Podcasts about spirit himself

Summary In this message from Romans 8, Dr. Michael Easley walks through Paul's rich transition from talking about “putting to death the deeds of the flesh” to embracing our identity as sons and daughters of God. Building on the assurance that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ, Dr. Easley emphasizes that the Christian life is not self-powered moral improvement—it is life led, empowered, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. When we place our faith in Christ, the Spirit becomes our permanent resident, the One who enables us to resist sin and live in cooperation with God's will. Paul's shift to familial language—sons, daughters, children, heirs—reveals that believers are not merely forgiven; we are adopted. Dr. Easley unpacks Paul's contrast between the “spirit of slavery” and the “spirit of adoption,” reminding us that adoption is rooted in God's kindness, redemption through Christ's blood, and His intentional choice of us. This adoption enables us to cry out, with profound emotion, “Abba, Father,” just as Christ did. Finally, Dr. Easley highlights the Spirit's testimony within us: He confirms we are God's children, assures us of our inheritance, strengthens us in present suffering, and anchors us in the future glory that outweighs every earthly hardship. Takeaways The Christian life is not powered by our will but by the indwelling Holy Spirit who leads and enables us. Believers are adopted into God's family, moving from slavery and fear to sonship and intimacy. The Spirit Himself testifies within us that we are God's beloved children. Adoption is rooted in God's sovereign kindness and Christ's redemptive work—not our merit. Our ability to call God Father reflects the deep emotional reality of belonging fully to God. As children and heirs, we share both in Christ's sufferings now and His glory to come. To read the book of Romans, click here. Click here for other Michael Easley Sermons.

Introduction: Humble Yourself: 4 Truths to Help You (1 Corinthians 4:1–13) Only GOD'S OPINION of me matters. (1 Cor 4:3–5) I've RECEIVED all that I HAVE. (1 Cor 4:6–8) God wants to SHOW everyone how I SUFFER. (1 Cor 4:9–13a) John 15:20 – Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you... 1 Peter 2:21–23 – For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. The WORLD thinks I'm SCUM. (1 Cor 4:13b) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 4:1-13What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Paul is once again admonishing them on their divisiveness over “who is the best minister”. Why do you think there is so much content on this subject in 1 Corinthians?How would you define humility? Why does the Bible say that you must “humble yourself”, i.e., that job is on you to do?In 1 Cor 4:6, Paul tells them not to “go beyond what is written”? What specifically does he mean by that? How does this principle apply to Bible study in general?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Good morning. My name is Jeff and let me tell you a little bit about myself.That's such an interesting thing, isn't it? Like, let me tell you a little bit about myself.Or when you ask somebody, "Hey, hey, tell me about yourself." It's an interesting thingbecause the first thing that comes out of their mouths is the thing that they want to be knownas, right? Or known for. Let me tell you a little bit about myself. Do you know where you see this a lot?Game shows, right? Let me tell you a little bit about myself. Or if you've ever watched Jeopardy,it's such a cringy moment. You know, they come back from commercial break and some of us remember AlexTrebek, who's the guy now? Ken Jennings, okay? Like, "All right, we're going to meet our contestantsand tell me a little bit about yourself." I'm always so fascinated with the way they identifythemselves, right? It's so fascinating because some are cool, but some are just really, reallyweird. And I'm like, "You're on TV and this is going to go to syndication and this is going to beseen by millions and this is what you came up with." You know what I'm talking about? Like, youknow, this is our challenger Bill. Tell us about yourself. And Bill's like, "Yeah, one time I showedup to work and I had my pants on backwards." "Oh, what'd you do?" "Well, I just kind of stepped intothe bathroom and turned him around." I was like, "Okay. All right, let's meet Glenda." And I'm like,"What was that? Let me tell you a little bit about myself. How do you want to be known?"Well, I was thinking about that a lot this past week as we get to 1 Corinthians chapter 4,because if the Apostle Paul was on Jeopardy and the host says, "All right, well, tell us a littlebit about yourself, Paul." I think we know exactly what he'd say, because it's here in 1 Corinthianschapter 4. Look at the first couple of verses. He says, "This is how one should regard usas servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is requiredof stewards that they be found trustworthy." Tell us a little bit about yourself, Paul. He goes,"Okay, I'm a slave of Jesus Christ." Actually, this word for servant in the Greek is "the lowest slave,"like bottom rank slave. And then he says, "Stewards, what's a steward?" Well, in those days,wealthy people would have someone who was like their house manager. They were in charge ofdistribution and spending and inventory. And you know who got that job? It was one of the slaves,still a slave. Why is he saying this? Well, we've seen throughout 1 Corinthians, the issue wasall of this exalting leaders, putting Paul and Apollo, Sisyphus up on pedestals and all thesefactions. And Paul here in 1 Corinthians is saying, "Look, look, look, you're regarding us as worldchangers. You're regarding us as these elite Christians. You're regarding us as celebritychurch planners." And Paul here is like, "Ah, here is how you should regard us."I'm a slave. That's it. I'm a slave.They had this terrible problem exalting the ministers, and it resulted in them exaltingthemselves. We've seen that. The pride with their alignment, like, "Yeah, I'm one of Paul's guys."Oh, yeah, that's nothing. I'm one of Apollo's guys. And they were proud of their alignment,and they had disdain towards others. Like, "Oh, you must be one of those Paul people."Paul here is saying, "Why are you making so much of us? We're just slaves. All we're trying to dois be trustworthy." That's it. We saw back in chapter, I'm sorry, verse 18, rather, in chapter 3,look back there. Paul says, "Let no one deceive himself."We are so self-deceived. And Paul's like, "Oh, Corinthians, you think you're so wise. You thinkyou have it all figured out. You think you're on the right team. You're so full of pride."Again, that's the issue. You looked down to verse 21 in chapter 3. Pastor Taylor covered this lastweek. He says, "So let no one boast in men." That shouldn't be happening. Not Paul, not Apollo's,not Jeff, not Taylor, not your favorite podcast or YouTube's preacher. We shouldn't be exalting anyone.And when we get to this section here in chapter 4, here's what we're going to see. Paul is giving atrue biblical assessment of himself. And he tells the Corinthians, "Look, you have to takean honest assessment of who we are, and, Corinthians, you have to take an honest assessment of yourselves."So here in this passage, Paul's going to be serving up some humble pie. All right? So,strap on your helmet. This isn't going to be a very comfortable message, because Paul's like, "Hey,stop with the pride. Stop exalting people. Stop exalting yourselves. Here's a reality check. Andharvest, we need a reality check." Because it's real easy for us to point to the Corinthians and belike, "Wow, look at all the pride they have. Look at all the problems they have." That's...Pride is in every one of us problem. You realize that. Every single human has a problem with pride,has a problem with self-exaltation. And it's real easy to do that in a church identity. It was forthe Corinthians, and it's easy for a harvest Bible chapel to begin to exalt ourselves.We can look at some of the nonsense that's happening around us in other churches ororganizations that call themselves churches. And it'd be real easy for us to say, "Well,we're the only ones that are faithful. We are more mature than the other Christians.I don't know what their problem is, but I follow this guy or I listen to this guy.That means I'm one of the smart ones. I'm one of the enlightened ones." Andit's real easy to get on the path of pride.That's what we're going to see in this passage of Bible telling us to humble ourselves.Like, "Hey, hey, knock it off. Stop thinking so much of yourself.You've got to humble yourself." You know, so much in God's Word, we see things that the Holy Spiritdoes in us and through us. Yes, but from what I've studied in God's Word, the command to humbleyourself, that's on you. And that'd be a whole other sermon series, but you and I are commanded.We are commanded to humble ourselves so we don't get carried away in our pride.Because humility is the number one characteristic that God's looking for in people. You're not goingto come to Jesus unless you're humble. You're not going to live a victorious Christian lifeunless you're humble. You're not going to have a fruitful ministry unless you're humble. If you'regoing to be humble, it's on you. So on your outline, I want you to jot some things down.Humble yourself. You're like, "Well, how do I do that?" Paul's like, "Well,here's four things that will help you do that." All right. So I hope you had a good Thanksgivingand I hope you're not too full because you're about to have four slices of humble pie.And I don't feel bad at all because I've had to eat this all week. All right.So pray for me and I'll pray for you. All right. Just pause for a second. Please pray for meas I pray for you. Father in heaven, as we come to your Word, let us not be deceiving ourselves.Every single one of us have this drive to put the spotlight on us, to make much of us,to think too much of ourselves. And Father, this passageis certainly going to give us the attitude that you've called us to have.Father, I pray through the wisdom of your Word, by the power of your Holy Spirit,that you would give us the faith to make the choices that we need to make, to humble ourselvesso we can see the greatness of Jesus Christ manifest in our lives.We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Humble yourself. Here's four truths that will help you.These are four statements that Paul made about himself and that we would commend to you tomake about yourself. Number one, only God's opinion of me matters. Only God's opinion of me matters.Look at verse 3. Paul says, "But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by youor by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself." Now, quick review when we talk aboutjudge, that's like everybody's favorite verse in the Bible. "Don't judge, don't judge." It'severybody's favorite because they don't understand it. Judging does not mean like, "Hey, don't callme out on sin or you're judging me." That's not what that means. Judging doesn't mean that like,"I can be a jerk and I can't care what other people think of me because of my jerking. Just don't callme out." That's not what judging means at all. Actually, this word for judge in the Greek couldbe translated cross-examined. He's talking about people, listen, he's talking about people judgingyour walk with Christ. That's what he's talking about. Judging your, as he mentioned in verse 2,judging your trustworthiness. Some Bibles say faithful or faithfulness. That's what he's talkingabout. People judging your faithfulness, your trustworthiness. And well, what does that mean toyou, Paul? He says, "Well, that's a very small thing." And in the Greek, do you know what thatmeans? That means the smallest. Your opinion of my spiritual walk does not matter for bad or for good.It doesn't. Here's what I mean. After service, if I was a guest receptionand you walk by and you're like, "Jeff, I think you're a bad pastor."Like, well, sorry, I feel that way, but your opinion doesn't matter. And right now, there's some ofyou that are like, "Yes, I can get on board with that." Your opinion doesn't matter.That's not really my main concern, though. You know what the bigger danger is?It's the guy that walks your guest reception and says, "Jeff, I think you're a great pastor."That's the bigger danger, because then that stuff can start going to your head.Right? You can start to think, "You know what? Yeah, they're right. I am pretty awesome.They nailed it. Come back. Tell me more."But the reality is for bad or for good, the opinion doesn't matter.And that's where there's a danger. I've been talking about this with our ministry team andour conference speakers of these conferences coming up.Yeah, people's opinion of your trustworthiness, your faithfulness, doesn't matter good or bad.But watch out for the compliments, because they're much harder to dismiss becausethey're much easier to go to my head. Look at verse 4. Paul says, "For I'm not aware of anythingagainst myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me."See, Paul says, "What other people think of me doesn't really matter.Neither does what I even think of myself." It doesn't matter either.Right? You need to have the funeral.I realize I'm probably not as great as my grandma thinks I am.And I'm probably not as horrible as my critics think I am.Either way, it doesn't matter. Because a slave only cares about one thing.That's pleasing his master. Look at verse 5. He goes on,"For therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comeswho will bring delight to things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of theheart, then each one will receive his commendation from God." Okay, here's what he's driving at.At the end of the day, there's only one opinion that matters. Who's is it?God's, right? That's it. All that matters is what God thinks of me. He's going to make the final judgments.On your heart. Listen, this verse should knock every single one of us down a peg.Because you see what God's word is telling us? God sees what you do. Yes, yes, he does. Butmuch deeper than that. God sees why you do what you do. Your motives, your thoughts, what no oneelse knows, everything that you do in the dark, God is going to drag it to the light. Understandit with God. There are no secrets. You might have secrets from your family, you might have secretsfrom your spouse, you might have secrets from your boss, you might have secrets from your parents,but you do not have any secrets from God. So are you pretending? Are you pretending in yourwalk with Christ? Well, you might fool me, but it doesn't matter. You're an open book to God,and he's going to judge. Are you sincere? Like, look, I'm not perfect, but I'm sincere. I amsincerely seeking to know and honor the Lord. Jeff, I really am seeking to know the Lord.That's great because the Bible says someday you're going to receive your commendation.As far as humbling yourself, my friends, you will never humble yourself until you get to the placewhere only God's opinion of you matters. You've got to get there.Number two, not only do I need to reckon with only God's opinion of me matters. Number two,write this one down. I've received all that I have. I've received all that I have.Verse six, he says, "I have applied all these things to myself and apollos for your benefit,brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written,that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another." There is a lot going on inthat verse. All right, let's break it down here because this is so crucial in so many ways. Firstof all, he says, "I've applied all these things to me and apollos for your benefit." You're like,"I've applied what things?" Everything so far that he's been saying about pride and humility,all of this stuff. He goes, "I'm applying all of this to apollos and I for you." In other words,look, all this stuff that he's talking about, this isn't just a preacher thing and it's not just achurch member thing. This stuff about pride and humility, this is an all of us thing.You get that? He says, "Excuse me, we all need to learn not to go beyond what is written."Like, what does that mean? Listen, this is a principle that carries over in everything.You need to learn that you must not, excuse me, you must not go beyond what the Bible says.You must not go beyond what the Bible says.Like, well, what's he talking about? Here's his point. He's telling the Corinthians and he's tellingus harvests because they were exalting others and they had disdain for others and Paul's like,"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You need to view people only the way the Bible describes people."That's what he's saying. You need to view people only as the Bible describes. That's it.How does the Bible describe people? Every single one of us were born with a sin nature. We inheritedthat from Adam. The Bible says Adam brought sin into the world and he passed it on to his kids,he passed it on to his kids and he passed it on to us. We were born with a sin nature. We arerebellious against God by birth and by choice and we deserve hell. That's what the Bible says aboutpeople. But Jesus came, God in the flesh came, he died on the cross to take away our sins. Herose from the dead to give us the promise of eternal life and he has commanded us to turn from our sinand to believe in him. And when we do, the Bible says that you are born again. When you do the HolySpirit, God's Spirit Himself comes and empowers you to be who God called you to be. And every singleperson who is saved is saved that way. Spoiler alert. If you're going to heaven, you're going to hearthe same testimony a lot. Like, how'd you get here? Jesus! Look, how'd you get here? Jesus! I'mgoing to go ask this lady, how'd you get here? Jesus, you're going to hear that not a lot. You'regoing to hear that exclusively. Paul's point here is, look, you guys are all messed up aboutexalting people. Look, you need to have a biblical perspective of who we are. Don't go beyond that.Or, did you see that at the end of the verse? If you do, you will start exalting yourself, right?He says, you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. Go beyond what the Bible says,you're going to start having pride. You're going to start to think that you're better than others.And then Paul gives them the Dutch uncle. Look at verse 7.He says, he has three questions. Paul says, "For who sees anything different in you?"Like, we're all the same. The Bible describes this is who man is. And he goes,"Who sees anything different in you?" Like, what, you're something different?You're something special? You're a little snowflake?Like, all you're like, "I know what the Bible says, but I'm different. I'm special. Grandmathinks I'm special." He says, "Who sees anything different in you?" Like, what makes you thinkyou're so special? Right? Next question. What do you have that you do not receive?Get back to that in a second. What's that question, Marinette?What is it that you're in possession of that wasn't given to you?All right? Then he drives it home with this third question. He goes, "If then you received it,why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"Paul's like, "Why are you so fully yourselves? Anything and everything about you,you received that." I mean, think about that. Just think about that for a minute.That's true physically, right? Everything about you physically, you received thatgenetically from your parents.You know, occasionally, I'll meet somebody or whatever, and they're like, "How old are you?"I'm like, "Well, I'm 50." And people say, "Well, you look young for your age."And I say, "Have you been to the eye doctor lately?" No, I don't say that. I don't say that.I just smile and say thank you, or like, you know, I got good genes from my mom. But you know what I'mthinking when people say that? Like, that's very nice of you to say, but I contributed nothing to that.Like, this is what I got. That's just what I got. I received this. You're like, "I'm sorry." Well,I received this. This is what I got. This is what was given to me.You're like, "Well, doesn't that upset you?" It doesn't matter how I feel about it. This is what I got.This is the shade of my skin. This is as tall as I'm going to get. But that's true for you.Everything you have was given to you. But I don't really think that's Paul's mainpoint here. I think mainly he was talking spiritually, right? Everything that I havespiritually has been given to me. Salvation? How is a gift from God? God gave me that.What about spiritual giftedness? Where did I get that?The Holy Spirit. God gave me a spiritual gift. He gave you a spiritual gift that was given. That'swhy it's called a spiritual gift. He gave it to you, right? Oh, by the way, your talentsare given to you by God. You know, the Bible says those are given to you by God.You're natural, what we call natural talents. The Bible says those were given to you by God.Look that up. It's in Exodus.Everything about you has been given to you from God directly or from God through your parents.And you're like, not me. I work hard.Who gave you the ability to work hard?You see, why are you acting like you earned anything?And then Paul gets sarcastic with them. Look at verse 8.Obviously, dripping with sarcasm here, he goes, "Already, you have all you want.Already, you become rich. Without us, you would have become kings."That you did reign so that we might share the rule with you.You see the sarcasm? He's condemning their pride. He's like, "Oh, oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realizethat you were these spiritually elite and wise people. I didn't realize that youattained a level of spirituality all by yourselves. You didn't need us, Madam President.Oh, I beg your pardon for thinking different."What Paul's doing here is he's pulling them back down to earth. He's like, "You guys think you're sosuperior with your pride. Knock it off. Get off of your high horse. Stop it."Because everything you have has been given to you. How in the world can you boast about that?You know, just imagine this scenario. Imagine that five of our kids from Harvest Academy,imagine I gave them each a quarter. Like, "No, don't spend it all in one place."But I gave five kids a quarter. And as you're walking out church, you see the five of those kids.Those five kids are sitting at a table up here by Harvest Academy. And you stop and listen for asecond and they're all bragging. And one kid's like, "I got a quarter. I got a quarter. Lookhow awesome I am. I have a quarter." And then the little girl beside him is like, "I got a quarter.You think you're great. I got a quarter. I'm awesome. I got a quarter." And then the next kid's like,"I got a quarter." And like, wouldn't you be like, "What are you guys bragging about? Like, Jeff justgave you all a quarter. Like, how does that... Why are you so boastful?" And that's what Paul's sayinghere to the Corinthians. You're like a bunch of kids bragging because somebody gave each a quarter.Knock it off. We're all equal in God's eyes. And equal does not mean the same, but equal does meanequal. You're never going to humble yourself until you get to the place where you recognizeevery single thing that you have was given to you. All right? Humble yourself and here'sfour truths that will help you. Number three, this is a hard truth. All right?Number three is God wants to show everyone how I suffer.God wants to show everyone how I suffer. Pick up in verse 9. Paul says, "For I thinkthat God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death,because we have become a spectacle to the world to angels and to men." Paul says,"God put us on display." He says, "We're like the lowest people on the earth." You see the picturethere? Paul says, "You know what we're like? We're like men on death row being escorted to the electricchair while TV cameras all around recording us for the entire world to turn on the TV and watch us."Like, hey, look, there they go. Off to be killed. Look at them. Everybody watch.He says, "That's how God put us on display."And you see in verse 10, Paul gets back into some more sarcasm.He says, "We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong.You are held in honor, but we in disrepute."What's he talking about here? It's more sarcasm.See what Paul's saying? Paul's like, "We're out here suffering serving the Lord. We're out hereactually suffering and you're sitting in your little pews patting yourselves on the back."Like, what's going on? Like, well, suffering how? How are you suffering, Paul? Well, he tells usto the present hour, we hunger and thirst. We are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless.And we labor working with our own hands.What is there to brag about again?Paul's reminding them the following Christ means suffering.I don't really care what the health and wealth church down in the street says about that.And I don't really care what the prosperity preacher on TV says about that.All I care is what the Bible says about that. And do you know what the Bible says?The Bible says if you follow Christ, you are going to suffer.Jesus himself said this, John 15.20. Jesus said, "Remember the word that I said to you,a servant is not greater than his master." Jesus said that a bunch.A servant is not greater than his master. What are you saying, Lord? If they persecuted me,they will also persecute you. See what Jesus is saying?God allowed his only begotten Son to suffer. So you think as an adopted child of God thatyou're exempt from that? You think that because you're adopted that you get a pass on suffering?Listen, God doesn't keep you from suffering. He puts you on display in suffering.Why would He do that? Why in the world would God do that? Are you telling methat God is allowing me to suffer so everybody can watch me suffer? That's what He said.Like why would He do that? He tells us.Continuing verse 12 here, He says, "When reviled, we bless. When persecuted,we endure. When slandered, we entreat."So why in the world would God lead us to suffering?So God can show everyone who's watching how we suffer.So He talks here about being reviled and persecuted and slandered. Have you everseen worldly people react to those things all the time? Right? What does the world do whenthey're reviled or persecuted or slandered? The world reactions are on display everywhere.It's retaliation. It's temper tantrums. I'll get even with you. You can't do this to me.It's pity parties. And oh, what was me? And that's how the world reacts. Listen,God wants you to walk through the same kinds of suffering so that you can exhibit the life ofChrist. Do you realize how awesome this is? That God is going to allow you to suffer so the worldcan watch, so God can point to you and say, "Look at how my people suffer." Oh, you see how the worldsuffers and how they retaliate and how they're bitter and how they're angry. And look at my people.When they suffer, they reflect the character of my son.Look at my people. When they're reviled, they turn around and they look for ways to bless thepeople that hate them. Do you see my people do that? God says, "Look at my people." When they'repersecuted, they don't pack it up. They don't boohoo. I quit. I can't take it anymore. Look at my people.When my people are persecuted, they endure. They are not going to give up.God says, "Look at my people." When they're slandered,they don't slander back. They don't hate the people that speak negatively about them. God says,"Look at what my people do." They entreat. They're trying to reach the people that hate them withthe gospel of my son. Look at my people. This guy sounds familiar, doesn't it?Probably because Peter said something almost identical. Look at 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 21.Look at this. Same thing. Exact same truth. For to this, you have been called because Christalso suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might fall in His steps.Here's the example. Jesus committed no sin. Neither was deceit found in His mouth.When He was reviled, He did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten,but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.You're going to suffer. The only real question is, how are you going to suffer?Meaning, what is going to be your attitude during your suffering?You're going to lash out because your pride was hurt? You're going to humble yourselfand show them the example that Jesus gave you.But you'll never humble yourself until you understand that you are called to respond tosuffering like Jesus. One more slice of humble pie, are you full?You're like, you know what, Pastor Jeff, I think I'm just the right amount of humble.Can we sing and get out of here? There's one more.Number four, something to tell yourself when you start to think that you're so important.Number four, the world thinks I'm scum.Look at the last part of verse 13. We have becomeand are still like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.Yeah, we're scum. We're garbage. You know that. We are garbage people.To the lost, they think our message is foolishness. You realize that.You realize that to the lost, they would come in here and hear what we're doing,see what we're doing, and they would say, literally, what a bunch of morons.Look, if you're here for a little ego boost, I'd just like to remind you what the Bible says,you're trash. We're all just trash in the world's eyes.You know, when I was a kid, my dad used to say that he had this little saying that he said allthe time. And as a kid, I never understood what it meant. It was this, anytime somebody was actinguntowardly, somebody was acting like a hog or insulting you or being cruel towards you orspeaking perversely or anytime somebody was acting like that, my dad would just say,well, you got to consider the source. I never knew what that meant until I became an adult. Now I'mOh, I get what he's saying now. And I think that little saying of dad certainly applies here.It's like, hey, hey, you know, the world thinks you're scum.Now consider the source. The brilliant world crucified Jesus Christ.This world who was giving their opinion of me took God in the flesh and publicly executedhim in the most humiliating and painful way. All they think I'm scum, huh? Well,I guess I should just consider the source. You're never going to be popular with the world. If youfollow Christ, you're never going to be popular with the world. It's not going to happen. Theythink you're scum. And the truth is, I'm actually much worse than they think I am.I am. My sin is so bad it took the blood of the spotless Son of God to wash my sin away.That must mean my sin was pretty bad.So it takes us back to point one, right? God's opinion is really the only one that mattersanyways. But you're never going to humble yourself until you're okay with the world regarding youas scum. All right. So if our worship team would make their way back to the platform,I just want to leave you with this. If you're ever a contestant on jeopardy,not likely for most of us, or you start to think that you're pretty important,which is actually very likely for all of us, I'm going to give you your speech.When someone says, "So, tell me a little bit about yourself. If you want to be biblical,here's your speech." Like, my name is, I'm only here to please God. Everything I have has been givento me. God wants me to suffer so that the world can see Jesus. And the world thinks I'm scum.Tell me a little bit about yourself. Let's pray. Father in heaven, I just ask again that you woulduse your word to humble all of us. Our sin is so self-exalting, and we start tothink that we have things figured out, or we reached a level that other people should aspire towhen your word says that we should humble ourselves. Father, remind us of these truthsthat someday we're going to stand before you, and on that day,we will learn the truth that it is only your opinion that means anything.Increase our faith, Father. Give us the drive to humble ourselves. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

They're essential tools God gave the church to reach the world. The greatest gift is the Spirit Himself, and from intimacy with Him flow miracles, healings, prophecy, and joy, all meant to build up the body in love. Even Paul, correcting the Corinthians, urged them to earnestly desire the gifts, reminding us that they're meant to be stepping stones into the beauty of the Spirit, not stumbling blocks.

In the Gospel of John, Jesusused the word “Father” 126 times when He spoke of His relationship withGod. The last of the seven spiritual realities that Paul speaks of, that is theground of our unity, is “one God and Father of all who isabove all and through all and in you all” (v. 6). Nowinteresting Paul basically said the same thing to the church at  Corinth in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6: “... yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are allthings, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things,and through whom we live”. Paul often used this word Father when he referredto God. (Over 46 times in his epistles). Many times, Paul said, “God theFather”. He also said, “God and Father”. Then Paul would often say “Godour Father”.  “Godour Father”.That the God of the universe, the God who created all things. In a sense, theFather of everything that is in this world came and emanated from our CreatorGod. Yet, that truth doesn't make every one of us today one of His children.Because, as you know, we're told in Ephesians 2, that we are born “childrenof wrath, children of disobedience”. That means we are under the control ofour old nature, of Satan himself in a sense. We are alienated in our minds ourby our wicked works against a holy God (Colossians 1:21).  ButGod loves us so much (John 3:16). He wants us to be in His family. That's whyJohn 1:12 says, "But as many as receive Him, to them He gives thepower, the authority to become the children of God." Then in the bookof 1 John 3:1-2, John again reminds us of this awesome relationship we can havewith God with these words: “Behold what manner of love the Father hasbestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! … Beloved, now we arechildren of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we knowthat when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”.Wow! What love and what a great promise!!!! This is the truth of thespiritual reality that anyone, anywhere, can experience when they believe andtrust the Lord Jesus Christ to be their personal Lord and Savior! Paulin Romans 8:14-17, puts it this way: “For as many as are led by the Spiritof God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondageagain to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,"Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit thatwe are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and jointheirs with Christ…”  Inour despair and pain we can “cry Abba Father, dear Father, daddy Father”. Weare close to Him. He is a Father who cares for us, who loves us, who draws usnear to His bosom, who holds us close. “He is Father of mercies and the God ofall comfort," (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).Oh, what an awesome Father God that you and I have who cares for us so deeplythat He would send His Son, His only Son. He's the Father of our Lord JesusChrist in the trinity. He is Father of us as we trust Him to be our Lord andSavior. Oh my friend, you can call Him, “my Father”. The Lord's prayerteaches us to pray “Our Father who art in heaven”. Why? Because againit's speaking of the unity of believers.  So,in these seven spiritual realities that Paul points out, we have the purity ofour doctrine. Oh my friend, that's who weneed to worship. The true, the living God, the God who sent His Son, JesusChrist. Be encouraged today if you're a believer. Despite what else ishappening around you, what's going on that might be bad or tragic in your life,God can be your Father today. He loves you. He cares for you. He yearns for youto come to Him with all your needs, with all your hurts, with all your pain.He's ready to heal them through His Holy Spirit and through the blood of JesusChrist He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Would you come to Himtoday? He's waiting for you just as the father waited for the prodigal sonthere in Luke 15.

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

Graham Cooke reveals why intimacy with Jesus is our greatest weapon in spiritual warfare, how David's worship on hillsides created the shield that protected him against Goliath, and why we need to seriously upgrade our rejoicing, thanksgiving, and exultant worship. Discover why worship isn't optional and how Jesus' greatest miracle wasn't His signs and wonders, but His unwavering dedication to the Father's will.**Key Scriptures:**+ Romans 8:16-17. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."+ 1 Samuel 17:34-37. "But David said to Saul, 'Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.' Moreover David said, 'The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.'"+ Psalm 23:1-4. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."+ John 5:19. "Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.'"**Want to explore more?**

Todaywe're specifically looking at Ephesians 3:16. Two things we're going to talkabout and that's, “the riches of His glory” and “in the inner man”.As we look at this passage of scripture, we realize that the power of the HolySpirit is given to us “according to the riches of His glory”. Christreturned to glory. But remember He said, "If I don't go away, I can'tsend the Holy Spirit. But if I go away, I will send the Comforter, the HolySpirit." (John 14; John 16:7). Christ returned to glory and sent theHoly Spirit from heaven to indwell and to empower His people.  So,it's not necessary for us to work something up. The power of God has been sentdown. Jesus said, "Tarry at Jerusalem till the power of the Holy Spiritis come upon you." (Acts 1:4-8). They did tarry and the HolySpirit, 10 days later, on the day of Pentecost, came down upon them. The HolySpirit was sent down. The Holy Spirit is the “gift of God” according tothose first passages of Scripture in the book of Acts (Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45;11:17). Now the Holy Spirit dwells in us and empowers us.  Goddoesn't give us the Holy Spirit's power out of His riches, but “according toHis riches” and that is a far greater thing. If I'm a billionaire and Igive you $10, I've given you out of my riches. But if I give you a milliondollars, I have given you according to my riches. The first is a portion, butmy friend, the second is a proportion. Oh, God has His riches in heaven thatare immeasurable, unfathomable, endless, eternal. He gives you not out of Hisriches but “according to the riches of His glory”. Nowvery interesting this power is available for “the inner man”.This means the spiritual part of man where God dwells and God lives in us. Weread in Romans 8:16; “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit thatwe are the children of God”. The inner man of the lost sinner is dead (Ephesians2:1), but that inner spirit becomes alive when the Holy Spirit of Christ,Christ Himself comes to indwell us. We find that the inner mancan see in Psalm 119:18, "Open mine eyes that I may see wondrous thingsout of your law." The inner man can hear Matthew13:9, Jesus said, "He who has ears, let him hear."  “Theinner man”has taste in Psalm 34:8; “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. We findwe can feel with the inner man (Acts 17:27). According to 1 Timothy 4:7-8,we find that bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness exercises greatprofit for those who trust and believe in Him. The outward man is perishing.But the inner man, the inner man can be renewed day by day in spite of thephysical outward decay that takes place. I love that passage in 2 Corinthians4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man isperishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our lightaffliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingand eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen,but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.  Whatdoes it mean to have the Holy Spirit empower “the inner man”? Itmeans that our spiritual faculties are controlled by God, and we are exercisingthem and growing in the Word (Hebrews 5:12-14). It is only when we yield to theSpirit and let Him control the inner man that we succeed in living to the gloryof God. This means we are feeding the inner man the Word of God, praying andworshiping, keeping clean, and exercising the senses by loving obedience. MayGod help us to trust Him today to have that strength that only He can give forHis glory and for His ministry of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ withthe world around us.  Godbless!

Romans 8:16 — In his sermon on Romans 8:16 titled “Seeking the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expands upon an important Christian phenomenon: spiritual confirmation. Reading from Romans 8:16, he reminds how “the Spirit Himself” testifies with the believer's spirit after being saved, inducting him or her into God's family. However, should that believer then seek additional spiritual confirmation or more of the Spirit? In short, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says they should seek but a person should be careful of the methods in asking for more of the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns Christians to avoid groups that claim they can administer the Spirit by staying in a room until He comes or laying hands on an individual. This is not how Scripture describes receiving more of the Spirit, and only apostles could give the Spirit by laying on hands, he says. God distributes the Spirit in a more Biblical way. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to Christ's encouraging descriptions of God as a loving father; if knocked on, the door will be opened; and if asking for bread, a father would not give his child a stone. In closing, Dr. Lloyd-Jones tracks Christian figures across the centuries, reading their accounts of how much of the Spirit they received, and how much more is in store for those who call upon Him. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29

Romans 8:26–27. The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. In this week's Leadership Lessons, Pastor Josh Kelsey reminds us that prayer is not performance but participation a divine exchange where the Holy Spirit prays through us. Prayer begins in weakness, but through surrender, the Spirit aligns us with Heaven's will. It's not about getting something from God, but becoming one with Him. Bringing His kingdom to earth. Prayer births boldness, sustains dependence, and turns surrender into power.

(Rm.8:12-17;   Ps.68:2,4,6-7,20-21;   Lk.13:10-17)   "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."   It is the Spirit of God that led the poor stooped woman in our gospel today to the synagogue to see and hear the teaching of Jesus the Lord, and to find a healing for her infirmity.  "This daughter of Abraham… in the bondage of Satan for eighteen years" was by the Lord "released from her shackles" and became a daughter also of the Most High God.  She is a sign of us all.  For all, whether sons of Abraham by the flesh or not, are called into the presence of God to find healing for the sin and sadness and oppression of the devil which trouble us.  On our own we cannot stand straight in the sight of God, but by the touch of Jesus we find our dignity and become sons of God with Him. God is "the father of orphans and the defender of widows"; He "gives a home to the forsaken."  And so we who were once under the "spirit of slavery" to sin may now find "a spirit of adoption through which we cry out, 'Abba!' (that is, 'Father')."  Once having no father to watch over us, now "the Spirit Himself gives witness with our spirit that we are children of God."  A greater blessing one could not find than to be a son or daughter of the Most High God.  For "God is a saving God for us."  Not only does He love us, but He shows that love even by dying for us, that we might live. And it is so that "if we are children, we are heirs as well: heirs of God, heirs with Christ."  And though it is by the death of Jesus that we are made heirs of the Father's glory, we only come into full possession of the riches of our glorious Lord by our own death, for we must "suffer with Him so as to be glorified with Him."  It is this death of ours, a death to self, to flesh, to sin and the world, that brings us the life of Him "who controls the passageways of death" and so is able to free us from all death. Day by day the Lord "bears our burdens."  On all days, eternally, He is our Father and our Savior, waiting to heal us.  Whenever we come to Him, we shall find Him ready to bless us.  His Spirit He sends upon all, like a sun that never sets, calling us to His presence.  We must but respond in humility and faith, and as we bow ourselves before Him, He will raise us up to the dignity He desires for all our lives.  And we shall be His sons.   ******* O LORD, your Son bears our burdens for us – He releases us from bondage to the flesh that we might live with Him in the Holy Spirit. YHWH, orphans and widows we have been, far from you we were separated from the beginning, cast off like a forsaken wife.  And we could not find our way back to you by the flesh, try as we might by following the line of our ancestors – this but brought us back repeatedly to their weakness, to their separation from your grace, from the light of your holy face. But your Son you sent to show us the way to you.  In Him we find the blood that must course through our veins; wed unto His flesh we are redeemed….  It is He who puts to death the evil deeds of the body and makes us sons once again of you – now His Spirit is upon us to call out your NAME, dear Father. O let us be your children! wherever we are from; whether children of Abraham or of foreign lands, let us all be blessed this holy day to know the healing touch of your Son and so inherit your kingdom.  O LORD, of your love let us not be afraid.

This Sunday at Myrtle House Community Church, Martin O'Brien continued our recent teaching series inspired by the phrase: “Don't rely on the naked eye.” Over the past few weeks, we've explored what it means to see life through faith and not just through what we can see physically. This week, Martin turned our focus to the Holy Spirit — the unseen presence of God who lives within every believer — and asked a vital question: “What is the evidence of the Holy Spirit in your life?” So many of us have wondered, “Have I really got the Holy Spirit? How do I know He's with me?” Martin reminded us that the Bible gives us clear answers — not through feelings or appearances, but through evidence. 1. The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that “the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Fruit is the natural evidence of life. When the Holy Spirit is working in us, the fruit of His presence grows in our hearts and actions. These qualities are not something we can fake — they are produced by the Spirit's transforming power within us. 2. The Gifts of the Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” The gifts of the Spirit — such as wisdom, healing, prophecy, discernment, and others — are another evidence of God at work in His people. They're not for self-promotion, but for building up the Church and strengthening one another in faith. 3. The Inner Witness of the Spirit Romans 8:16 reminds us that “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.” This is one of the most personal evidences of all — that quiet inner assurance that you belong to God. It's not something you can see with the naked eye, but something you know deep in your soul. 4. A Transformed Life Titus 3:4-7 speaks of the Spirit's renewing power: “He saved us… through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” When you look back over your journey with Christ, can you see how you've changed? The transformation of your heart, mind, and character is one of the strongest proofs of the Holy Spirit's presence. 5. Be Filled Again and Again Ephesians 5:18 encourages us to “be filled with the Spirit.” This isn't a one-time experience — it's a daily renewal. The more we surrender to God, the more we make room for His Spirit to move in us and through us. Martin reminded us that if we have given our lives to Jesus, we already have the Holy Spirit. The key is to stay open, keep trusting, and live in step with the Spirit each day. You don't need to rely on what you see — rely on the evidence of what God is doing within you. Let His fruit grow, His gifts flow, and His presence remind you that you are His. Key Scripture: “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.” — Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

Ever feel like you have to earn your place with God? Scripture says otherwise.This week we discover that, in Christ, we are adopted...wanted, named, and given full rights as sons and daughters. In Paul's world, adoption meant a new family name and secure inheritance; in God's family it means freedom from fear. The Spirit Himself whispers “Abba” to our hearts, silencing the old orphan reflexes of performing, hiding, and comparing. Today is identity before activity: receive the Father's welcome, declare who you are in Christ, and live like secure family who can boldly love and invite others to the table.

Who Is the Holy Spirit? • Sunday Service Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give The Holy Spirit is not a vague influence or an optional topic in Christianity. He is God Himself—personal, powerful, and present. Many believers struggle to understand who the Spirit is, yet He is the One who makes Christ real in us. Without Him, our faith becomes mechanical and powerless; with Him, it becomes alive and victorious. Let's look at 10 truths about who the Holy Spirit is, with Scripture and clear explanation. 1. The Holy Spirit Is God Acts 5:3–4 (NKJV): But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 2. The Holy Spirit Is a Person Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV): And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 3. The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper John 14:26 (NKJV): But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 4. The Holy Spirit Is the Spirit of Truth John 16:13 (NKJV): However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 5. The Holy Spirit Is the Empowerer Acts 1:8 (NKJV): But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 6. The Holy Spirit Is the Sanctifier Romans 15:16 (NKJV): …that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 7. The Holy Spirit Is the Teacher 1 Corinthians 2:13 (NKJV): These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 8. The Holy Spirit Is the Giver of Gifts 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 (NKJV): But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 9. The Holy Spirit Is the Spirit of Adoption Romans 8:15–16 (NKJV): For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. 10. The Holy Spirit Is the Spirit of Revival Joel 2:28 (NKJV): “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” The Holy Spirit is God Himself—personal, present, and powerful. He comforts, teaches, empowers, sanctifies, and equips us. He makes the Christian life not just possible but victorious. As Galatians 5:25 (NKJV) says: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” To know the Spirit is to know God. To walk with the Spirit is to walk in step with heaven. CCLI: 21943673

Romans 8:9-17 reveals that our truest identity is not self-made but given through the Spirit of adoption, who frees us from slavery and fear and anchors us as beloved children of God. Though the world pressures us to define ourselves by achievement, rebellion, or belonging to others, Scripture shows that we are not our own—we are named and claimed by the Father. Through Christ, we are brought from orphanhood into the family of God, and the Spirit Himself bears witness within us that we are sons and daughters, heirs with Christ. This identity anchors us against the world's lies, empowers us to put sin to death, and calls us to live with the security, confidence, and joy of children who cry out, “Abba, Father.”

  PRESENCE PRAYER AT HOME WITH GOD  We discussed last week that Jesus said in my Father's house there are many mansions (mone – at home with God). I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2). There is a unique individual mone for every person ever born – no two people build the same house for God. And remember the mansions were not only prepared for Heaven but for here on earth as we become the dwelling (mone) for God here. Jesus said My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home (mansion – mone) with him. (John 14:23). The more we dwell with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit – at home with God here on earth the more they unveil who they are to us, whether we are here on earth or in Heaven, because faith and hope and love are eternal and will remain from age to age for people to come to know and love God more and more. How do we travel that journey of living a life at home with God in all the difficulties and problems? Paul tells us that staying connected to God is the key. He said pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Praying without ceasing would seem to be an impossible task but what is meant here is that we can maintain a mindset of connection with God at all times so that what we do and how we feel whether positively or negatively is a ‘God with us' conversation. And the Holy Spirit is praying for us without ceasing! John 16:7  – Jesus said he would be sent into the world to convince everybody that they have missed the mark of being aligned with his purpose for their lives – that's your next door neighbour as well as people going to church. - He is also wanting us all to know that he has overcome the power of darkness that they have been slaves to in their fears and anxieties.  The process of becoming still is a prayer that Paul teaches us in our sufferings and problems.  Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called (those invited) to live according to His purpose.  Those who are the called according to is purpose are those who desire to live according to his purpose and to respond to that invitation. And we know that all things work together for good - in other words but I know  you do it Father the way you always do, and we only find out how great you are when you show us what you've done according to your Will - Because we dont see that but we dont know it at the time… this is our walk all the time growing in faith and promise.    to those who love God, to those who are the called (those invited) to live according to His purpose. As we learn to become actively connected and still with God, we can grow in the practice of being at peace, trusting that he is always working behind the scenes on our behalf. Job complained about his affliction and sufferings to God (Job 30:20) and God said he accepted Job's prayer, but he rebuked Job's friends. Job had come to know God in his suffering, but his friends only found judgement in their hearts for Job (Job 42:8).  I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me. You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me. You lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. For I know that you will bring me to deathand to the house appointed for all living. House- MANSIONS!  and God said he accepted Job, but he rebuked Job's friends.  But God wasn't angry with Job because he complained. God was pleased with him for simply having a conversation. Even through the most awful trials, and countless sufferings.    But God said to Job's friend Eliphaz “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. (Job 42:7). Jesus also spoke to God in the midst of his suffering in the Garden of gethsemane and asked if the cu of suffering could be taken from  him, and was there another way but then said – nevertheless not my will but thine be done. As we learn to become actively connected and still with God, we can grow in the practice of being at peace, trusting that he is always working behind the scenes on our behalf, being still and knowing God As an act of faith and thanksgiving. So the Holy Spirit is also praying unceasingly FOR us! And we Maintain a connection/conversation whether it is positive and faithful or even when it is negative and perplexed. We learn t believe and say ‘God you re aways right but not so with me And being connected it brings the blessing of peace, or agreement with God.. Phil 4.6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Even when it doesn't feel like it. In times of trials we might say Lord, this is a bit beyond me… but I'm going to accept it. I know you're there with me. Why didn't I get that job, or why are my relationships struggling.  We don't get to see what God is doing in the here and now, but if we are open to receiving what God has to show us, we will be surprised by how things get reordered in an incredible way you could have never imagined. Have faith that God is always working behind the scenes in the supernatural, working all things together for good for those who respond to the invitation to be living in His purpose. That's what Paul meant by praying without ceasing. And that's God's will for you. People are always saying what is God's will!? It's as simple as that. Staying connected - that is praying without ceasing. Not letting your own stuff get in the way all the time. What you think you know better about or can do or understand better. Expect that He sees everything we need, and He wants to provide it for us as a father does. We can now stay connected in a presence prayer with God 1 Thessalonians 5:18 pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. This becomes the practice of Presence Prayer which we will be discussing furher as we go on. -you're in His Will. You have been found in him, you're praying without ceasing, and He refines your faith into constantly saying thank you no matter what is happening.  Paul OSullivan  - pauloss@me.com      

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners Paul's reminder that the Spirit helps us in our weakness, and the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Scripture References: Romans 8:26; 1 Timothy 1:10-12; Acts 9, 22, 26; Romans 1:1-17; Romans 1:13; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8, 20; Romans 6:1-2; Romans 7; Romans 8:1-17; Romans 8:18-28 Scripture translation used is the Legacy Standard Bible.  “Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.comFIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z  JOIN DR. JORI IN DEVOTIONAL JOURNALING IN 2025Check out this 9 min YouTube Video outlining her journaling strategy! Don't Forget to subscribe to the YouTube Channel! https://youtu.be/lqe9TO7RSz4 BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show

Words to Live ByNever short-sell an immeasurable more God. Never underestimate the power of a simple prayer offered on behalf of a complex situation. 3 Elements of a Child's PrayerSimple. Often. Faith-filled. A Good barometer of spiritual maturity/understanding is the progression of our prayers from childish to childlike.A Broader Understanding of PrayerThe Who of Prayer is God. The What of Prayer is His will. The Where of Prayer is wherever. The When of Prayer is without ceasing. The Why of Prayer is relationship. The How of Prayer is simple, often and faith-filled.An Approach to Prayer to Increase Your PrayingShoot for Simple. Aim at Often. Forward in Faith.The Double Ring of “Simple” Simple Ring 1.Talking always feels less potent than acting with this one exception… when the person with whom you are talking holds power over the circumstance! Simple Ring 2. If we believe the power of prayer rests in us – then our prayers have to be articulate, informed and robust in order to move God. If we believe the power of prayer rests in God, then our prayers can be raw and emotional without much polish.To pray simply doesn't mean flippant or “in passing”. It means to place more emphasis on the action of prayer than the manner of prayer. If I wait to pray until I have a handle on the issue I have waited too long to pray.Simple prayer is a function of relational understanding. Hebrews 4:14-16 (AMP) 14 Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. 16 Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God's gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].The power of a Simple Prayer is a relationally dependent not a word dominant. A relationship with God through Christ isn't based on merit but on mercy, not on my goodness but His grace. God's approachability is not performance based, it is relationship based established in Christ.Matthew 6:5-10 (NIV) 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others (= their purpose). Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (= our purpose). 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows (relationship) what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (reflects a trusting relationship). Shoot for SimpleAim for OftenLuke 18:1-8 (NIV) Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4 “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!'” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”Why is persistence a necessary component of prayer? Prayer has spiritual opposition (Daniel 10). Prayer is more than an ask it is a tool of personal transformation. Often prayers have often responses. We can't get everything in one download. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Shoot for SimpleAim for OftenForward in FaithThe full measure of our faith isn't found in our ask, it's found in our movement. Prayer first and foremost is an open invitation into your life. A forward in faith prayer comes with a preloaded “yes” to any and all God given instructions. God can wipe away our tears but rarely does He wipe away a circumstance. He usually walks us out of a circumstance hand in hand which means we have to walk forward in faith.Romans 8:26-28 (AMP) 26 In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God's people in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.Never underestimate the power of a simple prayer on behalf of a complex situation. Shoot for Simple. The power of prayer is in God, not the prayer or pray-er.Aim for Often. Don't drift from God in the gap, draw closer in prayer.Follow in Faith. If you have enough faith to pray, have enough faith to follow.

In Luke 12:8–12, Jesus calls us to boldly confess Him before people, warns us against rejecting the Holy Spirit, and promises that the Spirit Himself will give us words when we face opposition. Through the powerful story of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who endured years of imprisonment for Christ in Communist Romania, we see these verses come alive. This episode is a reminder to stand firm for Jesus, trust the Spirit's leading, and live unashamed of the gospel.

The Holy Spirit's mysterious work is often hidden from our physical sight. Yet He's working powerfully in the world and among believers. In this message, Pastor Lutzer contrasts mere behavior modification with genuine inner transformation. The Spirit Himself comes as our Helper, Comforter, and Teacher. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29

The Holy Spirit's mysterious work is often hidden from our physical sight. Yet He's working powerfully in the world and among believers. In this message, Pastor Lutzer contrasts mere behavior modification with genuine inner transformation. The Spirit Himself comes as our Helper, Comforter, and Teacher. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. 

Romans 8:26–27 (NKJV)Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.Have you ever wondered what the Holy Spirit is praying for you?In Luke 22, Jesus said to Peter, “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.”Though Peter would deny Him—failing publicly and painfully—Jesus' prayer was answered. Peter's faith endured. Later, Peter would write about a “faith more precious than gold,” refined through trials.What a comfort to know that the Holy Spirit is praying for us, as well.In this episode, we trace that hope through 1 Peter 1, John 17, and Romans 8. We reflect on the ongoing work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit—how we are prayed for, known, and never left to stand alone.Romans 8:39b reminds us:“Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”The word "separate" means without.You are never without Him.If you would like to support this podcast with a monthly or one-time donation, thank you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sherriyoungward.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To find out about upcoming gatherings and new projects, please join my email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.sherriyoungward.com

THE PERSON OF PENTECOST (Acts 2:1-5, 12-19, 38) The title of the today's lesson is “The Person of Pentecost.”  And of course, that person of Pentecost is the Holy Spirit of God.  I said it that way because it is important that we understand that the Holy Spirit is a person. Never, ever, speak of the Holy Spirit as a thing, as an influence—a mere influence—an “it.” Some people speak of the Holy Spirit with the impersonal pronoun “it.”  That would be inappropriate to do so for any person, let alone the Person of God.    If someone were to leave here today and try to describe my appearance to someone, I hope that they wouldn't say something like, “It wore a dark polo-shirt and jeans today.” I hope they would at least give me enough deference to use a personal pronoun when they refer to me, because I am not merely a thing, an influence; I am a person. And, God the Holy Spirit is a person;  And, having said that, I want you to notice with me four things about the Person of Pentecost, and I pray God that He will use Himself, the Holy Spirit, to etch and to burn this message into your heart and help you to live in that Pentecostal power that God wants us all to have. The first thing is that “The Person of Pentecost is a Possession to Be Received.” That is, God is going to give you the Holy Spirit. The gift is the Spirit Himself. When you repent, when you receive Christ Jesus as your personal Savior, when you are saved, when you are born again, you receive God's gift, which is the Spirit Himself. And that happens immediately when a person is saved. The second thing is that “The Person of Pentecost is a Power to Be Released.” These verses speak of the power that is going to rest upon those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the purpose of the Holy Spirit: to give power to people who do not have power. The third thing is that “The Person of Pentecost is a Presence to Be Revealed.” People come to see a fire.  You let a church get on fire for God; you let us get right with God, and I'll tell you that the Holy Spirit of God is going to attract the people. The fourth thing is that “The Person of Pentecost is a Person to Be Recognized.” The Holy Spirit will continue to bless to the degree that we continue to say that God is responsible for the power in our lives, that the Holy Spirit is the business of transforming weak, stammering, people into His people doing His work.   Click on the play button to hear a message on the Person of Pentecost. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

We've been saved into the body of Christ. Bound not just by shared beliefs, but by the Spirit Himself. We are joined to a family we'll do eternity with. So how do we honour this body, this sacred, eternal family God has placed us in?Listen and learn what it means to honour the Church, the people God has called His own.

Send us a messageIn Matthew 7:21, Lord Jesus declared that: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven.” This heart-stopping pronouncement should cause deep concern and reverential fear, in obedience to 2 Peter 1:10: “make your calling and election sure.” For the enemy has orchestrated counterfeits to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and many are falling prey to them. In Romans 8:16, true believers are assured that “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit, that we are the children of God. It is time to be certain you have that divine witness within your heart – for Jesus Comes Quickly!Support the showVisit our website: https://agapelightministries.com/

Sermons Archive RSS 1 John 3:1A Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!Romans 8:12-17 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:“For Your sake we are killed all day long;We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our oldest son just celebrated his 37th birthday and told us over dinner what he considers the two most important and impactful things his dad and I did for him growing up, so I'm unpacking both this week's episode. I hope you'll listen in. Show Notes VERSES CITED James 1:23-25 -“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who ....” Psalms 1:3 - “...his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Matthew 5:20 - “Unless your righteousness surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees....” Matthew 23:27 - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs....” Romans 8:26 - "...the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words." Deuteronomy 11:18-21 - “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and....” Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Psalm 51:10 - “Create in me a clean heart, O God!" Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God...." 1 Corinthians 3:6 - "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." Matthew 25:23 - "Well done, my good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Master.” RELATED LINKS: Lies Women Believe by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth EP 28: Bible Memory Tips & Tricks EP 85: Memorize Proverbs 3 with Me EP 55: Smoothing Your Child's Passage to Adulthood 31 Verses to Pray over Your Child Praying for Your Unborn Child Praying for Your Children from Head to Toe Our Teens Need Prayer Praying for Your Adult Child STAY CONNECTED: Subscribe: Flanders Family Freebies -weekly themed link lists of free resources Instagram: @flanders_family - follow for more great content Family Blog: Flanders Family Home Life - parenting tips, homeschool help, lprintables Marriage Blog: Loving Life at Home- encouragement for wives, mothers, believers

The Holy Spirit is a powerful helper and guide in our daily lives. Here are five ways He can assist and direct you today:1. *Guiding You into Truth* *Scripture:* John 16:13 – "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." The Holy Spirit helps you discern truth and make wise decisions.2. *Providing Comfort and Peace* *Scripture:* Romans 8:26 – "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." When you feel overwhelmed, the Holy Spirit brings peace and intercedes for you.3. *Strengthening Your Faith* *Scripture:* Galatians 5:18 – "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. He empowers you to live in faith and freedom, helping you grow spiritually.4. *Teaching and Reminding You of God's Word* *Scripture:* John 14:26 – "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. He brings understanding and reminds you of God's promises.5. *Leading You in the Right Path* *Scripture:* Psalm 32:8 – "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. The Holy Spirit directs your steps and helps you make choices aligned with God's will.*A Prayer for Guidance* *"Holy Spirit, I invite You into my day. Lead me in truth, comfort me in times of trouble, and strengthen my faith. Teach me Your ways and remind me of God's promises. Guide my steps so that I may walk in wisdom and love. Thank You for Your presence in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen."*May you feel the Holy Spirit's presence guiding you today! Pst Leke Toba

Romans 8:26, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."The Christian life is not free from weakness, but rather full of it. We groan under . . . the burden of indwelling sin, the brokenness of the world, and the mystery of God's providence.Often, we find ourselves overwhelmed--our thoughts confused, our emotions storm-tossed, our words failing in prayer. Yet even in these frail moments, the believer is not alone. For within him dwells the Spirit of God, the divine Helper, who prays with and for him.In this verse, we see the intercessory ministry of the Holy Spirit, so often overlooked, yet profoundly necessary. The Spirit does not merely assist us when we are strong; He helps us in our "weakness". He comes alongside us when we do not know what to say. When the burden is too deep for words, when the pain is beyond expression, He intercedes with groanings that reach the heart of the Father. These are not groans of despair, but of holy longing, divinely wrought desires for the will of God, rising from within the soul.The Spirit's intercession is continual and unceasing. It is perfectly aligned with God's will. Unlike our prayers--so often mixed with selfishness or ignorance--His groanings are pure and effective. The Father, who searches hearts, hears not merely the faltering words of His children, but the Spirit's cry within them. And because the Spirit is God, His intercession always prevails.What comfort this brings to the struggling saint! Prayer is not a performance to be perfected, but a dependence to be expressed. Even when w

Pastor Jeremy | BFBC-Glendive | Sunday Keys are designed to grant you access to something or someplace valuable. ● Keys are not utilized to withhold something from you...they are designed to hold something for you. If you have a key, you can access the thing or place that holds value. Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 10:45 Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Speaking in tongues will edify, build up, and strengthen our spirit. ● Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit ● 1 Cor 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. ● There is something you can do to edifies, builds up, and strengthen your: spirit, soul, & body Speaking in tongues will amplify our effectiveness in prayer. ● 1 Cor 14:2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. ● Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. ● When you run out of words to pray...pray in tongues ● When you don't know how to pray...pray in tongues ● When you aren't 100% of what the will of the Lord is concerning what you are praying about/for... pray in tongues.

Introduction: John 19:28-30 - After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Revelation 16:17 - The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” The Hope is Real: The Truth About Heaven (Revelation 21:1-8) Everything is New. (Rev 21:1-2) Every day is in God's Presence. (Rev 21:3) Everything that Hurts is Gone. (Rev 21:4-5) Everything is Yours. (Rev 21:6-7) Romans 8:16-17 – The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Everyone is Not Going. (Rev 21:8) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the Scripture,"I thirst." A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on ahissy branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished."He bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Over this past month, we've been examining God's Word tosee that the Son of God came to finish some things. And we've been trying to just answer one question.What is finished? Jesus made the declaration, "It is finished." Well, what is? Well, I guess to put itall in one word, salvation. The way of salvation, it's done. The work is done. And we've been spendingtime looking at different facets of salvation. First, we saw justification. The guilt is gone.You realize Jesus has taken your sin away. There are no grounds for punishment when you're in Christ.The guilt is gone. He's made you righteous. And then we saw reconciliation. The relationship isrestored. By nature, you are not God's friend. The Bible says by nature, we are enemies of God.And Jesus Christ came to restore the relationship with God. Pastor Taylor a couple of days agotalked about redemption. The price was paid. There was a literal price that was paid. You see, youhave sinned against God, and it wasn't as if God was like, "Oh, that's okay. Don't worry about it. I'mjust going to forget about it." No, no, no. As Pastor Taylor pointed out, you owe God an infinite debt.And God paid that Himself through the death of His Son. It is finished.You know, you think of those words on the cross, "It is finished." You know,that's not the only time that Jesus declares that something is finished.It's only the first time. Do you know the next time Jesus says it is finished?It is when God pours out judgment. Revelation 16-17, it's the last bold judgment. The book ofRevelation talks about there's seal trumpets and trumpet judgments and bold judgments. When thelast judgment of God is poured out, look at this, Revelation 16-17, the seventh angel poured outHis bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done."That's the next time Jesus says it is finished. Today I want to talk about the last time He says it.Do you know the last time Jesus declares something is finished?As after He creates a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation chapter 21, I want you to turn there.Revelation chapter 21,Revelation chapter 21, look at verses 5 and 6. It says, "And He who was seated on the thronesaid, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" Also, He said, "Write this down. For these wordsare trustworthy and true. And He said to me, 'It is done.'"Like, wait, wait, what is He talking about here? What is finished, the promiseof glorification? That is, the hope is real. The hope is real. We're going to talk about hope today.Because when we talk about hope, we use it in a different way than the Bible uses the word hope.When we say hope, what we mean is wish. You know what I mean? We say, "I hope it doesn't rain today."What are we saying? "I wish that it doesn't rain." Or we say, "I hope that the pirates win today."What are we saying? We're saying that our theology allows for miracles.But you see, that's not how the Bible uses the word hope.Biblically, church, listen, hope is the confident anticipation of receiving Jesus' promises.Biblically, hope, it's in the bag. It's happening. I'm just waiting for it to take place. But it'sgoing to happen. I'm not wondering if it's going to happen. I can't wait. I know it's going to.I'm just waiting for that to happen. That's biblical hope. That's the receipt that we hold on tothat says it's coming. I know that it's coming. And I can't wait for that day. That is biblical hope.See, that's what we're here to celebrate today.Actually, every Sunday we celebrate this. And actually, for the Christian,you celebrate this every day of your life. That Jesus Christ rose from the dead.We've been spending so much time talking about the fact that He died for our sins. Yes,that's true. But three days later, He rose from the dead to give us the promise of eternal life.And the Bible says that He went back to heaven. And you're like, "Well, what's He doing now? Doyou know what Jesus is doing right now? Like, right now, do you know what He's doing?"He told us in John chapter 14 what He would be doing. He says, "I go to prepare a place for you.Right now, Jesus Christ is building a place for His people in heaven."We're going to talk about heaven today, the place of our hope. Do you know what heaven's like?Sadly, there's so much confusion about heaven because people embrace ideas about heaven thatjust aren't in the Bible. I think for a lot of people, their ideas of heaven come more from aBugs Bunny cartoon than from what God actually said. There's just so much nonsense aboutthat people believe about heaven. It's just not true biblically. You know what number one is,by the way? The most nonsensical, wrong, false thing that people believe about heaven that's justabsolutely not true? Is that good people go to heaven. You have to be a good person to go toheaven. That's just bombarded onto us from society. Good people go to heaven. Good people...Well, that's not true. If that was true, heaven would be empty. We're going to talk more about thatin a bit. But no, you do not get to heaven by being a good person.But you know, even Christians, honestly, even Christians are clueless about heaven.Just grab your Christian, your average churchgoer, and say, "Well, what's heaven like?"You're going to get answers like, "Well, I'm thinking grandma's there."They're like, "Well, what are you doing heaven?" "Well, I guess you play a harp."And then you sit on clouds. And yeah, that's all I got. Like, well, maybe you've been gettingyour theology about heaven from Bugs Bunny or from a far-side cartoon.But I think many Christians aren't really excited about heaven because they don't know what theBible actually says about it. You know, we had a funeral last week for the oldest member of ourchurch. She was two weeks shy of 99. And she's having a good day. What a great celebration of her lifeand a celebration of the fulfillment of her faith. But I think a lot of people, even that we're sittingin that funeral, might not have been excited because they don't really know what she's experiencingin heaven. What is coming in the future in heaven? We need to educate ourselves, church.I mean, think about it this way. Imagine if I booked you a three-month vacation.Imagine that. If I booked you, I'm like, "You know what? You've been working hard. You know what?I'm going to get you the plane tickets. You know, you just bring your wife, jump at the airport,and get on the plane, three-month vacation on me." Would you want to know where you're going?Would you want to know what you'd be doing? What if you said, "Oh, thanks, Pastor Jeff. That wasreally nice of you. Where am I going? What am I doing? What if I said, "Don't worry about it. You'lllike it." No, I want to know where I'm going to be spending three months of my life. And I'm like,"Oh, it'll be nice. What am I going to be doing there? Fun stuff."Wouldn't you want more information of where you're going to be spending three months of your life?Okay, reminder, heaven is eternal. Wouldn't you like to know what it's going to be likefor eternity? If you do, you're in the right place this morning, because that is exactlywhat we're going to be seeing from God's Word. So on your outline, take some notes.The hope is real. The hope is real. The truth about heaven.The truth about heaven. Number one, write this down. Everything is new.Everything is new. Verses 1 and 2 in Revelation 21, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Stop there. New heaven and new earth. Why?Why do we need a new heaven and new earth? Well, because this is talking about what'shappening in the future. And at this point, the heaven and earth now, the one that you'resitting on right now, will be vaporized by God's glory according to 2 Peter 3, according to Revelation2011. He talks about this new Jerusalem. Like, what is new Jerusalem? What's the capital cityof the new heaven and the new earth? And John describes it as coming down from heaven onto thisnew earth. It's a fascinating study. You can really dig into it on your own. Just to give you a littleoverview. Verses 15 and 17 give us the dimensions. And by the way, these are literal measurements.The Bible is clear about that. But new Jerusalem is a massive city and it's shaped like a cube.And each wall is 1,380 miles long. And each wall is 216 feet thick. You're like,"Can you give me a frame of reference?" Yeah, absolutely, I can. If you were to take this newJerusalem and put it on our current earth, just drop it onto North America. If you were to dropit onto North America, it would go from Canada to the Gulf of America. It would go from the AtlanticOcean. I'm still trying to adjust to that. I'm sorry. It would go from the Atlantic Oceanto Colorado. That is the size of new Jerusalem. You're like, "Why do I need to know this?That is the place that Jesus is preparing for you right now."And this passage describes the final and eternal heaven. And over and over, he usesthe greatest word possible that he could use to describe anything. And it's the word "new."New. Look at verse 5. This is the best verse in the Bible. And I know somebody would say,"Well, actually, Pastor Jeff, it's all God's word." Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. But this is the bestverse in the Bible. It says, "And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all thingsnew.'" Look, that is awesome. And we can relate to that, can't we? Because there's nothinglike getting new stuff, right? Don't we love new things? New shoes? A new car? New jeans?A new phone? I'm pleased to announce that Pastor Taylor finally upgraded from his iPhone 8.Yeah, a little bonus celebration today. But wasn't it so exciting getting that new phone, Pastor Taylor?You know what? I thought it was bad until Jane Auer showed me. He has, what do you have an SE?Yeah, take good care of that, Jay. We're going to put that in the museum.So we love getting new stuff, right? Getting a new computer. Men, get that new fishing rod. Ladies,get the new purse. How about a new puppy? Oh, that's the best. But there's nothing likegetting new stuff. And you know, the Bible says in heaven everything is always new.So a little tip for you. If you're in Christ and if you are, you will end up in heaven. I just wantto encourage you, if you're trying to make friends, to not walk up to somebody in heaven and say,hey, what's new? Because they're going to say, you are an ego because I don't know if you got thememo, but everything here is new. I had people say to me sometimes like, you know, heaven soundskind of boring. Like, what are you talking about? That is a clueless statement. Boring.Everything is always going to be new.And if that's not a beautiful enough description with that little word,he gives us a word picture that really drives it home. He says, it's preparedas a bride adorned for her husband. Like Jesus, what kind of care and attention are you puttinginto creating this new heaven and earth, this new Jerusalem? You know, what kind ofmeticulous care is going into preparing this new city? The Bible says it's like a bridepreparing herself for her husband. That's a word picture that really impacts me.Because I've been to a lot of weddings. It's part of my job. I've been to a lot of weddings.And you know something that I've never, ever, ever seen in a wedding is this. Like, it's wedding dayand you know, I come to the front of the chapel or the woods or the barn or whatever we're havingand like, and like, oh, they have them everywhere now, but like, I'm up there with the guys, right?And here comes the bridesmaids and they take their place. Oh, it's the big moment.The music shifts, right? And you know what's next. Here comes the bride, right?You know what I've never seen? It's the doors fling open and there's the bridein a college hoodie.Wearing sweatpants and crocs.Crocs will not be in heaven, by the way. Well, the Bible doesn't say. I'm justthinking it's a safe assumption, but I've never seen her where she's got a near-terminal case of bedhead.I've never seen that ever. Do you know what I have seen though? Every time.A breathtakingly beautiful bride.How did she get that way? She prepared. Do you know how much time and effort and energy and moneyand detail and it goes in? She puts everything into making herself as beautiful and perfect as she canfor her husband.And that is the kind of attention and care that Jesus is putting into preparing this placefor his people. Wrap your brain around that. But the Bible says in heaven,everything is new.Oh, it gets even better than that. Because number two, write this down, every day is in God's presence.Everything is new and every day is in God's presence. Look at verse three. Verse three.He says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is withman. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as theirGod.'" Every day is in God's presence.Don't you wish that you lived at the time that Jesus lived? Wouldn't it have just been absolutelyamazing to watch Jesus, like to sit down with Him, to hear Him teach, to watch Him heal,to watch Him feed the thousands with the little kids lunch? Wouldn't that have just been awesometo personally be in the presence of Jesus Christ?Well, I got good news for you. In heaven, you're going to get that, like every single day.Because according to verse three, we're always in God's presence.You see, that's good news, my friends, because I think if we're honest, sometimes God seems distantright now. I mean, He's not, right? He's not distant.But can we just be honest in church for a second and say sometimes it feels like He is?You know, we go through trials. We're hurting. Maybe you've been betrayed.Disappointed. You're just worn out. And you're like, "God, where are you?"Seems like I need you the most right now. You seem absent. Where are you?Well, never again will God seem distant.The Bible says He is going to tabernacle with His people. He is going to pitch a tentin unprecedented, perfect fellowship in the midst of His people. Every day of heavenis being in the presence of God. It's the truth about heaven. Everything's new.Every day is in God's presence. In number three, everything that hurts is gone.Everything that hurts is gone. Look at verse four."He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there bemourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.No mourning, no crying and no pain." Do you know what that means?That means no a lot of other things. That means no depression. That means no cancer.That means no diabetes. That means no organ failure. That means no autism.That means no wheelchairs. That means no mental health problems.That means no dentist appointments.I see somebody rejoicing in the back greatly over that.But I get to tell you in the first service, there was a group of dentists sittingright about where the Zentcos are right now. I told them, "Look, we're going to be out of a job in heaven.Nobody's going to need to hear about Jesus from me. Nobody's going to need their teeth fixed by them."There's no more tears. There's no more death. There's no more goodbyes.Every bit of pain and heartache and discouragement. Never again. Never. Everything that hurts is gone.People ask, "Well, will I remember the failures of my life on earth?"Because I would think if I could remember my failures of my life on earth, that, boy,there'd be some tears over that in heaven. Will I remember the failures of this life?I don't know. But I do know this for a fact.That if you do remember the failures of this life, it's not going to bother you.Because there's no more mourning or pain. I'm sure about that.And you can get to this point, you're like, "Really?" Hang on a second.This sounds just a little too fantastic. Really? Well, look at verse 5 again."And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'Also, he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"Oh, everything is made new. Everything stays new. And you're like, "Is that really true?"Jesus says here, "Write this down. You write this down. You take this to the bank.You build your life on this, man. This is trustworthy and true."Listen, this isn't fantasy stuff. This isn't like fairy tale stuff that we say toplacate children when grandma passes away.Jesus says this is real. This is trustworthy and true."Every hurt is forever behind you." Everything that hurts is gone. Number four,oh, it gets even better. I know you don't think it can, but check this out.Number four, everything is yours. Everything is yours.Look at verse 6, "And he said to me, 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,the beginning and the end, to the thirsty. I will give from the spring of the water of lifewithout payments.'" Who are the thirsty? Who are the thirsty? I hope you are.Thirsty refers to people who realize their spiritual need and genuinely thirst for God.Heaven is for people who know they need Jesus Christ and they receive Jesus Christ and they loveJesus Christ. That's what he's talking about here. You see, water biblically is a symbol offulfillment. It's a symbol of satisfaction. "I was thirsty in a need. Now from the living water,I have been satisfied." That's what water is talking about. That's what the Bible is talkingabout when it talks about water. It's satisfaction. It's great news. That means heaven is not goingto be lacking anything that would add to your satisfaction. You know that? That means you'renot going to be walking around heaven and say, "You know what? This place is pretty good, butI have a few ideas that would make it a little better."You're going to be absolutely, totally, perfectly satisfied in heaven.And this, this is your heritage. Look at verse 7. He says, "The one who conquerswill have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my Son."We talked about this with justification. We don't live in fear of God as judge. If you're in Christ,that is. You're not afraid of God as judge. You live in the freedom of God as Father.That He adopted us as His children.But being a child has implications for the future.Like what do you mean? What I mean is, if you're a child of God, you receive an inheritance.Look at Romans chapter 8 here.Romans 8 says, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And ifchildren, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Himin order that we may also be glorified with Him."You see, Paul wrote this to the Romans and Roman adoption was very interesting. I was readingabout it this past week. Do you know in Roman culture adopted children actually received greaterhonor than naturally born children in the home? Like if a couple has natural children, it's like,well, you just came into the world the regular way. But if you adopted someone, it was, ah, you,though on the other hand, you were chosen to be a part of this family. But there's something elseinteresting about Roman children, including the adopted children, by the way, that they allreceived an equal share of the inheritance. You're like, good for the Romans. What does that haveto do with me? Here's what this has to do with you. Look at this. We are fellow heirs with Christ.Do you know what that means? I can tell some of you aren't very excited about that. So we're goingto walk through this together. You are fellow heirs with Christ. Do you know what that means?That means you will receive the same inheritance that Jesus receives.So what does Jesus own? Everything. So what do you stand to inherit? Everything.Everything. You're like, wait, wait, wait, wait, hang on a second there, Pastor Jeff.You was talking about the new heavens earlier. Do you mean I'm going to inherit the new heavens?Everything. And if you're like, oh, well, he's creating the new earth. Do you mean I'm going toinherit that new earth too? That's going to belong to me? Everything. And you're like, well, thatgiant city that you was talking about, am I going to inherit that too? Is that going to belong to me?Like, look, I'll do respect. What part of everything do you not understand? Everything will belong to you.But do you know the greatest thing that you're going to inherit?Is God Himself? Do you see that in verse 7? He says, "I will be His God." Oh, no, let's not gloss over thatbecause that's like the Levites in the Old Testament. Remember, Israel was told, you know,that they were going to receive an inheritance in the Promised Land. But you got like Deuteronomy 18-2.The Levites did not get an inheritance like the other tribes of Israel. They were toldthat God is their inheritance.And if you get God, you get everything. If you're a fellow heir with Christ,that means someday everything is yours.And finally, number five, truth about heaven, everything's new.Every day's in God's presence. Everything that hurts is gone and everything is yours.But we do have to say this because it's in the text. Everyone is not going.Now look, you know, it'd be real easy to come into Easter service and we're all wearing ourspiffy clothes and the music is fantastic and it would be so easy to get caught up in this passageand get excited about a heaven that some of you aren't going to see.Look at verse eight. John says, "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable,as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars,their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur," which is the second death.See this list? These are people that love their sin more than they love Jesus.But I could ask you, are you on that list?Is there anything here that characterizes you?Understanding that murder means hateful and sexually immoral means lustfuland immoral.Are you there?You know the one that always sticks out to me in this list is the first one, cowardly.What does that mean? It's not saying, being afraid of stuff is a sin, like in the sense ofI'm afraid to go camping because I'm afraid of bears and snakes.And that's not what that's talking about at all. It's talking about being afraid to follow JesusChrist because there is a cost. And what will my friends think? And what am I going to have to giveup? And refusal to follow Christ, God says, "You're a coward." You mean He bought your way to heavenwith the blood of His Son? And you're too afraid to receive Him because of what your goofy friendsmight think. Because of what sinful thing you might have to give up. You're a coward.And that's not my opinion. That's God's opinion. Well, I guess it is mine if it's God's.But He said it.You think following Christ is easy? You think it's easy to trust God?Do you think it's easy to say no to sin? Do you think it's easy to say yes to serving Christwhen it's inconvenient or difficult or harder than we thought it was going to be?This ain't for cowards, okay?All of the items on this list characterize people who have never repented. They've never receivedChrist. And these are just evidences. He's saying that this is what they lived like.And I have to ask you, if you took an honest inward look at yourself, would you say that my life isgenerally characterized by a love for Jesus Christ? Or would you say my life is generallycharacterized by a love of my sin, myself, my way? Which one is it for you?Because if it's the latter, then none of these promises about heaven, none of this hope is for you.If I can have the worship team join us back up on the platform here.It is finished.It is finished. Someday, you're going to hear Jesus say those words again.For some of you, you're going to be horrified to hear him say it when he brings judgment.And for some of you, you will rejoice when you hear him say itbecause he's giving you everything, the hope of heaven.It is finished. Today, today, we hear those words from the cross.So if you have received Jesus Christ, your sin has been taken away. If you have received JesusChrist, he rose from the dead to give you eternal life. And if you have received Jesus Christ,you do not need to wait for heaven to rejoice in him. So let's stand and let's celebrate himfor who he is and all that he's done. Let's rejoice in the victory of Jesus Christ. Small Group DiscussionRead Romans 8:16-17, Revelation 21:1-8What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What are some wrong ideas about heaven that even many Christians believe?What is an aspect of heaven covered in Revelation 21 that was new or surprising to you?What does it mean that we are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17)? What exactly do we inherit?BreakoutPray for one another.

How Suffering Serves God's Purposes in our Lives  A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.   A longing  A Leaving A Likeness Romans 8:18-30 NKJV From Suffering to Glory 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Keys to Living Victorious A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.   Different Worlds Fleshly mindset vs. a spiritual mindset A deathlike existence vs. a vital existence A rebellious lifestyle vs. a life of peace  A life of pleasing self vs pleasing God Defining Words Guidance Intimacy Assurance Value  Romans 8:5-17 NKJV 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Sonship Through the Spirit 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.   For more information about Victory Church visit our website, www.victorychurchri.com or our Facebook page     

Service begins with Kourtney and Alex Kearney dedicating their baby Raelynn Sue Kearney to the Lord. Pastor John continues in Romans 8, reminding us despite how hard life may seem, any sufferings we go through now pales to the glory God has in store for His children. All of us, even creation, wait in great expectation for the beauty to come. Yet we are not alone in this time of frustration - the Lord's Spirit Himself gives us help as He works in and on us.

The Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Bible in a Year: Leviticus 23-24 & Mark 1:1-22 

Sometimes, you come to God in prayer and just don't have the words. The need feels too big, too overwhelming. What do you even say?The good news? You're never praying alone.Before Jesus left this earth, He made a promise: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” -John 14:16That Helper is the Holy Spirit, and He is always with you, even in your prayers.Romans 8:26 reminds us, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with wordless groanings.” That means even when you can't find the words, the Holy Spirit speaks on your behalf, bringing your needs before God in ways deeper than you can imagine.So if you ever feel stuck in prayer, know this: You don't have to have the perfect words. God already knows your heart, and the Spirit is right there, lifting up your prayers - even the ones you don't know how to say.

This passage of the book of Proverbs starts with the wellspring that God waters us with. Such wellspring Christ spoke of during His ministry, saying that no one will thirst if they rely on this wellspring to quench them all the days of their lives. This wellspring is nothing short of the fruit of the Spirit Himself. Those of love, joy, peace and excitement over every day as it is a gift from God. The passage then splits up into speaking regarding a fork in the road that separates pleasantness and maliciousness. Highlighting that we become human when we are described as prudent. Such prudence dominates over one's life in the way he labors. The source of his life becomes God, who is His only Provider.

Welcome, Warriors, to The Power of God's Whisper Podcast. Today, we're diving into the power of Scripture in spiritual warfare. The Word of God isn't just ink on paper—it's a divine weapon, a sword forged by the Spirit Himself. When the enemy attacks, how do we stand firm? By wielding the Sword of the Spirit with boldness and authority.Our springboard for today's discussion is:"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." — Ephesians 6:17When Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness, He didn't argue, negotiate, or panic. He responded with, “It is written.” Every attack from Satan was met with the unshakable truth of God's Word (Matthew 4:1-11). He showed us that Scripture isn't just for reading—it's for battle.The enemy thrives on deception, but the Word of God is a sword that cuts through every lie. When doubt whispers, declare Romans 8:37—“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” When fear creeps in, stand on Isaiah 41:10—“Fear not, for I am with you.” When temptation strikes, resist with 1 Corinthians 10:13—“God will provide a way of escape.”Speaking God's Word aloud isn't just a practice—it's warfare. It builds faith, strengthens the spirit, and pushes back the darkness. Every believer has access to this weapon. The question is—are you using it?Question of the Day: What Scripture do you declare in times of spiritual battle?Let's Pray: Lord, arm us with Your Word. Teach us to wield the Sword of the Spirit with wisdom and authority. Let Scripture be our defense against every attack of the enemy. In Jesus' name, Amen.Let's Get to Work!My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Erik Jones discusses Romans 8:16-17—“The Spirit Himself [itself, King James Version] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

That impulse in our souls to pray—to find our knees; to stammer out the words—grows from an early, dim awareness of just how much we need the grace of God. We pray because we cannot fix our world or ourselves. We kneel because we're powerless to heal sick children, pay the bills, or mend unhealthy marriages. We call out as we weep for all the clash between our living and God's giving. And even that first impulse is itself a gift of grace: “For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom 8:26). To pray is to align with grace—to ask for and invite “the Love that will not let us go” to have more sway, more rule, more reach, more play. And so the simplest prayers are always best: “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner” unblocks the flow of saving grace that restores lives and reforms nations. What we call grace is simply letting God do what has always been His joy to do: love us, hold us; heal us; keep us. We are latecomers to His kindness. Grace precedes our first impulse to seek it. Now stay in it. -Bill KNott

Friday, 27 December 2024   that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Matthew 6:4   “that your compassionateness – it may be in secret. And your Father, the ‘seeing in the secret,' He will reward you in the revealed” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told His disciples that when they were doing charitable deeds that they were not to let their left know what the right was doing. He now explains why, beginning with, “that your compassionateness – it may be in secret.”   When one's left doesn't know what his right is doing, for sure nobody else will know. It will be a complete secret. This is a new adjective to Scripture, kruptos, signifying hidden, concealed, secret, etc. It is derived from the verb kruptó, to conceal, hide, etc. One can see the etymological root of the word crypto.   When one's good deeds are so hidden away, Jesus says, “And your Father, the ‘seeing in the secret,' He will reward you in the revealed.”   He describes God as seeing all things. If something is secreted away, and yet God is the ‘seeing in the secret,' it shows that He is omnipresent. There is nothing God is not completely aware of. This would also touch upon His omniscience. Elsewhere of God, it says that God “tests the hearts and minds” (Psalm 7:9). Likewise, it says of the Lord –   “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10   And more, in Revelation 2:23, confirming Jesus' deity, it says –   “...I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.”   If God the Father sees in the secret and rewards in the revealed, and God tests the hearts and minds, and the Lord (Yehovah) searches the heart and mind and gives every man according to his ways, and Jesus searches the minds and hearts and gives according to one's works, the Bible is clearly and unambiguously telling us that Jesus is God. Were it not so, such statements would be the highest form of blasphemy.   And more, in Romans 8:26, 27, it says –   “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”   Not only is Jesus God, but the Spirit is God as well, thus confirming the doctrine of the Trinity. In sound theology, 1 + 1 will always equal 2.   For this verse, however, the direct point being made is that God will reward those who perform charitable deeds with a pure heart and intent. However, if the intent is to receive accolades from man, then why would God further reward such an act? None should be expected and none will be given.   Life application: Although many people take the omnipresence and omniscience of God as a frightful thing, which it rightly should be for humanity in general, believers should take this as a note of reassurance and comfort.   If God has covenanted with us through the blood of His Son, saving us by grace through faith, and if He knows every single aspect of who we are, what we have done, and what we will do – even into the future – then we should be confident that the all-seeing and all-knowing God has eternally saved us despite ourselves.   There should not be a state of constant fear of messing up and losing one's salvation. There should be great comfort and confidence because God was willing to save us in the first place. As His decrees are eternal, we can know with all certainty that we are eternally saved.   Be humble before God, but also be confident that when you have messed up, He already knew you would. God is no longer in a state of enmity with you when you are in Christ. He is in complete and eternal fellowship with you because He is in complete and eternal fellowship with Jesus, in whom you also are included –   “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:20-23   Glorious God, because of Jesus our walk with You should be one of confidence. Give us the ability to understand our place in Christ and to be reassured concerning our salvation. With that understanding, we can proceed ahead without fear, knowing that we have eternal security through the precious shed blood of Christ. Thank You for this surety we possess. Amen.

We come to the end of Ephesians today. At the beginning of his letter to these dear Christians, Paul prayed that they would come to know the significance of what it meant to be a Christian and what it meant to be the Church: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe (Eph. 1:1819a). Isnt this what we want for our own selves? To see with the eyes of our hearts the hope we have because of Gods calling, to wrap our hearts around the profound implications of what it means to belong to God as His inheritance, and to have our hearts full with the reality that the boundless greatness of the power of Almighty God now belongs to those of us who have been redeemed by Gods own Son. What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be the Church? The answer is provided for us more than 200 times in the New Testament and over 30 times in Ephesians alone; the answer given for what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be the Church is that you are a Christian and you belong to His church if you are in Christ. Before He spoke Creation into existence, God chose you and set His love upon you for the purpose that you would be holy and blameless... in Christ (1:4-6). Your sin was not so great to keep you from the love of God, for He made your salvation and redemption possible through His Son who died upon a cross for your sins and lavished His grace upon you (vv. 7-12). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit which guarantees your complete and total salvation... and He did it in Christ (vv. 13-14). Oh, dear Christian, what did you ever do to deserve so great a salvation? Nothing, because all of it was provided for you in and through Christ! The Christ who was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places is now yours (1:20-21)! The Christ who is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, the One to Whom belongs the obedience of the nations, and He who is head over all things... is now yours (vv. 22-23)! Christian, what did you do to receive Him as yours? You who were once dead in your offenses and sins, was there anything in you that warranted Gods grace? You were listed among the sons of disobedience, you lived in the lusts of your flesh, you indulged the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and because of your sins... you were categorized by the Almighty as a child of wrath (2:1-3). What was it about you that compelled God to save you instead of leaving you in your sins? It was His rich mercy, His great love, and His all-sufficient grace that made you alive in Christ (vv. 4-9). You are now in Christ, and all because of Christ! Now that you have been saved by Christ, you who were once far away have been brought near so that He is now your truth, He is now your righteousness, and He is now your peace (2:11-16). You are now united to Christ and belong to His body (4:1-32). As a member of His body, you now belong to the Bride of Christ, and because you are His Bride, Jesus is cleansing and sanctifying you through His word and the power of the Holy Spirit (5:22-32). So, when you come to Ephesians 6:10 and read: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might you should know by now where it is that you are able to find that strength. It is found... in Christ. We are strong in the Lord when we put on the full armor of God. Yet, the irony is that it is already provided because of our union in Jesus. He is our belt of truth, He is our breastplate of righteousness, He is our peace through the gospel, He is our shield of faith, He is our helmet of salvation, and He is our sword of the Spirit. We are stronger in the Lord the more we recognize our weakness and how much we need to pursue Him. Listen, the only way you will discover how weak you are is by seeing how big God is, how sufficient Jesus is as your Savior, and how powerful the Holy Spirit is as the One who is keeping you. How We Are to Pray So here is what I want to do with the remainder of our time together. First, I want to look at how we are to pray and then I hope to show you what that kind of praying is where the power of the armor of God is experienced. There are four categories of prayer that ought to be a part of our prayer life as Christians listed in Ephesians 6:18. The Greek word that is used four times in verse 18 that can be translated all or every is the Greek word, pas (ᾶ). Some versions of the Bible have chosen to translate pas as all every time it is used in verse 18, while others like new version of the NASB translate pas as every and all. In an effort to make the translation read smoothly, the NASB translates it this way: With every [pas] prayer and request, pray at all [pas] times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all [pas] perseverance and every request for all [pas] the saints... So how are we to pray? We are to pray in ALL ways to God (v. 18a). What are the ways you can pray? You can pray quietly to God. You can pray vocally to God. You can pray with groups of other Christians to God. You can pray privately to God. You can pray while prostrate on your face to God. You can pray while standing, you can pray while kneeling, and you can pray while walking. You can pray with your eyes closed, you can pray with your eyes open, and you can pray with your head bowed or lifted up. You can pray in all ways to God because of who you are in Christ. We are to pray at ALL times to God (v. 18b). You can pray in the evening to God. You can pray in the morning to God. You can pray midday to God. You can pray while suffering, while hungry, while in good health, or when in ill health. It does not matter what the circumstances are or if it is in the early morning hours or in the midnight hour... there is no time when Gods door is shut, or His time limited so that His redeemed children are not permitted to come before Him in prayer. We are to pray with ALL perseverance (v. 18c). While we pray in all ways and at all times in the Spirit, we are to do so while alert and do so persistently. We stand between the first advent and the second advent when Jesus will come again as King, until He comes again, we are to remain alert for two reasons: first, while we wait, we are in enemy territory where our adversary is categorized as a roaring lion who longs to destroy and devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Jesus told His disciples that while we wait for His return that we must, Watch out, stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is (Mark 13:33). Sinclair Ferguson said of prayer: Christ is building his church on territory that has been occupied by an enemy. Alertness is always essential when living in a war zone.[1] We are to pray for ALL the saints (v. 18d). In the same way that we pray for ourselves, we must also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ! We do not just pray for those who we agree with theologically, but for every Christian regardless of where they fellowship, what church they attend, or in what part of the world they live. This also means praying for your spouse, praying for your children, praying for your grandchildren, and anyone else in your world who believes in Jesus. When it comes to their relationship with God, God cares more about their spiritual health than you ever could, so pray expecting that God can do, far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think... (3:20) in the lives of those saints you pray for more than your imagination can come up with. There is a fifth way we are to pray: We are to pray in all ways and at all times in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the power that makes the armor of God effective so that you can stand strong, stand against the schemes of the devil, and stand firm on the evil day. The Power of the Armor of God is in Who it Belongs To To Pray in the Spirit according to Ephesians 6:18 is not to pray in tongues, that is a different type of praying addressed elsewhere in the Bible, but not here. When we pray in the Spirit, we pray with the confidence that we have access to God Almighty who spoke billions of stars into existence with just the word of His power; not only does He hear us as our Heavenly Father, but He can, do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (3:20) because we are in Christ and He is our Heavenly father. It is the kind of confidence we read about in Romans 8:14-16, For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God... Do you remember what I said about what it meant to be filled with the Holy Spirit when we covered Ephesians 4:30 and 5:18 in this sermon series? I said to be filled with the Spirit is not about you getting more of the Holy Spirit, but about the Holy Spirit getting more of you. The more of you that the Holy Spirit has, the more power of the Holy Spirit you will experience! Same is true when it comes to experiencing the strength of the Lord: the more of our hearts, the more of our obedience, and the more of our dependance He has of us... the more of His strength we will experience through His Holy Spirit. The power of the Armor of God is not in our ability to put it on but in the One who it belongs to! This brings us back full circle from what we read in the first sentence of Ephesians (1:1-14) to Ephesians 6:18-24. Conclusion The baby born on the first Christmas and laid in a manger is Christ the Lord! He who was born of a virgin, is the same One who formed Mary in her own mothers womb. The One who through whom all things were created, was laid in a manger for the purpose of carrying a cross to die for sinners. The One who lived the life we could not, to die a death we deserved is not only our Savior, but our Mediator: For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all... (1 Tim. 2:56). The Christ in the manger is ours not because of anything we have done, but because of His victory on the cross and over the grave: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8a). So, it makes perfect sense that Paul would conclude his letter with a call to all of those who are in Christ to pray in the Spirit in all ways, all the time, with all perseverance, and for all the saints because in Jesus, we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens... (Heb. 9:1). If you are a Christian, then one of the things you learn from Ephesians is that you are in Christ. To be in Christ means that you now share an unbreakable union with Christ because that union was chosen by God the Father, purchased by His Sons own blood, and sealed by His Holy Spirit. Prayer is the fruit of our union in Christ, prayer is communion we have with God, prayer is the direct access we have to God because of our union in Christ. Prayer is the power source to the strength of the Lord that is available to the Christian with the armor of God. Jesus is the belt of truth, which is your identity in Him, but the security you have with Jesus as your truth will only be as firm as your understanding and confidence that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Jesus is your breastplate of righteousness, but your confidence in Him as your righteousness will only be as firm as your confidence that His righteousness is all the righteousness that you will ever need. Jesus is the shoes of the gospel of peace, but the extent you will be able to stand firm in the gospel will only be as secure as your understanding of the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the shield of faith, but your shield will only be as large as your understanding of who He is based on how saturated your faith in the Word of God is. Jesus is the helmet of salvation, but the hope of your salvation will only be as effective as your joy in just how great your salvation really is. Jesus is the sword of the Spirit in that all the word of God points to Him, but your ability to wield the truth of Gods word will only be as effective as you are willing to use it. Prayer is what happens when you understand how weak you are and how big God really is. Prayer is the evidence that we are growing in our relationship with Christ! Sam Allberry, in his excellent book, One with My Lord, put it this way: Growth in the Christian life is needing God more, not needing him less. So we will be doing more asking over the years, not less asking. We dont grow out of prayer, just further into it.[2] This is why it is only fitting that Paul would conclude his epistle with the appeal to pray at all times! The more we seek God out of a growing awareness of our weakness, the more like Jesus we will become. Again Sam Allberry is spot on: Prayer is not about bending God to our wills but about expressing our own wills as they are being bent to his.[3] Here is the thing though: Our union in Christ is not dependent upon our performance as Christians. Our union in Christ was, is, and forever will be dependent upon the life and faithfulness of Jesus. To the extent that we depend upon Him will determine just how much of our hearts He really has, and to the extent of how much of our minds, our hearts, and our will that He has will determine just how much of His power we will experience in our lives. You will never be less in Him than you already are, but His power will only be experienced in and through your life to the extent of how much of you Jesus really has. So, my question to you dear Christian is simply this: How much of you does Jesus really have? Oh, dear brother... oh, dear sister in Christ, do you not want to see with the eyes of your heart the hope of His calling, the riches of His inheritance, and know the power of the Holy Spirit (1:18-19a)? Do you not want to know the joy of a life built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as your chief cornerstone (2:20)? Do you not long for the kind of life that comes out of comprehending the width and length and height and depth of what you have in Christ (3:14-19)? Are you not tired of the cheap thrills this world offers when it is through Christ that you can know the kind of satisfaction that comes with walking in a manner worthy of the calling in which you have been called (4:1-3)? If you understood your union in Christ, you would seek to enjoy the unity we are called to with those who belong to His Church (4:4-6). If you understood what it is that you share with Christ, you would desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit instead of looking for ways to grieve Him (4:30; 5:18). Oh, because of the great redemption you now enjoy, do you not hate the things that displease Him (5:1-13)? Do you not want to come out of this life smelling like the sweet aroma of Christ; can you not hear the Holy Spirits call upon your life at this very moment: Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (5:14)? To be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (6:10), the ability to stand firm against the devils schemes, and to be able to resist when the evil day comes... will only be experienced more frequently when you see just how weak you are and how sufficient Christ is in all things, in all ways, for all times, and for all people! In so doing, may we be known for our love for Jesus and in the way we live for Him and serve those around us. [1] Sinclair Ferguson, Lets Study Ephesians (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust; 2021), p. 186. [2] Sam Allberry, One With My Lord (Weaton, IL: Crossway; 2024), p. 151 [3] Sam Allberry, One With My Lord (Weaton, IL: Crossway; 2024), p. 152.

Pastor Jeremy | BFBC-Glendive | Sunday Eph 2 - In a position to win ● You used to be: dead in trespasses, walking the way the world walks, ruled by the lust of your flesh & mind, children of wrath, without Christ, aliens, strangers, hopeless, without God, far off, separated, strangers, foreigners, against God ● You are now: Alive, loved, together, raised up, seated, saved, His workmanship, near, at peace with God, new, reconciled, have access to God, citizens, members of the household of God, a dwelling place for God Col 2:11-15 - Free to Win 1. He has made us alive together with Him. 2. He has forgiven us of our sins, set us free from the captivity of sin, and Jude says it this way that God is able to keep us from stumbling. 3. New Living says it this way “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” 4. He has disarmed principalities and powers. You might say it this way “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” or maybe you like the way 1] Psalms 91 says it “no evil will befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, for the Lord has given His angels charge over me and they keep me in all my ways” Ability to Win Ez. 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 1. John 14, 15, &16 The Helper 2. 1 Cor 2 The Mind of Christ 3. Romana 8 God's in YOU!!! Purposed to Win Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Empowered to Win Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ● Authority (empowerment): power that's been given to someone to do something with. ● Interesting that a serpent attacks with their heads, and scorpions attack with their tails. ● Whether you see it coming or not, God has still given us power to overcome. We Have the Coms to Win 1. Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 2. John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Romans:  “The just shall live by faith” (1:17).  “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17). “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (4:20-21). “we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (5:3-5). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (8:1).  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace… So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (8:5-8).  “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (8:11).  “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father'. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (8:14-17).  “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with perseverance” (8:24-25).  1 Corinthians:  “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1:27-28). “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (2:14). “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (3:1-3). “If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness,' and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.'” (3:18-20). “For all things are yours: whether… the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's” (3:21-23).  “For the form of this world is passing away” (7:31). “But I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (9:27). “Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (13:12).  “Whatever is not of faith is sin” (14:13).  “There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (15:40-44).  2 Corinthians:  “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (1:20). “But their (the children of Israel's) minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (3:14-18). “we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (4:18).  “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked” (5:2-3).  “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (5:7).  “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (5:17). “That though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (8:9).  “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when you're obedience is fulfilled” (10:3-6).  Galatians:  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (2:20).  “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”(3:2-3). “therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (3:5).  “So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham” (3:9).  “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (3:13-14).  “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (3:29).  “Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through promise, which things are symbolic… so then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.” (4:22, 31).  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (5:1).  “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (5:6).  “I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (5:16-18).  “Now the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (5:22-25).  “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (6:8-9).  Ephesians:  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (1:3-6).  “that… the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (1:18-19).  “and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (2:6).  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (2:10).  “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (3:17-19).  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph 3:20).  “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ” (4:14-15): so this kind of being “tossed about” and easily led astray or deceived is a trait of children in the faith “you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (4:17-19). “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (4:20-24).  “For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord” (5:8-10).  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (6:12-18). Philippians “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (2:12). “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (3:3-9).  “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:13-14).  “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (4:6-7). “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (4:8).  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (4:13). “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (4:19).  Colossians “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (1:15-17). “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27). “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (2:6-7).  “If then you were raised with Christ. seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (3:1-3).  “you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (3:9-11). 2 Thessalonians “that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:11-12).  Hebrews:  “upholding all things by the word of His power” (1:3). “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (2:11). “they could not enter in (to the Promised Land) because of unbelief” (3:19).  Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it… for we who have believed do enter that rest” (4:1, 3). “the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (4:2).  “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (4:9-11). “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (4:12).  “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:16).  “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (6:11-12). “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.' And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil” (6:13-19). “We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man” (8:1-2).  “For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain'” (8:4-5).  “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (9:24). “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh” (10:19-20) “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (10:23).  “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (10:35-36).  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (11:1).  “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (11:3).  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (11:6). "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going… for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (11:8, 10).  “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore” (11:11-12).  “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (11:16). “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (12:1-2).   “now He has promised, saying ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this, ‘Yet once more' indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (12:26-29).  “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” (13:2).  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (13:8).  “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (13:15).  James “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (1:2-8).  “For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its lower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits” (1:11). “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (1:17). “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (5:7-8).  1 Peter “though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls” (1:6-9).  “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (2:24). 2 Peter  “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (1:3-4). “for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound. you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:5-8).  “saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.' For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (3:4-7). “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (3:10-13).  “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (3:14).  1 John “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (2:15-17). “If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (3:21-22).  “as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (4:17-18).  “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (5:4-5). “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (5:14-15). Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Mama, God is your Abba Father. He loves you more than you could ever know on this side of heaven, and He has great plans for your life. "All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!' 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—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." Romans 8:14-17 Read this devotional HERE!Check out our NEW November Mothering Kit Community HERE!For more information about our ministry, visit our website http://helpclubformoms.comCheck out our YouVersion plans HERE!Our prayer team prays for you everyday! Send us your prayer requests at admin@helpclubformoms.com.Gift to the podcast to help sweet moms around the world receive these free devotionals! We are so thankful for your help!

Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can connect with God because it aligns our hearts with His. In this episode, Dot shares practical tips to encourage your prayer life, from setting aside intentional time, to praying Scripture and journaling. She reminds us that prayer is about being honest and real with God, no matter where you are on your journey. Grab your Bible, start by writing down Romans 8:14-16, and join us as we dive into the beauty and power of connecting with God through prayer.Got a question about today's episode or something else you'd like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! Episode recap:Start by writing down Romans 8:14-16 (0:14)Prayer is powerful, but it's not a weapon used to manipulate God (3:36)Prayer is powerful because we are aligning our will with God's (6:30)We pray as children of God, in the Spirit and in the Truth (9:17)Unanswered prayers provide an opportunity for us to say, ‘I'm going to stick with you, God' (14:08) There's no wrong way to pray if you are a child of God (16:15)Jesus died so that we could enter into the presence of a holy God and talk with him, it's sad that we don't (23:30)Setting aside specific time to pray can be helpful if you are new to prayer (25:10)You can pray the prayers we find in the Bible and personalize them (30:14)Journaling our prayers is a way to remind us of what God has done (32:45)Praise music is another way to pray. Don't just listen, take the lyrics and pray them. (35:44)It's okay if you don't know what to say. Start by sitting there and saying hello. (38:00)Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook Scripture Verse: Romans 8:14-16 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”