Embracing the Divine Spirit: Living Inspired Daily

 

Summary

Every breath we take is a divine gift, a reminder of the life and spirit God breathes into us. In both the Old and New Testaments, the word for breath is the same as the word for spirit, emphasizing the profound connection between our physical existence and the spiritual life God offers. This connection is beautifully captured in the biblical languages, which remind us that our breath is not just a natural phenomenon but a divine gift. The spirit is the most real aspect of our being, and the question we must ask ourselves is: what spirit are we living with today?

In our current world, many are gripped by a spirit of fear or anger due to various challenges, including pandemics and political turmoil. However, God promises through the prophet Ezekiel to give us a new spirit, His spirit, which is essential for true life. This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who embodied the spirit of God and demonstrated what human life can become when fully surrendered to the spirit. Jesus' life, from His birth to His ministry, was marked by the presence and power of the spirit, offering us a model of inspired living.

Inspiration, much like the first breath of a newborn or the first sip of morning coffee, is about being filled with life and energy. Yet, the spirit's presence in our lives goes beyond mere motivation or excitement. It sustains us through disappointment and challenges, offering patience and strength. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline. This spirit empowers us to live fully, even in the face of adversity.

Today, we are invited to live inspired, to embrace the spirit that God breathes into us, and to let it guide us in love and self-control. Just as coffee invigorates our bodies, the spirit invigorates our souls, offering us a second wind to face life's challenges with courage and grace.

Key Takeaways:

- The connection between breath and spirit in the Bible highlights the divine nature of our existence. Our breath is a gift from God, and the spirit is the most real aspect of our being. We must consider what spirit we are living with today and seek the spirit of God to fill our lives. [01:35]

- In times of fear and anger, God's promise of a new spirit is crucial. Through Jesus Christ, we see the fulfillment of this promise, as He embodies the spirit of God and shows us what life can be when fully surrendered to the spirit. [03:15]

- Inspiration is more than just motivation; it is about being filled with the spirit of God, which sustains us through life's challenges. The spirit offers us patience and strength, even in disappointment and difficulty. [07:52]

- The Apostle Paul teaches that God has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. This spirit empowers us to live fully and courageously, even in the face of adversity, and to pour out our lives in love for others. [08:30]

- Living inspired means embracing the spirit that God breathes into us, allowing it to guide us in love and self-control. Just as coffee invigorates our bodies, the spirit invigorates our souls, offering us a second wind to face life's challenges. [09:15]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:32] - The Gift of Breath and Spirit
[01:11] - Holistic Understanding of Spirit
[01:46] - The Spirit of Fear and Anger
[02:27] - The Loss of Spirit and Life
[03:15] - God's Promise of a New Spirit
[03:46] - The Breath of Life in Genesis
[04:24] - Jesus: The Second Breath
[05:05] - Jesus: The Man of the Spirit
[05:33] - Living Inspired in Advent
[06:00] - Coffee as a Metaphor for Spirit
[06:46] - The New Pot: A New Beginning
[07:24] - The Spirit Beyond Inspiration
[08:17] - The Spirit of Power, Love, and Self-Control
[09:15] - Embrace the Spirit, Live Inspired

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 2:7 - "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
2. Ezekiel 36:26-27 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
3. 2 Timothy 1:7 - "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

Observation Questions:
1. How does Genesis 2:7 describe the creation of man and the role of God's breath in it?
2. What promise does God make through the prophet Ezekiel regarding a new spirit? [03:15]
3. According to 2 Timothy 1:7, what characteristics does the Spirit given by God provide to believers?
4. In the sermon, how is the connection between breath and spirit explained in both the Old and New Testaments? [00:47]

Interpretation Questions:
1. What does it mean for the spirit to be the "most real thing" about us, as mentioned in the sermon? [01:35]
2. How does the promise of a new spirit in Ezekiel relate to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ? [03:15]
3. In what ways does the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline contrast with a spirit of fear and anger? [08:17]
4. How does the metaphor of coffee relate to the concept of living inspired by the Spirit? [06:00]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the spirit you are living with today. Is it one of fear, anger, or something else? How can you invite God's spirit to fill your life more fully? [01:46]
2. In moments of fear or anger, how can you remind yourself of God's promise to give you a new spirit? What practical steps can you take to embrace this promise? [03:15]
3. Consider a recent challenge you faced. How did the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline help you navigate it, or how could it have helped you? [08:17]
4. Identify a situation where you need a "second wind" in your life. How can you rely on the Spirit to invigorate your soul and guide you through it? [09:15]
5. Think of a time when you felt uninspired or spirit-less. What changes can you make in your daily routine to live more inspired by the Spirit? [05:33]
6. How can you practice self-discipline in your spiritual life to ensure you are living fully in the Spirit's power and love? [08:30]
7. Choose one aspect of the Spirit's fruit (power, love, self-discipline) to focus on this week. What specific action will you take to cultivate it in your interactions with others? [09:15]

Devotional

Day 1: The Divine Breath Within Us
Our breath is more than a biological function; it is a divine gift that connects us to the spirit of God. In the biblical languages, the word for breath is the same as the word for spirit, highlighting the profound connection between our physical existence and the spiritual life God offers. This connection invites us to reflect on the spirit we are living with today. Are we allowing the spirit of God to fill our lives, or are we consumed by other spirits such as fear or anger? Recognizing our breath as a divine gift can transform our understanding of life and spirituality, urging us to seek the spirit of God in our daily existence. [01:35]

"The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4, ESV)

Reflection: As you breathe today, take a moment to thank God for the gift of life and consider what spirit you are living with. How can you invite the spirit of God to fill your life more fully today?


Day 2: Embracing God's Promise of a New Spirit
In times of fear and anger, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenges of the world. However, God promises through the prophet Ezekiel to give us a new spirit, His spirit, which is essential for true life. This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who embodied the spirit of God and demonstrated what human life can become when fully surrendered to the spirit. Jesus' life, from His birth to His ministry, was marked by the presence and power of the spirit, offering us a model of inspired living. By embracing this promise, we can find hope and strength to navigate the difficulties we face. [03:15]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel a need for a new spirit? How can you open your heart to receive the spirit of God and allow it to transform you today?


Day 3: Sustained by the Spirit Beyond Inspiration
Inspiration is more than just motivation; it is about being filled with the spirit of God, which sustains us through life's challenges. The spirit offers us patience and strength, even in disappointment and difficulty. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline. This spirit empowers us to live fully, even in the face of adversity, and to pour out our lives in love for others. By relying on the spirit, we can find the endurance and resilience needed to overcome obstacles and live a life of purpose and meaning. [07:52]

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent challenge you faced. How did you rely on your own strength versus the spirit of God? How can you invite the spirit to sustain you in future challenges?


Day 4: Empowered by a Spirit of Power, Love, and Self-Discipline
The Apostle Paul teaches that God has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. This spirit empowers us to live fully and courageously, even in the face of adversity, and to pour out our lives in love for others. By embracing this spirit, we can overcome fear and timidity, allowing us to live with boldness and compassion. This empowerment is not just for our benefit but also for the benefit of those around us, as we are called to be vessels of God's love and grace in the world. [08:30]

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel timid or fearful. How can you rely on the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline to overcome this fear and act with courage and compassion today?


Day 5: Living Inspired by the Spirit
Living inspired means embracing the spirit that God breathes into us, allowing it to guide us in love and self-control. Just as coffee invigorates our bodies, the spirit invigorates our souls, offering us a second wind to face life's challenges. By living inspired, we can approach each day with renewed energy and purpose, trusting that the spirit will lead us in the right direction. This inspired living is not just about personal fulfillment but about being a source of light and hope to others, reflecting the love and grace of God in all that we do. [09:15]

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." (Ephesians 5:18-19, ESV)

Reflection: How can you allow the spirit to invigorate your soul today? What practical steps can you take to live inspired and be a source of light and hope to those around you?

Quotes


because every breath is a gift from god god wants to fill you with breath like god wants to fill you with spirit in fact in the bible both the old testament and the new testament the word for breath in the old testament numa in the new testament is the same as the word for wind is the same as the word for spirit [00:00:29]

we tend to think of breath and wind as natural phenomenon that don't involve god at god at all and spirit is something that is not very scientific and maybe not very real but jack says the biblical languages actually capture this very holistic often deliberately ambiguous sense that no no our breath actually is a gift from god and spirit is actually real spirit is the most real thing about you [00:01:75]

one of the great promises of god through the prophet ezekiel is god says i will put i will give you a new spirit and god says i will put my spirit within you and the human race desperately needed god's spirit we all do every day and then one day came into the world this child the word became flesh jesus christ [00:03:15]

what is new is that in the person of jesus we see what human life can become in the power of the spirit when someone is fully surrendered to the spirit so now our invitation in this advent season the unprecedented offer that lies before us is to live inspired and i love the idea of inspiration [00:05:18]

the spirit is uh uh what caffeinates us what inspires us what brings us life but inspiration alone for me can be something i kind of idolize where i just want to have an intense sense of motivation and lots of energy and lots of happiness and something that's real exciting but the presence of the spirit in our life runs much deeper than that [00:07:30]

sometimes it comes when we're disappointed and crying and we need to walk with patience so what spirit do you want to live with today how do you recognize the spirit of god because of course there are bad spirits as well as the good spirit of god well here's what the apostle paul says about the spirit that brings to us [00:07:58]

i love these words for god has not given us a spirit of timidity not even in the face of a pandemic or recession or the loss of a job or hurt within a family or depression or anxiety or difficult god did not give you a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power now the ancient world they would have got that [00:08:20]

they often associated the spirit with ecstasy and miraculous and the supernatural the spirit of power and love all the virtues are tied together in love the pouring out of my life in helping other people as i receive love from god and self-control self-discipline a sound learned mind and body that's the spirit [00:08:47]

the spirit that god breathed into adam oh so long ago the spirit present at god's second breath when jesus was born has become humanity's second wind live inspired today take a breath i'll see you tomorrow [00:09:36]

and a friend of mine jack levison who may be watching right now hi jack who eugene peterson says is the best theologian of the holy spirit in our day he's written quite a lot about this you can google him if you want to notes that it's actually a wonderful thing that the same word is used for breath and for wind and for spirit [00:00:54]

and when those are lost we lose life when our one of our kids was born uh things got real quiet in the delivery room because their umbilical cord was wrapped around their neck and the doctor got very serious and reached in and cut the cord there was blood spurting out of my wife's body i couldn't take it i started to lose it [00:02:33]

and then his second breath when he becomes a human being like you and i and he breathes in air and jesus becomes preeminently the man of the spirit at his baptism the spirit comes like a dove and then the spirit drives him into the wilderness jesus does his ministry he does his great works miraculous healings and so by the power of the spirit [00:04:39]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
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