Abide - Pt 1: Introduction
This week Pastor Jake starts a series on living in the presence and power of The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can seem like an intimidating part of our Christian walk. While the idea of a Holy Spirit is easy to shy away from, due to fear or lack of understanding, we can miss out on the depth of relationship that God has for us when we practice daily, intentional intimacy with the Helper He sent for us.
Abide - Pt 2: The Holy Spirit is a Connector
Without connection, being a part of a family is just a title. The Holy Spirit is the connector that gives us identity, affirmation, and peace in God’s family. Surrendering to His power can seem scary, but He allows us to be a part of an adventure that is greater than we can imagine, and the assurance that we are safe in His hands.
Abide - Pt 3: The Holy Spirit is a Helper
Learning to abide in Jesus requires help, and lots of it. That’s why Jesus promised to send us a Helper – his Holy Spirit. In today’s message, we reflect on two key ways the Holy Spirit help us, with power to change and grow, and power to make an impact in the lives around us.
Abide - Pt 4: The Holy Spirit is a Comforter
Life sometimes become heavy and discouraging, and on our own, we can become cynical and forget the joy that comes from salvation, but the Holy Spirit is our comforter. He refreshes and restores us like water; he brings joy and celebration like wine, but we have to be wiling and open to accept His comfort, and let go of the chains that we sometimes hold as treasures.
Abide - Pt 5: The Holy Spirit is a TEACHER
God has prepared wonderful things for those who love him, and our teacher, the Holy Spirit loves to reveals them to us. However, our reliance on the wisdom of men, and our own pride and arrogance, often keep us from being humble enough to learn from him. The Holy Spirit longs to teach us all that we need, if only we will move from immaturity and pride, toward maturity and humility so we can position ourselves as learners.
Abide - Pt 6: Hearing the Holy Spirit
In week 6 of Abide, we begin discussing how to cultivate a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Learning to hear his voice in our life is vital to knowing him and walking with him daily. Thankfully, we have several ways to grow acquainted with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let’s purpose to live with the expectation that God wants to speak with us, by positioning ourselves to listen and respond to him daily.
Abide - Pt 7: Growing in the Holy SPirit
Like a farmer, the Holy Spirit wants to cultivate a relationship with us, but in order for things to grow, the conditions must be right. To be the good soil that He calls us to be, we must be willing to slow down, seek relationship, let go of control and desires, and earnestly strive for relationship with Him. Are you willing to listen to what He is saying to you and let go of the control that you hold onto so tightly?
Abide - Pt 8: CO-Operating with the Holy Spirit
The Spirit wants to cultivate a relationship with us, but to grow that relationship with Him, we must be listening to His voice and willing to follow where He leads. There are many times when we are distracted by the normal day to day hustle, or fear, but He has an adventure He wants to take us on right where we are, but are we willing to listen and follow where He leads?
Abide - Pt 9: New Eyes, New Heart
At the fall of mankind, our eyes were opened to our nakedness and inadequacies apart from God, but they were also shut to fully behold his incredible glory and goodness. However, like the blind man in John 9, Jesus wants to open our eyes and heal the blindness of our hearts through salvation and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Hosea 6:6 tells us that the Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice, devotion to God rather than burnt offerings
Abide - Pt 10: Abiding Fruit
The abiding fruit that Paul describes in Galatians 5 is a beautiful picture of what life in the spirit produces. The fruit of the Spirit offers fulfillment for the deepest longings of the human heart, yet is so often missed by many of us. If we can have ears to hear it, Paul outlines the two basic approaches to life that can so often derail our ability to experience the life and freedom that Jesus intends for us to find in Him.
Abide - Pt 11: Abundant Fruit
This week as we explore the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23, we see that God desires for us to experience His love in great abundance. The fruit of the Spirit is a description of who God is, a list of benefits he invites me to enjoy, and growth in virtues he wants me to share with others. The purpose of the fruit is to taste God’s goodness, to satisfy our hungry hearts, and to spread the gospel of Jesus to a world in need.
Abide - Pt 13: Gifts for one and all
The Holy Spirit desires to give us gifts for the purpose of touching lives around us with His love. In Romans chapter 12 we see the way God is calling us to use the gifts He gives. He invites us to walk in humility, step up and take responsibility, and choose to be a part of a community that honors diversity while living in unity.
Abide - Pt 14: Spiritual Gifts
The Holy Spirit has valuable gifts that He wants to give us, but fear or ignorance can hold us back from receiving them. As Christ followers, we have a responsibility to be open and earnestly seeking each of the gifts of the Spirit to follow His path for our lives and to minister to the rest of the body.
Abide - Pt 15: Spiritual Gifts
The Holy Spirit’s gifts are diverse and exciting. He wants to equip us for our daily interactions and circumstances, but it is important to understand what the gifts are, how we can pray for them, and what they look like in our lives, so that we can recognize His hand at work in us. This week, we continue our discussion of the spiritual gifts with giving, leadership, administration, mercy, faith, and healing.
Abide - Pt 16: Roles in the Church
The Holy Spirit’s gifts are diverse and exciting. He wants to equip us for our daily interactions and circumstances, but it is important to understand what the gifts are, how we can pray for them, and what they look like in our lives, so that we can recognize His hand at work in us. This week, we continue our discussion of the spiritual gifts with giving, leadership, administration, mercy, faith, and healing.
Abide - Pt 17: Operating in Love
Some of the Spiritual gifts are more comfortable than others to discuss and utilize, but God has things for us that are beyond what we can even comprehend. This week, we discuss speaking in tongues and prophesy, why they are important to the body, and how we can dive deeper in our walk with the Holy Spirit by praying to receive them.
Abide - Pt 18: One Necessary Thing
The Holy Spirit wants to be an active and integral part of our day to day lives. However, we have a tendency to minimize Him to a doctrine instead of a person. If we are willing to embrace a relationship with Him, He wants to enhance and enrich our spiritual lives through His gifts, fruits, and an active relationship with God through Him, but we must be willing to be vulnerable and give ourselves over to His control.
