Spiritual Refreshing

Well Good Morning Church! Thank you for joining us here today!

There is nothing like a nice glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. For others, it is jumping into a cold pool. There are many things that can refresh us: for some it is laughing, while for others singing, and yet others get refreshed by working hard.

While being refreshed in a natural way is sure helpful and positive in our lives. It is when we are refreshed spiritually that can make such a big difference. It is when we are refreshed that were are invigorated to go back out into the world and accomplish the will of the Lord in our lives.

To be refreshed is to enjoy a right relationship with our heavenly Father. This morning we are going to talk about ways to be spiritually refreshed and the results of being refreshed.

I. Ways to be spiritual refreshed

A. Season of prayer/fasting

a. As a church, we just completed a week of prayer and fasting. I want to thank all those that were able to come out and participate. Every night brought a different prayer focus point. Last night, the deacon board lead the meeting and the prayer focus was for the pastor and for our church health

b. Personally, this past week was very difficult as I have not been feeling well.

c. I am happy to report to you this morning, that I am feeling better, I am feeling spiritual refreshed.

B. Renew your mind

a. Another way to be spiritually refreshed is to renew your mind.

b. I love what the book of Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV) says: (12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

c. It is our reasonable service as Christ followers to have a single minded devotion to please our Creator

d. We do this through separating ourselves from the world and living a holy life.

e. To be spiritually refreshed, we start with the renewal of our mind.

i. Our minds have been polluted with the worlds thinking and ideology. Therefore, we need to renew our mind. Get rid of the pollution of sin and darkness.

ii. Get rid of our stinking thinking and replace it with Godly thinking.

iii. It is when we align our thinking with God’s thinking that we will begin to see a transformation. We will begin to experience a spiritually refreshing.

C. Get alone with God

a. Spend some time along with God. As we study the bible, we see that many times throughout Jesus ministry that He would go away into the wilderness and pray. He would go away and spend some quality time with His Heavenly Father.

b. We too need to spend time with the Lord. Maybe this means you taking some time just sitting in a rocking chair and praying. Maybe it is going for a hike in Navarino trails.

c. The quality time that we spend with God is always going to be the best time.

D. Quite your heart/life

a. Speaking of spending time with the Lord. In order to do this we will need to quite our heart and our life. The bible says in Psalm 46:10(NKJV) 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

b. Taking time to be still is harder today than during any other time period. There is so much that cries for our attention in our fast paced world.

c. Let me encourage you to be intentional to take time to turn off life’s noises and to tune into the Lord.

E. Worshipping

a. When we spend time worshiping the Lord, we will begin to a spiritual renewal. Worship is a clear and direct path to the Lord.

b. The Lord loves it when we worship Him! The bible says in Psalm 100:4(NKJV) 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

c. When we worship the Lord, we are showing Him our gratitude, we are showing our thankfulness.

d. Let me say this, it a wonderful privilege to enter into the presence of the King of King and Lord of Lords! We do this through worshiping Him!

F. Serving the Lord

a. We are refreshed when we serve the Lord. When we give our lives to service for the King, our lives our tremendously enriched.

b. It is such a wonderful feeling that when we hear from the Lord and then obediently follow His voice.