Journeying Deeper: Embracing the River of Grace

Devotional

Day 1: Journeying Deeper into the Spirit's River

The spiritual journey is a progression from ankle-deep to swimming in the river of the Spirit, each stage representing a deeper engagement with God. Initially, we encounter God as "Daddy God," a loving and approachable Father, in the ankle-deep waters. This is where we first experience the joy and safety of His presence. As we move deeper, we face challenges that require us to navigate the Spirit's movement, learning to embrace God's grace and forgiveness. This journey is not just about moving forward but also about being open and willing to grow in our relationship with God. [14:19]

Ezekiel 47:3-5 (ESV): "Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through."

Reflection: What stage of the spiritual river do you find yourself in today, and how can you open yourself to moving deeper into the Spirit's flow?

Day 2: Embracing Grace Over Condemnation

As we navigate the Spirit's movement, it is crucial to let go of condemnation and embrace God's grace. This allows us to grow without fear of failure, understanding that mistakes are part of the journey. In the knee-deep waters, we learn to run against the current, facing challenges that teach us to rely on God's grace and forgiveness. This stage is about learning to navigate the Spirit's movement without self-condemnation, allowing us to grow in our faith and relationship with God. [16:47]

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV): "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you feel condemned? How can you invite God's grace into that space today?

Day 3: Developing Spiritual Skills and Resilience

Moving deeper into the Spirit involves developing spiritual skills and resilience, much like Peter walking on water. In the waist-deep waters, we feel the current's pull and learn the discipline of spiritual apprenticeship. This stage requires discipline and trust in Jesus, learning to imitate His actions and follow His lead. It is about developing the skills and resilience needed to navigate the deeper waters of our spiritual journey, trusting in God's guidance and strength. [21:33]

2 Peter 1:5-7 (ESV): "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love."

Reflection: What spiritual skill or discipline do you feel called to develop further, and what steps can you take today to begin this growth?

Day 4: Recognizing and Cultivating Spiritual Gifts

We are called to recognize and cultivate our spiritual gifts and fruits. Whether it's prophecy, healing, or teaching, each gift is vital to the body of Christ. In the deeper waters, we are encouraged to be open to the Spirit's leading in these areas, embracing our unique calling and the gifts we are given. This stage is about recognizing the spiritual gifts we have and actively cultivating them for the benefit of the church community and the glory of God. [22:23]

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV): "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

Reflection: What spiritual gift do you feel God has given you, and how can you begin to cultivate and use it for the benefit of others?

Day 5: Embracing the Abundance of Life in the Spirit

The river of the Spirit brings abundance, symbolized by the fish and fruit in Ezekiel's vision. We are called to see and embrace this abundance in our lives and church, allowing it to transform us and those around us. Swimming in the river represents a state of spiritual maturity, where we are carried by the Spirit's unforced rhythms of grace. This is the culmination of our journey, where discipline and reflection lead to a seamless flow in the Spirit, embracing the abundance of life that flows from the Spirit. [25:11]

John 10:10 (ESV): "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Reflection: How can you open your heart to the abundance of life that the Spirit offers, and what steps can you take to let this abundance transform your life and community today?

Sermon Summary

Reflecting on the concept of "Home at the River," we embark on a journey to understand the spiritual significance of home and the river as metaphors for our walk with God. Home evokes memories of comfort, safety, and a foundation upon which we build our future. The river, representing the flow of the Holy Spirit, invites us to move deeper into our spiritual journey, as illustrated in Ezekiel 47:3-6. This passage describes a progression from ankle-deep to swimming in the river, symbolizing our growth in the Spirit.

Each stage of the river represents a different level of spiritual engagement. Ankle-deep water is where we first encounter the joy and safety of God's presence, akin to a child playing in shallow waters. This is where we discover God as "Daddy God," a loving and approachable Father. As we move to knee-deep water, we face the challenge of running against the current, learning to navigate the Spirit's movement without condemnation. This stage teaches us to embrace God's grace and forgiveness, allowing us to grow without fear of failure.

Waist-deep water signifies a deeper commitment, where we feel the current's pull and learn the discipline of spiritual apprenticeship. Here, we develop skills and resilience, much like Peter walking on water, learning to trust and imitate Jesus. Finally, swimming in the river represents a state of spiritual maturity, where we are carried by the Spirit's unforced rhythms of grace. This is the culmination of our journey, where discipline and reflection lead to a seamless flow in the Spirit.

Throughout this journey, we are reminded of the importance of being open to the Spirit's leading, embracing our unique calling, and recognizing the spiritual gifts and fruits we are called to cultivate. As we move forward, we are encouraged to measure our progress, embrace our spiritual anger or curiosity, and fan the flames of our spiritual gifts. Ultimately, we are called to see the abundance of life that flows from the Spirit, to embrace it, and to let it transform our lives and our church community.

Key Takeaways

1. The Journey of Spiritual Depth: Our spiritual journey is akin to moving from ankle-deep to swimming in the river of the Spirit. Each stage represents a deeper engagement with God, from discovering Him as "Daddy God" to being carried by the Spirit's grace. This journey requires openness and willingness to grow. [14:19]
2. Embracing God's Grace: As we navigate the Spirit's movement, we must learn to let go of condemnation and embrace God's grace. This allows us to grow without fear of failure, understanding that mistakes are part of the journey. [16:47]
3. Developing Spiritual Skills: Moving deeper into the Spirit involves developing skills and resilience, much like Peter walking on water. This stage requires discipline and trust in Jesus, learning to imitate His actions and follow His lead. [21:33]
4. Recognizing Spiritual Gifts: We are called to recognize and cultivate our spiritual gifts and fruits. Whether it's prophecy, healing, or teaching, each gift is vital to the body of Christ, and we must be open to the Spirit's leading in these areas. [22:23]
5. Seeing the Abundance of Life: The river of the Spirit brings abundance, symbolized by the fish and fruit in Ezekiel's vision. We are called to see and embrace this abundance in our lives and church, allowing it to transform us and those around us. [25:11]
** [25:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Introduction to "Home at the River"
[01:11] - Reflecting on Ezekiel 47
[02:17] - Prophetic Word Over Pastor Josh
[03:38] - Claiming the Prophetic Word
[04:21] - Ezekiel 47: The Four Steps
[05:12] - Influential Spiritual Mentors
[07:15] - Embracing the Spirit by Faith
[08:55] - The River's Source and Purpose
[10:13] - Spiritual Gifts and Ministry Needs
[11:50] - Spiritual Authority and Respect
[13:41] - Ankle-Deep: Discovering Daddy God
[16:09] - Knee-Deep: Embracing Grace
[20:20] - Waist-Deep: Developing Skills
[23:07] - Swimming: Unforced Rhythms of Grace
[24:33] - Seeing the Abundance of Life
[26:52] - Final Reflections and Quotes
[29:28] - Romans 15:13 and Closing Prayer

Sermon Clips

Home evokes memories of comfort, safety, and a foundation upon which we build our future. The river, representing the flow of the Holy Spirit, invites us to move deeper into our spiritual journey, as illustrated in Ezekiel 47:3-6. This passage describes a progression from ankle-deep to swimming in the river, symbolizing our growth in the Spirit. [00:00:45]

The spirit of God is on you Phil prinkle saying I see you doing things you think you couldn't do. I see a treasure chest of Finance being opened to you. I see a new building. I see people starting to pour in, but not just pour in they're going to start trickling in the trickling will become a creek and the creek will become a river. [00:02:38]

In my journey, I've looked for people who would show me how to move in the spirit, and there are several people that have been instrumental in my journey, like Dr. David Cartage, just a powerful man who moved in the spirit. His preaching and his prophecy was just awesome. Clark Taylor, which some of you may know. [00:05:18]

There is an element of embracing it by faith and stepping out and doing it, but my calling is as a pastor SL teer and as a teacher. I know that teachers have an ability to break a dynamic down into steps, sequences, categories so that it can be taught, and this is my journey of breaking these things down. [00:07:17]

The first one is ankle deep, and when I meditated on this, I just got pictures of children playing in ankle deep water. Have you ever seen them? They accidentally fall over, they're kicking water, they're having a beautiful time. And I remember when I got baptized in the Holy Spirit, this was my experience. [00:13:41]

For every level there's a different method, for every level there's a different law. You can't take one into the next, so you're trying to run in this water and it's so hard. And I said, God, what is this all about for me? And he spoke to me in Romans 8:8, says there's now no condemnation. [00:16:09]

When people get angry, it's a sign that the Holy Spirit is moving, and they're getting angry about something. John G. Lake centuries ago got angry that his family was dying from sickness. He got angry about it and said, God, I read in the gospels, I read in Acts that people get healed. [00:18:22]

The next one is waist deep, and this is where it gets fun, because when you're in waist deep, you really feel the movement of the water, particularly if it's got a current. You've got to dig your heels in to stand that, and I feel like this level when it gets to he is about discipline. [00:20:20]

Developing the skill to move in to watch Jesus and imitate and do what he does and follow suit. You know, I've mentioned before that we need Apostles, we need prophets, we need pastors, we need teachers, we need people to move into the gifts of Faith, Gifts of Miracles, Gifts of healing. [00:21:33]

Swimming in the water, this is the easiest part, all right. The buoyancy of the Spirit carries you in its unforced rhythms of Grace. This is when, oh God, this is easy, but you've got there through discipline, frustration, anger, learning, reflection brought you back into the unforced rhythms of Grace. [00:23:07]

If you read these verses, you'll find that there's fish an abundance. If you read this verse, there are trees that bear fruit monthly, not yearly, monthly. And God, I feel like is asking us, do you see that? Do you see that in your life? Do you see that in this church? Can you see it? [00:24:33]

Now may God, the inspiration and Foundation of Hope fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. Now this is a verse I want to think, I want us to think about, and may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with super abundance until you radiate with hope. [00:29:39]

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