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Let the Spirit Drive in '25 (North OC)

In this New Year's sermon, Marcel Hall from the OC Church of Christ encourages the congregation to let the Holy Spirit guide them throughout 2025. He reflects on past slogans, thanks those who served the church, discusses New Year's resolutions, and introduces the new slogan 'Let the Spirit Drive in '25'. Using Galatians 5:13-25, he explains the importance of living by the Spirit, addressing sin, and staying in step with the Holy Spirit. He uses a remote control car analogy to illustrate how our lives can be directed more effectively by the Spirit. The sermon concludes with a call to practical action, prayer, and a reminder of the blessings of following God's will, even through hard times.

00:00 Welcome and New Year Greetings

01:18 Reflecting on Last Year's Slogan

01:43 Introducing the 2025 Slogan

03:04 The Importance of Letting the Spirit Drive

03:13 Prayer and Introduction to the Sermon

04:08 Living by the Spirit: A Practical Example

07:52 Exploring Galatians Chapter 5

10:57 The Fruits of the Spirit

15:59 Trusting in the Lord and His Guidance

18:30 Promises of Nourishment and Guidance

18:42 Facing Darkness with Faith

19:15 The Path Through Hard Times

19:34 Trusting God's Will

21:48 Submitting to God

24:08 Dealing with Sin

27:39 Keeping in Step with the Spirit

31:25 Practical Steps for a Spirit-Driven Life

33:09 Communion and Reflection

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OC Church of Christ

Transcript
Marcel:

and Happy New Year.

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My name is Marcel Hall and, uh, it's,

uh, One of the ministers here for

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the OC Church of Christ, especially,

uh, specifically here in the North

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OC and, uh, honored to speak and

so grateful to have the opportunity

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to be part of our church family.

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Thank you to all those who are

visiting here with us today.

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So grateful to have you.

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Hopefully you had a good holiday season

and break and you're ready to bring in.

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I want to thank all those who, uh,

served last year and are serving

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in different roles this year from

AV to ushering to our worship team,

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welcome team, all that good stuff.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you so much for your service.

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Really appreciate that.

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Uh, do you have any

goals for the new year?

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You do.

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Some of you do.

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Okay.

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Some of you like, I don't do

that new year's resolution thing.

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Okay, that's cool.

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That's cool.

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You know what?

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I got up this morning, I was feeling good,

and I realized I have to have a new goal.

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I gotta lose a couple pounds.

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Man, I put on my suit, and

I was like, man, this feels

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a little tighter this year.

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You know what I'm saying?

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And I have been doing a couple

push ups and some, you know,

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some weight lifting, Kevin.

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So I feel good about that, but

it was around the tummy area

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that it was a little tight.

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And so I said 2025, well we gonna

have to get some, some six pack

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back, you know what I'm saying?

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And so that is what's going on.

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Now those who know me, know

that every year I come up with

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a slogan for the new year.

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And I've been doing this since 2008.

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So that was before some of

y'all were even born, okay?

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And it's really cool because as

I've been doing it now, as we get

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into it, people give me suggestions.

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So I've been getting suggestions this

year, like, Hey Marcel, what's the slogan?

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What about and so people start

giving me suggestions, which I really

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appreciate and so I do have a new

slogan for the year Are you guys ready

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for the slogan for the year now again?

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This is my personal slogan and sometimes

it applies to the church and we use it

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as a theme But we do have a church theme

we'll talk about next week But this is

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a slogan here and Dallas said it could

be where's that a Dallas it could be

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the North OC slogan So there you go.

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We could have it So I do want to Remind

us of last year's slogan and last year's

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was become more in 24 and we felt like

it we did focus in on that becoming

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more and I do feel like God has answered

that prayer in more ways than one and

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so now for 2025, here's what it is.

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Can I better get a drum roll, please?

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Here we go.

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And so here we go.

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The slogan for 2025 is Let

the Spirit Drive in '25.

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Let the Spirit Drive in '25.

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Some of y'all are thinking

it's going to be thrive in 25.

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Sorry, used that in 15.

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There you go.

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I've been doing this for a long time.

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All right, but you'll go ahead.

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You can use the hashtag.

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Let the Spirit Drive in '25 on

your Instagram and Facebook and

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Twitter X threads and tick tock.

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There you go.

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I'm sure I'm missing another

one, but there you go.

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YouTube.

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There you go.

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You can go ahead and use that.

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It's free of charge.

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Okay.

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All right.

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So go ahead and use that.

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But we're gonna actually, this is

going to be the sermon title for today.

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Let the Spirit Drive in '25.

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Let's go to the Father in prayer.

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Father, thank you so much for

this chance to worship you

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with my brothers and sisters.

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God, we're so grateful that you

are a God that we can worship.

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You're a God who calls

us into relationship.

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And not only with you, but you

call us into a relationship

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with the rest of your children.

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And God, we get a chance on Sundays

and Wednesdays and every time we

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meet in our small groups, God, to

encourage and strengthen one another.

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And Father, we're grateful right now

for your word as we're able to dive

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into your word and be inspired and be

led, be instructed into who you are,

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who we are in Christ, and also your

direction and will for our lives.

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I thank you, Father, for your Holy Spirit

that dwells in every true believer.

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God who directs and guides our very steps.

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It's in the name of Jesus that we pray.

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Amen.

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Amen.

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We're talking about driving in

25, or let the Spirit drive in 25.

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And, uh, one of the many blessings

that we have for those of us who

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are in Christ Jesus, meaning we

are a disciple of Jesus Christ.

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One of the many blessings, we get a

chance to receive God's indwelling

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via His Holy Spirit in our lives.

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And so if we're going to be talking

about letting the spirit drive in 25,

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we're going to look at some text here

to, to understand what that means and how

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we can live this out in our lives, not

only for this week, but going forward.

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And so as we talk about letting

the spirit drive in 25, I want to

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do a quick little example of what

that might look like in our lives.

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Okay.

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Are you guys with me here?

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And so for Christmas, my, uh, my

family gives my kids a lot of gifts.

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We don't really give too

many gifts to our kids.

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Sorry.

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But they get a lot of family

members who get gifts.

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And my son, he got this, um,

this, uh, remote control car.

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And it's really cool.

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The problem is, he'll use

it for about two days.

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And we won't ever see this thing again.

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You know what I'm saying?

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He got about 25 of, uh, uh,

uh, remote control cars.

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How many does he play

with beyond three days?

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None.

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Okay, you know what I'm saying?

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And so I don't even know

where the rest of them are.

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But many times in our life, we can

be like We could be like this car.

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And so what happens is we

are living our lives and here

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we're going and we're moving.

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Let's make sure this is Okay, here we go.

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We're going along and

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We're going.

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We're moving along and sometimes we

pick up a little speed and we're driving

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around and we almost fall off the ledge.

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There you go.

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But we're moving along, and this

is our life, and then sometimes

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we go out of control, and we

bump into things, we crash.

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And this is our life, and yes, we're

moving along, and yes, there's some,

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maybe some thrills in this, but it's not

really living up to what it should be.

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Until we go ahead, and we

get the remote control.

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And we get some power.

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And we get a chance to get to moving.

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Oh, watch out here now.

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Here's my son if I mess up.

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I didn't tell him I was using it either.

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Okay.

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But if we go ahead and we get

a chance to have the, the, the.

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See that's me driving.

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There you go.

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But you see we got a little more engine.

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We got a little more power.

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We're going somewhere.

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And here's what's really

cool about this one.

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Check this out man.

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This is kind of cool.

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It goes up.

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Did y'all see that right there?

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When we got the roll control, we

realized we can do some things that

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we weren't able to do by ourselves.

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But then there's some times when we

try to go ahead and look at that.

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We try to do both.

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And when we try to drive, instead of

letting the Spirit drive us, because

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when we have the Spirit that drives us,

we're able to move and become who we are.

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And we're able to do some things that we

were unaware we were capable of doing.

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But sometimes we try to mix it up and

we say, I'm gonna let the Spirit drive,

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and I'm gonna also drive as well,

and we're just gonna be a hot mess.

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And it doesn't work.

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And so as we can see, our lives,

yes, we can move, we can go forward.

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But it's not the life that

it's intended to be until we

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have the Holy Spirit drive us.

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Until we're able to do things we

weren't even sure we were capable

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of doing, but we are guided to

live out our intended design.

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And so we're going to look over in

Galatians chapter 5 and we're going

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to see some more about this idea

of letting the Spirit drive in 25.

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Church, are you with me here?

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Let's go ahead and let's get into it.

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First things first is when we understand

here we are led by and live by the Spirit.

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That's really what it means.

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To have the Spirit drive us, is that we're

led by, and we live by, the Spirit of God.

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In Galatians chapter 5, in

verse 13, this the, uh, a letter

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written to the region of Galatia.

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And so the region of Galatia had

several cities and several churches and

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the Apostle Paul writes this letter.

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The Apostle Paul is a Christian missionary

and leader in the first century church.

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And he writes this letter because there's

some false teachings, some false doctrine

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that's starting to seep into the Christian

church there, into the community.

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And so he's correcting it.

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And so we're going to take it up in

the middle here, or really toward

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the end of the letter, alright?

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You can read the first part up into it.

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But he's going to start turning now

to how we're free from these, uh, old,

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uh, um, regard to the Mosaic Law, and

some of the laws in the Old Testament,

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and how we now have freedom in Christ.

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And how because of that freedom in

Christ, we can live by the Holy Spirit.

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So we take it up in Galatians

chapter 5, in verse 13.

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It says, You, my brothers and sisters,

were called to be free, but do not

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use your freedom to indulge the flesh.

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Rather, serve one another humbly in love.

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For the entire law is fulfilled

in keeping this one command.

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Love your neighbor as yourself.

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If you bite and devour each

other, watch out or you will

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be destroyed by each other.

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Isn't that real right there?

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That's real in your family,

in the church, wherever.

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If you bite and devour each

other, you're gonna destroy.

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But here's where it turns to our topic.

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It says, so I say, walk by the Spirit.

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And you will not gratify

the desires of the flesh.

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Flesh meaning our sinful nature.

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Our desire for what's against God.

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For the flesh desires what

is contrary to the spirit.

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And the spirit, what is

contrary to the flesh.

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They are in conflict with each other.

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So that you are not to

do whatever you want.

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But if you are led by the spirit,

you are not under the law.

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The acts of the flesh are obvious.

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Sexual immorality,

impurity, and debauchery.

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Idolatry and witchcraft.

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Hatred, Discord, Jealousy,

Fits of Rage, Selfish Ambition,

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Dissensions, Factions and Envy,

Drunkenness, Orgies, and the like.

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I love that, and the like.

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Just in case you thought something

wasn't listed, and the like.

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I warn you, as I did before.

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So as, when he was in person, he

had talked to them about this.

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And he says, I warn you as I did before

that those who live like this, This

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will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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But the fruit of the spirit, the

result, the what's produced when

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you walk and live and have the

spirit of God in your life is this.

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It's love, joy, peace, forbearance,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

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gentleness, and self control.

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Against such things there is no law.

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Those who belong to Christ

Jesus have crucified the flesh

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with its passions and desires.

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Since we live by the Spirit, let

us keep in step with the Spirit.

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We'll stop right there.

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What does it mean to let the Spirit drive?

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Again, it means to be led by the

Spirit and to live by the Spirit.

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As we see here in the text here, when

we let the Spirit lead, that means

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you will have a God centered life.

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You are God reliant and not self reliant.

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Trusting in God and trusting in His

will and His commands for your life.

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It means living by the Spirit of God.

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Living a godly and spiritual life.

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Not a natural, humanistic lifestyle.

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But obeying the Spirit of

God's leadership and direction.

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And so when we are spirit driven,

again it means we are led by the

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spirit and we live by the spirit.

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The problem I have sometimes

is that I can be led by my

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emotions and live by my opinions.

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Can anybody relate to that?

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Um, my emotions get me and so they

lead me to wherever and therefore I

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make mistakes and I go and I crash

into things like we saw earlier.

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Or I live based on what I

believe is the right thing to do.

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And so it's based off of not the science.

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Spirit's direction and guidance.

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But what I think and what I perceive

to be right and oftentimes that

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leads me to either getting close to

falling off the edge or falling off.

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And therefore, causing a train wreck

in my lives and affecting others.

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Can anyone relate to that?

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You see, but what can happen if we

live by the Spirit's leadership?

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What if the Spirit were

to drive our lives?

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What can happen in our lives?

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Let's go ahead and let's

go over this text again.

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So I say, walk by the Spirit and you

will not gratify the desires of others.

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But if you are led by the Spirit,

you are not under the law.

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You see, it says here that when we

follow the Spirit, we actually live

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out God's purposes for our lives.

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We actually live the way we were

destined and designed to live.

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Because the Spirit is driving

and guiding and leading us.

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And He's always going to

lead us to God's will.

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We're never going to veer out of God's

will when we follow the Spirit of God.

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Are you with me there?

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And so we gratify God's desires and we

therefore live a godly life as opposed

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to gratifying our sinful desires would

lead to maybe immediate gratification but

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long term not only distraction but also

sometimes drastic uh, uh, uh, disaster

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leading us away from who we really

desire to be deep in our very souls.

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But when we follow God we actually

gratify the godly desires that are in us.

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And then we're free from being judged

by the law, but we now have a freedom

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to follow God by faith through grace.

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See, we don't have to worry about the

do's and the do nots, because the Spirit

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is leading us to do the right thing.

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Because we are saved

by grace through faith.

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And then it says here,

the fruit of the Spirit.

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Meaning God's character and God's

activity produces this in our lives.

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Love, joy, peace, forbearance,

patience is another word.

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Kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, and self control.

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Who doesn't want that in their lives?

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We all want that.

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I'm looking at that going, I need

some self control with my eating

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for the next month to get this

soup back to where it needs to be.

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But this is what God produces.

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Now we have to, we know, we have

to work in conjunction with God.

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He just doesn't do it all, we do nothing.

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We're called to join him in

this transformational work.

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But God produces these

things in our lives.

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If and when we follow the

Spirit's lead, and He guides us

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to His will, and He blesses our

faithfulness with ultimate victory.

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I want to read a couple

passages real quick.

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We're going to come back to Galatians

5, but I want to read some classic

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passages in the Old Testament, which

were inspired by the Holy Spirit,

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that help us see the blessings we have

that are available for you and for me.

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When we let the Spirit drive our lives.

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Over in Proverbs chapter 3

and verse 5 it says, Trust in

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the Lord with all your heart.

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Why didn't it say with

just some of your heart?

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Boy, I wish it would have just said trust

in the Lord with some of your heart.

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Because I can accomplish that every day.

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But it says, trust in the

Lord with all your heart.

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And lean not on your own understanding.

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In all your ways submit to Him.

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He will make your path clear.

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When we submit to the Spirit's

lead in our lives, the Spirit

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guides us to straight paths.

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He guides us to God's

will and to blessings.

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Have you ever tried to

guide yourself, though?

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How does that turn out, usually?

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Doesn't turn out well, does it?

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When we lean on our own

understanding and think that we

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have it, where does that lead to?

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Usually, probably friction, even

especially in our relationships.

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We make poor choices and poor

decisions which have consequences

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which we regret often.

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Let's go on over to Psalm 23.

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Church, are you still with me here?

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I love this passage.

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It's a classic psalm.

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It says, The Lord is my shepherd.

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I lack nothing.

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Nothing.

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He makes me lie down in green pastures.

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He leaves me beside quiet waters.

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He refreshes my soul.

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He guides me along the right

paths for his namesake.

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Even though I walk through the

valley of the shadow of death.

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Sorry, that's the,

that's the Coolio in me.

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Gangster's Paradise.

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Y'all know what I'm talking about.

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That was a 1984 edition.

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There's some other translations.

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I, I should have put that in there.

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Sorry, but every time, sorry.

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Y'all just enter Marcel's world.

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Sorry, let's get back to the text.

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Even though I walk through the

darkest valley, I will fear

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no evil, for you are with me.

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Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

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You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

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You anoint my head with

oil, my cup overflows.

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Surely your goodness and your love

will follow me all the days of my life.

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And I will dwell in the

house of the Lord forever.

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We see so many blessings from allowing

God to drive, direct, and lead our lives.

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It says here we'll have nourishment.

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We'll have refreshment.

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We'll have peace.

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We'll have rest.

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We'll also be guided when

there's dark times around us.

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And here's what's interesting.

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Sometimes God's will, sometimes when

we follow the spirit of God, there's

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actually darkness that surrounds us.

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And that's when it's tough

to stay following God.

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Because we're like, man,

there's so much darker.

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There's so much hard times.

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And I feel like, God, you

led me down this path.

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So this can't be the right path.

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Let me take control and do my thing.

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And let me see if I can

get myself out of this.

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But that's some stinking thinking.

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Because sometimes, God's will goes

through the middle of darkness.

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Do the middle of hard times.

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Do the middle of scary times.

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During the middle of times where

you are a victim of people's

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poor choices and sinful behavior.

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Sometimes that's in line with

what God's will is for your life.

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How can that be?

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But yet, think about the cross.

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It was God's will that

Christ would suffer.

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Why?

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So that you and I wouldn't have to

suffer and we can have salvation.

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So sometimes God will treat us like

he does his son and have us be a

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victim but this for something good

and better on the other side of it.

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And this is when we have to let the spirit

drive in our lives even when it's scary.

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Even when we're hurt, when we

have pain, when we are confused.

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I don't understand what's going on and

God I see, I'm following you but this

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doesn't look like it's getting any better.

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In fact, it looks like it's

getting worse right now.

381

:

Have you ever had that?

382

:

No.

383

:

But God's saying, just keep following me.

384

:

Just keep following me.

385

:

I'm driving this thing.

386

:

Trust me.

387

:

It says we're gonna go

through the darkest valley.

388

:

Did you catch that?

389

:

It didn't say you stay

in the darkest valley.

390

:

It says you go through the darkest valley.

391

:

I heard a preacher say it one time.

392

:

He says, The best, the safest place you

can be is at the center of God's will.

393

:

And that stuck out to me.

394

:

I go, that's so true.

395

:

Because whether there's so many

good things going on in my life,

396

:

or there's hard times, if I'm at

the center of God's will, I'm safe.

397

:

Because He's present.

398

:

That's it.

399

:

For your rod and your staff

that cover me, you are with me.

400

:

I don't have to fear evil.

401

:

I don't have to fear the outcome.

402

:

I don't have to fear people

and their judgment of me.

403

:

Because you are with me.

404

:

And you're taking me

through the darkest valley.

405

:

And where does it lead to?

406

:

Blessing upon blessing.

407

:

It says surely goodness and love will

follow me all the days of my life.

408

:

As God is guiding me, there's goodness

and there's mercy and there's love

409

:

that I can always see is present.

410

:

And was it Lee, to dwelling in

the house of the Lord forever

411

:

being with God for all eternity.

412

:

Again, this is what happens and what's

available for you and for me when

413

:

we let the spirit drive our lives.

414

:

So then my question is, well,

how do we let the Spirit drive?

415

:

Let's get back to our main

text over in Galatians 5.

416

:

Church, are you still with me here?

417

:

Alright, let's get into it.

418

:

First thing here is we see

we have to submit to God.

419

:

If we're going to let the Spirit

drive, the first thing we have to

420

:

do is we have to submit to God.

421

:

Galatians 5, 16 again.

422

:

So I say, walk by the Spirit and you will

not gratify the desires of the flesh.

423

:

For the flesh desires

what is contrary to God.

424

:

To the spirit and the spirit

what is contrary to the flesh.

425

:

They're at odds.

426

:

They're in conflict with each other.

427

:

So you are not to do whatever you want.

428

:

But if you are led by the spirit,

you are not under the law.

429

:

What is this guided to first things first?

430

:

We have to make a decision that we

are going to submit our lives to God.

431

:

We are going to submit.

432

:

We are going to surrender

and we're going to submit.

433

:

I am going to be a God centered person.

434

:

I am going to be one who

follows Jesus, the Messiah.

435

:

I'm going to be one that follows

the Spirit's promptings in my life.

436

:

If I don't start off with the submission

and the decision, I can't get anywhere.

437

:

If we don't turn on the, if we

don't make a decision, if we

438

:

don't turn on that remote, the

car doesn't move in the same way.

439

:

And so if we take this analogy,

we literally have to hand over

440

:

the keys of our life over to

God and say, Lord, you drive.

441

:

Who was it, Carrie Underwood

that said, Jesus, take the wheel?

442

:

We have to literally say, Jesus,

take the wheel of my life and

443

:

don't be a backseat driver.

444

:

Because that's what we like to do.

445

:

Uh, can you please make a left?

446

:

Uh, what are you doing?

447

:

You're going a little too fast.

448

:

Can you slow down?

449

:

I believe God be like, man, if you

don't shut up back there, let me drive.

450

:

My son is six.

451

:

He be trying to, he be, he be

doing some backseat driving.

452

:

I'm like, you've never driven before.

453

:

Why are you telling, and he

does, he does it to my mom.

454

:

My mom's like, boy, if you don't stop,

but that's what we be doing to God.

455

:

Like, God, if you, can we

tell you how to do this?

456

:

Do you know I'm the Ancient of Days?

457

:

Don't you know I've been

doing this for a long time?

458

:

I know what I'm doing.

459

:

I have a pretty good track record.

460

:

And so we have to submit to God.

461

:

We have to decide, God,

your will over mine.

462

:

The same prayer Jesus had in

the Gethsemane, in the Garden of

463

:

Gethsemane, before he went to the cross.

464

:

Not my will, but your will be done.

465

:

So we have to make that first

initial decision to submit to God.

466

:

Second, we have to deal with sin.

467

:

We have to deal with sin.

468

:

Let's go back over the passage.

469

:

It says, the acts of the flesh are

obvious and it lists all these things.

470

:

Sexual sin, idolatry, that could

be any form of, uh, putting

471

:

anything above God in our lives.

472

:

That could be ourselves, it could

be image, it could be fame, it

473

:

could be wealth, whatever it is.

474

:

Or worshiping things that are not of God.

475

:

Hatred, discord, all these different

relational issues and sins.

476

:

It says, I warn you as I did before,

those who live like this will

477

:

not inherit the kingdom of God.

478

:

Those who belong to Christ, verse

24, have crucified the flesh

479

:

with its passions and desires.

480

:

You see, we have to address and

confront these issues in our life.

481

:

We have to address that we can't

leave these over in the corner

482

:

and think somehow if I leave it in

the corner it's going to be okay.

483

:

We have to confront the sin in our lives.

484

:

We have to look and

say, is this in my life?

485

:

Because it says, and the like.

486

:

So what's like this?

487

:

Is it in my life?

488

:

Is it, is there anything controlling me?

489

:

And then here's the thing.

490

:

It's not just the outward sinful acts.

491

:

It says to deal with.

492

:

It says, crucify the flesh and what?

493

:

It's passions and desires.

494

:

The inside as well.

495

:

We have to address and

confront what's in our hearts.

496

:

Because sometimes we can address,

Okay, all right, the drinking, the

497

:

smoking, the lying, the cheating.

498

:

All right, I can do all that.

499

:

But the anger and

bitterness that's within us,

500

:

the resentment that we may have, the

lust that is within us, that maybe

501

:

doesn't yet come out in action.

502

:

It says we have to crucify that.

503

:

That means we have to put it to death.

504

:

We got to get a sledgehammer.

505

:

We got to kill that sin that's within us.

506

:

And it's not a one time thing.

507

:

This is a lifestyle.

508

:

But we have to crucify

the sin that's in us.

509

:

You know, God can't bless and

He can't leave if we have this

510

:

sin unchecked in our lives.

511

:

He can't do it.

512

:

If I want to get closer to God, but yet I

have all this sin that I haven't addressed

513

:

and confronted, it's not gonna work out.

514

:

Because God's gonna lead me, He's gonna

say, We gotta deal with this sin, this

515

:

baggage, this stuff is weighing you

down, so therefore you can't follow me.

516

:

And so He's gonna always

call us to deal with it.

517

:

You say, I wanna serve, I wanna

be more used in the ministry.

518

:

But if you have issues with

people, that's not gonna work out.

519

:

So we have to deal with

the sin in our lives.

520

:

And first we have to acknowledge

there may be sin in our lives.

521

:

Then, not after we, after we acknowledge

it, then you go, Well, you know what?

522

:

I need to get real about this.

523

:

I need to confess this to God.

524

:

Many times I need to pull other people

in my life, so I can get help on

525

:

how to overcome this sin in my life.

526

:

Brothers and sisters,

are you with me here?

527

:

We have to deal with sin.

528

:

And it's the new year.

529

:

What a great opportunity we have

to start fresh, to start anew.

530

:

It's by looking at our sin right now

and by dealing with it so that we can

531

:

go out and we can be, become, and do all

that God wants us to be, become, and do.

532

:

And the next thing we need to do is then

we need to keep in step with the Spirit.

533

:

After we deal with our sin,

we have to keep in step.

534

:

I love that imagery that

comes to mind in this passage.

535

:

It says, Since we live by the Spirit,

let us keep in step With the spirit.

536

:

It's not a one time thing.

537

:

I made a decision on January 5th I

need to make a decision on January 6,

538

:

7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and so forth I need

to make a daily decision that me and

539

:

the Lord we are going to walk together

I'm not gonna jump in front of him.

540

:

I'm going to follow his lead in my life

So every morning I make a decision I'm

541

:

gonna submit to you I'm gonna deal and

I'm gonna follow your direction That

542

:

means we need to have daily time with God.

543

:

Not for legalistic purposes,

because we desperately need

544

:

God's leadership in our lives.

545

:

How can we be led by God if

we don't spend time with God?

546

:

So we have to spend time with

God in His Word and in prayer.

547

:

But then we follow the Spirit's

lead throughout the day.

548

:

You see, when I'm in, I'm

in sync with the Spirit.

549

:

When I'm, I have a general understanding

of God's will for our lives as Christians.

550

:

I have that, and you have

that general understanding.

551

:

But what happens is, throughout the day,

the Spirit will lead you and open your

552

:

eyes to opportunities where He wants to

use you and He wants you to do something.

553

:

And those promptings, that's when we have

to continually follow the Spirit's lead.

554

:

I know what I can do, oftentimes,

is, there's an opportunity.

555

:

And something will say you

should go say something.

556

:

You know, go call that brother and

sister that you've been thinking about.

557

:

Or, you know what, share

your faith right now.

558

:

And I'll say, uh, I'll do it later.

559

:

And later turns into, didn't do it at all.

560

:

Can any of you relate to that?

561

:

And so then I'm like, Oh man, I messed up.

562

:

Okay, I'll do it again.

563

:

But yet, the Spirit's been prompting me.

564

:

But because I decided I'm going

to be here and not stay in step

565

:

with the Spirit, I lose out on the

opportunity to see God working but

566

:

also to join God in His good work.

567

:

To continue to be a good,

a divine agent of good.

568

:

And so we have to make daily decisions,

again, to spend time with God.

569

:

But then we follow the Spirit's

prompting throughout the day.

570

:

You know what?

571

:

Let me, let me, let me

encourage that person at work.

572

:

You know what, let, let, let me, let me

give some help to that student in class.

573

:

You know what, let me call that sister.

574

:

I know she's been going

through some things.

575

:

Let me give her a call.

576

:

You know what, so and

so, I haven't seen him.

577

:

Let me check in on him.

578

:

You know, my neighbor, I've never really

shared the good news with my neighbor.

579

:

Let me share the good news.

580

:

And God will start to

create opportunities.

581

:

And you'll start to see more clearly

where the Spirit is prompting you.

582

:

And then when you step

in faith, you will do it.

583

:

And you'll see God work, not only

in their lives, but in your life.

584

:

As you stay closer and closer to

God, understanding more and more of

585

:

who He is, His nature, and His will.

586

:

That means also consistently

connecting with Spirit filled,

587

:

Spirit led disciples of Jesus.

588

:

To keep in step with the Spirit, that

means we gotta have other people around

589

:

us that are Spirit filled and Spirit led.

590

:

You get what I'm saying?

591

:

If I spend all my time, the

majority of my time, with people

592

:

who aren't Spirit filled and Spirit

led, guess what that's gonna do?

593

:

Hmm.

594

:

I'm not going to be as prone to being

spirit led because I'm going to probably

595

:

morph into more of their thinking

as opposed to the Spirit's thinking.

596

:

So are you saying don't ever

spend time with non Christians?

597

:

No, then you missed every

other word before that.

598

:

I'm saying here is if we're going to stay

in step with the Spirit, we have to have

599

:

consistent connection with our brothers

and sisters who are spirit led as well.

600

:

Let's get real practical right here.

601

:

Can we do that?

602

:

Can we have some action

steps this week here?

603

:

Let's go ahead and let's do this here.

604

:

Church, are you still with me?

605

:

First up, this week here, write this

down, take a picture, do whatever

606

:

you need to do here, alright?

607

:

So you can do this this week here.

608

:

I'd encourage you to

start tonight or Monday.

609

:

Don't wait till Tuesday, cause

then you won't do it, alright?

610

:

Don't wait till the newsletter comes out.

611

:

Go ahead and do it today or, or tomorrow.

612

:

Here's first thing.

613

:

Address unchecked sin.

614

:

Address any unchecked sin.

615

:

Sin you maybe you haven't confessed,

you haven't acknowledged, or sin

616

:

that you just haven't dealt with.

617

:

And whatever the spirit leads to

prompting, whether that's getting help

618

:

or maybe it's just a clear decision.

619

:

I need to cut this thing out of my life.

620

:

Whatever it is, address the unchecked sin.

621

:

And then secondly, pray for

the church to be spirit driven.

622

:

Not just for you, because

it's not just about you.

623

:

It's about all of us.

624

:

It's about every single one

of us being spirit driven.

625

:

And so we need to pray not only for

ourselves and for our family members,

626

:

but we need to pray for the congregation.

627

:

And not just our congregation, but for

all of the saints all across the world.

628

:

Because how incredible would it be

if all the saints were spirit driven?

629

:

How incredible would it be for every

disciple of Jesus to be spirit driven?

630

:

What would that look like?

631

:

You see, we need to pray.

632

:

We need to always go to God.

633

:

God, may I be spirit filled, but may

your every single one of your saints Be

634

:

spirit driven today and let's watch and

let's testify to God's goodness as he

635

:

leads us closer to him, closer to his

will, and closer to being spirit driven.

636

:

We're going to take communion right now.

637

:

This is a time where we take the

emblems, uh, the, the bread and the

638

:

juice that represent Jesus blood

and body that was broken and spilled

639

:

for our opportunity at salvation.

640

:

And in Romans chapter 8, you can read

Romans chapter 8 because it really

641

:

coincides with Galatians chapter

5, the text that we read here.

642

:

But it's going to help us see, again,

the connection between the It's the

643

:

spirit and the cross and the salvation

that you and I enjoy and the spirit

644

:

that gives us freedom in Christ.

645

:

We'll close out here, Romans

chapter 8 and verse 1.

646

:

It says, Therefore, there

is now no condemnation.

647

:

For those who are in Christ Jesus,

because through Christ Jesus, the law

648

:

of the spirit who gives life and set

you free from the law of sin and death

649

:

for what the law was powerless to do

because it was weakened by the flesh.

650

:

God did by sending his own son in

the likeness of sinful flesh to be

651

:

a sin offering, and so he condemned

sin in the flesh in order that the

652

:

righteous requirement of the law

might be fully met in us who do

653

:

not live according to the flesh.

654

:

But according to the Spirit.

655

:

Let's pray.

656

:

Father, thank you so

much for your scriptures.

657

:

Again, thank you for your Holy Spirit.

658

:

Thank you for the

opportunities that we have.

659

:

God, we do acknowledge, I know I

have forfeited so many blessings.

660

:

So many good things by allowing,

not allowing your Spirit to drive.

661

:

But, well, I veer out of the

course and direction for my

662

:

life because I take things over.

663

:

And God, I acknowledge

that and I confess that.

664

:

And Father, I repent of that.

665

:

And Father, we desperately

want to be led by your spirit.

666

:

We want to be empowered by your spirit.

667

:

We want to obey your spirit.

668

:

And Father, we are so grateful

that it's because of Christ

669

:

that we have this opportunity.

670

:

We have the spirit in our lives.

671

:

And we have the example in Christ.

672

:

Thank you, Lord, for

staying upon the cross.

673

:

Thank you for dying for

my and everyone's sins.

674

:

But thank you for resurrecting.

675

:

Therefore, allowing us to resurrect

too, spiritually, and have a new life.

676

:

It's in the name of Jesus.

677

:

Amen.

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