January 26, 2017 by Stuart Williams

Do You Know How to Live in the Spirit?

Paul reminds these followers in Galatia who had stopped living in the Spirit’s power and had started to depend on themselves how foolish that is, and then he makes it clear what they need to do (Galatians 5:25).

The picture is of someone walking, and every step they take in the Spirit. You can’t live by the Spirit if you only acknowledge his presence one day a week when you come to church.

January 25, 2017 by Stuart Williams

Transparency is the Key to That Kind of Power

Being filled with the power of the Spirit begins with an honest acknowledgement of our own weakness.

The truth is that most of us go to great lengths to disguise our weaknesses.

January 24, 2017 by Stuart Williams

That’s Not the Question

When you become a Christian you receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit. That’s his promise to all who put their faith in him. So it’s not a question of whether or not you have access to this power of the Holy Spirit; the question is, have you accessed it? Fans may have received the gift of the Holy Spirit but they aren’t being filled with the Holy Spirit.

January 23, 2017 by Stuart Williams

It Doesn’t Work Without The Power of the Spirit

Fans trying to follow without being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit become overwhelmed by life’s circumstances. They seem to be following Christ, but then something in life goes wrong and they don’t have the power to overcome it. Instead of following Christ and sticking close to him in the storm, they become discouraged and keep their distance.

Eventually something happens and you can’t get through it on your own. Followers have discovered that it doesn’t work without the power of the Spirit.

January 17, 2017 by Stuart Williams

The Problem is not Enough Learning…

It is impossible to know too much about God and his love for us in Christ. If someone is into theology and not into loving others, the problem isn’t that he’s spent too much time learning about God; it’s that he never took to heart what he learned. In fact, I John warns he may not even be a believer at all.

January 16, 2017 by Stuart Williams

What Are You Following?

Maybe you grew up in a home where you were taught all about Jesus. Through fear and guilt you learned to keep as many of the rules as possible, hoping it would be enough to keep you out of hell. You were taught to observe different religious traditions and rituals in an effort to appease God. Instead of becoming a follower of Christ, you become a follower of religion.

January 13, 2017 by Stuart Williams

You Can Always Count on Guilt

When following the rules becomes the principal focus of a church, then you can count on guilt being the primary motivator. Jesus speaks of guilt as a weight that these religious leaders forced people to carry by making a relationship with God all about the rules.

January 12, 2017 by Stuart Williams

Missed It By That Much

The point of the law was for people to deal truthfully with one another, treating others with honor and respect. These religious leaders may have been keeping the letter of the law, but they were missing the spirit of it. They were technically obeying the commands of Scripture but they were missing the point of those commands.

January 11, 2017 by Stuart Williams

It Comes From Inside Out

When we learn to truly follow Jesus, we find that obedience to God comes from the inside out. Submission to what God wants for our lives flows naturally out of that relationship. It’s not to say that what we do or don’t do doesn’t matter, but what we do or don’t do must come from who we are as followers of Jesus.

January 10, 2017 by Stuart Williams

That’s What Christ Wants in a Follower

That’s what Christ wants in a follower – someone who isn’t pretending on the outside to have it all together. That’s one of the ways the word hypocrisy is defined, as “the act of pretending.”

Notable Quotables

Quotes I haved found interesting along the way

Month: January 2017