Preparing for the new series coming Sunday

Back on Sept 10, 2012, a group of people began a journey together studying the topic of the Holy Spirit.  Like you would envision any Bible Study, we had our Bibles and journals, there was teaching and discussion, people were challenged as they left each week.   We prayed together, fellowshipped together and enjoyed good food together.  It was definitely a great time.  But little did we know that the Lord was up to something so much bigger than we realized.  But why should we be surprised?!?!  Each time we met, we all physically got on our knees and begged for the Holy Spirit to yes fill us, teach us, and transform us.  But most of all we invited the living God, by his living Spirit, to take us on a journey…to make us aware of his indwelling presence, to allow us to hear is voice, to fill us with his power.  And because we longed so deeply to go on a journey of learning the ropes of living a spirit-filled life, we took seriously the Spirit's leading in our lives every other day of the week.  We wrote specific steps of obedience on note cards and sought to be intentional in our obedience to the Holy Spirit.  The results were powerful.  Each week people came back sharing crazy steps of obedience.  Things they never thought they could do, like forgiving a person who wronged them or seeking to restore a broken relationship or trying to start a spiritual conversation with a non-Christian…these were steps of obedience that had only resulted in failure and shame in the past.  God was at work by his Spirit and literally began answering our prayers.  We saw power where we were typically weak and comfort where we were prone to despair.  People were awakened to the reality that the living God resided in them and was their means to living the Christian life. 

Then birthed out of that groups was a smaller group that longed for more of the power of the Spirit in our lives.  For the past few months we've been meeting, studying, fasting and praying for a move of God by His Spirit to be UNLEASHED in our lives and in our church.  And I'm excited to say that the Father is up to something.  How do I know you ask?  Well the short answer is - He told us.  The longer answer is - when you surrender yourself to the Spirit of God and ask for a move of God, it's a prayer to which He won't say no.

The next three Sundays you will begin to catch a glimpse of the work God is up to.  The name of the series is "UNLEASHED" and we will look at what it means that we as Christians have LIFE in the Spirit, POWER by the Spirit and PURPOSE through the Spirit.  My goal is to paint a biblical picture of what happens to our lives when we let the living God UNLEASH His Spirit into our souls and out through our lives.  It's going to be powerful and I want to help you be prepared for what I believe will begin to change the spiritual landscape of our church.

Here is simply what I'm asking you to do for the next 3 Sundays (3rd, 10th, 17th):

  1. Pray on your ride to church - On your car ride to church for the next 3 Sundays will you pray out loud, with whoever is in your car, asking for God to be unmistakably present.
  2. Arrive to church on time - for the next 3 Sundays the sermon will be toward the beginning of the service so don't be late or you'll miss the beginning.
  3. Be ready to respond - a lot more emphasis and time will be given for responding to the Lord.  This is why the sermon will be toward the beginning, so we can really engage in obedience to his Spirits leading in response to the preaching of His Word.
  4. Pray this simple prayer - "God make me aware of your Holy Spirit."

I'm excited and can't wait for Sunday and I couldn't be more convinced that the Lord has something POWERFUL in store for us.   Will you join me in praying and expecting to that end?


May we never be the same!!!

Dave

5 Ways to Develop a Devotion to Prayer

1. Pray- This is probably the best way to develop a devotion to prayer, just start doing it. Sacrifice, be consistent, pray everyday at the same time in the same place.
2. Ask God for it- Scripture says that you do not have because you do not ask. Ask God to give you a devotion for prayer.
3. Pray in community- God designed us for community. 
• Have someone or a group if people that pray with and pray for. 
• Text people that you are praying for them, ask them what you can pray for. 
• Develop prayer groups that meet with consistency. You do not have to be a pastor or leader to gather some close friends and start praying. 
• Find someone today to pray with or text with about your prayers. 
•  Share your journals with someone.
4. Pray the Psalms- They provide you with the revealed heart, character and personality of God. They give you a rounded perspective of who he is. They help you to commune with God. 
5.   Realize your need- At the heart of prayer is an acknowledgement that we are in need and the one you pray to can fulfill that need. This is the gospel here. We have a need, burden, a desire for relationship, a realized hunger inside of us that is filled by God. He is ready and waiting and accepting of you in full as you are.