Life in the SpiritRuss Fochler

August 22, 2015

Life in the SpiritTrust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him. And He will direct* your paths. Prov 3:5-6 NKJV

yâshar, yaw-shar'; a primitive root; to be ישר *straight or even; figuratively, to be (or make) right, pleasant, prosperous:—direct, fit, seem good, to please, be right, make or take the way straight, be upright(-ly)

Not Leaning on Our Own Understanding?

Our understanding is often flawed and incomplete.!

Relying on our “mental models” alone will limit us from seeing, valuing, and responding to what our Father is doing.!

Life flows when the Spirit of Life is our companion and counselor.

Holy Spirit“The Holy Spirit walks with us as we are, not as we are supposed to be or as we pretend to be on Sunday, but as we are in our strong-willed blindness, independence, and judgment. And “she” works in the invisible world of the heart in order that we may encounter Jesus, and experience — against our own prejudices — the life he shares with us in his relationship with his Father.”

The Shack Revisited by C. Baxter Kruger

Jesus and the Holy Spirit“According to the Scriptures, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, baptized in the Spirit, led and empowered by the Spirit, given great joy by the Spirit, cast out demons by the Spirit, heard his Father in the Spirit, and offered himself to his Father by the power of the Spirit.” The Shack Revisited by C. Baxter Kruger

Our Human Spirit“The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics.”

1 Cor 2:14-15 The Message Bible

Life in the Spirit is:Relational: our human spirit with God’s Spirit!

Rooted and Grounded: in God’s Love and Word !

Experiential: our senses, thoughts, imagination!

Experimental: like children, we try things out!!

Developing: we grow in trust and capacity as we give room for the Holy Spirit and our spirit in our daily life.

• Paying attention to what is happening spiritually!

• Noticing how Holy Spirit and your spirit interact with the rest of you (through your senses, thoughts, and imagination).!

• What do you look for — to affirm or confirm whether the impressions you’re getting — are from Holy Spirit?

DiscernmentThe ability to judge well

Because of PracticeBut solid food is for the mature, who

because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Hebrews 5:14 NASB

Stories

Your Turn• Pair-up (preferably someone you don’t know) !

• Share some of the ways you’ve noticed Holy Spirit and your spirit interacting with the rest of you (through your senses, thoughts, and imagination). !

• Share a story of when you followed impressions you thought were the Holy Spirit - and it turned out well. Take turns

Follow-ThroughOnce we recognize the Holy Spirit is leading us in some direction:!

Is our love and trust great enough for us to follow-through in the face of inconvenience and risk? !

The smaller, “private” experiences of following the Holy Spirit’s leading — will build relational trust and joy. And these also prepare us for greater things….