From Thought to Action: Chapter 4

Oct 19 2023 From Thought to Action: Chapter 4

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Before we begin, remember…making disciples can be as easy as reading a chapter of The Four Priorities and discussing it with someone else. This blog series is designed to supplement your journey. Feel free to take what you need and leave the rest! And remember, please share this post with your disciple so they can subscribe, too!

KEY QUOTES from Chapter 4: What is the Christian Life? (Part 2)

“The Holy Spirit is a person with thoughts (John 14:26), emotions (Ephesians 4:30), rationality (1 Corinthians 2:10-13), a will (Acts 8:29;13:2), and the ability to relate (1 John 2:27).”

“The Christian life is not our attempt to impress God with our best efforts. Rather, it’s depending upon God to live the Christian life in us, and through us, in spite of us. We begin to live abundantly when we stop looking to other things to provide what God wants to give us personally.”

REFLECT:

• The fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-26 are already full in you if you have received the Holy Spirit. Take each aspect of the fruit of the Spirit and assess how you’re doing with living those out. Would your spouse or roommate say the same about you? Choose one each day to practice this week!
• Mother Theresa once said, “Even God cannot fill what is full already. We must empty ourselves so that God can fill us.” What can you empty from yourself, with the help of the Holy Spirit, in order to have more room for the work of the Spirit?

PRAY: We have a tendency to overcomplicate things – especially our prayers! One way to simplify your prayer life is to pick two phrases or truths from scripture and attach them to your breath pattern. As you inhale, internally say the 1st phrase. As you exhale, say the 2nd phrase.

INHALE: Holy Spirit, help me

EXHALE: I’m surrendered to You

MEMORIZE: Take this week to memorize John 14:26 with your household. Write it on a sticky note to place on your car dashboard, your bathroom mirror, or wherever you will view it often.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

WORSHIP: Listen to this song called Holy Spirit, Have Your Way by Leeland.

TABLE TALK: Tonight at dinner, discuss:

• What do you think of the Holy Spirit? Who is He?
• What’s different about Holy Spirit from Jesus or God the Father?
• What’s the same?

TEACH:

• Read this book to help explain the Trinity to children.

PLAY: Here are two options for object lessons to help explain this concept to your kids!

• Filled with God’s spirit object lesson
• Glue object lesson

• Watch the Four Priorities Chapter Video
• Listen to the Four Priorities Chapter Video

1. 1. The Christian life is not difficult… it’s impossible!
   2. The goal of the Christian life is to become like Jesus (Romans 8:29)
   3. How do we do this? Through the power of the Holy Spirit!
   4. When you gave your life to Christ, at that very moment the Holy Spirit came to live in you (Romans 8:9). Therefore, when you gave your life to Christ, the very power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead came to dwell, live in, and take up residence in you (the Holy Spirit).
   5. Through the Holy Spirit, you’ve got the same power and energy in you to lvie the life that Christ called us to live.
   6. You cannot produce the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) by trying really hard to make them happen on your own. They are the by-product of Jesus living in your life through the Person and the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus produces Himself in you over time as you mature in Him.
   7. You live the Christian life moment by moment with a reliance upon the Holy Spirit.
   8. What do you do when you mess up? Confess. Clean up. Get moving again!

That’s it for Chapter 4!
Now…go! And make disciples!