Unhindered | Sin Estorbos (Week 2) | Pastor Kris Bojorquez | Strong Church

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Person Next to You: Seeing the Holy Spirit as a Real Companion

The Holy Spirit is not an abstract force but a living person—closer than your breath, sitting beside you in the empty chair. He feels, listens, and responds. To treat Him as less than a person is to ignore His nearness. When we reduce Him to a vague power, we miss the intimacy of His presence. He is not a tool for miracles but a friend who dwells within, guiding and convicting. Honoring His personhood begins with acknowledging He is here, now, in every mundane and holy moment. [04:38]

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you overlooked the Holy Spirit’s presence as a person this week? How might your prayers shift if you addressed Him as “You” instead of “it”?

Day 2: Bitterness in the Bedroom: When Unresolved Anger Chokes the Spirit’s Flow

Bitterness isn’t just a private grudge—it’s a spiritual toxin. Clinging to unresolved anger after sunset, rehearsing old wounds, or withholding forgiveness creates a barrier the Spirit cannot ignore. The Bible warns that even “righteous” anger, if nursed, becomes a foothold for darkness. Marriages, friendships, and ministries fracture not from conflict but from the refusal to reconcile before the day ends. Letting the sun set on rage isn’t patience; it’s disobedience. [06:43]

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a relationship where you’ve allowed anger to linger past its expiration date? What practical step can you take today to dismantle that barrier?

Day 3: The Lie in the Offering Plate: Pretending Surrender While Holding Back

Ananias and Sapphira didn’t die for keeping money—they died for faking generosity. The sin wasn’t partial giving but performative piety. God sees the gap between our words and our hidden reservations. Whether in finances, prayers, or promises, pretending wholeheartedness insults the Spirit who knows our secrets. Authenticity matters more than appearance; He desires honest halves over hypocritical wholes. [14:36]

“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?’” (Acts 5:3, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you pretending “full surrender” while quietly withholding a portion? Name one area to replace performance with raw honesty before God.

Day 4: The Pressure to Perform: When Community Expectations Quench Authenticity

Ananias didn’t sell his land because God asked—he sold it because everyone else did. The fear of looking “less spiritual” twisted a voluntary act into a deadly charade. Churches often unintentionally breed comparison, making surrender a competition. But the Spirit flows through vulnerability, not vanity. True unity isn’t uniformity; it’s brothers and sisters confessing their incomplete obedience without shame. [21:03]

“For there was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” (Acts 4:34-35, ESV)

Reflection: When have you mimicked others’ spirituality to fit in? How can you courageously embrace your unique journey with God this week?

Day 5: The Seal on Your Heart: How the Spirit’s Mark Protects and Authenticates

The Holy Spirit’s seal isn’t a decorative stamp—it’s a living guarantee. Like a king’s mark on a scroll, it declares ownership, authenticity, and safe passage. This seal isn’t earned by flawless behavior but received through grace. It reminds us that our security rests not in our performance but in His promise. To lie to the Spirit is to distrust the One who already stamped us as His. [45:40]

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: How does knowing you’re permanently sealed by the Spirit free you from the fear of imperfection? Where can you rest instead of striving today?

Sermon Summary

The Holy Spirit wants to move. The Holy Spirit wants to flow in worship, in children’s ministry, in Sunday gatherings, in Bible study, and through everyday life. The problem is not that the Holy Spirit is unwilling. The problem is that God’s people can get in the way.

The Holy Spirit is not a power, not a force, not an idea. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, a real person who is present even when unseen, sitting next to the believer and living inside the believer. Because he is a person, the Holy Spirit can be hurt. Ephesians 4:30 says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” and Paul shows that bitterness, wrath, anger, harsh words, slander, gossip, unforgiveness, and malice all grieve him.

Bitterness says, “They did it to me, so I will do it back,” but God calls for forgiveness and wisdom with boundaries. Anger can happen without sin, but anger carried into the night begins to grieve the Spirit. Harsh words in marriage, friendships, and parenting do not build up. Gossip dressed up as prayer still grieves the Holy Spirit.

Acts 5 brings an even heavier warning. Ananias and Sapphira sold property and brought part of the money to the apostles, but they pretended they had given it all. Peter made clear that the land was theirs and the money was theirs. The sin was not that they kept some back. The sin was that they lied to the Holy Spirit by pretending to be surrendered.

God was not demanding everything. God was demanding honesty. The danger was not the amount they gave, but the fake surrender they performed. A person can lie to the Holy Spirit by saying yes to God while living like no, by saying prayers are being offered when they are not, by saying forgiveness has happened while malice still lives in the heart, or by saying everything is fine while hiding in shame.

Ananias did not get a chance to repent, and his death became a warning to the whole church that the Holy Spirit is holy and cannot be played with. Sapphira did get a chance to tell the truth, but she followed her husband’s lie instead. Her story warns husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, family, and friends that influence matters, but nobody can blame another person for disobedience before God.

Ephesians 4:30 still gives hope. The Holy Spirit seals God’s people for redemption. The seal means ownership, authenticity, and protection. Conviction is not rejection. Conviction is evidence that the Holy Spirit is working, exposing sin so he can lead an open heart into freedom.

Key Takeaways

1. God is looking for honest hearts God was not asking Ananias and Sapphira for a bigger offering. God was confronting the lie behind the offering. The Spirit does not need a religious performance that looks surrendered in public but hides resistance in private. Honesty before God is safer than looking strong before people. [27:15]
2. Conviction is an open door Conviction does not mean God is finished with a person. Conviction means the Holy Spirit is still pressing on the heart, still exposing what needs to be healed, still inviting truth instead of hiding. A closed heart explains away sin, but an open heart says, “God, change me.” [49:47]
3. Influence cannot excuse disobedience Sapphira had the chance to tell the truth, but she chose to follow the lie. Another person’s pressure, example, or leadership cannot stand as an excuse before God. Love never requires joining someone in sin, and loyalty that abandons truth becomes dangerous. [40:04]
4. The Spirit seals belonging The seal of the Holy Spirit means God marks his people as his own. That seal is not decoration, it is ownership, authenticity, and protection until the day of redemption. Salvation is not held together by performance, but by the Spirit who claims, guards, and carries God’s people home. [45:19]
5. Holiness is on your side The holiness of the Spirit is not against the believer. The Spirit is the only one who can make a life pleasing to God from the inside out. Human effort can adjust behavior for a moment, but only the Holy Spirit can change the heart.

## [54:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:26] - Living Unhindered for the Spirit
[04:14] - Grieving the Holy Spirit
[06:43] - Bitterness, Anger, and Harsh Words
[10:04] - Gossip and Unforgiveness
[14:36] - Ananias Lies to the Holy Spirit
[18:44] - One Heart and One Soul
[22:18] - Pretending to Be Surrendered
[29:34] - The Holiness of the Spirit
[35:40] - Sapphira’s Chance to Tell Truth
[38:32] - Influence Matters in the Home
[42:05] - Sealed for Redemption
[48:32] - Conviction Means God Is Working
[51:58] - Three Words of Advice
[55:13] - Honest Before the Spirit

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 4:30
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” [06:43]

Acts 5:1-11
“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.’ And she said, ‘Yes, for so much.’ But Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’ Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.” [14:36]

Acts 4:32-35
“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” [18:44]

Observation questions

In Ephesians 4:30 and the surrounding teaching, what kinds of attitudes and behaviors are named as things that grieve the Holy Spirit? [06:43]
In Acts 5, what exactly did Ananias and Sapphira do, and what does Peter say their real sin was?
According to Acts 5:4, what did Peter make clear about the property and the money before and after it was sold? [22:18]
In Acts 4:32-35, what was happening in the church community just before the story of Ananias and Sapphira, and what kind of atmosphere did that create? [18:44]

Interpretation questions

If the land and the money still belonged to Ananias and Sapphira, why was their lie treated so seriously? What does that show about how God sees fake surrender? [27:15]
Acts 5 shows that Sapphira had a chance to tell the truth and still chose the lie. What does that reveal about personal responsibility, even when a spouse or family member is influencing the situation? [40:04]
Ephesians 4:30 says believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. How does that help a person understand the difference between conviction and rejection? [49:47]
The Holy Spirit can be grieved because he is a person, not a force. How should that shape the way believers think about everyday sins like gossip, harsh words, bitterness, and unforgiveness? [04:14]

Application questions

Which of these tends to show up most easily in real life right now: bitterness, anger carried too long, harsh words, gossip, unforgiveness, or malice? What does that usually look like in the week? [10:04]
Where is there a temptation to look surrendered on the outside while quietly holding something back from God on the inside? It may be in giving, obedience, forgiveness, prayer, or honesty about how things really are. [22:18]
“God is looking for honest hearts.” Where would honesty before God look different than trying to appear strong before people? [27:15]
Is there anyone who has been told, “I’m praying for you,” “I forgave them,” or “I’m doing fine,” when that was not really true? What would it look like to become more truthful in those moments? [25:11]
Sapphira had influence on her and still had to answer for her own choice. Is there a relationship, friendship, or family pattern that makes disobedience feel easier to excuse? What would faithfulness look like there? [38:32]
Conviction is evidence that the Holy Spirit is working. When conviction has come recently, has the response been to hide, defend, explain, or run to God? What would it look like to respond with an open heart instead? [49:47]
The Holy Spirit seals God’s people with ownership, authenticity, and protection. How could remembering that truth bring both comfort and courage in an area where there is a struggle to change? [45:19]

Sermon Clips

67s

#RunToHim

“Here's the hope. Aquí está la esperanza, that the same spirit that exposes your sin is the same spirit that will lead you to freedom. El mismo espíritu santo que expone tu pecado es el mismo espíritu santo que te quiere llegar a la libertad. The same spirit that convicts you is the same spirit that wants to comfort you. El mismo espíritu santo que te trae convicción es el mismo espíritu santo que te quiere alentar. The same spirit that knows the truth about you is the same spirit that wants you. El mismo espíritu santo que conoce la verdad de ti, la verdad que quieres esconder de todo el mundo, él sabe todo y, aun así, te quiere. That's the hope in all of this. Esa es la esperanza en todo eso, that you don't have to fear him, you just have to run to him. Que no tienes que tener miedo de él, solamente tienes que correrle a él.”

69s

#HonestSurrender

“God is not asking you to give everything. God is not asking you to go sell your house and bring all the money. Dios no te está pidiendo que vendas tu casa y que traigas todo el dinero. Unless he is, a menos de que él sí lo está haciendo. I don't know. But I don't think he is. Yo no creo que lo está haciendo ahorita. God's not asking for that. God's asking you to be honest. Dios te está pidiendo que seas honesto, to be real, to ser real. God wasn't demanding everything. He was just demanding honesty. Dios no estaba demandando todo, estaba demandando honestidad. This wasn't about the money, it was about the surrender. No se trataba del dinero, se trataba de estar rendidos. They were pretending to be surrendered when, in reality, they were holding back. Ellos andaban aparentando rendidos cuando, en realidad, todavía tenían mucho más que dar.”

68s

#TruthOverPretend

“Hay que entender algo. We have to understand something. God never commanded Ananias and Safira to sell their property. Dios nunca le dijo a Ananías y a Safira que vendieran su propiedad. It's not in the scriptures. No está en las escrituras. They weren't required to give everything. No fue requerido de ellos dar todo. The land belonged to them. La tierra les pertenecía. Even after selling it, the money was still there, theirs. Aún después de venderlo, el dinero todavía era de ellos. Peter says it clearly in Acts chapter five, verse four. Pedro lo dice claramente en hechos cinco cuatro. The sin was not that they kept some of the money. El pecado no es que se quedaron con parte del dinero. The sin was that they pretended that they gave it all. El pecado fue que ellos se hicieron como que dieron todo.”

58s

#StopPretending

“And that's what I want you to understand this morning. Eso es lo que yo quiero que usted entienda en esta mañana. How do we lie to the spirit? ¿Cómo le mentimos al espíritu santo? Not just when we're holding something back, no es cuando simplemente estamos aferrándonos a algo, it's when we pretend to be surrendered. Es cuando pretendemos estar rendidos. It's quiet here this morning. Está callado aquí en esta mañana. How do we lie to the spirit? ¿Cómo le mentimos al espíritu santo when we pretend that the god that knows all things doesn't know what we're holding back? Que cuando nos hacemos que el dios que sabe todo, de repente no sabe que no estamos dando todo. And it's not just in our finances. No solamente en nuestras finanzas, but in every area of our lives, pero en todo área de nuestras vidas.”

74s

#RespectTheSpirit

“I want you to see something powerful here. Quiero que se vea algo poderoso. Ananias never got the chance to repent. Ananías nunca tuvo la oportunidad de arrepentirse. He didn't get a chance. Dios no le dijo, eso es lo que hiciste. Ahora, ¿te quieres arrepentir? God didn't tell him, you did this. Now do you want to repent? No, Dios vino con todo. God came with everything. Why? ¿Por qué? Because this is not a story of repentance. This is a story about how holy the holy spirit really is. Porque no es una historia de arrepentimiento, es una historia de qué tan santo el espíritu santo verdaderamente es. This judgment became a warning to the whole church. Este juicio fue una advertencia para toda la iglesia. You cannot play with the holy spirit. No se juega con el espíritu santo.”

60s

#AuthenticEverywhere

“God uses this tragic situation. Dios usa esta esta situación trágica recordarnos y enseñarnos, to teach us, and to show us that when we pretend to surrender and hold back, it's not something that God takes lightly. Que cuando aparentemos estar rendidos y no lo somos, no es algo que dios toma a la ligera. Now, it's not just in our finances. No solamente es en nuestras finanzas. It's with our words, es con nuestras palabras. It's with our relationships, con nuestras relaciones, with our friendships, con nuestras amistades. Listen to this, it's with our integrity, con nuestra integridad. Who are you when no one is around? ¿Quién eres cuando no hay nadie a tu alrededor?”

42s

#HonestNotPerfect

“God's not looking for perfect. God is looking for honest. Dios no está buscando a los perfectos, Dios está buscando a los honestos. It wasn't how much they gave, no era cuánto dieron. It was that they pretended to give everything when they did it. Era que ellos aparentieron dar todo cuando no lo hicieron. And we can easily lie to the Holy Spirit without even knowing it. Y fácilmente tú y yo podemos mentirle al espíritu santo sin saber.”

52s

#LiveYourYes

“But maybe you're here and you're asking, well, how have I lied to the Holy Spirit? Quizás estás preguntando, pues, ¿cómo es que yo le he mentido al espíritu santo? How, what areas have I pretended? ¿En cuáles áreas he aparentado? I told God yes, but I'm living like a no? Estoy Le he dicho sí a dios, pero estoy viviendo como no. Your heart is in the right place. Tu corazón está en lugar correcto. And I got to be real with you, tengo que ser honesto contigo. This is not the moment to hide from God. No es el momento de esconderte de Dios. It's time to run to God. Es tiempo de correr a dios.”

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