Is this the mark of a Spirit-filled life?

I was out for coffee with a friend recently, talking about the great things that have been happening around the church in recent months. We spoke of Soul Care and the recent Holy Spirit Encounter. We told stories of people being filled with the Spirit for the first time. Then my friend made a statement that caused me to stop and think for a moment, he said, “we’ll know that Spirit’s presence is permeating the entire church when we start to see a wave of people begin to follow Jesus.”

Is that the mark of a Spirit-filled church? Is that the mark of the Spirit-filled life?

My playbook on what the Spirit-filled life looks like is the book of Acts. That’s where I go when I want to discover what the Spirit-filled life and Spirit-filled church looks like. So, when my friend made that comment I immediately began to think about Acts 2, where people were filled with the Holy Spirit and it says God added to their number daily. I thought of Acts 4, where the church is again filled with the Holy Spirit and then they went out and spoke the word of God boldly. I thought of Acts 13, where it describes the Gospel of Jesus Christ spreading like wildfire and the church being filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

There is a direct connection between being filled with the Spirit and living on mission with God. The filling of the Holy Spirit in your life and mine should always lead us to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ with increasing boldness and fervency. It’s a natural outcome. That’s why my friend said they’d know the Spirit was permeating our church when we see waves of people begin following Jesus.

Have you been filled with the Spirit? Has he been leading you on mission?

Too often I think I’m guilty of experiencing a fresh filling of the Spirit, but then watching as his filling seems to leak out as quickly as he came upon me. I wonder if this is because the Spirit wants to lead me on mission, but I’ve resisted or gone the other way. I wonder if the secret to experiencing the continual filling of the Spirit is following him on mission?

The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:25, “Keep in step with the Spirit.” This is the secret to living in the presence, being continually filled with the Spirit. So, as he moves on mission we have a choice. We can either keep in step with him or fall out of step with his presence and filling.  Are you living on mission and in step with the Spirit?   

This weekend we will be looking at Mark 6:30-44, a familiar story that reveals Jesus’ desire to share his mission, his power and his authority with us. I hope you’ll join us as we discover that Jesus has empowered us to live on mission.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Kirk

Israel Trip
Join Pastor Kirk and Britton on a journey through Israel, following in the footsteps of Jesus. Grow as a disciple of Jesus as you visit places you have read about in the New Testament. The words and life of Jesus will come alive in a new way. Did you miss the information night?  Kirk and Britton will be holding another information night on Sunday March 31 at 7 pm.  If you are planning on going on the trip, the application and deposit are due by May 26, 2019.  For more information visit: https://www.ihtours.com/itinerary-696

Living Hope 101 – Discovering Church Membership
Have you been attending Living Hope for a while and would like to really make it your home?  Join us for lunch this Sunday as Pastor Kirk talks about who Living Hope is and how you can become a member of Living Hope.  

Coming Events