Walking in the Spirit: Gifts, Fruit, and Communion
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, church! It's a joy to be in the house of the Lord today. I want to start by sharing a couple of important announcements. First, we have a blood drive for Michelle Gonzalez, who needs our help. Nancy will be in the back with flyers containing more information. Second, next Sunday is the fourth Sunday, and as a church, we gather food for the food bank, local schools, and children on the mountain. Please bring canned goods and quick meals for Walt Disney School. Additionally, we encourage everyone to bring $10 to support the mountain community. Last month, we raised $1,900, which made a significant impact. If you forget your cash, you can give through our app. Remember, this is an offering, not your tithe. Let's bless everyone next week.
Now, let's dive into today's message on the Holy Spirit. I want to stir you up and raise you to a new horizon. Open your hearts to receive what the Lord has for you today. There's a story in the Bible about a lame man at the pool of Bethsaida. He waited for years to be healed but couldn't reach the water in time. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be made well, and when he said yes, Jesus told him to rise, take up his bed, and walk. The man was healed instantly. Today, I declare that you all need to rise, pick up your mat, and walk. To walk in the Spirit, you need to be walking on both legs, representing the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is with us, and we need to commune with Him daily. This relationship produces the fruit of the Spirit in us. Paul, in 2 Corinthians, pointed out the evil deeds of the flesh before talking about the fruit of the Spirit. It's not the devil or lack of communing with the Holy Spirit that prevents character formation; it's our flesh and not communing with the Holy Spirit. We struggle because we try to do things in our own strength instead of relying on the Holy Spirit. When we focus on the Holy Spirit, He produces fruit in our lives, and we are compelled to do good works.
James 2:17 tells us that faith without good deeds is dead. Walking in the fruit of the Spirit automatically produces good deeds. We need to surrender to the Holy Spirit and stay connected to Him. Branches don't struggle to produce fruit; they struggle to stay connected to the tree. As long as we stay connected and abide in Him, we will produce fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is an attitude, not just an action. It feeds others and grows within us. When our character changes, those around us are nourished by the fruit in our lives.
The gifts of the Spirit are equally important. There are nine gifts and nine characteristics of the fruit. Walking in both allows us to stand firm in our situations. However, we must be careful not to quench or grieve the Holy Spirit. Quenching limits His power, and grieving ignores His presence. The gifts are for witnessing, and the fruit is for character. We need to be available to host the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to lead and guide us.
It's not about working on our character but communing with the Holy Spirit. He produces the fruit in us. We have a billion-dollar industry on self-help books, but all we need is to commune with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you." The Holy Spirit will produce love, peace, and joy in our lives as we abide in Him. It's a maturing process, and we need to grow in the Spirit.
In conclusion, we need to commune with the Holy Spirit daily. Talk to Him, ask for guidance, and let Him lead you. The fruit of the Spirit will be produced in your life, and others will be nourished by it. Let's pray and ask the Holy Spirit to invade our space, reveal truth, and take away our pain. Amen.
### Key Takeaways
1. Communing with the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is always with us, but we need to actively commune with Him daily. This relationship is essential for producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. When we focus on the Holy Spirit, He produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control within us. This communion transforms our character and compels us to do good works. [30:36]
2. Walking on Both Legs: To walk in the Spirit, we need to operate in both the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The gifts are for witnessing and the fruit is for character. When we walk on both legs, we stand firm in our situations and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. Quenching the Holy Spirit limits His power, and grieving the Holy Spirit ignores His presence. We must be mindful of these and strive to walk in both the gifts and the fruit. [23:22]
3. Surrender and Abide: Branches don't struggle to produce fruit; they struggle to stay connected to the tree. Similarly, we need to stay connected to the Holy Spirit and abide in Him. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit allows Him to produce fruit in our lives. It's not about working on our character but communing with the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Him, He produces love, peace, and joy in our lives. [34:45]
4. Fruit Feeds Others: The fruit of the Spirit is not just for us; it feeds those around us. When our character changes, the closest people around us get nourished by the fruit in our lives. The gifts of the Spirit transform people, but without the fruit, we are not walking in the fullness of what the Holy Spirit has for us. We need to ensure that we are producing fruit so that others can see the truth and be fed by it. [46:20]
5. Maturing in the Spirit: Growing in the Spirit is a maturing process. The fruit of the Spirit develops over time as we commune with the Holy Spirit. It's not something that can be received instantly; it requires continual growth and development. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, He matures us, and the fruit of the Spirit ripens in our lives. This maturity allows us to feed and seed others, spreading the love and truth of Jesus Christ. [51:08]
### YouTube Chapters
1. [0:00] - Welcome
2. [16:43] - Announcements: Blood Drive and Fourth Sunday
3. [19:27] - Introduction to the Holy Spirit
4. [21:00] - Story of the Lame Man at Bethsaida
5. [23:22] - Walking on Both Legs: Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit
6. [30:36] - Importance of Communing with the Holy Spirit
7. [34:45] - Surrender and Abide in the Holy Spirit
8. [46:20] - Fruit Feeds Others
9. [51:08] - Maturing in the Spirit
10. [56:33] - Final Prayer and Reflection
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. John 15:4 - "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me."
2. James 2:17 - "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
3. Galatians 5:16 - "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Jesus mean when He says, "Abide in me, and I in you" in John 15:4?
2. According to James 2:17, what is the relationship between faith and works?
3. In Galatians 5:16, what promise is given to those who walk in the Spirit?
4. What are the two "legs" that the pastor mentions we need to walk in the Spirit? ([23:22])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does abiding in Jesus relate to producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives? ([38:52])
2. Why is it important to have both the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our walk? ([23:22])
3. What does it mean to quench or grieve the Holy Spirit, and how can we avoid doing so? ([24:13])
4. How does the pastor describe the process of maturing in the Spirit? ([51:08])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily routine. How can you incorporate more intentional time to commune with the Holy Spirit? ([30:36])
2. Think of a recent situation where you tried to handle things in your own strength. How could you have relied more on the Holy Spirit in that moment? ([32:30])
3. Identify one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.) that you feel is lacking in your life. What specific steps can you take to cultivate this fruit through your relationship with the Holy Spirit? ([29:53])
4. The pastor mentioned that the fruit of the Spirit feeds others. Who in your life could benefit from the fruit you are producing, and how can you be more intentional in nourishing them? ([46:20])
5. How can you ensure that you are walking on both legs—operating in both the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit—in your daily life? ([23:22])
6. Reflect on a time when you may have quenched or grieved the Holy Spirit. What changes can you make to be more sensitive to His leading? ([24:13])
7. The pastor emphasized the importance of surrendering to the Holy Spirit. What is one area of your life where you need to surrender more fully to His guidance? ([33:35])
Devotional
Day 1: Communing with the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is always with us, but we need to actively commune with Him daily. This relationship is essential for producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. When we focus on the Holy Spirit, He produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control within us. This communion transforms our character and compels us to do good works. The struggle often lies in our attempts to do things in our own strength rather than relying on the Holy Spirit. By surrendering to Him and staying connected, we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, producing fruit that nourishes not only ourselves but also those around us. [30:36]
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Reflection: How can you intentionally set aside time each day to commune with the Holy Spirit and invite Him to produce His fruit in your life?
Day 2: Walking on Both Legs
To walk in the Spirit, we need to operate in both the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The gifts are for witnessing, and the fruit is for character. When we walk on both legs, we stand firm in our situations and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. Quenching the Holy Spirit limits His power, and grieving the Holy Spirit ignores His presence. We must be mindful of these and strive to walk in both the gifts and the fruit. This balance ensures that we are effective witnesses for Christ and that our character reflects His love and truth. [23:22]
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: Are you more focused on the gifts or the fruit of the Holy Spirit? How can you seek a balance between the two in your daily walk with Christ?
Day 3: Surrender and Abide
Branches don't struggle to produce fruit; they struggle to stay connected to the tree. Similarly, we need to stay connected to the Holy Spirit and abide in Him. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit allows Him to produce fruit in our lives. It's not about working on our character but communing with the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Him, He produces love, peace, and joy in our lives. This abiding relationship is the key to spiritual growth and maturity, enabling us to reflect Christ's character more fully. [34:45]
John 15:4-5 (ESV): "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Reflection: What does it mean for you to abide in Christ daily? What practical steps can you take to ensure you remain connected to Him?
Day 4: Fruit Feeds Others
The fruit of the Spirit is not just for us; it feeds those around us. When our character changes, the closest people around us get nourished by the fruit in our lives. The gifts of the Spirit transform people, but without the fruit, we are not walking in the fullness of what the Holy Spirit has for us. We need to ensure that we are producing fruit so that others can see the truth and be fed by it. This outward expression of the fruit of the Spirit is a powerful testimony to the transformative work of Christ in our lives. [46:20]
Matthew 7:16-17 (ESV): "You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit."
Reflection: How is the fruit of the Spirit in your life impacting those around you? Can you identify specific ways your character has nourished others recently?
Day 5: Maturing in the Spirit
Growing in the Spirit is a maturing process. The fruit of the Spirit develops over time as we commune with the Holy Spirit. It's not something that can be received instantly; it requires continual growth and development. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, He matures us, and the fruit of the Spirit ripens in our lives. This maturity allows us to feed and seed others, spreading the love and truth of Jesus Christ. The journey of spiritual growth is ongoing, and we must remain committed to it, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide and shape us. [51:08]
Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV): "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
Reflection: In what areas of your spiritual life do you need to mature? How can you actively seek the Holy Spirit's guidance to grow in these areas?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Today, this morning, I just kind of thought to myself, man, I'm just going to get rid of all the distractions of the world. I'm going to focus on God today. And some of you have walked in here and you're thinking about the things that you got to do this afternoon and tomorrow and everything else that's going to happen next week. And you just need to stop it and focus on Jesus for a moment. Because I believe the Holy Spirit is going to deliver a word in your heart today. If you want it, it's available. It's free. It's going to come right to you. So just receive that today. Open your heart. Open your heart up to what the Lord wants to say." [21:00]
2. "The Christian character will not be developed by you striving. It gets developed by you surrendering. So stop trying harder. Try differently. Do it different. Rely on the Holy Spirit. If you've never done that before, never even thought about that, begin. Press into who the Holy Spirit is in your life and let him reveal to you what it is he wants you to do. The character that he wants to grow from." [54:59]
3. "Branches don't struggle to produce fruit; they struggle to stay connected to the tree. Similarly, we need to stay connected to the Holy Spirit and abide in Him. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit allows Him to produce fruit in our lives. It's not about working on our character but communing with the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Him, He produces love, peace, and joy in our lives." [34:45]
4. "The fruit of the Spirit is not about making me better than you. That's not what it's for. The fruit of the Spirit is about making me better than me. Am I walking in kindness and love and joy in my life? It's an attitude. Does anybody here need an attitude adjustment from the Lord today? I'm going to pray for you because it's about our attitude and how we walk where the Holy Spirit can produce." [44:24]
5. "If you want to walk in the spirit, you have to be walking on both of your legs. And your legs represent something that you walk in the Holy Spirit of. Love starts to ripen in your life. God is going to give you opportunities where you're going to have to make a decision in that moment. Are you going to lean on the Holy Spirit for direction? Are you going to lean on him so he can lead you through the situation so you can actually grow from it?" [22:39]
### Quotes for Members
1. "If we're focused on the Holy Spirit. Now I was talking in the prayer room in to go and somebody said, well, yeah, but the Holy Spirit is with us and he is with us and whatever, but it tells us to commune with him. And so there's a purpose in talking and recognizing who he is in our life every single day, right? Because you grow a relationship with him and he starts to produce fruit in you. The fruit of all of these things. Amen. The fruit is produced when you are doing the will of God in the grace of Jesus through the communing with the Holy Spirit." [30:36]
2. "James 2:17 tells us, so you see, faith by itself isn't enough unless it produces good deeds. Faith and walking in the fruit of the Spirit. Faith and walking in the fruit of the Spirit automatically produces good deeds because we want to do the good things of Jesus with other people, amen? It's a desire, and it's a powerful thing. The problem and the struggle that we have with this is, is we don't surrender to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. We need to surrender, stay connected to the Holy Spirit, amen?" [33:35]
3. "The fruit feeds. The branches and the tree don't eat the fruit. The fruit is produced so others can feed off of it. When your character changes, when you get influenced by the Holy Spirit, the closest people around you get nourished because they're feeding off the fruit of what's happening in your life. Amen. The gifts are the gifts of the spirit of healing, the deliverance, wisdom, all those things transform people. But if you don't have the fruit operating in your life, you're going to be hopping just on one leg." [46:20]
4. "You are not called to work on your character. You guys are like, wait a minute. The Bible says you're called to work on your relationship with Him, and the Holy Spirit then in turn produces the character in you, amen, by way of communing with the Holy Spirit. Amen. You got to commune with the Holy Spirit. You got to talk to Him every day. He's got to be part of everything that you do every single day, and if that isn't happening in your life, it's okay. Just start to make steps in that direction, because when you commune with Him, He's going to produce the fruit." [36:02]
5. "The truth about growing in the spirit is it's a maturing process. You have to grow in the spirit. It's something that the Holy Spirit is going to do. You can't go to a conference and receive the gift of fruit of the Holy Spirit. You can't do that. I can't lay hands on you and say, receive the fruit of patience. I can lay hands on you and impart the gift of the Holy Spirit, but the fruit of the spirit only comes through the Holy Spirit and your relationship with him. And you have to grow in it. You have to walk it out. You have to let him do things in your life to produce this powerful fruit that you can live in and around." [51:08]
6. "The Holy Spirit provides these for you. You provide availability. Availability to be a host. That's all you provide. I am available, Holy Spirit. Lead me and guide me and teach me what you want me to know. Show me the gifts, reveal your fruit to me and I will walk it out of my life. You're just available to be a host. And so there's nine gifts and there's one fruit. Well, you can say, hey, PDT, you just said there was nine fruits. No. There's one fruit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit." [26:54]
7. "If you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. You will not do the things of the flesh. Lust is not a sexual thing. Lust is anything that you put above God. And if you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill them. How's that for hope? How's that for different today? And so the fruit is an attitude, not just an action. The fruit feeds and the fruit grows. Amen? And so receive that today. Spend some time with the Holy Spirit today." [58:19]
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?