November 14, 2022

This Week's Teaching | SRQ Meetup | Compassion | Call to Prayer

Click to watch this week's teaching

This Week's Teaching: ​How to Receive the Holy Spirit

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? How you answer that question depends on what you were taught, or not taught. There's a lot of confusion about it. And there's a lot of division around our opinions.

I love that our network includes people from different teachings and customs. Some of us have had charismatic experiences and answer the question from that perspective. Others of us have been taught a more theological response to the question and give that answer. I think the conversation is most rich when we slow down and listen, without arguing about who has the right answer, or who has the Holy Spirit.

Recently the church that meets at my house was studying in Acts and we had such a conversation. I found it moving. It was a safe place, but I always feel the tension that most people experience with it. We've all felt judged by others and others have felt judged by us. But when we slow down and listen to each other's stories — I'm talking about the stories of those who have experienced the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in their life — when we listen to each other's stories we find a common theme: Surrender. And we celebrate a common witness that is greater than sign gifts or theological statements. We see how the Holy Spirit is actively transforming us through the daily decisions to live what think of as a surrendered, holy, spiritual life.

When that is true in your life, you can answer the question with humility and confidence: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Yes, today I am living a surrendered, holy, spiritual life in the name of Jesus.

That's what this week's teaching is about. And here's the scriptures so you can follow along in your Bible as watch above.

• ​Acts 19:1-7
• 1 Corinthians 12:29-31

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SRQ Meetup, Tuesday, Nov 15th, 6:30p!

If you're in Sarasota, join us for this "brown bag" meetup. Bring your own food, along with plates and utensils. We'll share a meal together, along with time in prayer and fellowship and whatever else God wants to do among us. We'll provide something to drink. Invite anyone you want. If you have any last minute questions, ask your microchurch leader, or text/call me at 941-465-9311.
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Tuesday, November 15, 6:30p at 
Colonial Oaks Park Rec Center (Inside)
5300 Colonial Oaks Blvd in Sarasota.

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Compassion: Loving our neighbors with all that we have.

Because of your generosity, we've recently been able to help a single mom with rent, and are helping an elderly couple with necessary repairs to make their mobile home inhabitable again after Hurricane Ian. We also have an Amazon wish list for a family who lost everything. Since it lists their names, I don't want to link it here publicly. Please email me if you'd like to help personally and I'll send it to you.

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Join me in prayer?

Father, we pray for those among us who are sick, and for those who have sick loved ones. Hear our prayers. Heal their bodies. Have mercy. Speak the word of healing over them.

Lord, we pray for those among us who are struggling to fully trust you. Show yourself to them as we open up the scriptures, and share life together. Show yourself to be good, loving, and powerful. May the name of Jesus be highly honored among us, and take its rightful place in their hearts as they are baptized into the Way.

Lord, fill us each with your Holy Spirit. Renew our devotion to you. Renew our resolve. As we lay down our lives in joyful surrender to you each day, may we be renewed in every way. Make us holy, renew us spiritually. Yes Lord, may we live surrendered, holy, spiritual lives in the name of Jesus.

Father, remember those who are still trying to put their lives back together after losing so much in the recent hurricanes. Answer their prayers. And lead us to those we can help in tangible ways.

We pray peace for the cities in which we live. And we lift up our brothers and sisters throughout the world who risk everything to follow you, and especially those who risk all to explain the gospel under great threat.

Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Amen.