Just what exactly does it mean to be “filled with the Holy Spirit?” That’s a question people have been asking for centuries. And this past Sunday morning at the Fellowship, we took a look at that topic for ourselves. It was week #2 in our latest series called The Acts Effect. It’s been a great time together and I hope you’ll check out the video. Join us this Sunday! I’d love to see you there.
The Acts Effect Wk 2 from The Fellowship on Vimeo.
This past Sunday at The Fellowship we continued our series Taking Responsibility for Your Life We talked about the fact that life isn’t fair and what that means for you and me? Watch it here!
In Matthew 25, Jesus shares the parable of the talents. In this life illustration, a master gives five bags of gold to one servant, two bags to another and only one bag to a third servant. The master had expectations for the resources he loaned those men. And, after a long while, he returned to hold them accountable for what they’d been given. He wanted to know what they had done with the money.
How does that apply to me? The point is that: we are stewards of what God has given to each of us. Our lives and our opportunities aren’t ours in the first place. They are on loan to each of us from God. And some day, He will ask us to give an account for what we were given. In the meantime, are we maximizing what has been given to us? Are we truly leveraging the resources He has loaned us for the Kingdom.
As you go through this week, think about it. What are you doing with the the talents, resources and abilities God has entrusted to you, for the glory of His Kingdom?
Join us this Sunday as we continue Am I Taking Responsibility for My Life…Really?. We’d love to see you there. Worship begins at 10:45 a.m. with LIFEgroups and Children’s activities beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Serving Alongside,
Matt
DAY 14 – When God Points us in Another Direction, Do We Go?
READ: Acts 16: 6-8, 13-14, 31-34 & Acts 17:4, 11-12, 19-21, 32, 34 & Acts 18:6-10
Do you ever circle back and touch base with those you’ve witnesed to, led to Christ, or discipled? After they returned from that first dramatic missionary journey, Paul began making plans to go back and check in on all the new churches and converts. He knew exactly what route he would take, but his plans kept getting thwarted. The Holy Spirit kept shutting doors on Paul’s attempts to head into certain areas and pointing him to others. In a dream, a man even appeared to Paul asking him to come to Macedonia (which wasn’t even on Paul’s route). The Holy Spirit made it clear, in time, that He had the right itinerary for Paul. In today’s verses, we meet some of the people and places that would never have heard the Good News if Paul had insisted on sticking to his own plan and ignored the promptings of The Lord.
How Does This Apply to Me? Making plans and strategizing are never wrong, but sometimes, the Lord may have a completely different vision. God’s ideas of when and where the Gospel should go, and to whom it should go to, may not always match up with our way of thinking or past experiences. His wisdom and His timing are always best. With that, we should strive to be sensitive to the Spirit and His leadings. Good things happen when we follow God’s lead.
Acts 16:5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Praying Together: Let’s ask the Lord to help us be willing to stay pliable and seek His leading as we move forward. May we work to accept that our good intentions may not always be the best plan of action.
Day 2- Christianity is Born.
READ: Acts 2: 2-4, 6, 12-13, 38, 41-47
In chapter 2 the Holy Spirit makes a pretty dramatic, and official, entrance. And, with that power of the Holy Spirit and prayer the disciples now begin the task of accomplishing what Christ had earlier instructed them to do: reach the world. 120 believers were gathered to celebrate a Jewish harvest festival. When they did, the Holy Spirit showed up in a very big way with thousands being saved in one day. Jews from as far away as Iran, Iraq, and North Africa had been in town for the feast and now were catching a front row seat at this spectacle. Unfortunately, those in attendance didn’t realize it was the presence of the Holy Spirit they were experiencing, they just thought the disciples were drunk! When they realized however, that they were hearing the Gospel in their own languages, 3,000 men repented, were saved, and joined the Church! Christianity had a very big day.
How Does that apply to me?
As we at Two Rivers begin our new journey, we should pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit and then expect great things too. People will begin to see and hear about what the Lord is doing in our midst. When that happens it should come as no surprise to us-even when the circumstances or situations seem odd! God has the power to do more than we could ever think or imagine. Let’s be willing to Re:Think the power of the Holy Spirit and what He can, and will, do for His church and through us!
Acts 2:47 And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
