed, and whether fresh wind, fresh breathing, fresh presence, and more power are truly desired.

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Key Takeaways

1. God hovers with real presence God’s presence is not merely an idea that can be checked off as doctrine. The image of the Spirit hovering like a mother bird presses nearness, protection, and guidance into the life of God’s people. The Lord is over, around, before, and behind his people, not as decoration, but as the living presence that holds them in their travels. [05:21]
2. God’s breath brings graves alive The breath of God does not improve death. The breath of God creates life where there is no life to work with. Ezekiel’s valley of bones becomes a searching picture for addictions, anxiety, broken relationships, and places where a person feels trapped in the grave. [12:39]
3. The Spirit’s effects become visible The Spirit may not be seen like an object in the room, but the results of his breathing become unmistakable. A bowed knee, a softened heart, a healed wound, or a steadied soul can show that the wind has blown. The point is not control over the Spirit, but openness to recognize where new life has appeared. [13:51]
4. Weakness makes room for power The Spirit of the Lord comes upon people for tasks that exceed their natural ability. “I can’t do that” may be the right starting place, because self-confidence often hides the need for God’s power. Obedience steps out first, and the Spirit comes alongside with strength, skill, courage, and life. [20:38]
5. Surrender answers the Spirit’s invitation The Holy Spirit is not presented as a force that bullies people into experience. The Spirit waits for surrender, and that makes the question personal without making it manipulative. Thirst, suspicion, and ignorance each need honesty before God, because fresh wind is received, not seized.

## [25:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:22] - Prayer for the Spirit’s Voice
[02:07] - Who Is the Holy Spirit?
[02:45] - Thirsty, Suspicious, and Uninformed
[04:35] - The Spirit Hovering in Genesis
[06:00] - God Dwelling in the Tabernacle
[07:29] - Under the Wings of God
[09:45] - Ruach: Breath, Wind, and Life
[11:51] - Ezekiel’s Dry Bones Come Alive
[13:51] - Seeing the Spirit’s Effects
[18:40] - The Spirit Gives Power for Tasks
[21:51] - Honduras and Obedient Courage
[24:01] - Thirsty for Fresh Wind
[25:20] - The Spirit Waits for Surrender

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Genesis 1:1-2
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” [04:35]

Ezekiel 37:1-14
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord GOD, you know.' Then he said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.' So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.' So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.'” [11:51]

Exodus 40:34-38
“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” [06:00]

Observation questions

In Genesis 1:1-2, what condition is the earth in when the Spirit of God is first mentioned, and what is the Spirit doing there? [04:35]
In Exodus 40:34-38, what signs show that the Lord is dwelling among his people, and how do the people know when to move and when to stay? [06:00]
In Ezekiel 37, what changes take place in the valley before and after the breath enters the bodies? [11:51]
What three kinds of responses to the Holy Spirit were described: thirsty, suspicious, and uninformed? [02:45]

Interpretation questions

If the Spirit is pictured as hovering over the waters and over God’s people, what does that suggest about God’s desire to be near his people and not distant from them? [05:21]
Ezekiel’s vision moves from very dry bones to living people standing on their feet. What does that reveal about the difference between human effort and the life-giving work of God’s Spirit? [12:39]
The Spirit is compared to breath and wind, which cannot be seen directly. How might that help explain why the Spirit’s work is often recognized by changed lives rather than by visible proof? [13:51]
When someone senses God prompting them toward something that feels too hard, why might “I can’t do that” actually be a fitting starting point for depending on the Spirit’s power? [20:38]

Application questions

Which of these feels closest right now: thirsty, suspicious, or uninformed? What experiences or fears have helped shape that response? [24:40]
God’s presence is not only a truth to agree with, but a presence to live under. Where in daily life is there a need to become more aware that God is over, around, before, and behind? [07:41]
Ezekiel’s picture of graves and dry bones reaches into real places like anxiety, addiction, broken relationships, and deep discouragement. What feels most like a dry-bones place right now, and what would it look like to ask for God’s breath there? [12:54]
The Spirit’s effects can be seen when hearts soften, wounds begin to heal, or new life starts to appear. Where has there been even a small sign of that kind of change lately? [13:51]
God often meets people at the edge of their weakness. Is there a conversation, act of service, or step of obedience that feels beyond natural ability right now? What makes that step feel difficult? [21:25]
Fresh wind, fresh breathing, fresh presence, and more power are received, not seized. What might surrender look like in a practical way this week? [25:34]
If the Spirit does not force himself, what habits or attitudes may be quietly resisting him right now? What would it mean to become more open without trying to control the outcome? [25:39]

Sermon Clips

37s

#StepInFaith

“Right? It's not worth my particular thing, but all of us have things that make us fearful, that make us not wanna step out and do the things God tells us to We always say, I'm not ready. I'm not ready. You're right. You're not ready. You're never ready for God actually to do. You just gotta step into and do it. And you step in obedience, and the spirit of God joins you as you step in obedience. He comes alongside you, goes with you, hovers over you, breathes life into it. And things happen that are way beyond your ability, my ability, our human efforts. The spirit of God does amazing things, right, when we step and lean into this thing.”

49s

#PowerInWeakness

“So when you hear the Lord call you to do something for advancing his kingdom on planet earth, Let's say he asked you to do something. Maybe you hear one of those promptings Cher was talking about. Go talk to that person or go talk to this person or go do this, go that. You hear the prompting and the first thing you think is, I don't wanna do that. I don't have I can't do that. I can't do that. There's no way I can do that. That's not me. I'm I'm not that's not who I am. I can't do it. Right? Well, that's a good place to be. Because when you think you can't do it and you don't have any strength on your own to do it and you can't do it on your own power, then you have to rely the spirit coming upon you in power.”

78s

#FreshWindMovement

“I want a fresh wind, a fresh breathing, a fresh presence, more power. How about you? What category what category are you? Are you the thirsty? Are you the suspicious? Are you the uninformed? I'd like to see the spirit and presence of the Lord fall so powerfully in this church that we get to experience world changing church. A church that breathes new life. The spirit of God is so present here that when we breathe into the world through service and other ways, new life actually is born through our ministry. So the question is, you know, where are you at? What do you want? What are you hoping for? And this is your church. How about your relationship with the spirit? What are you hoping for? What are you after? What do you hope for? What do you want? I can tell you that the spirit will never force himself on you. He'll always wait for you to surrender.”

63s

#BreathOfLife

“``Now this prophecy is specifically for the nation of Israel, but I think this idea is something for us today, this morning. This idea that that God breathes, he breathed into us, and he continues to breathe on us, and life comes. I mean, think about it. How many people around us are living in graves? The graves of addiction, broken relationships, anxiety, situations in our lives that that feel like death instead of life. Circumstances, either self created or brought on by someone else that feel like death, like being in the grave? I mean, I don't know who came in this morning feeling like you're in a grave and you just can't get out. I can tell you the spirit of God wants to breathe over your life and bring you to life in a whole new way.”

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