Our Blog

Spare Change - November 2022

Living a Spirit-filled Life
Being a Spirit filled Christian is an important part of our faith. This is something we should strive for daily. This ideal seeks to shape us in the process of sanctification; however, we must not confuse being Spirit filled with being Spirit indwelled.  Every born-again Christian who has experienced the redemption found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ has been indwelled with the Holy Spirit. This is the same Spirit which was promised by Jesus to help us in all that we do as believers (John 14:16-17). The real question is if we recognize that He is in us and if we cooperate with Him. This is what being filled by the Spirit is all about. Paul explains this in Ephesians 5:18-21:

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

The idea here is that we are repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit.  Wayne Grudem describes it like this, “…it is appropriate to understand the filling with the Holy Spirit not as a one-time event but as an event that can occur over and over again in a Christian’s life. It may involve a momentary empowering for a specific ministry, but it may also refer to a long-term characteristic of a person’s life.” (Systematic Theology, 782). Christians are called to continually be Spirit filled and to renew that filling if we find ourselves off-track or backslidden. The big question is how do we become Spirit filled? Paul gives us a plan that results in a Spirit filled life:

1. Empty Yourself of the World (5:1-17) - It is hard to fill a glass that is already full of something else. Paul uses
   Ephesians 5:1-17 to emphasize the fact that we need to rid our lives of worldly attitudes, thoughts, and actions. Take a moment to read this entire passage and think about what things need to be emptied out of your life.
   
   2. An Outward Attitude of Worship (5:19) - We should have a worshipful attitude toward everyone we meet. This is to be taken literally and figuratively. One sure fire way to engage with the Spirit is to sing songs of praise and worship to the Lord and talk about Him with other believers.
   
   3. An Inward Attitude of Worship (5:19) - Our inward attitude should match our outward actions. We can’t just sing songs of praise, we must internalize them and sing them to the Lord. Making a melody to the Lord with our heart is about having a close relationship with the Lord. That’s what an attitude of Spirit filled worship does for us.
   
   4.An Attitude of Thanksgiving (5:20) - It is amazing how much better you feel when you express an attitude of
   thanksgiving. There is something about gratitude that just makes us feel better. It helps us to draw close to God and
   relate better to those around us. Start by making a list of all that you are thankful for. You might find that you run out of paper before you run out of things to be thankful for.
   
   5.An Attitude of Submission (5:21) - Jesus is our authority. Every Christian should walk in submission to Him. However, if we say we submit to the Lordship of Christ but refuse to walk in humility, forgiveness, and love toward one another then we are not truly honoring Him. Mutual submission among believers is submission to the Lord. All our relationships should be marked by this type of living. This is what it means to live a Spirit filled life.

Student Ministry - November 2022

Dear Church Family,

How can we know God’s plan for our lives? The short answer is that we cannot know it for certain, not in advance. We can only live it day by day, step by step. The key to walking according to God’s plan and following God’s direction is faithfully obeying His word. This means that as we have good and natural desires in life, and as circumstances of life come our way, we must act upon them as God has directed us to act in His word. We trust that what He says is right and brings about the desired outcome; His good plan for our lives. And it is as we, by the grace of Christ, trust God and are faithful to do what He says that we find Him to be glorious and amazing. We find that God is our greatest good in life, and it is only beside Him and through Him that we live out His good plan for our lives.

But what this means is that there are many times we will have to obey the word of God, trusting in His promises, without fully knowing exactly how things will all end up. Sometimes as circumstances or desires arise, obedience to God’s word will require drastic change. Sometimes it will cost us comfort. Sometimes it will push us beyond our limits and abilities. Sometimes we won’t like it. But in those moments we have to ask ourselves who we truly trust.

Psalm 119:105-112 has always been such an important passage of scripture to me. Read it carefully and see if you can tell just how much the author loves God and trusts what He says.

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.
107 I am exceedingly afflicted; b Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
108 O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your ordinances.
109 My a life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts.
111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end. 

Notice how the human author recognizes that God’s word is what gives him direction without showing him the entire road ahead. Notice that he is in dire straits, but he will not stray from following God’s path and obeying His word. He knows God is his greatest good, so he has prioritized obeying God above everything else in life. It is in doing this that he will end up where God wants Him, when God wants him there. Many times we worry so much about where God wants us to be many years in the future that we fail to do what God wants right now. We need to reverse that mindset and be more like the author of this Psalm.

So what are ways you need to be faithful to God right now? What are some changes you might need to make to be more in line with His word? If you purpose within yourself to pursue obedience to (which is really just a whole hearted trust in) His word, then you will live out His plan for you. So don’t worry too much about being faithful tomorrow, just focus on being obedient today. God will take care of the details of life for you if you simply trust and obey.