Living a Spirit-Led Life: Freedom and Fulfillment

Devotional

Day 1: Mission and Surrender: A Call to Serve

Greg and Michelle's dedication to their mission in Chiapas, Mexico, exemplifies a life fully surrendered to God's calling. Their work in spreading the gospel and establishing churches in remote areas challenges us to consider how we can support such missions in our own lives. The backpack initiative they lead brings joy and the message of Christ to children who have very little, reminding us that true fulfillment comes from serving others. This example encourages us to reflect on our own lives and how we can contribute to the mission of spreading God's love and message. [46:34]

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" (Mark 16:15, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community or beyond can you support or serve today, and how can you take a tangible step to do so?

Day 2: Life Through the Spirit: Beyond Rules to Relationship

The Christian life is not about following a set of rules but about experiencing the life of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. This life is characterized by a moment-by-moment awareness of God's presence and reliance on His power to guide us. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 7, shared his struggle with sin, highlighting that our own strength is insufficient to live a righteous life. Instead, we are called to "walk by the Spirit," as Paul instructs in Galatians 5. This means living with a constant awareness of God's presence and relying on the Holy Spirit's power to guide us. [49:59]

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (Romans 8:14, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit's presence in your daily routine today?

Day 3: Dependence Over Strength: Embracing Our Weakness

Walking in the Spirit means choosing dependence on God over our own strength. By acknowledging our weakness and relying on Christ's strength, we can overcome temptation and live a life that reflects His love and grace. This approach transforms our response to temptation and sin, shifting from self-reliance to reliance on the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—naturally flows from a life led by the Spirit. [52:22]

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are relying on your own strength? How can you invite God to work through your weakness today?

Day 4: Freedom from the Law: Living in Joy and Victory

Being led by the Spirit frees us from the constraints of the law. This freedom allows us to live a life of joy and victory, not through our efforts but through the Spirit's work within us. The Christian life is about living in the freedom and joy that comes from the Spirit's presence. It's not about trying harder or making deeper commitments but about surrendering to God's power and allowing Him to live through us. As we embrace this truth, we experience victory over sin and a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God. [57:33]

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways are you still living under the constraints of self-imposed rules? How can you embrace the freedom offered by the Spirit today?

Day 5: Fruit of the Spirit: Evidence of a Spirit-Led Life

The qualities of love, joy, peace, and others are not achieved through our efforts but are the natural result of a life led by the Spirit. As we walk in the Spirit, these fruits become evident in our lives, impacting those around us. This transformation is not about trying harder but about allowing the Spirit to work within us, producing these qualities naturally. As we surrender to the Spirit's guidance, we find ourselves living a life that reflects God's love and grace to those around us. [01:06:15]

"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: Which fruit of the Spirit do you feel is lacking in your life right now? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to cultivate this fruit in you today?

Sermon Summary

Summary:

Today, we explored the profound truth of living a life led by the Holy Spirit. We began by reflecting on the inspiring work of Greg and Michelle, missionaries in Chiapas, Mexico, who have dedicated their lives to spreading the gospel and establishing churches in remote areas. Their commitment challenges us to consider how we can support their mission, such as through the backpack initiative, which brings joy and the message of Christ to children who have very little.

We then delved into the essence of the Christian life, which is not about adhering to a set of rules but about experiencing the life of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 7, shared his struggle with sin, highlighting that our own strength is insufficient to live a righteous life. Instead, we are called to "walk by the Spirit," as Paul instructs in Galatians 5. This means living with a constant awareness of God's presence and relying on the Holy Spirit's power to guide us.

Walking in the Spirit involves choosing dependence on God over our own strength. It's about acknowledging our weakness and allowing Christ's strength to work through us. This approach transforms our response to temptation and sin, shifting from self-reliance to reliance on the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—naturally flows from a life led by the Spirit.

Ultimately, the Christian life is about living in the freedom and joy that comes from the Spirit's presence. It's not about trying harder or making deeper commitments but about surrendering to God's power and allowing Him to live through us. As we embrace this truth, we experience victory over sin and a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God.

Key Takeaways

1. by-moment awareness of God's presence and reliance on His power to guide us. [49:59]
3. Dependence Over Strength: Walking in the Spirit means choosing dependence on God over our own strength. By acknowledging our weakness and relying on Christ's strength, we can overcome temptation and live a life that reflects His love and grace.

4. Freedom from the Law: Being led by the Spirit frees us from the constraints of the law. This freedom allows us to live a life of joy and victory, not through our efforts but through the Spirit's work within us.

5. Fruit of the Spirit: The qualities of love, joy, peace, and others are not achieved through our efforts but are the natural result of a life led by the Spirit. As we walk in the Spirit, these fruits become evident in our lives, impacting those around us.

** [49:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[46:34] - Missionary Work in Chiapas
[47:54] - Thanksgiving Reflections
[49:59] - Life Through the Spirit
[52:22] - Walking by the Spirit
[53:11] - Dependence on God
[54:18] - God's Unconditional Love
[56:04] - Flesh vs. Spirit
[57:33] - Freedom from the Law
[58:00] - Choosing Weakness
[59:40] - Joy in Victory
[61:07] - Loving in Disagreement
[62:00] - Fruit of the Spirit
[66:15] - Source of Spiritual Qualities
[67:48] - Walking in the Spirit
[69:44] - Closing Prayer and Announcements

Sermon Clips

"Greg and Michelle are missionaries. I've known them for probably 25 years. And they've been doing this very same thing for over 25 years down in Chiapas, Mexico. And they're the real deal. They go down, I mean, they have completely surrendered their lives, obviously, if they've done it for 25 years." [00:44:32] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"What you and I needed was life. A new life, His life, so that we could live His life through us. I don't know about you, but that's good news. Is that good news to you? All right. Because most of us have, we've realized that if left up to us, if we go through life in our own strength, and in our own willpower to live the Christian life, I mean, it's just not going to happen, is it?" [00:49:16] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Paul says, but I say walk by the spirit underline that would you walk by the spirit when you walk by the spirit you will not carry out the desire of the flesh you will not carry out the desire of the flesh walking by the spirit or you could say walking in the spirit you maybe you've heard that as well walking in the spirit walking by the spirit and that means this living your life with a moment by moment awareness of god's presence depending on the promptings and empowerment of the holy spirit." [00:50:39] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"God loves us no matter what we do. Certainly he wants us to walk with him and obey him and do the right thing, but he doesn't keep score aren't you glad aren't you glad but god says hey carl instead of doing that just learn to do this one thing live today like you know i'm with you and depend on my power not on your power to get through the day simply put i'm weak but you are strong." [00:54:24] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"His answer is not make a deeper commitment. Even though He wants us to be committed, so don't get me wrong there. The answer is to walk according to the Spirit. Or walk in the Spirit. Live with a moment -by -moment awareness that God is with you and depend on His power to say no to sinful desires." [00:55:42] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"When you and I are faced with temptation, it's always flesh against spirit. Always. It's always the devil's intentions against God's intentions. And when we look at temptation through the eyes of, I can't give in, I gotta be strong, I can't let God down, it can easily be a lose -lose situation." [00:56:18] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"Paul says when you walk by the Spirit, you're set free from the battle. Then when you hit the wall of temptation, there won't be a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other asking you, or you're asking, which one should I choose? Because you don't have to be a devil. You don't have to make the choice." [00:57:33] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"The God of the universe, the Holy Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit, the very same power that rose Jesus from the dead has just flowed through you. Amen. That's good stuff right there." [00:59:54] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

"The fruit of the spirit isn't being right it's not being a good debater it's not getting into somebody's face and talking them in to accepting christ it's how do i love somebody that i disagree with now here's a thought maybe that's why some people don't want to hear about jesus because they've met christians over the years who instead of showing love to him they were hell -bent on convincing them about jesus and that's all they ever did that's all they ever did instead of loving him like christ loved us walking in the spirit is loving people that you disagree with even if they don't see things your way." [01:02:31] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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