Galatians 5:16-26 - 16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
   - Submission is crucial here: You either live selfishly or you live your life by another.
   - The flesh and the Spirit have different appetites: The flesh is all about “me” selfishness.
           o   What is in it for me?
           o   How do I win?
           o   What is the best option for me?     
           o   I can do this by myself… I don’t need anyone’s help/handouts.
   - Typically, this choice will end up leading you to the same place over and over again.
           o   Selfishness leads to loneliness, which leads to bitterness… which leads to more loneliness because no one wants to be around you.
           o   Say that to a person who is walking selfishly and see what you get!
   - The Spirit is about setting yourself aside and not only living for others lives but choosing to let God live your life for you.
           o   You will end up doing crazy things you have never done in the past.
           o   You literally will say things like:
           o   “What would the Spirit say in response to this situation?”
           o   “Spirit… keep my mouth shut and my fingers off the keyboard… you respond for me.”
           o   This is the real battle.
   - This is our whole life –
           o   A machine in a factory works, and turns out a product, but it could never manufacture fruit.
           o   Fruit must grow out of life, and, in the case of the believer, it is the life of the Spirit [1]
           o   Sermon on the Mount – Flesh
           o   Last discourse to Disciples – Spirit
           o   Every epic movie – Selfish vs Others
           o   Star Wars – Darth Vader wanted the power alone. Luke wanted the goodness for mankind.
           o   Lord of the Rings
           o   Terminator
           o   Schindler’s List
   - We see this battle everywhere we go

Galatians 2:19-23
19 Now the works (results) of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice (it is their nature) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. (Obedience… choice) 26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.[2]

The Spirit produces in us the fruit or evidence of His work and presence
Galatians 5:22-23 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
   - Love
           o   (agapē) is listed first because it is the foundation of the other graces.
   - Joy
           o   a deep and abiding inner rejoicing which was promised to those who abide in Christ
           o   It does not depend on circumstances because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things
   - Peace
           o   It is an inner repose and quietness, even in the face of adverse circumstances; it defies human understanding
           o   The first three virtues are habits of mind which find their source in God.
           o   The second group reaches out to others, fortified by love, joy, and peace.
   - Patience
           o   It entertains no thoughts of retaliation even when wrongfully treated.
   - Kindness
           o   The benevolence in action such as God demonstrated toward men.
   - Goodness
           o   An uprightness of soul.
           o   As an action, reaching out to others to do good even when it is not deserved.
           o   The final three graces guide the general conduct of a believer who is led by the Spirit.
   - Faithfulness
           o   The quality which renders a person trustworthy or reliable
   - Gentleness
           o   Marks a person who is submissive to God’s Word and who is considerate of others when discipline is needed
   - Self-control
           o   Denotes self-mastery and no doubt primarily relates to curbing the fleshly impulses just described.
           o   Such a quality is impossible to attain apart from the power of God’s Spirit
   - This is not what you have… You have the Spirit… the Spirit produces this fruit in you and through you
   - Whoever possesses these qualities, the Law becomes irrelevant.
   - Obviously no one would make laws against people who practice such things.[3]

The Spirit enables us to wait
Galatians 5:5 - 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.[4]
-     2 Corinthians 5:21 - 21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.[5]
-     Romans 5:9 - 9 Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.[6]
-     Galatians 5:5 – “Hope of righteousness” is talking about the redemption of our earthly bodies.

The Spirit gives us joy
1 Thessalonians 1:6 - 6 and you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit.[7]
   - It is important that young Christians respect spiritual leadership and learn from mature believers.
   - Just as a newborn baby needs a family, so a newborn Christian needs discipleship.[8]
-     Hebrews 13:17 - 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.[9]

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 719). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ga 5:16–26). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Campbell, D. K. (1985). Galatians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck ds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 609). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ga 5:5). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Co 5:21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ro 5:9). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Th 1:6). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 161). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[9] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Heb 13:17–18). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

Let’s have a contest… who had a worst week?

* Prompter
* Leader/Guide
* Travel Guide
* GPS – God Provided Spirit

The Spirit enables us to obey the truth
1 Peter 1:17-21 - 17 And if you address as Father, the One who judges impartially based on each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your temporary residence. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.[1]

1 Peter 1:22 - 22 By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,[2]
     - Obeying the Truth leads us to naturally respond in 3 areas:
     1) Loving our brother/friend

1 Peter 1:23 – 2 Peter 2:2 - 23 since you have been born again —not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For 
All flesh is like grass, 
and all its glory like a flower of the grass. 
The grass withers, and the flower falls, 
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.
And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you. 
2 So rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.
     2) Repentance from sin.

2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation,[3]
     3) Desire for spiritual growth.

The Spirit leads us
Matthew 4:1 - Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.[4]
Luke 4:1-2 - Then Jesus returned from the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for 40 days to be tempted by the Devil.[5]
Romans 8:14 - 14 All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
     - Those who are led by God’s Spirit are easily identified as God’s children.

The Spirit empowers us
Luke 4:14 - 14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread throughout the entire vicinity.[6]
Luke 24:49 - 49 And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” [7]
Acts 1:8 - 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”[8]
Romans 15:19 - 19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. (ee-lear-eh-kon)[9]

The Spirit moves us
2 Peter 1:21 - 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.[10]

The Spirit leads us to Freedom
Galatians 5:18 - 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.[11]
     - It was important for the Galatians to know that just as justification is not possible by works so sanctification cannot be achieved by human effort.[12]

Ryan McCall
-     Who are you?
-     What brought you to Pinheads?
-     A few months ago, we prayed over you and Martice in this room… What was that all about?
-     A few weeks ago you went to hang out with Martice in San Antonio. What was that about?
-     Tell me about the conversation you had with Martice’s Mom as you were leaving.
-     What was Schanelle’s response?
-     What is the Spirit telling you now?

[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Pe 1:17–21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Pe 1:22). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Pe 1:22–2:2). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Mt 4:1). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Lk 4:1–2). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Lk 4:14). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Lk 24:49). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 1:7–8). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ro 15:19). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Pe 1:21). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ga 5:17–18). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] Campbell, D. K. (1985). Galatians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 607). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Holy Spirit & Healing 

1. Salvation- HOLY SPIRIT HEALS your soul and spirit
      - John 3:16
      - Genesis 1:26
      - Genesis 5:3

2. Identity-HOLY SPIRIT HEALS your thinking.
      - Romans 7:20
      - Romans 8:1
      - John 10:10

3. Church- HOLY SPIRIT HEALS the body of believers
      - Acts 17:25
      - 2 Corinthians 5:17

4. HOLY SPIRIT Physically HEALS believers and unbelievers
      - Mark 5:34
      - John 5:14

5. When the HOLY SPIRIT doesn't HEAL
      - Luke 22:42-44
      - Philippians 3:10

The Spirit teaches us
     - John 14:26 - 26 ”But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit —the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”[1]
     - The pressure is off of me and you… to teach.

The Spirit guides us into all truth
     - John 16:12-13 – 12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.[2]
     - The disciples couldn’t receive any more information because they were so focused on the earthly issues of Jesus persecution/death.
     - God will tell the Spirit what to teach us about His Son, Jesus.

The Spirit reveals Christ to us and in us.
     - John 16:14-15 - 14”He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is Mine. This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you.”[3]

The Spirit teaches us to pray
     - Romans 8:26-27 - 26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us ewith unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [4]
    - Jude 20 – 20 But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit,[5]

The Spirit reveals the deep things of God to us
     - 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:17 - 1 When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom
     - No pressure for end results. Not on him/me.
but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit,
     - While they value wisdom and logic, they cannot deny their experience of the Spirit’s power,[6]
     - Unexplainable, obvious, it was real.
5 so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.
     - This understanding wipes out all marketing for churches.
6 However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
     - The word teleiois was used in the first century ad by professional speakers to describe their followers: the more followers they gained, the more teleiois they considered themselves to have. Paul uses the same word to describe those who understand and conform to the message of Jesus Christ.[7]
7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: 
What eye did not see and ear did not hear, 
and what never entered the human mind-- 
God prepared this for those who love Him. t
10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.
     - The Spirit reveals what has been given to us through God.
13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.
     - Opinionated discussions are worthless unless you are both working out of the same filter/mindset.
     - That you are a “new creation” and have the Spirit of God living inside of you.
     - Ally Batista in “Elite Daily” says never to discuss money, politics, Bible/religion, politics, sex and complaints in discussions.
     - I am pretty sure in this article that sex and complaints were intended as two different topic items.
     - There goes Facebook.
15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For 
who has known the Lord’s mind, 
that he may instruct Him? 
But we have the mind of Christ.
     - I think you can always discuss those items mentioned previously if you do it with someone who has the same Spirit.
     - This is when real community happens.

3 Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers? 4 For whenever someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another, “I’m with Apollos,” are you not unspiritual people? 

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.

16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.[8]

The Spirit speaks to, in, and through us
     - 1 Corinthians 12:3 - 3 Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.[9]
     - 1 Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,[10]
     - Revelation 2:11 - 11 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.”[11]
     - Hebrews 3:7 - 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His voice, [12]
     - Matthew 10:20 - 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.[13]
     - Acts 2:4 - 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.[14]
     - Acts 8:29 - 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”[15]
     - Acts 10:19 - 19 While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit told him, “Three men are here looking for you.[16]
     - Acts 11:12, 28 - 12 Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.[17]
     - 28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the time of Claudius.[18]
     - Acts 13:2 - 2 As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.”[19]
     - Acts 16:6-7 - 6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. 7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.[20]
     - Acts 21:4, 11 - 4 So we found some disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.[21]
     - 11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into Gentile hands.’ ”[22]

The Spirit reveals the mystery of God to us
- Ephesians 3:5 - 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:[23]

[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 14:26). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 16:12–14). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 16:14–15). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ro 8:26–27). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jud 20). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Co 2:4). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[7] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Co 2:6). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[8] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Co 2:1–3:17). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Co 12:2–3). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (1 Ti 4:1). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Re 2:11). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Heb 3:7). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Mt 10:19–20). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[14] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 2:4). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[15] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 8:29). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[16] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 10:19). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[17] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 11:11–12). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[18] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 11:27–28). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[19] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 13:2). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[20] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 16:6–7). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[21] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 21:4). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[22] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ac 21:10–11). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[23] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Eph 3:5). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.