Changed By The Stream Of The Spirit Series

Changed by the Stream of the Spirit

We are continuing in our series on Supernatural Springs and this month we are focussing on the Stream of the Spirit.

As always the question to begin:

Do you seek a good life or a changed life?

In our lives, we all have something that we can thank God for.

We all experience different situations, circumstances and opportunities.

Yet each of us have been and continue to be blessed by God.

He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

When we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we have the privilege of a constant companion on our journey through this life.

He leads, guides, empowers and dwells in every person who has been saved from the consequences of their sin.

In God’s strength, power, mercy and love, The Holy Spirit helps us in our daily living as we progress to our ultimate destiny - eternity in Heaven worshipping and praising God.

God is with us in the good times and the bad.

His presence is sure and certain.

His promises are Yes and Amen.

As the Hymn writer put it, our faith in God gives us: strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow - Blessings all ours with 10,000 beside.

We know that is truth, yet sometimes the way we live our lives does not really reflect that truth.

We are meant to experience abundant life through our faith in Jesus Christ.

We are meant to live changed, transformed,

spirit-filled lives.

But, somehow life does not always feel good, sometimes we feel low, down, disappointed, unempowered.

Sometimes it feels like instead of flowing in the stream of the Spirit we are just treading water.

Sometimes it feels like the river has gone dry.

Sometimes we feel like the pilgrims of old travelling through a dry and barren dusty land.

And instead of seeking change,

instead of asking God to refresh us,

instead of asking God to lead us to His Oasis of blessing and refreshment we choose to stay in the dry and barren place.

We make camp and wonder why we feel the way we do.

We make do with the resources we try in our own strength and wisdom to gather.

We try to refresh ourselves with the things of the world and end up drained and thirsty for something more.

This evening, I want to encourage us to seek a life that is different.

A life that is transformed, changed, renewed and refreshed by the stream of the Holy Spirit flowing in our lives.

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Everyone who has ever lived, everyone alive today both young and old, are seeking a “good life” - whatever they consider good to be.

People seek purpose, people seek pleasure, people seek happiness, fulfillment, direction.

People search for the meaning of life, but they look in the wrong places.

They seek meaning and change without seeking God.

They look at the world around them, the world under the Sun and completely ignore the God of all creation.

King Solomon, probably the wisest man who has ever lived wrote these words in Ecclesiastes

1:2-11,14

2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now. 14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind

Without God, there is no meaning to life.

Without God, everything seems completely meaningless - like chasing after the wind.

But with God, life is different.

With God there is purpose.

With God there is meaning.

With God there is hope.

With God there is joy and peace.

With God there can be real change.

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Here is another question for you:

Are you disturbed tonight?

What do I mean by this question..

The dictionary definition of disturbed is troubled, distressed, unsettled, upset, distraught, broken.