Posts with the tag “holy-spirit”

Set a bucket under a downspout in a hard rain and it fills, then keeps filling, and water goes everywhere. Paul doesn't pray that you'd have enough hope to get by. He prays you'd overflow. An overflowing life carries more than it needs, and the extra gets on people.  Read More

Get let down enough times and you stop hoping out loud. It feels safer to expect nothing than to have your heart handed back to you again. But Paul says this hope will never leave you ashamed, because the proof of God's love was never a comfortable life. It's His Spirit already poured into your heart.  Read More

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” - Galatians 5:22-23In our new life in Christ, we are not just given a new status; we are given a new power source. When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts, He begins a transformative work that changes our very character. T...  Read More

“The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” – Romans 8:16-17 There is a deep desire inside every human heart to belong. We long to be known, accepted, and loved. The good news of the gospel is that when we place our faith i...  Read More

“In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.” – Ephesians 1:13-14 When you place your faith in Jesus, something powerful happens that you cannot see with your eyes but can exp...  Read More

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” – Matthew 5:44 We all have or know someone who makes life harder. Maybe it is someone who has talked behind your back, mistreated you, rejected you, or just keeps making the same choices that test your patience. When you think of them, the idea of love is not the first thing that comes to mind. And yet Jesus calls us to som...  Read More

"Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 When the Bible says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, it is not just a poetic phrase. It is a fact. If you have been saved, your body is now a dwelling place for God. That changes e...  Read More

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?” - 1 Corinthians 6:19 If you are truly saved, you need to know that your body isn’t just flesh and bones anymore. It is occupied by God Himself. That truth might sound unbelievable, but it is straight from Scripture. The Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, lives in you. You don’t have to go to ...  Read More

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God” - 1 Corinthians 6:19 If you have a physical body, then God has something to tell you. Scripture says your body is not just a shell or a vehicle to get through life. It’s a temple. That might be something you’ve heard before, but have you ever stopped to think about what that really means? In Exodus 2...  Read More

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ." - Luke 2:25-26   When the shepherds met Jesus, their lives were transformed, and they couldn't keep the news to ...  Read More

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” - Galatians 5:22-23    When I was a child, I found it odd that the Bible refers to the qualities produced by the Holy Spirit as “fruit.” But the choice of this metaphor makes perfect sense. Fruit has a unique way of revealing the truth about a tree, just as the fruit of the ...  Read More

“I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.” - Galatians 5:16   In Galatians chapter 5, Paul draws a sharp contrast between two kinds of lives—those driven by the works of the flesh and those characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. He’s not merely presenting two sets of behaviors, he’s describing two entirely different ways of living, each leadi...  Read More

“Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” - John 3:3   Do you realize that your salvation involves more than just a ticket to Heaven? Many of us grew up with the belief that once we invited Jesus into our hearts, our main reward was the promise of eternal life.  While that’s true, there’s so much more to it. In God’s view, eternal life sta...  Read More

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." – Galatians 5:22-23    The writer of Hebrews reminds us that our primary focus shouldn’t be on this temporary life but rather on the eternal home we have with God. This perspective helps us live purposefully, knowing that our mission on earth is to please and serve Him. Whil...  Read More

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:2    Change can be uncomfortable. We often prefer the familiar, clinging to our routines and traditions because they feel safe and predictable. But what happens when our desire for comfort starts to hinder...  Read More

"In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory." — Ephesians 1:13-14   Over the past couple of weeks, we have been looking at who we are in Christ. Paul’s words in Ephesians 1 ar...  Read More

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 Have you ever wondered why God calls the characteristics produced by the Holy Spirit “fruit”? It’s a bit puzzling, especially when we think of fruit in its literal sense. As a child, I used to find ...  Read More

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20 True salvation is a transformational journey that begins when we die to ourselves and surrender our lives to Christ. It happens when we repent, turning away from our sins and tur...  Read More

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’” – Matthew 7:21-23...  Read More

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 In the tapestry of life, each of us possesses a thread of power. It’s woven into our roles at work, in our homes, within our communities, and at school. It’s a force that can be used to shape the world aroun...  Read More

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2 If you’re reading this today while still wearing the filthy, sinful rags of this world, it’s possible that your life still mirrors the patterns of this world. But if you’ve exp...  Read More

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” As believers, we are called to recognize the profound truth declared in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – we have been bought with a price, and we belong to God. The...  Read More

Pride crowds out the very grace we need most. Surrender it, and make room for the Spirit to work.  Read More

Some mission fields are the ones we'd rather avoid. Who is your Samaria — the place God is sending you?  Read More

Witness begins right where you are. Discover your Jerusalem — the people God has placed closest to you.  Read More

The God of hope wants to fill you with joy and peace. Discover the power that overflows through His Spirit.  Read More

April 7, 2023“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24When you are adopted into God’s family, you gain access to the NATURE, SPIRIT, PRESENCE, and POWER of God. Yesterday, we looked at what it means to have the nature of God and how we can imitate the nature and features Jesus displayed during His time on earth. But it’s not just His nature that you c...  Read More

The Holy Spirit is a gift, not an afterthought. Discover how to honor rather than grieve the Spirit within you.  Read More

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Discover why following Jesus shapes even how we treat ourselves.  Read More

God's grip on you is stronger than your grip on Him. Discover the security that holds even when we stumble.  Read More

You were bought with a price — you're not your own. Discover what it means to live as God's dwelling place.  Read More

Salvation begins with a confession of heart and mouth. Discover the simple, life-changing declaration that Jesus is Lord.  Read More

Better to be lowly with the humble than proud with the mighty. Discover how pride quietly resists the Spirit's work.  Read More