What Kind of Spiritual Fruit Is God Growing in Us?

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March 3, 2018

Week 1 – Fruits of the Spirit Introduction

Day 5 – Known by our Fruits

“ “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Matt. 7:15 – 20 (NASB)

Have you ever had the chance to pick fresh fruit, right off the vine or tree?  Maybe at a local orchard or berry picking farm, or maybe even your own backyard?  Or a weekly Farmer’s Market that offered just-harvested locally grown fruits and vegetables?

Maybe you live where apple trees are in abundance and fall harvest is one of your favorite times of the year.  You might be in an area where the summer months are spent picking berries or buying them at your favorite roadside produce stand.  Perhaps you live in a region that is blessed with fresh citrus fruits in the middle of winter.  Or, maybe you don’t have an abundance of fresh fruits growing near your home, but you savor the bounty of apples, oranges, melons, grapes and berries that are found in your local market.

Most of us enjoy fruits and you probably even have a favorite fruit or two.  You might have sweet memories associated with fruit – watermelons and fireworks on the Fourth of July, juicy grapes, ruby red strawberries and sweet cherries ushering in the slower days of summer, bananas or apples packed in your lunch bag as you headed back to school, a bowl of wiggly cranberry jelly on the Thanksgiving table or perhaps an orange in your Christmas stocking!

Yet have you ever had a piece of fruit that was either not yet ripe or that was spoiled and not good to eat?  It’s always a bit discouraging when you think you have the perfect apple only to see that it’s discolored and rotten on the inside.  Or to peel an orange and discover that it is unripe and nearly absent of flavor and juice.

It’s a frustrating contradiction that the fruit often looks healthy and edible from the outside and it is only when we see the inside of the fruit that we realize the fruit is bad and neither fit nor wise to be eaten.

In one of the parables that Jesus used to teach the disciples about false prophets, He likened them to ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing and compared them to fruit trees which yield bad fruit.  He asked the disciples a rhetorical question that encouraged them to think of the abundant fruits in their area – grapes and figs.

Grapes grow on the vine, not in thorn bushes and figs ripen on trees, not thistles.  Jesus reminded the disciples that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. (Matt. 7:15-20)

His teaching, revealed to the disciples and Christ’s followers in an allegorical parable, is as relevant today as it was then.

In the parable of good and bad fruit, Jesus is reminding us that a good and healthy tree will bear good and healthy fruit that will bless and nourish people.  Yet an unhealthy, diseased or distressed fruit tree is not able to bear anything other than bad and unhealthy fruit that is not suitable for eating.

Jesus compares human beings to fruit trees and uses this analogy to help us understand that we can only bear good fruit if we are living a life that pleases and honors God.  If we are disobeying God, living outside of His will and refusing to follow Christ, we cannot expect that our life will reflect the goodness and hope that we find only in Christ and we cannot expect to bear good fruit.

We need to remember that appearances can be deceiving.  A fruit that looks good on the outside can be rotten and dead on the inside.

A fruit tree that looks like a healthy and normal fruit tree may in fact be diseased or may have been planted in soil that prevents it from producing good, nurturing fruit.

God calls us to look within ourselves so that we can be certain we are healthy and able to grow  fruit that is beneficial to us and others.  We must be living in obedience to God for the Holy Spirit to grow good fruit in us.

Jesus does not want us to be hypocrites – to look one way on the outside but to be different on the inside.  He doesn’t want us to look good for the sake of appearance and status.

He wants to change us from the inside out – to reconcile our outside and inside with His plan for our lives.

He wants us to be planted in the nutrient-rich soil of the Trinity – to be grounded in Him and to have deep roots in our Heavenly Father, in Christ and in the Holy Spirit.

Just as fruit trees need good soil, life-sustaining water, abundant sunshine and regular pruning and tending, so do we need God’s provisions to grow strong and healthy.

Jesus wants us to receive His Living Water – water that will refresh and restore us so that we can grow abundant fruit that will bless Him and all of the world.

He wants us to receive His Son’s light – the life-changing light of His Son.  Just as a fruit tree, vine or plant needs the sun to grow strong and healthy, so do we need the light of God’s Son to grow and thrive.  We need time spent in prayer, fellowship, worship and studying God’s Word on a regular and consistent basis.

And we must allow ourselves to be regularly pruned, refined and tended to by God, the Master Gardener.  He knows what we need and what we don’t need.  At times, He may prune us in ways that feel painful and difficult.  We may not understand why He is allowing a trial or challenge in our lives – and yet, He knows what He is doing and we must trust Him.  He has a purpose for each of us and there are fruits He wants to grow in us that He knows will be useful to others and will glorify Him.  And He knows that at times, He must prune, trim and train us to grow strong and useful, able to bear good fruit.

In John 15, Jesus compares Himself to the vine and His followers to the branches of the vine.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:1-5 NASB)

We must choose to abide in Jesus and allow Him to abide in us if we are to bear fruit.  The Holy Spirit will teach us and help us make choices in our lives that allow us to grow and thrive in ways that will glorify God and be a blessing to others – and create a place in us for the Holy Spirit to cultivate His fruits of the Spirit.

God wants to grow healthy, strong and nourishing fruit in us.  He knows that we need the fruits of the Spirit – these are characters and qualities that are reflective of God’s nature.  When these fruits are growing in us, it is visible evidence of the power of God in us through His Son.

When healthy and abundant fruits of the Spirit are growing in us, the world can tangibly see God’s love as we share the spiritual fruits God is developing in us.  Just like good fruit that is healthy, nutritious and delicious, these spiritual fruits can then bless and nourish a world hungry and in need of good and nurturing fruits.

As we walk with God, follow Christ and obey the Holy Spirit’s guidance, God works in us to grow good fruit that blesses those around us and which encourages others to draw close to God and which invites them to learn more about who God is and how He is working in our lives.

When we live in a way that is different from the way the world lives, people notice.

When our spiritual fruit is available to a hurting world in the form of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, the world sees that there is something different in us.

Imagine the opposite of each of the fruits of the Spirit – those are the fruits of this world and of Satan.  It is bad fruit that will destroy, discourage and devastate.  Sadly, this is the fruit that we so often see in the news, in social media, around the world and even in our own communities.

Our healthy, good and delicious fruit offers the world a glimpse of God’s goodness.  When the world sees us living for God and others, people want to know more.  They want to know how we can persevere and be glad, even when we face struggles and challenges.  When we respond gently and extend grace and mercy to others, God will use that to draw the lost and hurting to Him.  When we live with peace and joy, we are able to show people who Christ is in us and how His Holy Spirit is changing and growing us into fruit that gives life and hope.

When Jesus was explaining the parable of the Vine and branches, He said this:

“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

(Jn. 15:8 NASB)

As we bear good fruit, this fruit can then be shared with a hurting world as we serve God and others.  We bring glory to God when we bear abundant fruit and we represent Jesus and prove ourselves to be His disciples when we allow the Holy Spirit to grow His fruit in us.  Our plentiful spiritual harvest of fruit may look like the face of Jesus to a lost soul, to someone who is looking for hope and peace and seeking to know God personally.

What about fruit that looks good on the outside – but on the inside it is rotten and bad?  You thought it was one thing, but after you were able to see the inside of the fruit, you were disappointed to find it wasn’t what you expected at all.

How amazing it is to consider that God anticipated these questions we might have – and He gave us His Word in which He speaks to us to encourage, comfort and help us through His parables, prophecies, history, poetry, wisdom, epistles and Gospels.

God knew that there would be hypocrites and Pharisees – those who say one thing and do another, people who look healthy and good on the outside, but on the inside they are filled with evil and hate.  Jesus repeatedly confronted their hypocrisy and fancy fruit attitudes.  Over and over again, He called them out when they were acting holy and pious yet really were filled with judgment, envy and contempt.  He exposed them and revealed their hearts, as only God can do.

““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt. 23:27-28, NASB)

We must be vigilant to walk in a way that honors God and which follows Christ’s teachings.  We are to be a city on the hill, a light shining brightly in a dark world, showing people the way to Jesus. (Matt. 5:14-16)

To be the City on the Hill, we must be a City on our Knees – a people praying and seeking God’s will and purposing to love and serve God and others.  We should endeavor each day to ask God how He wants to use us and ask that He would send us where He needs and wants us to go, that He would give us our assignments for that day and that we would be faithful to fulfill them.

As Billy Graham said so many times at his crusades, none of us knows if God will call us home this very day.  We may not get another chance to share the Gospel with someone.  God directs our steps and He may choose to place us in the path of someone who needs directions to the Highway to Heaven before the sun sets this evening.

We must be prepared to share our hope in Christ with others in a loving and respectful way.  God doesn’t want us to be obnoxious or rude in sharing Christ – He wants us to be filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit so that we can tell people about Him using the talents and gifts He has given us and so that we are equipped to share His truth in love.

Even in the most mundane activities of our days, God wants to use us to be His hands and feet to encourage, edify and strengthen fellow believers while also pointing the lost to our hope in Christ.

We as followers of Christ must be diligent to live honorably and righteously.

People are watching us.  They want to know that we are different – that we practice what we preach, that we walk the talk.

When the world sees people who call themselves Christians acting sinfully, ugly, selfishly, judgmentally, with hate-filled hearts, hurtfully and callously – in a word, hypocritically – the world often responds with contempt and disgust and may even choose to reject Christ because of how people who claim to be His followers act and live.

In Proverbs, there is a verse that reminds us that we have a calling of holiness, righteousness, integrity and character as children of God and as followers of Christ. We must be ever mindful that the world is watching us.

 “Like a trampled spring and a polluted well
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” (Prov. 25:26 NASB)

 

We must live lives above reproach and we must consistently make righteous and honorable choices.  We must be willing and able to share Jesus’s Living Water with a thirsty world.  Nobody would give a filthy cup of water filled with dirt and bacteria for drinking water.  Yet, if as followers of Christ our lives and witnesses are polluted with unrighteous attitudes, words, lifestyles and behaviors, we will not be able to offer the Living Water of Christ to a world thirsty for God’s righteousness.

To share the Gospel, we must live the Gospel.

If we are in the habit of saying one thing and doing another, our witness becomes dirty, contaminated and unhealthy to share with others, just as a trampled spring or polluted well offers only filthy water that will not refresh or restore, and may even cause damage and destruction to those who drink from it.

If people who call themselves Christians fail to obey God’s leading, ignore Christ’s teachings and lead lives in which the Holy Spirit is not able to grow mature spiritual fruit, the world will take notice.

Unfortunately, the world will likely decide that it doesn’t want anything to do with Christianity because of the actions of a handful of people who call themselves Christians but don’t live like Christ or follow His teachings.

Have you heard or read the quote below?  It’s at the beginning of DC Talk’s “What If I Stumble?” and it so perfectly captures the great need for us to make sure we walk the talk and practice what we preach.

 

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” — Brennan Manning

 

 

In one of His final teachings before His crucifixion, death and resurrection, Jesus specifically taught His followers to be aware of and careful with regard to the Pharisees and hypocrites among them.  Throughout Matthew 23, Jesus condemns the Pharisees and exposes their hearts so that His followers can see them as He sees them.

“Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” (Matt. 23:1-3, NASB)

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matt. 23:23-24, NASB)

 

We have a responsibility as Christ-followers to make sure that we consider our words and deeds, knowing that the world is watching.

The lost want to know how we handle conflict, loss, grief, trials, temptations and disappointment.

In all things – big and small – the world is watching followers of Christ.

When they see a car with an Icthys sticker cut in line or drive recklessly, they are watching.

When they see church members insult and attack entire groups of people in prejudiced and bigoted ways, they are watching.

When they see church people say one thing and do another, they are watching.

When they see churchgoers excuse and justify the sexual sins of elected officials, athletes and entertainers, they are watching.

When they hear Christians slander, insult, disparage and attack the vulnerable, the hurting and the lost, they are listening.

When they hear and see religious folks living lives filled with hate and racism, they are listening and watching – and quite rightly, they don’t like what they hear or see.

This is a weighty and difficult subject.  It breaks our hearts.  And it seems that it would break the heart of God to see His children hurting each other and failing to live the life of love that He commanded us to when Jesus taught that we are to love God and love our neighbor.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:36-40 NASB)

We must live like followers of Christ if we are going to call ourselves followers of Christ.

If that means we all need to take a closer look at the red words Jesus said, then we will all be better, stronger and wiser for it.

We must realize that the world is watching and listening to us.

They want to know why following Jesus changes lives.

They want to see that we are different, perhaps because they desperately want to know a different way of life.

We must show them why Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (Jn. 14:6)

We need to be salt and light to this lost world and our deeds must match our words.

We must ask the Holy Spirit to so fill our lives, hearts, souls and minds that He is able to grow a harvest of abundant, healthy and good fruit – fruit that we can then offer to the world with open hearts and open hands.

We must make a declaration and invitation to the world as David did in Psalm 34,

“O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Ps. 34:8, NASB)

We must live as though not only the world is watching us, but as though Jesus is watching us.  Because He is.

Together, let us seek to bring glory to our Father in heaven by choosing to follow Christ and by obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Let us pray that God would change our hearts from the inside out, that His Holy Spirit would grow abundant, good and healthy spiritual fruits in our lives and that God would use these fruits of the Spirit to encourage others, and most importantly, to draw the lost and the hurting to the love and peace we find only in our Savior.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:             

Please continue to pray for the Parkland community and all those who have been affected by gun violence.

Bible Memory Verse:                       

Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit of the Week:                            

Oranges, a fruit grown in Florida, to remind us to pray for all those affected by the school shooting in Florida, including the families, the students, first responders and all of the community.

Discipline:                                         

Sacrifice during Lent – Why do we sacrifice to God         during Lent and at other times in the year?

 

 

1.What do you think the opposite of each of the Fruits of the Spirit is?

Write them across from the spiritual fruits listed below:

 

Spiritual Fruit                                                                    Opposite

 

Love

 

Joy

 

Peace

 

Patience

 

Kindness

 

Goodness

 

Faithfulness

 

Gentleness

 

Self-Control

 

  1. Look at the list of spiritual fruits. Ask God to show you some fruits that are healthy and good in your life.  List those under “Ripe Fruits.”

 

Ask God to reveal to you fruits that He is growing in you but aren’t yet completely ripe.  List these under “Still Growing.”

 

Finally, ask God to show you at least one fruit that He wants to grow in your life but which is not yet visible for the world to see and benefit from this spiritual fruit in your life.  List this fruit(s) under “Time to Plant.”

 

Ripe Fruits

 

 

Still Growing

 

 

Time to Plant

 

 

 

 

  1. What is one thing you can do right now and over the next month that would prepare your heart for the Holy Spirit to plant and grow new spiritual fruit in you?

 

 

 

 

Just as a farmer prepares the soil of his land for planting, so God prepares the soil of our souls so that the fruit He plants in us can grow strong and healthy.

Is there something you can do to prepare your heart and soul for the continued growth of spiritual fruit?  Is there a behavior God is calling you to let go of?  Perhaps there is a habit of prayer or Bible study that God is calling you to add to your life?  Are there any lifestyle changes that God is using the Holy Spirit to convict you about so that he can remove the rocks and weeds and/or add life-giving nutrients so as to cultivate and prepare healthy soil in which to plant His spiritual fruit?  As God leads you, consider writing down some changes He may be calling you to make in your life today so that strong and good spiritual fruit can grow in the days ahead.

 

 

Spend a few minutes in prayer with God and ask Him if there is a specific fruit that He wants to grow in you at this time.  Ask Him to help you see your soul through His eyes – to see a place where He wants to grow and strengthen you and plant an abundant crop of spiritual fruit in you so that He can be made more visible to the people in your life.  Ask Him to show you how He wants to use you in the months and years ahead – and if there is a Fruit of the Spirit that He wants to strengthen in you so that you can be more useful and glorifying to Him.

Ask Him to help you make the changes He is calling you to and ask Him for His power and strength to obey Him, even when it is difficult.

We will talk more about seeking this “new” spiritual fruit in the weeks ahead, so please continue to be in prayer with God about whether there is something new that He wants to do in and through you – and which spiritual fruit He might be seeking to plant today so that you would yield a harvest of blessings for God and His Kingdom in the days ahead.

 

  1. What is your response to hypocrisy in the church? How can we as Christ-followers make sure that we live a life that is above reproach so that the world sees Christ-followers living a life that seeks to honor God?  None of us is perfect and all of us will make mistakes.  But God does call us to seek to obey and follow Him and to confess our sins, to repent and return to Him and make restitution when appropriate.  He wants us to ask Him for His help so that we can get back up and continue on our journey with Him when we do fall.

Where do you see hypocrisy in the church and in the world today?

 

 

Can you think of any recent news story as an example of hypocrisy – a person saying one thing and doing another, or claiming to live one way but in reality they were doing the opposite and just wearing a mask?

 

 

 

When we see hypocrisy in the church, how do you think we should address it?

 

 

Often in the Bible, we see how Jesus asked questions of the Pharisees when they tried to trick and trap Him.  Christ was often gentle, even in confrontations with the religious leaders who sought to destroy Him.

Below are some verses that are examples of how Jesus questioned Pharisees when He confronted them.  Choose at least one of these Scripture passages to read.

In the space below, write how Jesus confronted the Pharisees in this situation in your selected verses.

Matt. 12:1-7

 

Matt. 12:8-21

 

Matt. 15:1-9

 

Matt. 21:23-27

 

Mk. 3:1-6

 

Mk. 11:27-33

 

Mk. 12:13-17

 

Lk. 5:21-26

 

Lk. 6:1-11

 

Lk. 13:10-17

 

Jn. 8:1-11

 

Jn. 9:1-7

 

Jn. 10:22-42

 

How can we as followers of Christ ask questions as a way to further understanding and awareness?   Using Christ’s model of asking questions rather than debating or making accusations, how can we as Christ-followers engage with unbelievers and/or fellow Christians who are living and acting in ways that contradict Christ’s teachings?

 

 

  1. What do you think is the most important issue in our society right now? Is there a role for Christians in helping to address, discuss and assist with resolving this issue?  How can the church play a role in improving this issue?

 

 

Is there a role that God is calling you to take in this issue?  Are there steps you could take to get involved and make a difference in our community and culture?

 

  1. How is God calling you to get more involved in His world today? It may be getting more involved in your marriage and family, taking a leadership role at work or in the community, serving at your church, volunteering for a cause or issue that is important to you, confronting a fear or insecurity that you struggle with or some other way God is speaking to you to bring about change in the world today.

 

 

Spend some time in the next few days asking God for clarity and confirmation about how He might be leading you today.  The Bible teaches us that when we pray in God’s will (not for what we want, but submitting to what He wants and trusting Him, even if we don’t understand what He is doing), He answers and helps us.  God wants to use each of us and the spiritual fruits He is growing in us to bless others, glorify Him and equip us to be ambassadors of the King of Kings to this world.

 

Ask God to show you steps you can take in the short term and long term to get more involved and allow spiritual fruit He has planted and is growing in you to be made available for others to grow from as well!

 

 

 

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”

 

 

 

 

 

Welcoming the Holy Spirit in our Lives

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February 27, 2018

Week 1 –The Fruits of the Spirit Introduction

Days 3 and 4

 

There is an expression we sometimes use in the church to describe someone who is full of the Holy Spirit, living in obedience to God and living out their faith in Jesus.

You’ll often hear them called Spirit-filled.

And if you’re in the church and used to hearing this, you probably intellectually know that it means someone who has submitted their life to God and their life is bearing fruit and how they live is the evidence that their faith is genuine, and the Holy Spirit is in them.

But.

What does being Spirit-filled really mean?  And what does that mean to our neighbors who may not have accepted Christ and really don’t understand who the Holy Spirit is or why it is important to be filled with the Spirit?

In today’s study, we’re going to take a closer look at the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  Since this is a more involved study, this will be a two-day lesson for reading, prayer time and response questions.   However, I know that two days is still not a lot of time to really study the Holy Spirit in detail, so I would encourage you join me in spending time in prayer in the days ahead asking God to reveal His Holy Spirit in a very tangible and personal way.  I am also including a resource list of books about the Holy Spirit in case you would like to do further reading about the Holy Spirit and His role in our lives. Also, we can turn to our best primary source, God’s Word, to do in-depth topic studies and focusing on verses about the Holy Spirit, which are also included below.

Even if you already know a great deal about the Holy Spirit, please consider joining us in asking God to help us see His Holy Spirit with fresh eyes.  Sometimes, we can become complacent or so familiar with our routine that we miss opportunities to grow, learn and experience life in a more vibrant and complete way.

Have you ever found yourself praying and you realize it often sounds a lot like the last time you talked with God?  Or maybe you always go through the grocery store the exact same way, buying the exact same brands over and over again – quite possibly missing something new or just something you’ve never purchased before?  So, for today’s lesson, I would encourage you to ask God to reveal His Holy Spirit to you and help you see Him and His majesty and glory through fresh eyes that enable you to see the Holy Spirit’s possibilities, perspectives and power in your life!

Before we get started on our lesson, though, I’d like to ask you to join me in prayer for two groups of people.

First, please continue praying for the students in Florida who are grieving and mourning and who are working through their own sorrow and loss even as they work to effect change in legislation and awareness about gun violence.  Please lift them up in prayer – together, we can pray for them to be encouraged, blessed and strengthened.  Pray that God would bless their sweet, precious hearts and that they wouldn’t become disheartened or disillusioned by the people insulting or arguing with them.

I don’t know where these young people have found the strength to organize and mobilize after all that they have already endured in the last two weeks.  I am amazed by their fortitude and faith and they are such a bright hope for our nation as they commit to honoring their fallen classmates and teachers through activism and calling on our nation’s citizens and legislators to write, discuss and vote on legislation that would protect young people in their schools as well as protect all of us from those who seek only to harm and kill.

Sadly, there are some who are insulting, mocking and disparaging these brave young students from Florida as they have rallied for safer schools and communities.

Even those who do not support their proposed legislation should be able to find it in themselves to treat them with dignity, respect and courtesy.  These are brave young people who have already been through so much grief, stress, fear and sorrow.  Each of these young people is someone’s son or daughter.  They all have been injured by the trauma they went through on February 14 in their high school – some of them wounded physically and visibly, but all of them carrying internal scars that will likely remain with them through the rest of their lives, a reminder of the loss and trauma they experienced that day.  We can do no less than to treat them with gentleness, love, peace and kindness – some of the fruits of the Spirit that we will be studying in the weeks ahead – and we must stand up for them when others seek to insult or mock them and gently rebuke those who would insult these young students, showing their critics the importance of showing respect and courtesy to each other.

Let us pray that they would consider the words of Paul to Timothy when he told him  “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1 Tim. 4:12 NASB)

Ask God to use them in a mighty and life-changing way for our world.  Pray that they would respond to the hate and insults with love and grace.  And please, let us pray for the healing for each of the children, all of the families affected by this tragedy and that God would comfort and be with each of them.  These are brave young men and women and they are worthy of our respect and admiration and greatly in need of our prayers to God on behalf of them, their families and their community.

Later this week, we are going to talk about evil in the world and the challenges of living in a fallen world.  That day’s study will take us to the second chapter of Genesis, where we will see a story about a serpent, a fruit and a decision that would change the course of events for eternity.

The second group of people I would like to invite you lift up in prayer are those who are ridiculing and insulting the students and families of Parkland. I know it is hard to pray for people who are not acting with love or grace.  It is difficult to pray for people when they are hurting others.

But when we think about it, there are two simple reasons why we must pray for all people, including our enemies.

 

The most important reason is that Jesus told us to love and pray for our enemies.  In the Beatitudes, Jesus said,

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:44-45 NASB)

Jesus wants us to love our enemies and pray for them.  If we are to walk in obedience to God, we must obey Him.  It will be hard, but we are called to obedience in all things – not just the comfortable and convenient things.  If God told us to love and pray for our enemies, He must have a good reason.  We may not understand Him, but we must choose to obey Him.

We should pray for these people for another reason.  Prayer literally changes things.  It can change people’s hearts, it can turn people around, it can bring hope and healing.  And when we pray together, imagine the beautiful chorus of prayers rising up to God, asking for Him to come down and bring change in the hearts of those who are so desperately in need of Him.  If ever there was a person who needed Christ, it is the person who is so filled with hate, venom and hurt that they spew it at the innocent and hurting.

Jesus said this in the Gospel of Matthew: “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”” (Matt. 18:19 NASB)

God calls us to lift our voices in prayer together, as followers of Christ seeking God together, as one Body of believers.  Jesus promises that His Father – our Heavenly Father – hears our prayers and that when we pray for His will, that He listens to us and He hears our prayers – the ones we speak and the ones that we aren’t even able to utter, but are deep within our heart, soul and mind.  He may not answer them exactly as we envision or would like Him to, but God does answer our prayers.

Can God change a man’s heart?  The answer, as we’ll find out through the weeks ahead, is not that easy.  God can change a man’s heart – but He wants a man to want his heart changed, which is why He gave us free will.  Our enemies may never change.  But, if we are praying for them and seeking healing and recovery, we will be guarding our own hearts from becoming bitter, angry and ugly.

These people, as angry and cruel as they may be, desperately need our prayers as much as anyone.  As the expression goes, hurting people hurt people.

So, as difficult as it may be, I hope you will join me in praying for these people – that their hearts would be changed, that the scales would fall off their eyes and they could see the hurt they are causing to the victims as well as to so many other people, and that ultimately, they would seek God and ask Him to take their stone heart and replace it with a beating heart of love and mercy, as the prophet Ezekiel shared what God revealed to him when he wrote,  “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezek. 36:26)

In the days ahead, let’s continue to lift our voices in prayer for the students of Parkland, Florida and across our nation and around the world and let’s also commit to pray even for those who have chosen to ridicule and mock the students.  We can pray that God would use each of us as His instruments of peace and love in a world desperate for more of both.

And if you find that you don’t know what to pray for or can’t find the words to talk with God about the grief and sadness in your heart as a result of the tragedy in Florida, we can take comfort that one of the reasons God gave us the Holy Spirit is so that He can help us pray – and at times, even pray for us when we can’t find the words or will to pray about the pain or sorrow in our hearts.

In Romans, Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit is with us to help us pray and that He helps us in our human frailty and weakness to call out to God.  Even when we can’t form the words or make the sounds to cry out to our God, the Holy Spirit is with us, interceding for us as a lifeline to God, praying for us and advocating for us in our moments of sorrow and despair.

“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; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Rom. 8:26-27 NASB)

In this two day lesson, we will look closer at the Holy Spirit to help us better understand who the Holy Spirit is, what the Holy Spirit does, where the Holy Spirit lives, how we can be filled with the Spirit – and why the Holy Spirit works in us to cultivate fruits that are then used to nourish and bless us, our loved ones, and people all over the world!

Below is a brief summary about the Holy Spirit.  There are many reference verses that you can use to learn more about the Holy Spirit.  You may find these helpful if you are learning more about the Holy Spirit as you ask God to grow the fruits of the Holy Spirit in you so that He can use you in a unique and important way in His world today.

If you are already familiar with the Spirit, perhaps there is an area or specific verse you can select that may be useful in studying a certain function or characteristic about the Holy Spirit in greater detail.   Perhaps there is an area of your life in which God is leading you to walk closer with the Spirit or maybe you intellectually and theologically understand who the Holy Spirit is, but you don’t know the Holy Spirit as personally as you would like or there are details of your life that you want to entrust to the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you wonder if God is really with you or if He cares about you.  The Holy Spirit answers that question for us.  He reminds us that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus so we could be forgiven, and we could be reconciled to God.  And Jesus loves us so much that He knew we would need a Helper to walk with us through this world as His followers.  So Jesus asked God to send the Holy Spirit to live inside of us as we walk with Christ – to help us, convict us, encourage us and even pray for us.  The Holy Spirit is the evidence that God is with us always and that He goes with us everywhere we go.  We are never alone, because God is always with us.  Perhaps God is calling you to walk closer with His Holy Spirit – to be still and know that He is God, to listen for the leading and teaching of the Spirit and to simply trust and obey and follow as the Holy Spirit teaches, convicts and guides you in the big and little details of life.

I find that God shows me new things each time I study His Word.  It may be that I notice a detail I hadn’t seen before, or I gain a new perspective that God uses to give me greater insight to apply His Word in my life or even just that God is doing a new thing in my life and He is using a verse I have read many times before but allowing me to see it and understand it through His wisdom in a greater and new way.

The Bible teaches us that God’s Word is alive and that through careful study of His Scriptures, we can gain discernment, wisdom and understanding so that we can live our lives in a way that pleases and honors God – and which will bless us and those around us!  The Bible really is our Instruction Manual for Life, praise God!

“ For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12)

 

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT: HELPER AND GUIDE, GIVEN BY GOD

TO FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST

 

WHO

The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 13:14, Matt. 28:19)

The Holy Spirit is a person, not an inanimate object.  We have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 13:14)

The Holy Spirit was with Jesus when He came to earth. (Matt. 12:18, Mark 1:19)

God’s Holy Spirit is at work all around us, and He works through us and in us.  (Jn. 15:25-26; Jn. 16:13)

Jesus asked God to send the Holy Spirit after His death and resurrection when Jesus returned to the Father in heaven. (Jn. 14:16-17; Jn. 14:25-27; Jn. 15:26-27; Jn. 16:7)

God pours out His Holy Spirit on all mankind – though we only receive and are filled with the Holy Spirit as our Helper and Teacher when we accept Christ as our Savior. (Joel 2:28-29; Jn. 14-16; Acts 2:17)

WHAT

The Holy Spirit is our Helper and Friend. (Jn. 14 – 16)

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us. (Rom. 8:26-27)

He teaches and guides us. (Jn. 14:26)

The Holy Spirit leads us. (Ezek. 3:14)

He testifies to us about who Jesus is. (Jn. 15:26 – 27)

He acts as a conscience to convict us and show us God’s truth. (Jn. 14:16-17; Jn. 15:26-27; Jn. 16:8-11; Jn. 16:12-13)

He prays for us when we aren’t able to pray. (Rom. 8:26-27)

We have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 13:14)

We are to walk by the Spirit to help us make good choices in our lives. (Gal. 5:16)

We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 5:18)

As the Body of Christ, we are united in the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:4)

The Holy Spirit testifies to us; He is the truth and His is the way in which we should walk. (1 Jn. 5:6)

We are not to quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19)

WHERE

Like all parts of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times and He is with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (Jn. 16:13-15)

He lives in each follower of Christ. (Jn. 14:16-17)

He talks with both the followers of Christ and those who haven’t yet followed Christ – but He lives eternally in the followers of Christ. (Jn. 14:16; Jn. 16:8-11)

WHEN

The Holy Spirit has always been and always will be.  The Holy Spirit was with God the Father and God the Son when the world was created.  The Holy Spirit has been present throughout all time.  (Gen. 1:2)

God made man in the image of the Trinity — God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Gen. 1:26)

When we accept Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and born again. (Jn. 3:5-6)

Jesus asked God to send His followers the Holy Spirit to be our Helper after His death and resurrection, when Jesus returned to heaven. (Jn. 14:16-17; Jn. 14:25-26; Jn. 16:7-13)

God will pour forth His Holy Spirit in the last days. (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17)

WHY

The Holy Spirit was sent by God when Jesus asked Him to send us a Helper to walk with us through this life. (Jn. 14:16-17; Jn. 14:25-26; Jn. 16:13)

The Holy Spirit is able to convict, encourage, guide, teach, train, correct and help us through all the trials and challenges we will face each day. (Jn. 14:25-27; Jn. 16:8-12)

To serve as an intermediary between God and man.  He intercedes for us to God when we cannot find the words to pray.  He is able to search and know our hearts and pray on our behalf to God, our Heavenly Father. (Rom. 8:26-27)

HOW

He helps us walk so that we do not sin.  The Holy Spirit helps us to make good choices that honor God and which reflect how Christ lived when He was on earth.  The Holy Spirit helps us as we are sanctified through our lives, becoming each day more like Christ.  (Gal. 5:16)

We are to be baptized in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – and then we are to go and make disciples of all nations and baptize others in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19)

God uses the Holy Spirit to give us spiritual gifts that we can use to serve Him and others. (1 Cor. 12:4-13; Rom. 12:6-8)

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to teach, preach, share the Gospel and make good choices in our lives. (Rom. 15:9)

 

Study Questions – Day 3 and 4

  1. Jesus said in John 14:16 that He would ask His Father to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples (and to all followers of Jesus) and that the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called a “Helper,” would abide with His followers and would live inside them.

 

When we accept Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and He is given to us as our Helper to walk with us throughout our lives.  The Holy Spirit continues to walk with us and speaks to us and for us to God all of our days. 

Read John 14:16 and consider your relationship with the Holy Spirit.  Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? 

 

Can you think of an instance when the Holy Spirit has convicted you about something and about how God is calling you to live?   Perhaps it was a decision you were making in which you were seeking God’s will – or an attitude or behavior that you realized was not in line with God’s will. 

Briefly describe how the Holy Spirit convicted, taught, encouraged or guided you through that time or experience.

 

Has there been a time when you felt a nudge of the Holy Spirit about serving God – maybe about sharing your faith or serving in your church or spending more time with God in prayer or studying His Word?  What was your response?  

 

Are there any times you can recall where the Holy Spirit has spoken to you but you haven’t responded in the way God was leading you?    If so, you can use this space to confess to God that you, like all of us, have fallen short of His glory and holiness.  Ask Him to help you learn from this time so that you can make better choices in the situations that present themselves in days ahead.  Ask God to guide you and ask Him to help you hear and listen to His Holy Spirit.  You might want to use this time to write a prayer to God, thanking Him for His Holy Spirit and asking Him to help you continue to obey His Spirit – or, perhaps even to begin to listen and obey His Holy Spirit today. 

 

 

Satan may use your confession to shame you – even in your own mind.  Just thinking about where we have fallen short can make us feel weak or unqualified to serve God.  If you feel discouraged by areas in your life where God is still working on you as He works through you, answer Satan with God’s Word and speak aloud the truth of God’s love for you.

Here are some verses that you might want to reflect on to help you respond to Satan’s lies:

“As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Cor. 7:1

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.” Ps. 145:18

“ I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.” (Gal. 2:20 NASB)

 

Nothing you wrote surprises God.  And here’s the most amazing part.  Nothing you wrote changes God’s love for you.  He loves you with an everlasting, unchanging love.  You are His son or daughter.  He doesn’t see your failures.  He sees His Son, who gave His life for you, and He sees your worth, beauty and value.  Today, rest in the assurance of His love for you and your forgiveness and reconciliation to God through the atoning blood of Christ.  Ask God to help you walk and talk with Him, trusting and obeying Him and listening to His Holy Spirit.

How do you think you can respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading the next time He speaks to you?  Could you spend time in prayer and ask God to confirm what you believe the Holy Spirit is telling you?  Perhaps time in the Bible or seeking wise counsel from a Christian friend? 

 

 

How do you think that you can be more open to listening and obeying the Holy Spirit the next time God uses the Spirit to convict or teach you?

 

 

 

 

 

  1. “I CAN’T EVEN.”

 

You’ve probably said or heard those words more times than you can (even) count in the last few years.  It’s something about those three little words – they just capture our speechlessness, our shock, our inability to know what to say or do.

 

But don’t worry.  Because when you don’t know what to say or do, there is Someone who does.

 

God sent Him to you, because He knew we’d have moments of despair, confusion and just not even having the words.

 

How can we know that? 

 

Because it’s in the Bible, in Romans 8:26-27.

 

Paul teaches us in Romans that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we “can’t even” – when we don’t even have the words to speak our prayers and we’re just thinking and wondering and overwhelmed.

 

It says in Romans that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (that means the Holy Spirit speaks on our behalf with God) with groanings too deep for words.

 

It also says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints “according to the will of God.” (Rom. 8:27 NASB)

 

Take a moment to read Romans 8:26-27 or look it up here.

 

Can you think of a time recently when you “couldn’t even” – when you didn’t have the words to pray – or perhaps when you were facing a seemingly impossible situation and didn’t know what to do or where to turn?  Briefly write about the situation and what you did in response.  What happened in the days that followed? 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with your situation – either positively or negatively – that your initial response wasn’t praise or prayer?  While God wants us to always go to Him in prayer for the blessings and challenges in our lives, we can take comfort that even in those times when we can’t find the words to pray or we are overwhelmed, fatigued or confused by our situations, that the Holy Spirit is ever-present with us and that He knows the thoughts and questions of our hearts and is interceding with God our Father for you, and for all of us! 

 

 

 

  1. How does it make you feel to know that the Holy Spirit can live within you, helping you, convicting you about sin, guiding you to make good choices, encouraging you – and even praying for you and your needs to God the Father?

 

 

Do you believe the Holy Spirit is with you today as a follower of Christ?    Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior?   

 

If you have, thank God even right now for the gift His Son gave to us on the cross.  If you would like, you can read along through this question and reflect on when you accepted Christ as your Savior.  Would you please pray for those who don’t yet know Christ as their Savior – perhaps a person who may be reading this study or maybe a loved one, friend, coworker, neighbor, a person in the news or someone in your community?

 

 

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior yet, do you want to know how you can be saved by Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit?

 

If you haven’t asked Christ to be your Savior and you want to trust Him and have the assurance of salvation and be filled with His Holy Spirit, here is a link to the Billy Graham Ministries page that will help you learn more about salvation and why we need Jesus.

Also, below is the ABC’s of Salvation which helps to explain who we are, who Jesus is, why we need Jesus, what Jesus did for us on the cross, and how we can be saved.

 

A – Admit you are a sinner and in need of a Savior

B – Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to earth, died for your sins on the cross, rose again after three days, ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God – and believe that His death paid the price for your sins when you admit you are a sinner, that you need Him, that He is the only way for you to be forgiven and reconciled to God.

C – Confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Pray to God and tell Him that you are a sinner and you need a Savior.  Tell God that you believe Jesus died for your sins and that you want to be forgiven and that you want Jesus to be Lord of your life.  Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and ask Him to be with you and forgive you and help you.

 

When you pray that prayer, God will answer you and accept you into His family.  You can have the assurance that you are forgiven, that Christ is your Savior and that you will spend eternity with God in heaven. 

 

And you can know that God will fill you with His Holy Spirit to help you each and every day.  And that the Holy Spirit will help to grow spiritual fruits in you so that you can become mature and strong in your faith, and then be able to bless others with those fruits!

 

  1. Take a moment to look at Galatians 5:22-23 again. When you look at the verses, take a few moments to pray and ask God to show you at least one fruit that is growing in you – and another fruit that perhaps is still just a small blossom and not yet a strong fruit in you.

 

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23 NASB)

 

 

What fruit has God been growing and strengthening in you which you feel is mature and able to be shared with others?  Pray that God would continue to grow this fruit in you and thank Him for all that He has given you with this spiritual fruit.

 

 

 

How are you sharing or “living out“ this fruit at this time in your life?

 

 

 

What fruit might God be calling you to seek Him and His will and to seek the Holy Spirit to continue cultivating and growing in you? 

 

 

 

Is there an area in your life that you would like to see God mature and strengthen you through His Holy Spirit?  Ask God to show you where He wants to grow stronger, more mature spiritual fruit in your life. 

 

 

 

In prayer over the next week, ask Him if there are areas where He is seeking to prune or trim so that you can grow and become stronger in Him.  Perhaps there are nutrients you need – just as plants need good soil, the right amount of water and plenty of sunshine, we need time in God’s Word, regular time talking with God in prayer, fellowship, time for praise and worship and time to rest in His goodness and grace through Sabbath times of rest and recharging.  How might God be pruning or strengthening you today so that this fruit might be able to grow strong in your life in the days ahead?

 

 

 

 

How might your life and the lives of others be changed if this fruit were to become more mature and could be shared as a ripe and abundant fruit?

 

 

 

I am praying that God would reveal to you a specific area where He is calling you to growth and greater obedience and understanding.  I am joining with you in asking and seeking God to show us where He wants to mature and strengthen us so that we can be more useful and greater blessings to Him and those He places in our paths each day!

 

  1. When you have a few moments today or tomorrow, I hope you will listen to this song, “Holy Spirit,” by Francesca Battistelli. Take a few moments to close your eyes and make this the prayer of your heart today.  Just listen to the words, or read the words if you find that helpful.  Think about how the Holy Spirit is with followers of Christ – literally dwelling and abiding in us.  Think about the power of the Holy Spirit – and what power He offers to you as you follow Christ.

In the song, she sings “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here…”  As you listen to the song and reflect on the words, perhaps you can invite God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to be welcome in your life and offer gratitude for God’s constant presence in your life through the Holy Spirit. 

Take a few minutes out of your busy day just to worship God and declare that His Holy Spirit is welcome in your life and that you want Him to be with you, to guide you  – and to know the peace that the Holy Spirit gives us as He intervenes, intercedes and advocates for us, even (especially) on the days when we “can’t even.”

 

May God bless and keep you and may He bring us together to study and worship Him again!

 

Additional Resources:

 

Flying Closer to the Flame, Charles Swindoll

Holy Spirit, Billy Graham

The Helper, Catherine Marshall

The Spirit-Filled Life, Charles Stanley

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:             

Please pray for the Parkland community and all those who have been affected by gun violence.

Bible Memory Verse:                        Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit of the Week:                            

Oranges, a fruit grown in Florida, to remind us to pray for all those affected by the school shooting in Florida, including the families, the students, first responders and all of the community.

Discipline:                             

Sacrifice during Lent – Why do we sacrifice to God         during Lent and at other times in the year?

 

Action Items:       

Visit the produce section of your market and purchase some oranges to remind you to pray for the people of Parkland and all victims of gun violence.

                                                           

Be in prayer for our Prayer Focus, the people of Parkland and all victims of fun violence.                                                        

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”

 

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Filled with the Heart Language of God and Filled with the Fruits of the Spirit!

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February 25, 2018

Week 1 – The Fruits of the Spirit Introduction

Day 2 – Goodbye, PyeongChang

안녕히 계세요.

Anyoung hee gyeseyo

(Goodbye in Korean)

 

Scripture Reference:      Acts 2:1-13

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4, NASB)

Do you ever wonder what Heaven looks like?  The Bible tells us a bit about heaven in Revelation, but there is much that remains a mystery.  If you want to read more, you can look at Revelation 21 – 22 and read about the city of pure gold, the jeweled walls and the 12 gates, each made with a single pearl, which is where we likely have gotten the expression “Pearly Gates.”

 

But today, we’re going to consider what Heaven sounds like.

The first followers of Jesus Christ likely spoke some combination of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.   As Paul, Silas, Barnabas and the other apostles carried the Gospel near and far, people in other nations were able to hear of the hope and promise of Jesus and many accepted Him as their Lord and Savior and the Gospel message was shared across towns, nations and continents.

Today, missionaries serve in all corners of the world and the Bible is translated in digital, audio and print formats to bring God’s Word in people’s native “heart languages” to even the most remote village or isolated island.

Can you just imagine how beautiful heaven is going to look and sound?  All of God’s creativity, love and majesty poured into His children, and then all of His children gathered around His throne, praising and worshiping our Heavenly Father, His Son and our Savior, all of us filled with the Holy Spirit of God, casting our crowns around His throne and pouring back all His love and joy to worship and honor Him!

Today is the Closing Ceremonies for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and we’ll be invited to watch the athletes from the participating nations walking together into the arena, celebrating their victories, courage and sportsmanship.  They come from divergent backgrounds, their socioeconomic statuses likely vary considerably and their native clothing and traditions are each unique and meaningful.  They may have learned how to say a few words in the language of the host country and perhaps they have made friends from around the world, teaching each other how to say some common greetings in each other’s languages.

In some ways, the Olympics could be a bit of a sneak peek into what heaven might look and sound like.  The beauty of many tribes and tongues gathered together, the chorus of languages being spoken, the diversity of cultures and histories being shared and celebrated.

In our Bible reading for today, we learn about what happened when the first followers of Christ received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.   They were gathered in Jerusalem, along with other Jewish people who were observing Shavuot (Pentecost), the Jewish holiday observed 50 days after Passover to commemorate the day 50 days after their Exodus and deliverance from Egypt, when Moses received the Torah (also known as the Ten Commandments and the Law) from God on Mount Sinai.

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus instructed His followers, the apostles, to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 1, Jesus told them,

“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

(Acts 1:4-8, NASB)

Just as Jesus had promised them, the day arrived when they were to receive the Holy Spirit.  And as they were gathered together, suddenly the Holy Spirit fell down upon them, like tongues of fire, and God inexplicably and mysteriously gave each of them the ability to speak other languages – languages from distant lands which they may have never even heard, let alone learned how to speak.

And the Jewish people who were gathered in Jerusalem for Shavuot (Pentecost) were amazed to hear these Galileans speaking languages from around the world.  By the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power, these simple people were suddenly able to speak in languages far from their homeland – in languages native to Rome, Egypt, Libya, Asia, Mesopotamia and Medes!

Imagine what it might have been like to be given the ability to speak a language that you have never studied or even heard a single phrase or word.  Yet just as He promised, God sent the Holy Spirit to the followers of Christ, to help them, equip them, guide and convict them, intercede for them and be their Helper on their own journey of sanctification on earth, until they went to be with their Heavenly Father and Savior in heaven.  And the very first thing the Holy Spirit did when He was sent to the apostles was to give each of them the ability to share Christ with people quite different from them – from a different nation, tongue and tribe.

Perhaps this is because Jesus didn’t call us to keep the Good News to ourselves.  In the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, He commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations and to teach them about who Jesus is and what He has done for all of us.  Before He ascended to heaven after His death and resurrection, Jesus commissioned us to tell the world about Him – and then He sent His Holy Spirit to fill us, equip us and teach us so that we could go and do all that He has called us to for His glory, honor and praise.

And because of the Great Commission that Christ gave to us and the Holy Spirit living in us who helps us each day in so many ways, we are able to share Christ with others and lead the lost to our Savior.  Just as someone once shared Christ with us, so we are to then go and tell others about Him, sort of like the 1970s and 1980s shampoo commercial – we tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on and so on!

Even though we may be uncomfortable or uncertain sharing our faith at first, God wants us to tell others about Jesus so that they too can know the hope we have in Him and they too can accept Him as Savior.

You may be bold and outgoing or quiet and introverted — but as a follower of Christ, each of us is equipped by the Holy Spirit to tell others about Jesus and point them to Him.

Just like the first followers of Christ, (sometimes referred to as the first fruits), we are called to go and make disciples of all nations.  That may mean you travel to the ends of the earth to bring the Gospel to an unreached area or to an urban city full of earthly riches and opportunities but where the Good News is rarely heard, or it may simply mean you share the hope you have in Christ with a neighbor, a family member, a coworker or a friend.

We are all called to tell others about Jesus and to give a reason for the hope we have in Him.  (1 Pet. 3:15).  God may use us in different ways and different places, but He wants each of us to know and follow His Son, and then tell others about our great and awesome God.

And one day, we will all be gathered in heaven in an endless and glorious time of worship of our God and King.

The book of Revelation offers us a glimpse of what worship in heaven might look like.

“ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.””

(Rev. 4:9-11 NASB)

You may have heard Chris Tomlin’s song, “How Great Is Our God” – maybe you’ve sung it at church or heard it online or on the radio.  As you may know, there are two versions of the song – the original and the “World Edition,” which includes some of the lyrics sung in languages from around the world.

When I hear this song, I get goosebumps thinking about how it might sound to God when we worship Him with all our different voices, dialects, accents and languages.  I wonder if this is what it will sound like in heaven, all of us worshipping together, the heavens filled with the melody of awe, wonder and peace.

To our ears, the voices are all different and we hear the multitude of tongues and translations.  Yet to God, there is just one beautiful choir, singing praises to our God and Savior, filled with the Holy Spirit, rejoicing in how great our God is, in one accord, worshiping the One True God.

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!

 

Today’s Study

  1. If you have time tonight or this week, watch the Closing Ceremony from the 2018 Olympic Games. As you watch the athletes from all the different nations, be in prayer for them as they return home – for safety in their travels and for comfort and rest after their competitions.  Consider choosing one nation that you don’t know much about and be in prayer for the people of that nation in the days ahead.  Pray for those who don’t know Christ, for missionaries serving there, for Bible translators working to bring God’s Word to their nation.  Pray that the Good News of Jesus would reach all the peoples of that country.  You could google the country and learn a bit more about the people there. If you keep a prayer notebook, add the people of this nation to your prayer list to remember to keep them in prayer.
  2. Watch the World Edition of “How Great Is Our God” and imagine what heaven will be like, when we gather to worship and praise our God and Savior! Allow yourself time to listen to the song and watch the video and just think about the amazing and wonderful world God has given us to live in, the beauty and diversity of our world and how He wants us to love and serve Him, and love and serve our neighbors all over the world, so they will know His love.
  3. This week, try to be deliberate in living out your faith. Ask God to show you someone that you can be the hands and feet of Jesus to.  It may just be an encouraging word to someone or perhaps God will open a door for you to share your faith with someone you talk with this week.

Ask God to show you how to share your faith in Christ with someone and ask Him for courage to be bold in telling someone the hope you have in Christ!  You might invite someone to a church service during this Easter season or share something you have been learning or reading about God that has encouraged or helped you – or even just ask a friend or family member what they believe about God and Jesus, and then share your faith with them also.

You could also write their name in your spiral notebook or binder and continue to pray for them in the days and weeks ahead, asking God to show you ways to share your faith with them and others.

  1. Do you want to learn how to say goodbye in Korean? Here’s a short audio clip that will teach you how!

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:             

Please continue to pray for the Parkland community and all those who have been affected by gun violence.

Bible Memory Verse:                        Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit of the Week:                            

Oranges, a fruit grown in Florida, to remind us to pray for all those affected by the school shooting in Florida, including the families, the students, first responders and all of the community.

Discipline:                                         

Sacrifice during Lent – Why do we sacrifice to God during Lent and at other times in the year?

Action Item:                                      

1 – Sometime this week, try to visit the produce section of your market.  Look at the fruits there and consider God’s creativity and goodness in giving us these foods to nurture and nourish us.  Thank Him for His goodness and select a fruit to enjoy this week, such as oranges from Florida.  If possible, make this a weekly habit during the Bible study as a way to be mindful and intentional about celebrating the fruits of the Spirit.

 2 – Make a commitment to pray each day for the Prayer Focus.  If you already pray daily, find time to include the prayer focus in your prayers.  If you don’t currently pray each day, try to find a time when you can spend a few minutes seeking God, interceding for the prayer focus and seek to begin to incorporate a regular prayer time into each day. 

 

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”

 

Lent 2018

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February 21, 2018

I would like to invite you to draw closer to God in this Lenten Season.

 

Perhaps now, more than ever, we desperately need to reconnect with God and with each other.  We are living fragmented lives, lives that are supposed to be easier and faster and simpler – yet seem to offer us less joy, peace and love.

During a morning quiet time recently, God reminded me of the immeasurable value and beauty of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul wrote about in the book of Galatians.  In my prayer time over the next several weeks, He showed me the possibilities and benefits of studying the Fruits of the Spirit – and He helped me to see how the growth and maturity of these fruits of the Spirit in each of us could be healing and such a blessing for the world and for all of us.

You may have memorized Galatians 5:22-23, read these verses in the Bible, heard them in a sermon or even seen them on a print or artwork.  I am including Galatians 5:22-23 below.

If you can, take a moment to read the verses out loud, really thinking about each of the fruits of the Spirit and what they look like when we are living them out.  What would the world look like if we were all living filled with these fruits, treating each other as God calls us to?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

(Gal. 5:22-23 NASB)

In thinking about the fruits of the Spirit, I wondered what our world and individual lives might look like if we asked God to use the Holy Spirit to grow these fruits in us through seeking Him, following Christ and loving and serving God and each other.  I thought about which fruits are growing in me that I am able to share and bless others with – and which fruits are not yet mature, not yet of benefit and blessing to those in my life as well as my own soul and spirit.

Bit by bit, in morning quiet times and in meditation and prayer, God helped me to envision what this study might look like and slowly, I tried to put the pieces together to create a study that would be honoring to God, engaging for people from all walks of life and in different places in their journey with God and Jesus — as well as a Bible study that is realistic about time constraints in our busy lives, practical and applicable, but still challenging and inspiring.

I continued seeking God and asking Him to help me design this study and all its different components, and I am very hopeful that it will be a blessing and encouragement for you!  I know it will not be perfect and I sincerely ask for your grace and mercy in advance, knowing there will be days that the questions may not be applicable to your situation or that I will have typos or ramble a bit!  I promise you, I will try my very best to accurately share God’s Word and seek to both teach AND learn from all of you as we fellowship and study together!

We see fruit used as a metaphor throughout the Bible, literally from the first chapters of Genesis through the final verses of Revelation.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus taught the disciples that we can know people by their fruit – and that good trees bear good fruit, but bad trees bear bad fruit. (see Matt. 7:15-20)

During the Bible study, we will spend time looking at the fruits of the Spirit and we’ll have the opportunity to spend time with God and in honest examination of how we are doing in bearing the fruits that God wants to grow in us so that they can be shared with the world in a real demonstration of His love and power in us.

There will likely be areas where we are walking in obedience and the Holy Spirit has been working in our lives which has resulted in healthy, strong fruit growing in our lives.  And there will be some places where we still have room to grow – where the fruit may be in the early stages of blossoming and where God is calling us to sacrifice and submit so that He can more fully use us to impact and bless this world through these fruits of His Holy Spirit.

I hope and pray that this may be a special study during Lent to focus on how God calls us to live and a time that each of us can spend studying His Word, seeking His will and purposing to live more like Christ, walking with the Father day by day.

Along with each week’s fruit of the Spirit, you’ll be encouraged to pray for a different issue or group of people.  In addition, we will learn about a spiritual discipline that is associated with the Lenten season and/or discipleship (prayer, worship, sacrifice, offering/alms giving, fellowship, memorizing Bible verses, holiness, etc.) 

I thought it might be helpful to select a fruit that is symbolic for the people we will be praying for as well as connected to the spiritual fruit we will be asking God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to cultivate and grow in us.  If you would like to do so, you could incorporate the fruit of the week into your meals as a reminder to pray for our weekly prayer focus, read God’s Word in our study and just enjoy the goodness of God’s provisions in our lives!

We will also have the opportunity to complete Action Item(s) each week.   This is not required, of course.  It’s just an opportunity for each of us to live out the Fruits of the Spirit in a tangible and real way, asking God to show us how we can share His love with others in our family, community and world.

Finally, there will be a Bible verse that we can memorize together each week that relates to that week’s Fruit of the Spirit.  If you already know the verse for that week, you could do a search for another verse about that week’s fruit and memorize that verse in its place.  Please feel free to share ideas and tips about how to memorize Scripture so we can encourage and motivate each other!

I am also including songs related to the different themes that I hope will be an encouragement to you.  The Book of Psalms is kind of like a hymnal in the middle of the Bible, containing the songs of God’s children.  Some of them are joyful, others sorrowful.  Some of them are repentant and seeking God’s forgiveness while others of the psalms are petitions and praises.  Music is very powerful and often helps us to understand or express strong emotions in a very real and personal way.  Most of the songs I will include in the daily lessons are hymns, worship and Christian music, but I will also include appropriate secular music that I hope will also bless our studies.

I will post the study daily, but you can complete the questions as your schedule allows.  If you are joining the study after it has started, feel free to catch up at your own pace.  There is no rush and it is never too late to join the study.  You can continue to go through the lessons in the weeks and months ahead.

Including the Bible reading passages and response questions, there will be about 15 minutes of reading and writing each day, but it can be adjusted for your schedule.  I know today’s entry is quite long since there is a lot of introductory material and information about the study.  Going forward, the entries will be much briefer, I promise!

In terms of supplies, here’s what you will need:

  1. A heart that wants to know God more fully and personally and to grow in your walk with Him.
  2. A desire to live a life that honors and pleases God – and out of which will flow even more love and grace to those around you.
  3. A spiral notebook or binder to write your responses and prayers, for reflection, to write down questions or further study you would like to do, and just for your own meditations and wisdom God is revealing to you.
  4. A Bible, either printed or online. I will often quote from the NASB or ESV translations, but please use the translation you are most comfortable with.

Perhaps you will answer the call to ask, seek and knock this Lenten Season.  To ask God questions that are on your heart.  To seek His will and His power in your life.  And for some, for the first time ever, to knock on the door of heaven and invite Him into your life and follow Christ.

I accepted Christ when I was in high school 31 years ago, during the Easter season.  At the time, I didn’t know what Lent was or why it was observed.  I didn’t know the Lord’s Prayer – and I wasn’t even sure how to pray and talk with God.  I didn’t know the books of the Bible and I got nervous when the pastor directed us to turn here or there in the Bible – and I frantically turned to the Table of Contents, hoping nobody noticed.  I didn’t know most of the words to the hymns and I couldn’t have told you the difference between the disciple John and John the Baptist.

Looking back, there was so much I didn’t know.

There was really only one thing that I did know about God back then.

I knew that I needed God – that I was literally and figuratively lost without Him.

I remember one Thursday evening after I had visited my friend’s church several times, a pastor and a small group of church members came to my house for Visitation.  Together, we looked at God’s Word and talked about who God is and how we can know Him.  The Good News of Jesus Christ was shared with me – and I was given the opportunity to accept Christ as my Savior and be born again.

I learned a lot that evening.

I learned that I am a sinner.  That the payment for my sins is death.  That my sins offend our  holy and righteous God.  That Jesus is our Savior, sent by God to save the world.  That He was with God in the beginning and always has been, that He came to earth, died on the cross, was buried and rose again in three days and that He is now with God in heaven and will one day return and reign for eternity – a mystery I admit that I don’t fully understand, but I fully accept and believe.  That Jesus is the Son of God, perfect, holy and without sin.  That He came down to earth to live as a man, being both fully man and fully God.  That He died to rescue us, redeem us, ransom us and reconcile us to God – and that He is the only acceptable payment for my sins.

Quite simply, I knew that I needed Jesus.

When my friend’s pastor asked if I wanted Jesus to be my Savior, I knew for sure that I did.  I said yes – and then he led me through the Sinner’s Prayer.

Humbly and completely, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  And when I did, I remember this sense of peace washing over me – like I was home, I was safe and I was loved.

And you know what?  That same simple and basic knowledge of God’s love and Jesus’s gift is what I carry with me as I walk with God through each good, bad and ugly day.  Because even though I am a follower of Christ, I still have bad days (we all will – it’s just the way life is in a fallen and broken world) but God’s love is what sustains me, guides me and helps me as I press on each day.

I will share more of my testimony with you in the days and weeks ahead and I would be honored to hear about your testimony and how you came to know and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.

You may have been raised in the church and it feels like you’ve been following Christ forever.

Or you may have come to know Him later in life, after struggles and searching.

Perhaps today you don’t yet know Him personally and you haven’t trusted Him with your life.  I pray that as we draw closer to God in this study, that you too might be able to declare on Resurrection Sunday in a very real and personal way,

“He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!”

I am looking forward to meeting with you in the weeks ahead as we study God’s Word and seek His will together.  I will be praying for each of you and praying that God would work in all our lives so that we might share His love even more fully and richly with the world around us, pointing people to our only hope, Jesus Christ!

QUESTIONS

This Week’s Prayer Focus:             

Please pray for the Parkland community and all those who have been affected by gun violence.

Bible Memory Verse:                       

Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit of the Week:                            

Oranges, a fruit grown in Florida, to remind us to pray for all those affected by the school shooting in Florida, including the families, the students, first responders and all of the community.

Discipline:                                         

Sacrifice during Lent – Why do we sacrifice to God during Lent and at other times in the year?

Action Items:                                       

  1. Sometime this week, try to visit the produce section of your market.  Look at the fruits there and consider God’s creativity and goodness in giving us these foods to nurture and nourish us.  Thank Him for His goodness and select a fruit to enjoy this week, such as oranges from Florida.  If possible, make this a weekly habit during the Bible study as a way to be mindful and intentional about celebrating the fruits of the Spirit.
  2. Make a commitment to pray each day for the Prayer Focus.  If you already pray daily, perhaps you can find time to include our weekly prayer focus in your prayers.  If you don’t currently pray each day, try to find a time when you can spend a few minutes seeking God, interceding for the prayer focus and just seeking to begin to incorporate a regular prayer time into each day.   We’ll talk about how to talk to God in the weeks ahead – but for now, just talk to Him however He leads you.  Talk to Him like your best friend, because that’s really who He is!  You don’t have to worry about fancy words – the best news is that He loves you and He would love nothing more than to talk with His precious child!

Study Questions:

If you have a spiral notebook or a binder with notebook paper, that would be a great place to write your responses to the daily study questions. 

  1. If you have time, watch this video by Matt Maher, 40 Days. The video is about the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert as a time of preparation at the beginning of His earthly ministry.    

Here are some things to think about/answer:

Did Jesus look strong or vulnerable – or both – in the video? 

 

How did Jesus’s appearance change over the 40 days? 

 

Did Satan attack and tempt Jesus at the beginning – or did he tempt Jesus at the end of His time in the desert? 

 

Why do you think God allowed Jesus to suffer as a man when He was on earth?

 

  1. Read Matthew 4:1-11.

Who led Jesus into the desert to be tempted?

 

Who tempted Jesus?

 

Jesus was tempted by the enemy with food (the suggestion that rocks could be turned into bread, in response to Jesus’s hunger), safety and pride (daring Jesus to fall and prove that He is the Son of God, suggesting that the angels would catch Him) and power (dominion over the world if He would worship Satan).   

What does Satan use to tempt and deceive you in his effort to draw you away from God?  Some examples could be love, acceptance, security, popularity, fame, power, money, glory, recognition, beauty, career growth, etc.?

 

How did Jesus respond to Satan?  What did He use to rebut Satan’s temptations?

 

Why might God have allowed Jesus to endure this temptation and trial in the desert? 

 

Why do you think it was important for Jesus to experience human emotions like hunger, fatigue, betrayal, worry and sorrow?

 

Does Jesus’s 40 day trial in the desert encourage you knowing that He suffered and was tempted just as we are today?   Do you believe Jesus knew what it was to suffer and struggle while He was on earth as a man, yet still fully God?  

 

  1. When does Satan tempt and distract you? Is it when you are weary, tired and discouraged and he seeks to dilute your faith and trust in God?  Or is it when you are on the mountain top and feeling strong and capable, and Satan seeks to make you proud, arrogant and instill a sense of invincibility in you, as though you don’t need God?

 

Ask God to help you see the patterns of Satan’s temptations so that you can be prepared for the lies Satan uses and you can guard your heart, soul and mind.

Also, ask God to help you use His Word to rebut and respond to Satan’s lies and to protect yourself.

  1. Is there a lie that Satan is speaking into your life even today?  If so, consider doing a search for a verse that might help you to answer Satan with God’s Word, just as Jesus did.  Ask God to show you His truth to rebut and respond to the lies of Satan.  When Satan speaks that lie to you, respond with God’s Word, speaking the hope and promise of God.  
  2. Is there something God is calling you to sacrifice during Lent? It may be a television program, an attitude, how you spend your free time, gossip or cursing, a favorite snack, a hobby or something similar.

Even though Lent has already begun, it is not too late to sacrifice for Lent.  While sacrifice is not necessary during Lent, it can be a powerful way to draw closer to God, to seek His power and strength, to commit to obedience, and to ask the Holy Spirit to develop and grow the spiritual fruits in you that will bless you and the world around you.

By giving up something you enjoy (e.g., chocolate, a favorite tv show, a weekly manicure) or giving up something that you know is bad but you have fallen into a pattern of doing (gossip, cursing, too much time on social media, watching shows that are negative or contrary to God’s teaching), you will be giving control of your life back where it belongs – with God. 

Prayerfully ask God to show you if there is anything you can sacrifice during the Lenten season in an effort to draw closer to Him and to live in submission and obedience to Him.  It may be a good thing which you are choosing to forego during Lent as a sacrifice or it may be a thing which you know is distracting you from God and worship and which you choose to yield to Him and ask Him to take away the power of this activity or substance to make you more like Christ.

This is not meant to be a New Year’s Resolution or a diet plan.  It can be just one small item that is tangible (e.g., soda or ice cream) or even an intangible behavior (e.g., social media, gossiping, watching a weekly tv show). 

If you have any health conditions or are pregnant or under the care of a physician, please check with them before you make any alterations to your diet or fitness plan.  Please do not stop taking medications or give up important food items that you need.  This is not meant to be a total fast from food or beverage.

The idea is simply to sacrifice something – it could be a food or behavior – as a symbol of the sacrifice that Christ made in an effort to draw closer to God and honor Him.  It should not be dangerous or harmful to your health or well-being. 

This is not required during Lent – some people choose to sacrifice, while others do not.  Prayerfully seek God and His leading regarding sacrifice.  If He is not leading you to sacrifice during Lent, He will show you this and you should honor that.  Many people do not sacrifice during Lent – that does not change their love for God or God’s love for them.  It is totally a personal decision and there is not a right or wrong answer to the question. 

As in all things, God will lead you to what is right and best for you.

I look forward to meeting you here tomorrow as we study God’s Word together!

 

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”

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