9 Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

As a church planter, you are well aware that there are many religions in the world. You know people who follow Islam. You know people who are idol worshippers.  You may know people who are Buddhists or Hindus.  You probably know people who have some Christian beliefs but follow many teachings not supported by the Bible.  So, what is the difference between biblical Christian faith and the other religions of the world?

All religions teach people how to live their lives.  All religions work to teach people about right and wrong, good and evil, truth and deception.  The Bible teaches us in Isaiah 30:21, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”  But other religions make similar claims.  What is the difference between those religions and biblical Christianity?

The difference is that in Christ, we not only receive instructions about how we are to live, we receive power to live according to God’s plan. The power we need to live according to the will of God comes from his Holy Spirit living within us.

God has given his children a wonderful promise in Galatians 5:22-25. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

In this passage, Paul compares the Holy Spirit to a very special fruit tree, a fruit tree that produces nine kinds of wonderful, beautiful fruit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  This fruit of the Spirit is expressed in the behavior and lifestyle of those who walk in step with the Spirit.

To walk in the Spirit or to keep in step with the Spirit means to be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s voice. To walk in the Spirit means to enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit, day by day as we walk through life together with Him. To walk in the Spirit means to listen to his voice and to be led by him.

And here is the good news: The power we need to live according to the will of God comes from his Holy Spirit living within us.

Because the Spirit is at work in the children of God, we love God and love our neighbors. Because we live daily in fellowship and communication with the Holy Spirit, we experience and express joy and peace and patience.  Because the Holy Spirit lives in us and energizes us, we show kindness and goodness to others, we faithfully keep our commitments, we show gentleness, and we exercise self-control.  The power we need to live according to the will of God comes from his Holy Spirit living within us.

So teach the new believers in your church to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Help them learn to pray throughout the day. Teach them to meditate on the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God.  As we walk in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will produce his fruit in our lives and bless those around us.

This has been Multiply, and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?”

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #WalkInTheSpirit #FruitOfTheSpirit

 

One Another Series - Accept One Another

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

This year, in these podcasts, I am focusing upon the “One Another” scriptures found in the New Testament as viewed through the lens of leadership.  

The apostle Paul had a lot to say about the “one another” life.  In our two previous podcasts, we dealt with his instruction to edify one another in Romans 14:19 followed by his warning to stop passing judgment on one another (14:13).  Today we move on to the following chapter where we read in verse 7, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

I’d like to share three brief truths for leaders – and all of us – from this scripture.

Firstly, we are commanded to “accept one another.”  What does this mean, and what does it not mean?  To gain some insight, consider the two preceding verses (5-6).  “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I believe that what Paul is saying here is that accepting one another produces a spirit of unity in the body of Christ. “With one mind and one voice...”  A number of years ago I heard the word “unity” described as being “one mind in many bodies.”  When leaders demonstrate an attitude of acceptance – as opposed to judgment which we discussed last time – the level of unity is increased.

That said, what might this instruction to “accept one another” not mean?  It does not mean that leaders turn a blind eye, or ignore, sins of attitude or behavior. We accept the person; we do not accept or condone their sin.

Secondly, we see in this verse our model for acceptance.  “Just as Christ accepted you.”  In our sinful state, He sought us and brought us to Himself.  Paul addressed this in Romans 5:8. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” When we come to Christ, He accepts us as we are, AND He loves us enough that He doesn’t leave us in that mess.

Finally, there is the purpose or the outcome of our acceptance of one another. “. ...in order to bring praise to God.” When we accept one another, this brings praise to the One who is worthy! I would suggest this that this praise not only comes from those who are Christ-followers; the world also sees people who love and accept one another, and this reflects well upon His body.  

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

The Power to be Jesus' Witnesses

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

God’s word is full of promises to bless and guide his children. One promise which gripped me when I was a young Christian is found in Acts 1:8.  Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, he made an astounding promise to his disciples.  

Jesus said to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." As a young Christian, I wanted this power.  I saw others in my church who shared their faith and led people to Christ. I wanted to do the same. But I was so ineffective. I had two problems. I was reluctant, almost afraid, to speak of Christ. And I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to say to get a spiritual conversation started and I didn’t know what to say to respond well to the person I was talking to.  

But I really wanted power to be Jesus witness and I really wanted to bear fruit for Christ.  So I prayed for power.  I looked for power.  I wanted the Holy Spirit to give me the same kind of power that Peter exhibited when he spoke to the crowd on the day of Pentecost.

I suspect that you and your disciples also want this Holy Spirit power to be witnesses for Christ.  The good news is that Christ has promised it to you.  So, let me encourage you in your prayer life as you pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Christ. Remember, before the day of Pentecost, 120 disciples, men and women spent long days in prayer.  You pray too for the Spirit to empower you.

First, pray for yourself to have greater love for the people who surround you.  As Jesus fills you with love and compassion, you will speak more of him.  As Jesus puts empathy in your heart for people who live their life without Christ, you will be motivated to share the Good News.  Such love was on display when Peter spoke on Pentecost to the very people who had crucified his Teacher and Lord. (Acts 2:36).  That love came from the work of the Holy Spirit in Peter’s heart. He did not condemn. He lovingly pointed the way to the Savior.

Secondly, pray for boldness to speak.  Ask God to give you boldness to open your mouth to speak about Jesus.  Many people find that the hardest part of evangelism is getting started. I know this is true for me.  When I was a young Christian, I thought I had to prepare in my mind every word I would say as a witness for Christ.  I was so afraid of making a mistake or of missing an opportunity. But I needn’t have feared. God does the work. When we speak of Christ, when we ask open questions, when we are prepared to share the Good News using the Three Circles or other Gospel presentation, God does the work. John 6:44 tells us that God works though us drawing men and women to the Savior. So relax and let God do his loving work.

Do you want to be a Spirit-empowered witness for Christ?  

• Pray for greater love for the people around you.

• Pray for boldness to open your mouth and speak of Christ.

• Ask open questions.

• Be ready to share the Good News using the Three Circles or another Gospel presentation.

• Don’t be tense. Relax and let God do his work through you.

As you take these steps of faith, God will make you a powerful witness for Christ.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #WitnessForChrist #Acts1-8

Comforter, Advocate, Paraclete

 This is Multiply a podcast to encourage village church planter and leaders .I am Brad Snowden and we are going to look at John 14:16  “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, to be with you forever”

There is such a powerful promise as we look to understand the role of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that we would need all that is mentioned in John 14:16. There is no church planter, pastor or minister that will be able to do anything on their own. We need the Holy Spirit and it is vital that we learn to depend on Him . He is our comforter and many times we think of the comforter comes when we have a death in our family or church. This is true and yet how about when we have had a really hard day. Church planting is not easy and it can feel very lonely at times. We need comfort from God’s word promising we are not alone and that God can do all things. We need assurance that as we pray the Lord hears us, He is our advocate to help us when we do not know what to pray. The Holy Spirit is our counselor when we need wisdom God’s word comes to our thoughts and this is the work of the Holy Spirit. I know that I can recall many times there would be a circumstance that would arise and I would search God’s word with no answer and in prayer a scripture would simply come alive in my heart and I would read it and it would fit perfectly into the need I was searching for. 

Oh church planter you have so much that you are trying to accomplish and the work is so very hard. We have a helper, a strength that will not come from anyone on this earth. We can rely on the Holy Spirit that was God’s heart from the beginning of creation, fellowship with Him and we can walk in all wisdom and strength when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and for us. God knew what was absolutely needed for our lives and the lives and villages we are to go to and allow the Holy Spirit to work. 2 Peter 1:3 For His divine power has bestowed on us absolutely everything necessary for a dynamic spiritual life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

It is by His grace and mercy that He has given us everything needed nothing lacking. It is up to us to use what He has given to us to use and allow to be used through us. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. 

Who will you share this podcast with today? 

Lord Bless you.

 

Coach with Confidence

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

For you as a church planter, how has the experience of planting a first generation church been different from the experience of helping others plant second-generation churches?  What has been your experience?

When a new church planter sets out to plant a first generation church, he or she begins with prayer. In my experience, much of my prayer life as a first–generation church planter revolved around the simple phrase, “Lord, help me.”  I would pray, “Lord, help me to find people receptive to the Good News. Lord, help me share the Gospel well.  Lord, help me be sensitive to the needs of the people I am talking to. Lord, help me to understand them and Lord, please help them to understand me.”

And the Lord did help me and the ones I was working with.  Men and women came to faith in Christ; we started a church. Then we began to work on the planting of second-generation churches.  This is a very different experience. Now our prayer life changes.  Our prayer becomes, “Lord help him or Lord help her. Lord help my second generation church planter.”  This is a huge change. It is a change that some first-generation church planters fail to make.  They may pray, “Lord help him.” But then they step in to carry out the ministry that the second–generation church planter should be doing.  Instead of equipping and releasing the second-generation church planter for ministry, some first-generation church planters step in and take on the responsibilities that should truly be carried out by their disciple.  Have you ever done this?  I know I have.  I would say to myself. “I will just help him a little more until in the future he can do this ministry without my help.” But I wasn’t really equipping the second-generation church planter.  I was doing his work for him.  This is no good.  If we do this, we fail to develop more workers for God’s harvest field.

As first-generation church planters, when we are tempted to do the work that is the responsibility of our second-generation church planting disciple, that should be a signal to us that we need to stop what we are doing and begin coaching.

Coaching is the ongoing process of asking open questions to help other people make wise decisions.

Coaches empower others by helping them set achievable goals. They ask, “What do you want to achieve this month in you church planting ministry? Coaches empower others by helping them see clearly the true situation where they are working.  Coaches ask “What is happening with the people you are serving?” Coaches use open questions to help other people identify a variety of options to achieve their goals.  They ask, “What are some steps you could take to move forward to reach your goal for this month?” Finally, coaches ask “What will you do?” When they hear what their disciple plans to do, good coaches hold him or her accountable to do what they said they would do.

So here is my word of encouragement for first generation church planters: You can coach with confidence. Don’t do for second-generation church planters they work they themselves should do. Use open questions to help your disciples make wise church planting plans. Then pray for them saying, “Lord help them to do what you have put in their hearts to do.”

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Coaching #ChurchMultiplication

One Another Series - Stop Passing Judgement On One Another

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

This year, in these podcasts, I am focusing upon the “One Another” scriptures found in the New Testament as viewed through the lens of leadership.

Last time we addressed the edification, or building up, of one another from Romans 14:19. In this episode we will look just a few verses prior at the negative, or opposite, side of this. “Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” (Romans 14:13)

Firstly, I want to say that one of the responsibilities of a leader is to make assessments of people and situations. Leaders do exercise judgment about circumstances. But what the Apostle Paul is speaking about here is “passing judgment” upon others. His term has a tone of condemnation or looking down upon. We see this in verse 10 where he asks, “why do you treat them with contempt?”

The context of this chapter 14 passage is what Paul refers to in verse 1 as “disputable matters”. In early Church times some examples of “disputable matters” were eating certain foods (such as those sacrificed to idols) or which days of the week were more holy. “Disputable matters” today might be the frequency of the Lord’s Supper in a local church or who might be authorized to preside over such services. Paul reminds his audience – and us – that we will all stand before God’s Judgment Seat, and each of us will give account of ourselves to God. (vs. 10 and 12).

Our verse today follows this reminder in 12 that we will each give an account of our lives to God, and then verse 13 begins with the word “therefore”. This means “as a consequence” or “as a result of what we just read or heard.” He continues with the negative command to “stop passing judgment on one another” followed by a positive encouragement to “make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” As good and godly leaders, it is our responsibility to provide evaluation or assessment of people and situations. Yet, Paul balances this with two stipulations.

 We are not to pass judgment on others over “disputable matters.” We need to keep our focus upon the vital and irrefutable essentials of the Faith. We are not to look with contempt at those who hold different opinions on disputable matters. And, We are to be committed to avoid creating any stumbling block or obstacle to others. Let us edify one other rather than judging them with contempt.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Walk in the Spirit

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

People give their lives to Christ for many reasons. Some want deliverance from

evil spirits, so they come to Christ. Others need physical healing and call out to

Jesus. Some want their marriage to be restored and so they turn to the Lord. I

came to Jesus because I wanted to be free from the load of guilt I felt for my

sins and my shortcomings. I was so delighted to understand the Gospel. For me,

it truly was good news. As I read the New Testament and attended youth

meetings at my church, I learned that Jesus had died for my sins and longed to

help me find forgiveness. He wanted me to be reconciled to him. I could

hardly believe it. Soon I gave my life to Christ. I repented of my sins and put

my trust in Him. I was so happy. I was so relieved. I felt so free.

But I quickly learned that sin was an ongoing problem in my life. I found myself

asking for God’s forgiveness again and again. I memorized the truth of 1 John

1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our

sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” But I didn’t just want to be

forgiven; I wanted to stop sinning. I hated my sin. I hated offending the God

who loved me so very much. But what could I do?

Then I learned the truth of Galatians 5:16, Paul told the Galatians, “But I

say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” I

thought to myself, “Wow, I really need to learn what it means to walk in the

Spirit and to be led by the Holy Spirit of God. If I can walk in the Spirit, I won’t

carry out the desires of my sinful nature.”

I don’t have time to tell you my whole story, but here is what I learned about

walking in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit, we must trust that God is good,

that God loves us completely and unconditionally. But walking in the Spirit is

much more than just believing in the goodness of God. To walk in the Spirit we

must trust him; we must trust that God’s will for our lives is completely good.

To walk in the Spirit, we must crown Jesus as king of our life. When we trust

God fully with our life and we consecrate our life to obey Jesus in every

circumstance, we can be filled with his Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a momentary experience that can be

repeated. But walking in the Spirit means to be filled by the Spirit in a moment

and then living in dialog with the Holy Spirit minute by minute, day by day.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

To walk in the Spirit is to trust that God is with us moment by moment. It is to

be continuously conscious of his presence. To walk in the Spirit is to live life in

prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us. To walk in the Spirit is

to trust him to empower us to do his will and to testify of his goodness and

power. God longs for each of his sons and daughters to walk in the Spirit day

by day. If we sin, without delay we should confess our sin, repent, and continue

in obedience walking in his Holy Spirit. So here is my word of encouragement

to you today, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the

flesh.” 

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #WalkInTheSpirit

Born of the Spirit

 

Welcome to Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters, pastors and Christian leaders. I am your host today, Daneille Snowden.

In John 16:7 we read -

JESUS SAID “IT IS FOR OUR ADVANTAGE THAT I GO.” 

What is He saying? Advantage in the Greek means to benefit and to gain which is profitable. This kind of profit is above and beyond any norm.

One of the advantages given by the Holy Spirit coming upon and in us is: We will come to a FULNESS of…:

Understanding & Wisdom

This is a deeper understanding of God’s Word and the purpose of it.

Equipped with His Power and His unlimited gifts to equip us in life.

There is a quote that says:

“God’s work in us (the fullness) is the work of the Holy Spirit. God’s work through us (the fulfillment) is also the work of the Holy Spirit.” (F. Hartly)

We will come to a COMPLETION: (THAT IS A FULFILLMENT).

This fulfillment of the Holy Spirit filling us with His power & gifts will set us free from our own limitations (within our own mindsets).

It is how Paul was able to say:

“I have the good fight, and I have FINISHED my course and kept the faith.”

2 Timothy 4:7

Learning this within my husband Brad and my life both in ministry and daily life has truly changed who we see who we are in the Kingdom of God.

We have served in the ministry a total of 35 years , with 26  as pastors. The last 6 years of pastoring, Brad was in a wheelchair, and not given long to live. Then  God healed him and now we are walking into a life as missionaries. Our theme God gave us was from Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

COMPLETION  that is FULFILLMENT! This fulfillment happens when Christ’s flows through us to others. And it is continuous BY THE SPIRIT! As it is written in Zechariah 4:6:

“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Thank you for listening, will you share this podcast with others? 

We are also on several podcast channels called Multiply. 

Our website is www.vcpencouragement.org.

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. As church planters, we focus much of our time, energy, and prayers on practical tasks.  We make plans to prayer walk to find persons of peace. And then we do it. We think and pray about sharing the Gospel by telling Bible stories or sharing the three circles. And then we do it. We plan worship services. And then we do what we planned. Church planters are practical ministers of the Gospel. I find this delightful. The practicality of church planters is one reason I enjoy so much the time I spend with them, from the newest beginner to the most experienced elder.

 

But in all our practicality, there are times when we are called to be reflective, studious, and thoughtful.  There are times we need to think and speak with great clarity so that we can be sure that our practical work is built on the firm foundation of truth revealed in the Scriptures.

 

Of all the questions the Bible answers, perhaps the most important is, “Who is God?” The Bible reveals that there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So who is the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is God.  He is one of three persons of the godhead.  And the Holy Spirit is a person.  

 

When we understand these two truths about the Holy Spirit (that he is God and he is a person), we can relate to him well; we can allow him to do his gracious work in us without fear and with great assurance and faith.  The Holy Spirit is God.  This means that He is eternal.  When the world was created, the Holy Spirit was already there. Genesis 1:2 teaches us that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters on the first day of creation. He is eternal.

 

And the Holy Spirit is God. This means that he is good and loving and kind. He, along with the Father and the Son share all the qualities attributed to Yahweh in the Old Testament. He is merciful and kind, abounding in steadfast love. He is righteous and holy. He is the Holy Spirit.  Because he is good, we must not be afraid of Him.  Because he is holy we must revere and respect him.

 

But in addition to knowing the attributes of the Holy Spirit, we must also remember who He is not. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force.  The Holy Spirit is not some supernatural power that we can manipulate with special knowledge. No! He is God at work in the world today to accomplish God’s plan of salvation and sanctification. And so, we do not try to manipulate the Holy Spirit; we submit to him, we cooperate with him. We join him in his work. We listen to him and we are led by him.  We allow him to grow in us the fruit that demonstrates his presence in our lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And as that fruit is growing, we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us as witnesses for Christ, testifying in word and deed of his power and desire to save sinners and transform evil-doers into workers of righteousness.

 

Do you know the Holy Spirit? He is God. He is a person. He is at work today.  So humble yourself before him. Honor him as God. As you allow the Holy Spirit to transform your heart and empower your obedience to Christ, you will be used powerfully for the salvation and sanctification of many.

 

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Holy Spirit

Born of the Spirit - Fulfilled to Completion

 

Welcome to Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters, pastors and Christian leaders. I am your host today, Daneille Snowden.

In John 16:7 we read -

JESUS SAID “IT IS FOR OUR ADVANTAGE THAT I GO.” 

What is He saying? Advantage in the Greek means to benefit and to gain which is profitable. This kind of profit is above and beyond any norm.

One of the advantages given by the Holy Spirit coming upon and in us is: We will come to a FULNESS of…:

Understanding & Wisdom

This is a deeper understanding of God’s Word and the purpose of it.

Equipped with His Power and His unlimited gifts to equip us in life.

There is a quote that says:

“God’s work in us (the fullness) is the work of the Holy Spirit. God’s work through us (the fulfillment) is also the work of the Holy Spirit.” (F. Hartly)

We will come to a COMPLETION: (THAT IS A FULFILLMENT).

This fulfillment of the Holy Spirit filling us with His power & gifts will set us free from our own limitations (within our own mindsets).

It is how Paul was able to say:

“I have the good fight, and I have FINISHED my course and kept the faith.”

2 Timothy 4:7

Learning this within my husband Brad and my life both in ministry and daily life has truly changed who we see who we are in the Kingdom of God.

We have served in the ministry a total of 35 years , with 26  as pastors. The last 6 years of pastoring, Brad was in a wheelchair, and not given long to live. Then  God healed him and now we are walking into a life as missionaries. Our theme God gave us was from Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

COMPLETION  that is FULFILLMENT! This fulfillment happens when Christ’s flows through us to others. And it is continuous BY THE SPIRIT! As it is written in Zechariah 4:6:

“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Thank you for listening, will you share this podcast with others? 

We are also on several podcast channels called Multiply. 

Our website is www.vcpencouragement.org.

Walk in the Spirit

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

People give their lives to Christ for many reasons. Some want deliverance from

evil spirits, so they come to Christ. Others need physical healing and call out to

Jesus. Some want their marriage to be restored and so they turn to the Lord. I

came to Jesus because I wanted to be free from the load of guilt I felt for my

sins and my shortcomings. I was so delighted to understand the Gospel. For me,

it truly was good news. As I read the New Testament and attended youth

meetings at my church, I learned that Jesus had died for my sins and longed to

help me find forgiveness. He wanted me to be reconciled to him. I could

hardly believe it. Soon I gave my life to Christ. I repented of my sins and put

my trust in Him. I was so happy. I was so relieved. I felt so free.

But I quickly learned that sin was an ongoing problem in my life. I found myself

asking for God’s forgiveness again and again. I memorized the truth of 1 John

1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our

sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” But I didn’t just want to be

forgiven; I wanted to stop sinning. I hated my sin. I hated offending the God

who loved me so very much. But what could I do?

Then I learned the truth of Galatians 5:16, Paul told the Galatians, “But I

say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” I

thought to myself, “Wow, I really need to learn what it means to walk in the

Spirit and to be led by the Holy Spirit of God. If I can walk in the Spirit, I won’t

carry out the desires of my sinful nature.”

I don’t have time to tell you my whole story, but here is what I learned about

walking in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit, we must trust that God is good,

that God loves us completely and unconditionally. But walking in the Spirit is

much more than just believing in the goodness of God. To walk in the Spirit we

must trust him; we must trust that God’s will for our lives is completely good.

To walk in the Spirit, we must crown Jesus as king of our life. When we trust

God fully with our life and we consecrate our life to obey Jesus in every

circumstance, we can be filled with his Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a momentary experience that can be

repeated. But walking in the Spirit means to be filled by the Spirit in a moment

and then living in dialog with the Holy Spirit minute by minute, day by day.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

To walk in the Spirit is to trust that God is with us moment by moment. It is to

be continuously conscious of his presence. To walk in the Spirit is to live life in

prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us. To walk in the Spirit is

to trust him to empower us to do his will and to testify of his goodness and

power. God longs for each of his sons and daughters to walk in the Spirit day

by day. If we sin, without delay we should confess our sin, repent, and continue

in obedience walking in his Holy Spirit. So here is my word of encouragement

to you today, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the

flesh.” 

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #WalkInTheSpirit