Winning Spiritual Records: Thriving in Faith Together

Devotional

Day 1: Living a Victorious Life in Christ

God desires for us to have a winning spiritual record, filled with hope, freedom, and purpose. This doesn't mean a life free from challenges but a life anchored in Christ's victory. A victorious life in Christ is not measured by the absence of trials but by the presence of hope and purpose that transcends circumstances. It is about embracing the freedom and healing that Jesus offers, allowing His victory to shape our daily walk. In this journey, we are reminded that Jesus did not sacrifice Himself for us to live average lives; He wants us to thrive spiritually, living with a sense of purpose and joy that reflects His love and power. [36:37]

"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." (1 John 5:4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to embrace Christ's victory more fully? How can you begin to live with more hope and purpose in that area today?

Day 2: Building a Strong Spiritual Offense

A strong spiritual offense involves gathering together in community, sharing our faith, and prioritizing spiritual growth. Hebrews 10:25 emphasizes the importance of meeting together to encourage one another. In a world that often pulls us in different directions, prioritizing spiritual growth through community and shared faith is essential. Gathering with others strengthens our faith and provides the support needed to navigate life's challenges. By sharing our faith and engaging in spiritual practices, we build a robust offense that helps us stay focused on our spiritual journey and encourages others to do the same. [42:11]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively participate in your spiritual community this week to encourage and be encouraged in your faith journey?

Day 3: Cultivating a Strong Spiritual Defense

A strong spiritual defense requires having the right friends and a consistent prayer life. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 highlights the value of supportive relationships, while 1 Thessalonians 5:17 encourages constant communication with God. Building a spiritual defense means surrounding ourselves with friends who uplift and challenge us in our faith. It also involves maintaining a prayer life that keeps us connected to God, allowing His strength to guard our hearts and minds. By investing in these relationships and practices, we create a defense that helps us withstand the enemy's attacks and remain steadfast in our faith. [49:01]

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: Who are the friends in your life that support your spiritual growth? How can you deepen these relationships and your prayer life this week?

Day 4: Using God's Word as a Weapon

God's Word is our ultimate weapon against the enemy's attacks. By hiding His Word in our hearts, we can intercept the enemy's darts and turn them into victories, as described in Ephesians 6:16. The Bible provides guidance, strength, and wisdom to navigate life's challenges and resist the enemy's schemes. By immersing ourselves in Scripture, we equip ourselves with the truth that empowers us to stand firm in our faith. God's Word is not just a defensive tool but an offensive weapon that enables us to claim victory in every area of our lives. [54:28]

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16, ESV)

Reflection: What specific Scripture can you memorize this week to help you combat a current challenge or temptation in your life?

Day 5: Experiencing Transformation Through Community and Prayer

Tyler Lemke's story illustrates the transformative power of a strong spiritual offense and defense. Through community, prayer, and God's Word, he experienced radical change, showing that we can all achieve a winning spiritual record. Transformation occurs when we surrender to Jesus and commit to spiritual growth. By engaging in community, prayer, and Scripture, we open ourselves to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. Tyler's story is a testament to the power of these practices, reminding us that change is possible when we align our lives with God's purposes and seek His guidance daily. [56:00]

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you commit to deeper spiritual growth this week, and how can you invite others to join you on this journey?

Sermon Summary

Welcome to Jersey Sunday! Today, we celebrate the joy and community that God brings into our lives, reminding us that faith can be fun and engaging. As we gather in our jerseys, we reflect on the concept of winning records, not just in sports but in our spiritual lives. Just as we desire our favorite teams to have a successful season, we should also strive for a winning record in our walk with Christ. God created us to live victorious lives, filled with hope, freedom, and purpose. Jesus didn't sacrifice Himself for us to live average lives; He wants us to thrive spiritually.

A winning spiritual record doesn't mean a life free from challenges or material success. Instead, it means being filled with hope, even in adversity, and finding freedom and healing through Christ. However, we face an enemy who seeks to derail us. To combat this, we need a strong spiritual offense and defense. A robust offense involves gathering together in community, sharing our faith, and prioritizing our spiritual growth. Hebrews 10:25 encourages us not to neglect meeting together, as it strengthens our faith and encourages one another.

On the defensive side, having the right friends and a strong prayer life are crucial. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us of the importance of supportive relationships, while 1 Thessalonians 5:17 calls us to never stop praying. God's Word is our ultimate weapon, providing guidance and strength to resist the enemy's attacks. By hiding His Word in our hearts, we can intercept the enemy's darts and turn them into victories.

Tyler Lemke's story is a testament to the transformative power of a strong spiritual offense and defense. Through community, prayer, and God's Word, he experienced radical change in his life. Like Tyler, we can all achieve a winning spiritual record by surrendering to Jesus and committing to spiritual growth.

Key Takeaways

1. God desires for us to have a winning spiritual record, filled with hope, freedom, and purpose. This doesn't mean a life free from challenges but a life anchored in Christ's victory. [36:37]
2. A strong spiritual offense involves gathering together in community, sharing our faith, and prioritizing spiritual growth. Hebrews 10:25 emphasizes the importance of meeting together to encourage one another. [42:11]
3. A strong spiritual defense requires having the right friends and a consistent prayer life. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 highlights the value of supportive relationships, while 1 Thessalonians 5:17 encourages constant communication with God. [49:01]
4. God's Word is our ultimate weapon against the enemy's attacks. By hiding His Word in our hearts, we can intercept the enemy's darts and turn them into victories, as described in Ephesians 6:16. [54:28]
5. Tyler Lemke's story illustrates the transformative power of a strong spiritual offense and defense. Through community, prayer, and God's Word, he experienced radical change, showing that we can all achieve a winning spiritual record. [56:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Introduction to Jersey Sunday
[02:30] - Sports Records and Life Records
[05:00] - God's Desire for Our Winning Season
[08:00] - Spiritual Winning Record
[10:30] - Strong Spiritual Offense
[13:00] - Importance of Gathering Together
[16:00] - Sharing Your Faith
[19:00] - Strong Spiritual Defense
[22:00] - Value of Right Friends
[25:00] - Power of Prayer
[28:00] - God's Word as a Weapon
[31:00] - Tyler Lemke's Transformation
[34:00] - Invitation to Surrender to Jesus
[37:00] - Closing Prayer

Sermon Clips

I feel like in a way we kind of go through life just going, well, whatever comes, comes. And I'm here to tell you today, that's not the way life has to be. It doesn't have to be a mystery for you, whether it's going to be a winning season or a losing season. Like you need to know something today that God created you to be in a winning season. [00:37:03] (21 seconds)

Jesus didn't die on the cross for you so that you can have an average season or an average life that you can just have five wins and five losses. No, that's not what happened. Jesus created you and he died for you and he wants you to be filled with his Holy Spirit so that you can have an amazing season. [00:37:27] (18 seconds)

That's good news, everybody. Right? That's why. That's what spiritual freedom looks like. That's what a winning spiritual life looks like. That the brokenness inside of you would be healed. That you would find purpose that you're looking for. And that your sins can be forgiven. [00:39:24] (17 seconds)

It's one of the reasons, it's the primary reason, we can be our own worst enemy, but we do have an enemy who doesn't want to see you win. And he's trying in every type of scheme, every type of situation, he's trying to cause you to lose. He's trying to cause you to fall flat on your face. He's trying to cause you to see the worst of your life instead of the best of your life. [00:39:56] (22 seconds)

And you got to have both. It can't be just one or the other. Because if you just have one, you're going to lose. Like, look, you look at any sports league, you look at any sports league that you like, and if a team has got a really strong offense, meaning they can just march the ball down the field and score whenever they want. [00:40:37] (18 seconds)

That's why we do life groups here at New Life. You want to find more information about our life groups? Go to mynewlifechurch .com, and you can get all the information about all the groups, men's groups, women's groups, married groups, young adult groups, college groups, groups for teenagers, groups for senior adults. Like, we've got groups all over the place at all of our campuses. [00:45:38] (20 seconds)

You got to have the right people around you that are encouraging you to live the life that you actually want to live. Ecclesiastes 4, 9 and 10 says it this way. Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But if someone, but someone who falls alone is in what? Real trouble. [00:47:51] (21 seconds)

When you have somebody you can be real with and they're going to love you in spite of what you're getting ready to tell them and they're going to walk with you, it's one of the most freeing things you're ever going to discover in your life and it creates an incredible spiritual defense for you. I was thinking about this in the sense of like you wouldn't think at all about getting out on the football field and trying to win the game by yourself. [00:49:19] (25 seconds)

What Paul's talking about is this, like be in constant communication with the Lord. The more you're in constant communication with the Lord, the more you're getting to know his heart. The more you're getting to know his heart, the more you're going to win. [00:51:30] (10 seconds)

So God's word then becomes what? Becomes a window, a window into who God is. That the more you know God, the more you know God's word, then the more you know God. And here's what happens. Then God's word becomes a weapon for you to fight back and to push back on what the enemy's trying to do. Ephesians chapter six, verse 16 says it this way. [00:53:21] (21 seconds)

When you have God's word in your heart, it becomes literally, literally like a spiritual interception or a pick six for football fans. Meaning you catch it and you turn it around and you use it for a victory. The only way that can happen is if you get God's word in your heart. So God's word now becomes this double -edged sword where it becomes a very strong defense, okay? [00:54:28] (27 seconds)

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