As we are forged into the person of Jesus, we must submit to His Spirit. It is only through being led by the Spirit of Christ that we are given peace, a new mind, life, and adoption. Are you living by the Spirit or the flesh? The first leads to life, the latter leads to death. There is only life as you are forged by the Spirit of God into the likeness of Jesus.
Led By The Spirit (WS)
Westside Campus
January 3, 2021 • Kenan Stolz
More from
Forged
Led By The Spirit (BG)
January 3, 2021 • Rob Williams
Christianity is often viewed as a devotion to staunch and strict rules that oppose cultural definitions of freedom and living. Our society is progressively opting for individual expressions of freedom and living for a universal definition. Those who believe a single document, authority, or religion contain the blueprint for the ideal life have become the minority. "You do you, beau" has become the mantra of the past decade. The shift towards individualism is destroying our society. This shift is due to sin and selfish desires to please the flesh. Jesus came to conquer sin and death, offering life to those who believe in Him. Believers adopted into the family of God become co-heirs with Jesus and experience life as God intended. It is time to impact our neighborhoods by living out the Gospel in our lives. The Gospel, clearly communicated, shares the freedom and life found through the loving work that God has done through Jesus Christ. Sharing the Gospel requires all Christians to set their mind on the Spirit and reject the flesh's desires. A mindset on the Spirit is not just a one-time action; this refinement is a lifelong process. The testing and trials are harsh at times, but Christians can take heart in the truth found in Romans 8:11, "He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." As the Spirit, who dwells within believers, seeks to refine church members, neighborhoods will be impacted by men and women who demonstrate the true freedom and living that honors and glorifies God. A life led by the Spirit is one forged in the fire.
Long For His Return (HP)
January 10, 2021 • Kyle Wetzler
Do you ever get the feeling that things are not as they should be? Do you ever struggle to find words to properly express or describe just exactly what you're feeling and thinking? Do you desire a greater future? If so, you're not alone. In this week's passage, we discover that it's perfectly normal to feel this way, in fact, we find out there are others who share this angst and longing. As we begin 2021 looking at what it means to be further made into the image and likeness of Jesus, we will focus this week on how living within this tension does just that.
Long For His Return (WS)
January 10, 2021 • Kenan Stolz • Romans 8:18–30
Hope to those who have none is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive us to the end of ourselves. It is at the end of ourselves that we hope in the things not yet seen. What is hope if we can see the things we long for? There is a hope that groans within creation and the church. This hope brings us to the end of ourselves and forces us beyond ourselves. Are you ready to embody dangerous hope?