Scripture
–
Romans
8:1-13 NASB –
Therefore
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of
death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God
did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for
sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be
fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things
of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit
is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for
it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
However,
you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells
in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to
Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the
spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So
then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to
the flesh- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if
by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Galatians
5:19-21 NASB –
Now
the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity,
sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things
like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those
who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians
5:9-21 The Message –
It
is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the
time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and
emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods;
magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition;
all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love
or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided
pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival;
uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could
go on.
This
isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this
way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
Galatians
6:7-8 NASB –
Do
not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also
reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap
corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap
eternal life.
Bob’s
thoughts:
This
church was on our list to visit for some time and today God directed us here.
We were warmly welcomed from the door and many stopped by in the pew. The real
welcome was the smile of a young girl as she danced around the sanctuary.
There
was a great harmony between the pastor on guitar and the female lead singer. I found
it a challenge to follow the words as we sang as there was much repetition and
I got lost easily although she did try to lead us to what was next.
I enjoyed
the banners and was happy to see a large cross behind the projection screen.
The
message was part of a series on rebuilding His church, and today focused on
discipleship. The pastor raised a thought that has gotten me in the past: “Is
this what God wants or what I think God wants?”
I had
a large garden and sent tons of produce to local food banks, then one year I
felt God calling me to stop. Since most of the garden was hillside and it was
killing me, it should have been easy to obey. But I believed I was doing this
good stuff for God and put in a garden anyhow, a little smaller maybe. The next
year I planted peas and started buying seeds, then I heard clearly, “I meant
that!” His peace washed over me when I obeyed and that part of the property is now
mostly grass.
Another
statement I liked – when you are caught in the flesh – “just stop it.” When He
calls you, “just do it!”
Jan’s
thoughts:
This
church has been on our list for approximately four years, and today seemed like
the day to visit. We were greeted even before entering the building and
welcomed warmly and often. The building is modest, neat, and clean, with some striking
banners on the side walls.
The
volume of the music was perfect, with the pastor playing the guitar, his wife
on the keyboard, and a single vocalist. The voices blended beautifully.
If
the message had a title, I think it would have been “Believer’s Choice.” The
pastor spoke of the church’s emphasis on discipleship, then defined the term as
“learning how to live in relationship with our God, Who loves us.”
He
stated that Christians have a choice to live either according to the flesh or to
be led by the Spirit. However, living in the Spirit is not a one-time event but
an ongoing process of learning to depend on God alone.
He
spoke of putting to death the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit, and that we
“can’t cast out what must be crucified,” which I thought was very well put.
He
asked an excellent question: are you who God wants you to be, doing what He
wants you to do where He wants you to be doing it?
There
was enough food for thought in this message to munch on for some time.
We
appreciated the kind invitations to join the congregation for lunch which would
be followed by a baptism, but we had to decline.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
Your church is preparing to grow where You planted them. Fertilize the fields
of their hearts and help them grow in their love for You. Amen.
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