Category: Level: Intermediate

Though you may not get involved in debates about free will versus God’s sovereignty, you probably still think about how much to rely on your efforts and how much to rely on the Holy Spirit’s efforts. If you want to learn patience, do you exert as much fortitude as possible or do you wait for strength from the Spirit? For help with this, consider Paul’s description of his ministry in Colossians 1:28-29: “That we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me (ESV). This is a strange statement. How can someone struggle but use someone else’s energy to do so? I can work with my own energy and you can work with your energy, but you cannot work with my energy. Even if I somehow inspire you with my energy, you still can’t use my energy to Continue Reading →

We know that walking in the Spirit is an essential Christian practice. However, it can feel too abstract at times. Romans 8:5-6 has a helpful guideline for walking in the Spirit: “Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (NIV). This meditation will help you to set your mind on the Spirit. Absorb. Consider the meaning of each phrase. What is the purpose of the passage? What does the Spirit desire? Read it with your name in it. Then imagine Jesus in front of you speaking these words to you; how does this affect you? Ask him any questions you have. Ruminate on setting your mind on the Spirit’s desires. Understand it and let it sink in. Feelings. How did you feel Continue Reading →

One of the most powerful passages in Scripture is 2 Corinthians 3:18 which reads: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (ESV). The idea is that as we gaze on Christ, God transforms us into Christ’s image. We will learn to practice this in today’s post; give yourself at least two minutes to do this. Absorb. Consider the meaning of each phrase. Read it with your name in it. Then imagine Jesus in front of you speaking these words to you as you gaze on his face; how does this affect you? Ruminate on this process, understand it and let it sink in. Feelings. How do you feel as you do this? Express your feelings to God. Truth Commitment. Invite God to reveal your heart then ask yourself: How much do Continue Reading →

We will go through times when our awareness of God goes dark. Last week we described an exercise for developing deep faith. In these times we can’t sense God no matter what we do and no matter how hard we try to figure it out. These seasons are very disturbing and usually trigger fear and discouragement. But, these times are opportunities to develop deep faith, so we need to stay away from embracing fear and doubt. Below is a prayer to help us through these times. It is best to consider each line and choose to apply that to your heart; in other words, do what the prayer says. Prayer for Walking Through a Dark Time I let go of trying to see God. I let go of trying to feel God. I let go of making sure that God is there. I let go of fear due to my Continue Reading →