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The First Spiritual Renewal

Gary DeLashmutt

Acts 2:1-13

Luke records the event that led to the first spiritual renewal - a time where God works powerfully in and through Christians - in the early church movement. This event, the arrival of the Holy Spirit, led to thousands coming to Christ in a day. From this event we can glean four elements we should expect to see during a spiritual renewal. We should see: 1) Christians united in ongoing, corporate prayer, 2) Christians being moved by God to speak personally about Him to others, 3) God mobilizing His people to reach other cultures, and 4) people being polarized by the message of Christ.

Keywords

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Paul at Ephesus

Ryan Lowery

Acts 19:1-19

Though many at Ephesus claimed to be followers of Christ, it isn't until Paul came to them that they received the Holy Spirit. This passage isn't teaching a Pentecostal theology, but indicates that not all who think they are believers have received Christ. Several points about the Holy Spirit can be gleaned from this passage: 1) the Holy Spirit is God's pledge of our spiritual life; 2) the Holy Spirit is what empowers change; 3) the Holy Spirit is what empowers us to be used by God in others' lives; 4) empowerment by the Spirit may include God working supernaturally; 5) it is dangerous to do God's work without His power; and 6) the Holy Spirit can free us from fear.

Keywords

{"passage": "Acts 19:1-19","passageabreviated": "Acts 19:1-19","passagetiny": "Acts 19:1-19","teacher": "Ryan Lowery","teachingDate": "08...

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The Second Missionary Journey

Ryan Lowery

Acts 15:36-16:40

In Paul's second missionary journey, five principles about ministry can be observed: 1) Christians are immediately qualified to share their faith with those around them; 2) ministry should include mentoring; 3) ministry must be led by the Holy Spirit; 4) ministry is war with a sophisticated enemy; and 5) successful ministry requires the right attitude.

Keywords

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Planting & Harvesting

Jim Leffel

Galatians 6:6-10

Paul highlights the importance of our focus and choices as Christians. Within the Christian life, there are two paths to follow: the way of the spirit of way of the flesh. As we live in accordance with the Spirit, God can produce a harvest in our lives, even if we don't immediately see the results. Likewise, our lives can be used powerfully by God as we become good stewards with God's resources. Growing spiritually is correlated with feeding the Spirit, as opposed to feeding the fleshly desires within our lives.

Keywords

{"passage": "Galatians 6:6-10","passageabreviated": "Gal 6:6-10","passagetiny": "Gal 6:6-10","teacher": "Jim Leffel","teachingDate": "01/...

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Grace Confirmed By Experience

Gary DeLashmutt

Galatians 3:1-5

While Paul was arguing that acceptance by God comes through faith alone, the Judaizers were teaching the Galatians that faith was not enough. They claimed that keeping God's law was also necessary to gain God's acceptance. Paul continues his argument to keep the Galatian people from drifting from the true Gospel. His argument includes: personal experience of grace and the Holy Spirit as a mark of secure acceptance.

Keywords

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Bearing Fruit (Part 3)

Jim Leffel

Galatians 5:19-25

Fruit of the Holy Spirit includes a growing interest and capacity for goodness, kindness, gentleness, and faithfulness. Goodness implies that we are working to meet others needs as a way of life, as we understand the immense value God has for them. Christians excelling in kindness and gentleness are rich in empathy towards others and are often sought out by others during tough times. Those who are faithful will engage in God's work based on facts and faith, in spite of how they might feel in the present moment and are very reliable in the lives of others.

Keywords

{"passage": "Galatians 5:19-25","passageabreviated": "Gal 5:19-25","passagetiny": "Gal 5:19-25","teacher": "Jim Leffel","teachingDate": "...

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Bearing Fruit (Part 2)

Jim Leffel

Galatians 5:19-25

Paul shares some attributes of people who are led by the Holy Spirit. Some characteristics of Christians led by the Holy Spirit's power include lives of peace and patience. Peace by the Holy Spirit results in relational skills and effectively dealing with anger that we encounter in a way that glorifies God. God-filled patience allows for long-suffering within relationships and persevering with people because of a deep concern for their well-being. Both of these can be realized through dependence in prayer with God and through our speech with others.

Keywords

{"passage": "Galatians 5:19-25","passageabreviated": "Gal 5:19-25","passagetiny": "Gal 5:19-25","teacher": "Jim Leffel","teachingDate": "...

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Bearing Fruit (Part 1)

Jim Leffel

Galatians 5:19-25

Walking according to the Holy Spirit's guidance produces real change in the lives of Christians. Some of the fruit of the Holy Spirit includes walking in love, living with deep joy and having a deep sense of peace, all of which comes from God. Self-sacrificial love, delighting when God uses you or those around you, being grateful for His blessings, and cultivating a deep trust in God accomplishing His purposes are all totally possible in the lives of those who are led by the Holy Spirit instead of the selfish desires of the flesh.

Keywords

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Walk by the Spirit

Jim Leffel

Galatians 5:16-18

Paul describes the battle within each Christian between the flesh and the spirit. These are two contrasting styles of agendas, one driven out from self and the other driven to glorify God. The flesh is driven to focus on our own ability and power, while living by the Spirit yields its power, ability, and mind to the purposes of God in order to live a life characterized by meeting others' needs. This is a totally normal phenomenon for healthy, growing Christians.

Keywords

{"passage": "Galatians 5:16-18","passageabreviated": "Gal 5:16-18","passagetiny": "Gal 5:16-18","teacher": "Jim Leffel","teachingDate": "...

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