The Spirit Filled Life | Pastor Tina Notz | 5/31/2026

May 31, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Bent Over But Called to Rise

A woman carried eighteen years of invisible chains – not just physical pain, but the weight of shame, fear, and isolation. Jesus didn’t ask how she got there. He saw her posture of defeat and declared freedom. Her healing wasn’t gradual; it was immediate when she received His words. Like her, many walk through life spiritually hunched – burdened by past failures, anxiety, or lies that keep their eyes fixed downward. Christ’s command remains urgent: “You are loosed.” True freedom begins when we stop justifying our bent-over state and let His truth straighten our perspective. [01:17]

“And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’ And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.”
(Luke 13:11-13, ESV)

Reflection: What invisible weight have you normalized carrying? How might standing straight in Christ’s freedom change how you interact with others today?

Day 2: The Daily Fuel of Surrender

Victory isn’t found in gritting teeth but releasing grip. Like a car needing constant refueling, believers leak – worries drain peace, distractions siphon focus. The Spirit-filled life thrives on daily dependence, not one-time decisions. Surrender isn’t passive; it’s actively handing over control each morning. Paul’s command to “walk in the Spirit” uses present tense – a continuous choosing. When we stop trying to fix what only God can heal, we make room for miracles. The woman didn’t straighten herself; she received hands she couldn’t avoid. [08:48]

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.”
(Galatians 5:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: What situation are you trying to “muscle through” alone? What would it look like to hand Jesus the reins before lunch today?

Day 3: Night Lights for Next Steps

Climbing Dunn’s River Falls required trusting the guide’s instructions step-by-step, not demanding the full route. The Holy Spirit works like motion-activated lights – illuminating just enough path to prevent stumbling. He whispers warnings about social media rabbit holes, prompts apologies before relationships fracture, and nudges toward quiet spaces when souls overheat. Walking “in step” means resisting the urge to sprint ahead or lag behind. Like the healed woman’s first act of praise, our obedience in small steps builds momentum for greater breakthroughs. [21:01]

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
(Psalm 119:105, ESV)

Reflection: What’s one “next step” the Spirit highlighted this week that you’ve hesitated to take? How might obedience today prevent a stumble tomorrow?

Day 4: Fruit Check: Sour or Spirit-Sweet?

The Spirit’s fruit isn’t decorative – it’s survival food for a starving world. Love stays kind when criticized. Peace sleeps soundly amid chaos. Joy laughs while bills pile up. These aren’t personality traits but supernatural evidence. Like the healed woman’s instant posture change, fruit ripens through abiding – not self-help striving. A lemon tree can’t decide to grow apples; we simply stay connected to the Vine. When others taste bitterness in us, it’s a warning light: time to check our connection to the Source. [46:05]

“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 feels most out of season in your life? What daily practice could help you “abide” better this week?

Day 5: Unapologetic Tongues & Boldness

Praying in the Spirit isn’t about eloquence but surrender – letting divine words bypass anxious thoughts. Like a parent deciphering a toddler’s babble, God interprets our groans. The disciples’ fear melted when Pentecost fire hit; stammering fishermen became bold heralds. The healed woman’s first act wasn’t a testimony but worship – her body became a living declaration. When we lean into the Spirit’s strange language, we tap into warfare prayers and praises that shake hell’s gates. [43:33]

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
(Romans 8:26, ESV)

Reflection: What situation feels too messy for “proper” prayers? How might surrendering to groanings or tongues shift your perspective today?

Sermon Summary

Jesus meets the bent woman in Luke 13 and shows what his kingdom does. The text says she had a “spirit of infirmity” and had been bent over eighteen years, but it also says, “When Jesus saw her,” he called her, spoke freedom, laid hands on her, and immediately she stood straight and glorified God. Her body pictures what many carry in mind and soul. Fear, trauma, disappointment, and temptation bend a person downward, but Jesus still says, “You are loosed,” and intends his church to walk out different than they walked in, not victims but victors in him.

John 10:10 sets the contrast. The thief steals, kills, and destroys, but Jesus gives life abundantly. That abundant life is not powered by grit or trying harder. Jesus promises the Helper. The Holy Spirit is the advantage. Not by might, not by power, but by his Spirit. A believer lives victorious through surrender, not control. Dependence becomes the daily posture: walk in the Spirit and the lusts of the flesh lose their pull.

The Helper is not just an experience. He is the indwelling Paraclete, the advocate who comes alongside to help, guide, teach, convict, comfort, strengthen, fill, sanctify, unite, and empower. Paul commands, “Be filled with the Spirit.” Not once and done, but a continual drinking of his presence. In a noisy, agitated world, his presence becomes the safe haven where fear is quieted and courage returns.

To be led, the church must listen. The Spirit often gives the next light, not the whole map. Keep in step with him. He will warn, correct, and comfort. He will also use the family of faith to say in love, “Watch that slippery rock,” as each learns to move in the Spirit’s rhythm. This life aims at obedience from love, Christ-centered courage in a hostile hour, and a steady rooting in Scripture. Spirit and Word belong together.

Crucifying the flesh is real. The me-monster must be denied, and the Spirit must be cooperated with. Prayer in the Spirit strengthens what the mind cannot fix and floods anxious hearts with peace. And the fruit is the evidence. Love and self-control bookend a life that is becoming more like Jesus. Power to witness, boldness to stand, willingness to serve those who cannot repay, and a heart that gets back up when it falls all signal this simple truth: a Spirit-filled life is a life increasingly governed by the Holy Spirit rather than the flesh.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus sees and looses the bent. Jesus does not ignore hidden pain. He calls, speaks freedom, and lays hands on what years of bondage have twisted, and he restores what the enemy has stolen. The gospel lifts the chin from the ground to the face of Christ so God is glorified again. [01:33]
2. Victory flows from daily surrender. Trying harder in the flesh burns out quick, but trusting the Helper opens real power. Not by might, not by human control, but by the Spirit, a believer learns to release the death grip and receive strength. Surrender is not quitting, it is cooperating with the One who knows the way. [08:17]
3. Keep being filled, not once. Paul’s command is present and ongoing, so dryness is an invitation, not a verdict. Continual filling comes as a habit of drinking deeply in God’s presence, where anxiety drains and courage returns. This is a rhythm, like breathing, that keeps the heart tender and the will steady. [16:23]
4. Walk in step, one light ahead. The Spirit often illuminates the next step, not the whole staircase. Listening hearts find warnings, course corrections, and comfort right on time, and they avoid many dark collisions. Staying in rhythm with him beats charging ahead in self-made plans. [21:20]
5. Pray in the Spirit for strength. When words run out, the Spirit intercedes and the soul is steadied. Praying in tongues builds inner resilience, aligns the heart with God’s will, and often ushers in a tangible peace that keeps a person moving forward. This gift is practical fuel for hard days. [43:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:24] - Opening Prayer
[01:17] - Jesus frees the bent woman
[03:44] - Loosed from living bent over
[06:07] - Life abundantly in Christ
[07:23] - The Helper makes victory possible
[08:48] - Daily dependence on the Spirit
[12:33] - The Helper, our Paraclete
[15:04] - Be filled and keep filled
[18:14] - Led by the Spirit each day
[23:30] - Dunn’s River Falls lesson
[35:43] - Spirit and Word together
[40:44] - Pray in the Spirit
[45:07] - Fruit that marks maturity
[51:28] - Invitation to salvation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 13:10-13 (ESV)
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.

Observation Questions

What specific actions did Jesus take when he saw the bent woman, and what was her immediate response?
The sermon mentions the woman’s condition symbolized emotional and mental struggles. What examples were given of things that “bend” people downward in life? [03:25]
According to the sermon, what does it mean to “walk in the Spirit” practically? [09:53]
What two qualities “bookend” the fruit of the Spirit, according to the sermon? [45:41]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus emphasized seeing the woman before healing her (Luke 13:12)? How does this relate to the idea that “Jesus does not ignore hidden pain”?
The sermon states, “Victory flows from daily surrender, not control.” How does surrendering differ from passivity or resignation? [08:17]
What might it look like to receive “the next light, not the whole map” when being led by the Spirit? How does this challenge modern expectations of clarity? [21:20]
Why does Paul command believers to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) as an ongoing action? How does this contrast with a one-time spiritual experience?

Application Questions

In what area of your life do you feel “bent over” by fear, disappointment, or temptation? What would it look like to actively receive Jesus’ words, “You are loosed,” in that area? [03:44]
Surrender is described as “cooperating with the One who knows the way.” What is one situation this week where you need to release control and depend on the Holy Spirit instead of your own efforts?
The Spirit often gives “the next step, not the whole staircase.” Is there a decision or uncertainty where you need to trust God for just the next step? How can you practice listening for His guidance daily? [21:20]
The sermon compares praying in the Spirit to “practical fuel for hard days.” How could incorporating prayer in the Spirit (or intentional prayer habits) strengthen your resilience in a current struggle? [43:33]
Love and self-control are the “bookends” of the Spirit’s fruit. Which of these feels most challenging to walk out in your relationships right now? What small step could you take to grow in that area?
The bent woman “immediately glorified God” after her healing. What recent victory or breakthrough can you intentionally thank God for today, even if it feels small?

Sermon Clips

50s

#SpiritLedLife

“Living a spirit filled life doesn't mean we will always have it all together. It doesn't mean we'll always be perfect, because we won't. Doesn't mean we won't struggle, because we do. But what it does mean, and catch this, it is a life increasingly governed by the Holy Spirit rather than the flesh. I want my life governed by the Holy Ghost. I want my life governed by Jesus and to please him and him alone. A life that gets back up when it falls. A life that trusts God in every circumstance and continually grows in the likeness of Jesus. That's a spirit filled life. And it's all through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

47s

#RiseUpOvercomer

“Too many of us, even in the body of Christ, are living bent over. And God wants you to rise up and stand straight. He wants you to quit looking down and start looking in the face of Jesus and say, I want to worship you and you alone. No longer to look downward, but to keep looking upward. It's time to rise up as the overcomer you and I are called to be. He's looking for the overcomers in this hour. Are you an overcomer? Come on. Some of you need to speak that I am an overcomer in Christ Jesus. I am an overcomer. I can be victorious because of what Jesus did in my life. It's not your ability.”

49s

#ReceiveFreedom

“See, we feel weighed down a lot of times by life. Right? We can allow things to make us feel unstable. It's hard to walk in victory, and we're speaking like a victim instead of a victor. If you're Christ Jesus, you are a victor. And we're always looking down. you may feel today bent over by life. You may feel bent over by fear. You may feel bent over by trauma, by hurts, by disappointments, you may even feel bent over by temptation. It's real. It's real. But Jesus, I believe, is saying to all of us today, loosed if you will receive it.”

42s

#InStepWithTheSpirit

“I want to be in the rhythm of the Holy Spirit. I want to be in step with him. As we pursue God, then our life will change, and we can stay in step with him. Our desires more and more and more change, and we want what he wants for our life. We want to be led by him because we know what happens when we lead ourselves. We lead ourselves down some crazy, crazy roads. Right? Some back alleys, and you're just like, why am I here? It's because you're not letting the Holy Spirit lead you. But you can start today. You can start today. You can keep in step with the Holy Spirit today.”

47s

#ObeyFromLove

“A spirit filled Christian seeks to obey the heart of the father. I so wanna obey him. I miss it so many times. But I don't wanna just obey him out of duty. I grew up that way, where it was all out of duty, people pleasing. No, I just wanna obey him because I love him. I wanna do the right thing because I love him and when I mess it up, I'm like, Lord, you created me. Can you help me here? He knows. He knows. He wired you that you know, he knows our weaknesses. He knows our strengths. He's not surprised when you mess up. But he's right there saying, okay, now get up and do it the right way. Amen?”

37s

#DailyDependenceOnGod

“So, how do we live this spirit filled life? Well, I'm going to help you a little bit. So, if you have notebooks or your phone, take some notes because this will help you. So, the first one is, how do I live a spirit filled life? Walk daily in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Oh, I tell you what, I gotta be fully dependent on him every single day. Every single day. See, victory begins with daily surrender. See, we think we gotta control it and fix it. And he's like, take your hands off and give it to me.”

38s

#RefilledByTheSpirit

“You just need to lay it all down. You need to trust him and give it all to him because that's when God fully works within us. Jesus never ever intended the Christian life to be lived in our own strength. Zechariah four six says, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. It's by his spirit that we can live a Christian life. It's by his spirit that I can walk spirit filled. It's by his spirit.”

43s

#ListenToTheSpiritDaily

“the helper will not come to you. Oh, I know. The disciples are probably like, no, Jesus, stay. We'd be like that. No. We don't want you to leave. But he had to go so the Holy Spirit, our helper, could come. See, a believer lives a victorious life through the Holy Spirit, not by trying harder. There's too many people out there trying harder in their own strength and only slamming their head against the brick wall. Right? We need the Holy Spirit, but we get a hold of him by learning to surrender. It's a wild thing because we think, oh, I need to do do do, and he's like, no, you need to surrender.”

68s

“I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. This is Jesus talking. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. Oh, I know. The disciples are probably like, no, Jesus, stay. We'd be like that. No. We don't want you to leave. But he had to go so the Holy Spirit, our helper, could come. See, a believer lives a victorious life through the Holy Spirit, not by trying harder. There's too many people out there trying harder in their own strength and only slamming their head against the brick wall. Right? We need the Holy Spirit, but we get a hold of him by learning to surrender. It's a wild thing because we think, oh, I need to do do do, and he's like, no, you need to surrender. You just need to lay it all down. You need to trust him and give it all to him because that's when God fully works within us. Jesus never ever intended the Christian life to be lived in our own strength.”

65s

“See, a believer lives a victorious life through the Holy Spirit, not by trying harder. There's too many people out there trying harder in their own strength and only slamming their head against the brick wall. Right? We need the Holy Spirit, but we get a hold of him by learning to surrender. It's a wild thing because we think, oh, I need to do do do, and he's like, no, you need to surrender. You just need to lay it all down. You need to trust him and give it all to him because that's when God fully works within us. Jesus never ever intended the Christian life to be lived in our own strength. Zechariah four six says, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. It's by his spirit that we can live a Christian life. It's by his spirit that I can walk spirit filled. It's by his spirit.”

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The Spirit Filled Life | Pastor Tina Notz | 5/31/2026

Devotional

Day 1: Bent Over But Called to Rise

Day 2: The Daily Fuel of Surrender

Day 3: Night Lights for Next Steps

Day 4: Fruit Check: Sour or Spirit-Sweet?

Day 5: Unapologetic Tongues & Boldness

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Spirit Filled Life | Pastor Tina Notz | 5/31/2026

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