Pastor of Fishing

Most of you know me already as a big anti-fear guy.  I am finding that the majority of the reasons things are not done by a church or an individual is the fear of the what-ifs.  This fear can be formed out of a variety of things.  As stated in the book, fear is normal…but is it a pattern that God wants from us when we read Scriptures?

This is something that is tough for me as I look to those around me.  I hate even when I don’t do something because I am a wuss and am afraid.  This chapter though focussed alot on are you ready to be open to the Spirit?  Are we ready to let our guard down?  Can we open our hearts to the Spirit and what He has for us?

Recently in my own walk I have been trying to be more obiedient not so much in the “rules” of the bible but more in how the Holy Spirit is teaching me.  Things from being more organized to setting down foundational spiritual disciplines…all of these are keys to a fuller life with Christ.  So what makes us afraid to tread into the deeper waters? 

Chan has a header that questions,  “What if God doesn’t come through?”.  I think many times this can be us or the concept that nothing happens so now what?  Fear of praying boldy is a difficult journey at times.  As Chan continues to write I notice he goes after our own compensation for the lack of answer from him. 

There is alot in this chapter…so I want to hear from all of you on what it is that you are afraid of?  What slows you down with the Spirit?

“Fear is faithless and Faith is fearless!” – Roth

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In starting this book I was very taken back by the way Chan interacted with the Jehovah Witnesses.  It wasn’t his method but more his post game analysis of himself.  I began to remember in my own life when I found treasures of Scripture that went against what I was taught growing up.  One of these area for me is money.  I found that the call God puts on us for stewardship is so far from how I personally actually practice it.  The scriptures open my eyes more and more to the submissive nature I lack when serving the Kingdom.

Chan calls us to be analyzing the way we interact with the Spirit.   He brings up this notion that we don’t necessarily acknowledge or see evidence within our own churches of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit that is talked about in the Epistles tell us of an amazing power that putis our sin to death.  The Spirit is able to gift us supernaturally and assist us when we humanly could not perform the task at hand.  Should our lives not look radically different from our old?  Maybe for some of us we have been Christians so long we have no old life…and we have become stale?

There is a piece of text that I want to bring up regarding church growth, “Even our church growth can happen without Him.  let’s be honest:  If you combine a charismatic speaker, a talented worship band, and some hip, creative events, people will attend your church.  yet this does not mean that the Holy Spirit of God is actively working and moving in the lives of the people who are coming.  It simply means that you have created a space that is appealing enough to draw people in for an hour or two on Sunday.  It certainly does not mean that people walk out the doors moved to worship in the awe of God.  People are more likely to describe the quality of the music or the appeal of the sermon than the One who is the reason people gather for “church” in the first place”

I want us as a class to focus this week’s discussion on the facts of the Holy Spirit working in our own lives.  Tell us some tales when He has been present as well as maybe some areas you need to start acknowledging.  I mentionedd my finances before…one area also for myself is the methods of giving a sermon.  I feel very inadequate to preach and be in the position of the church at this time…it is truly the Holy Spirit that keeps showing up and covering the bill in my life.  I encourage you this week to truly seek time with the Lord before all else…make sure you spend time relating to the Spirit before your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend, before your job, before your kids, press into this beautiful gift of God called the Holy Spirit! 

Live in the Spirit…not next to it!

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Tags: American Church, christian, church, Forgotten God, Frances Chan, God, Holy Spirit
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