Soul Care Three Series

The power of Soul Care and the Holy Spirit!

Testimony’s from Sunday Night: John D, Marcie G. and Kathy M.

Opening Video Illustration: Denying God – selling your soul for money.

We have been talking about Soul Care – I have been asking the question “How is you soul?” I had a person come to me and say “They sold their soul to the devil – I informed them you may have sold your soul to Devil but Jesus has bought it back for you – do you want it from Him?”

Series: Acts Too – Soul Care

“How is your soul moving into this new year?”

Jesus said in Matthew 16:26: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37: “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

Jesus emphasized the importance of your soul not just in eternity but it’s health in the here and now! Your eternal and spiritual success this year depends on the condition of your soul!

John Orberg states this about our souls: “If your soul is healthy, no external circumstance can destroy your life. If your soul is unhealthy, no external circumstance can redeem your life (Pg 40, Soul Keeping).

Definition of the soul:

My definition: The soul reflects the sum of your Spirit, Soul and Body as a whole being. It is the link between spirit and body and is the operating system of your life. It encompasses your mind, your will, your decision making process, your perceptions, your emotions, your spirit, your feelings, your physical appetites, your addictions, your desires and it is the control center in your life and it will always impact your daily life. It has been defined as “life” in the Bible in certain passages and as that which longs after God or for a substitute for God like and idol. You don’t have a soul you are a soul!

Hebrews 4:12-13: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God knows the condition of our souls – He sees them and He knows them!

Ortberg: The soul is what integrates separate functions into a single, organic, whole creature. That’s why the search for harmony and integration and connectedness is a “soul” function. The soul is the deepest dimension of our existence. It captures the reality of life before God in a way that the word “self” does not. Think of the difference between the words “soul-ish” and “selfish.”

I add “Spirit” which refers more generally to the power or energy that comes from the Holy Spirit – the connection point with God if it is not connected with God it is connected to evil spirits. The soul is more intertwined with the Spirit and the body and lies at the core of our mindset and our will. But a soul connected to God and His Spirit is a soul that really has “Life.”

Question: What does the Bible say about our souls?

Ortberg: The Bible speaks of the soul often—although more recent translations are much more likely to substitute words like ‘life’ instead of using the word ‘soul.’ One of the most striking and misunderstood statements about the soul in the Bible is Jesus’ observation: “What does it profit a person if they gain the whole world but lose their soul?” I always used to think this meant it does no good to get lot of money and pleasure if you end up going to hell. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. If a soul is broken or mal-functioning, our wills and our values and actual behavior and our desires and our facial expressions and our secret thoughts will constantly be at war with each other. We will be incapable of soul satisfaction—let alone a meaningful or truly good life. Jesus was not telling people to commit to the right religion in order to get their afterlife taken care of. He was making a brilliantly diagnostic observation about the nature of human life. The above from http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2014/05/29/john-ortberg-shares-every-soul-needs/#sthash.ROIlaGnI.dpuf

We titled our series: Acts Too (Soul Care)

Purpose of the Series:

Acts Too – The book of Acts is filled with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Chapter 2 on the first disciples and signifies the birth of the church. The churches early years are filled with miracles and hardships! It’s filled with salvations and rejections of Jesus! It’s filled with people embracing Jesus and others fighting against Jesus and his disciples. It’s filled with hope and death. It reveals the struggle between good and evil in this world. It highlights the good and the bad of church. But most importantly it shows what can happen in the church if the souls in the church are healthy and connected with the Holy Spirit! It did not matter that they were rejected and persecuted, chased out of towns, stoned, abused and imprisoned. We read story after story of the disciples sharing the good news to receive beatings and arrests but yet even while imprisoned they can still sing and praise the Lord. It was because they had healthy souls which were connected and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We want a church filled with Christians like Acts too! A church filled with people who are being the church and have healthy souls no matter what is happening around them or too them.