One of the most profound things that I have ever learnt as a Christian was that following Jesus is and always will be a battle, at least until Jesus comes back.
It's going to be challenging.
And I remember during a series that we actually did here at St. Paul's a few years ago, looking at the book of Revelation.
Revelation is the final book in the Bible.
It's a prophetic vision that God gives to John about the end times.
And there were two really significant things that I walked away from that series with.
The first one was that heaven is going to be better than I've even begun to imagine.
It's going to be more exciting and more satisfying than even my wildest dreams.
There'll be no sickness, no pain, no hurting, no goodbyes, no tears.
It will be amazing.
And I can't wait to get there.
But the second thing that I learnt or that sharpened for me in that series was I realised that right up until that moment when Jesus returns and comes to fix things that are broken and right wrongs, until then, life will be broken and wrong.
Until heaven, our earthly existence as people who are trying to follow Jesus, trying to live for him, will be marked by opposition.
The opposition that's out there, the people who try and limit our ability to love and follow Jesus, to worship him.
The opposition of a world that is marked by the consequences of sin in the form of things like sickness, natural disaster, all of which can sometimes make it more difficult to stand up and say,
God is good.
God loves me.
God is gracious.
And there's a whole other sermon series right there.
But the other opposition is internal opposition.
The other thing that can make following Jesus a battle is our own weakness and our own failure.
It's our own doubt.
It's our own anger at God for not working the way that we want him to.
The point being, following Jesus is a battle.
Now that's not supposed to scare you off.
Heaven's worth it.
What Jesus did on the cross is worth it.
Jesus himself is worthy.
The point's not to scare us off, but to focus us, to open our eyes.
Given it's a battle, how do we battle well?
How do we stand in the midst of the fighting and persevere and stand firm?
How do we live now that we've been forgiven, that we are adopted, that we're in the family and that we're waiting for heaven?
How do we do that well?
That's the struggle for the Galatians.
They've heard the gospel.
They've started following Jesus.
They were excited.
Their lives changed drastically.
But then they realized it's actually harder than we thought.
It's hard to stay the course.
There's people trying to convince us to do other things.
There's our own questions, our own doubt.
It's the question that every follower of Jesus must ask.
It's the question Paul wants to wrestle with right now.
How do you battle well as a follower of Jesus?
How do you stand firm in the freedom that Jesus has purchased for you?
Well, let's look at three things in this passage.
Firstly, how do you battle well?
You need to know where you are.
It took me all of a month, but you're about to get your first marathon illustration.
After this, you might be excited that I'm leaving.
When I was running my half marathon a month ago, there was a lot of things conspiring to try and make me give up.
It's fairly unpleasant, to be perfectly honest with you.
The lack of conditioning in my muscles, the capacity for my blood to carry oxygen to all the parts of my body that need it, dehydration.
But the biggest barrier in the half marathon was in my head.
Because it's literally nearly two hours of arduous physical exertion.
Just the same thing, step after step after step.
21 kilometers, and every kilometer feels like it's getting longer and further away.
And I find myself having this internal discussion as I'm running.
There's nothing else to do.
Internal discussion about, will I keep going?
Should I give up?
Is this worth all the effort?
And every time I pass a kilometer marker, there'd be a big number on a bit of cardboard.
There's a burst of optimism.
I'm suddenly thinking, I'm making progress.
Off I go.
A little bit quicker for 100 meters.
And each one of these markers is about five minutes apart at the pace that I run.
And that's five whole minutes of focusing on how uncomfortable I am and doing a million different little mathematical equations about how far there is to go, looking for an answer that might be slightly encouraging.
Trying to break it down into ridiculous little segments or something like that.
And in amongst this internal discussion, I catch myself hoping that every time I can't see around a corner, or every time there's a hill where I can't see the other side, I start hoping that this next corner or this next hill will have another kilometer marker.
Now, the reality is, I've only been running for about 10 seconds since I passed the last one, but you start to lose track of time when you're just thinking about markers for two hours straight.
And it's that hope that I'm almost there that costs you more than anything because it's false hope.
I mean, it's completely unrealistic hope.
It doesn't make sense at all.
If I turned around, I could see the marker that I just ran past.
A thousand meters is a long way, just quietly.
One kilometer is an uncomfortable distance, especially when it's kilometer 15 or 16.
And so it's completely ridiculous that I would think just around this corner, this would be the shortest kilometer in the history of the world.
But I convince myself that it's going to be there.
And so I pep up.
And then as I come around the corner and it's not there, and suddenly I can see hundreds of meters down the road and there are no markers, I feel incredibly crushed.
It feels like an eternity since the last marker, but there is none coming.
And so I'm not as far progressed as I thought.
I'm not as far progressed as I want to be, as I need to be for a little bit of affirmation and encouragement.
And it's the same when it comes to following Jesus.
We start following Jesus and we trick ourselves into thinking we're through the worst bit.
We're through the hardest period of change.
We're through the hardest bit of opposition.
We're through the hardest bit of realizing that there's stuff in us that's embarrassing and shameful that we need to repent of and confess.
And we trick ourselves into thinking we're nearly there.
One more challenge.
One more sin I've got to overcome.
One more family member making fun of the fact that I follow Jesus.
We think all the hard work is done and that if we just get through this one struggle, it will be easier.
But when you're around the corner, there's another struggle.
There's another sin that you are not on top of, that you need to confess.
There's another part of your life that you probably need to repent of and acknowledge to God and start working on.
And the reality is that what the Bible teaches is until we get to heaven, there will always be another struggle.
There will always be parts of our lives, parts of our own desires that will be pushing us away from God.
Things we have to fight.
There will always be another hill, another corner, another sin, another doubt, another challenge.
Following Jesus is and will be a battle.
And so when Paul says in verse 16,
walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
It sounds so simple.
Just walk by the Spirit.
And then you won't do all these things that you're embarrassed about or that you're ashamed of or that you've been doing your whole life.
The instruction sounds easy, but then he follows it with verse 17.
He says,
The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit.
And the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.
And here's the key bit.
They are in conflict with each other.
So you're not to do whatever you want.
It's important if we're in a battle, and we are, to know that we're in a battle.
It's important to have our eyes open to that reality.
Conflict is where we live as followers of Jesus.
This new life, this freedom that God has won for us,
this desire and opportunity to please and to serve God,
is fighting with everything that we used to be.
It's fighting with a lifestyle, a learned lifestyle,
that puts us at the centre,
that loves ourselves and our own comfort more than it loves Jesus.
Deb mentioned this last week.
She took us to Romans 7,
where Paul talks about the torture of deep down wanting to serve God
with every minute of every day,
but knowing that so much of the time you compromise.
You say,
I'm going to serve God with everything,
but first there's a few things that I need to do to look after me.
Conflict is the reality for the Christian.
So we need to expect it.
In fact, if there's a lack of moral conflict and inner wrestling
in your life following Jesus,
that's probably not evidence that you've made it.
It could be a sign that you've conceded defeat.
Your default setting will be to go back to your old way of life,
and conflict is the reality of the one
who is progressively becoming more like Jesus.
The only time that that old desire,
that old way of life will be fully destroyed
is when we get to heaven.
Conflict is the reality for those who follow Jesus.
Internal conflict.
But this next verse is really, really important.
Verse 18.
If you're led by the Spirit,
you are not under the law.
Let me say this really clearly.
Where you are as a Christian in this battle,
there is conflict,
but there is no condemnation.
There is conflict,
but there is no condemnation.
You will struggle,
you will wrestle,
you will fall sometimes,
but there is no condemnation.
This is more a paintball skirmish
than an actual war.
If you've never done paintball,
it hurts,
it's uncomfortable,
it'll leave a mark,
it'll do some damage,
but it won't kill you.
If you succumb to temptation,
it'll be painful.
There'll be consequences.
You might damage relationships,
but it can't undo what God has already done for you.
It can't uncrucify Jesus.
It can't put him back in the tomb.
So as a Christian,
you battle with life insurance.
You battle with a guardian angel.
You battle with a medic team.
You battle in such a way that you are safe.
We battle as those who have been adopted.
And so we struggle and grow slowly,
but surely completely secure
that we are and will always be loved
by our heavenly father.
In our great moments of victory
over sin and temptation,
and in our moments of despair and failure,
still secure in the love of our heavenly father,
battling well means knowing where you are.
You are in conflict,
but there is no condemnation,
which means when you fail,
you're secure.
It means when you realize
that you haven't grown as much as you wanted to,
when you catch yourself falling back
into an old habit,
you have the security to confess that,
to admit it,
and to get up and try again.
You have the freedom
to hand over guilt
and to take the next step,
to face the next challenge,
to have the perseverance
to keep going around the next corner.
Knowing where you are
spares you the disappointment
of thinking life was supposed to be easy
and then being shocked
when actually you need to fight.
You need to battle.
You need to persevere
if you want to become more like Jesus.
If you want to live in the freedom
that God has got for you,
know up front,
it will be hard.
It will be difficult,
but you can do it secure
in the love that God has for you
and with your eyes focused
on the destination
that you're hoping for.
Battling well means
knowing where you are.
Second thing,
it means focusing
on the real issue.
Have a look at verse 19.
The acts of the flesh
are obvious.
Sexual immorality,
impurity and debauchery,
idolatry and witchcraft,
hatred,
discord,
jealousy,
fits of rage,
selfish ambition,
dissensions,
factions and envy,
drunkenness,
orgies and the like.
I warn you,
as I did before,
that those who live like this
will not inherit
the kingdom of God.
So Paul's digging into
this conflict for us
a little bit,
giving us a deeper view
and we experience
this conflict
in the two halves.
So the first half
is what he calls
the acts of the flesh
and when Paul uses
that word flesh,
he's kind of meaning
our basic carnal desires,
our default human setting,
the thing that everyone
in the world goes after
until they meet Jesus
and discover that he's better.
It's our internal
default instincts,
it's the way we operate
before we meet Jesus.
But there's two really
interesting things
in these verses.
First, have a look
at what's listed
in these verses.
You've got some obvious ones,
some ones that we all assume
God's not going to be happy about,
idolatry,
witchcraft,
sexual immorality.
But there's also
a couple of more subtle ones,
maybe even things
that we would see
as kind of acceptable
in small doses.
Envy,
jealousy,
the odd bit of drunkenness.
selfish ambition
is even sometimes
considered a virtue
in our culture.
Look after yourself,
get what you deserve.
But look where the focus
is in this list.
See, the emphasis
isn't on those specific acts,
it's just a list of examples.
The focus is on the source
of those acts.
acts.
They come from the flesh.
They're evidence
of a life
that is driven
by rejecting God.
They're evidence
that the center
that makes the decision,
the center
that desires things
and then pursues things,
is not in line
with God,
is not submitted
to Him
as King.
The real issue
is not the acts.
He does the same thing
when he moves on
to the positive half
in verse 22.
He says,
but the fruit
of the Spirit
is love,
joy,
peace,
forbearance,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
and self-control.
Against such things
there is no law.
So you've got
the acts
of the flesh
and then you've got
the fruit
of the Spirit.
That is acts
and fruit
that are produced by.
They're the result
of something
that's going on
deeper inside.
See,
the conflict
that we experience
as Christians,
the battle
that we need
to fight in,
that we need
to commit to,
that we need
to struggle in,
the disagreement
that we feel,
the tension
between our old way
of life
and the new life
that we have
in Jesus
is not a battle
that is waged
in our hands
and feet.
It's not a battle
that is waged
in your eyes
or your mouth.
life,
it's deeper.
It's a battle
for your heart.
It's a battle
for the very core
of you.
And so if we spend
our energy
in this battle
focusing on our
hands and feet,
focusing on the acts,
focusing on the fruit,
we're missing
the real issue.
See,
the jealousy
that I feel
or the jealousy
that I act on,
the kindness
that I don't feel
or the kindness
that I don't act on,
they're both
the result
of what's going
on in my heart.
Which means
I can't fix them
by just trying harder
or changing
my behaviour.
It might kind of
put on a show
for a little while.
I might be able
to feel really jealous
and pretend
that I'm not.
I might be able
to fake kindness.
But if
drunkenness
is my issue,
I might somehow
force myself
to stop drinking
and that's a good thing
but I actually
haven't dealt
with the issue.
There's a reason
that I'm doing that.
I have to dig deeper.
That's why in verse 24
he says,
those who belong
to Christ Jesus
have crucified
the flesh
with its passions
and desires.
What's called for here
is not a slight
change in behaviour
but it's a killing
of sin,
a destroying
of desires
that drag us
away from this
new life
that Jesus
has purchased
for us.
We need to put
that sin to death
and in order
to do that
we've got to ask
the question,
why
do I get drunk?
Why
am I jealous?
Why
am I immoral?
Why
do I look at things
that I know
that I shouldn't?
What is it
that I desire
that I think
getting drunk
or being angry
or jealous
or whatever it is
will deliver for me?
That's the
heart question.
Only
if we begin
to engage
that question
can we begin
to deal
with the actual
enemy.
Heart change
is what is needed
and heart change
is something
that can only happen
by the grace
of God
and in the power
of the Holy Spirit.
Here's what the
process looks like.
As you ask
that deeper
question
and maybe
there's something
in your life
right now
that you can
insert in this
process.
As you dig
behind the
acts of the
flesh
or the absence
of the fruit
of the Spirit
and you discover
what it is
that you want
that you're
hoping those
things will
deliver,
the Spirit
whose main
role
is to help
you and me
and all of us
know and see
Jesus in his
all satisfying
joy-giving
majesty,
the Spirit
shows you
how Jesus
meets that
desire more
completely
and more fully
than whatever
it is you're
doing instead.
But you need
to know
what that
desire is
before you
can go
through that
process.
Otherwise
all you'll
ever focus
on is
am I being
envious,
am I being
jealous,
am I being
kind,
am I being
good and
you can
try to
do those
things but
deep down
you'll still
be jealous
and you
still won't
be kind
and eventually
you'll get
weary and
you'll go to
your default.
If you
never dig
down to
see the
why behind
your sin,
if you
never look
into where
the battle
is really
raging,
then the
hatred you
feel for
some annoying
person will
be really
difficult to
see how
Jesus has
anything to
do with
it.
You need
to ask
why.
Because in
the gospel,
in Jesus,
we have
everything we
need.
Our problem
is we
haven't worked
out what
it is we're
chasing and
so we
can't see
how Jesus
provides and
satisfies.
Conflict in
the Christian
life, the
battle to
live as
people worthy
of the name
Jesus is
not a battle
that's fought
in our hands
and feet.
It's a battle
that goes on
in our hearts.
And because
you lack
the power
to change
your own
heart,
focusing here
means that we
can battle
well by being
humble and
dependent on
God for that
transformation.
It means
rather than
keeping our
weaknesses and
our failures and
our sins secret
and trying to
fix them before
we let anyone
else know that
they're an
issue,
instead of doing
that which won't
work, we can go
to God first and
regularly and say,
God, I failed,
I need your
forgiveness, I need
your help, and I
need you to change
my heart.
I need your
spirit to help
me see that
Jesus is better.
I need your
spirit to grow
in me a love
for Jesus that
drives my
actions, that
produces fruit.
I need your
help to be
loving, kind,
good, patient,
joyful, peaceful,
faithful, gentle,
self-controlled.
They're called
fruit of the
spirit because
they grow
slowly but
surely in the
life of a
Christian who
is being led
by the spirit
that's in them.
Battling well
means knowing
to expect
conflict but
not condemnation.
It means
focusing on
your heart,
which means
depending on
God to do
the work of
transformation.
And the last
thing, battling
well as a
Christian,
means getting
ahead of the
game.
Or to use
Paul's language,
it means
keeping in
step with the
spirit.
Verse 25.
Since we
live by the
spirit, that
is since we've
been given
life by the
spirit, that's
what Galatians
has taught us,
let us keep
in step with
the spirit.
Now it took
me a month to
give you the
first one, you're
going to get
two in one
day, two
running
illustrations.
The other
running that I
do, apart from
trying to do a
half marathon, is
a weekly park run
with a bunch of
people in this
room.
There's a bit of
healthy competition
amongst us about
who can be the
fastest.
It's supposed to
be a race against
yourself, but
nobody actually
believes that.
And you get a
time every week as
to how fast you
can run the five
kilometres.
If you don't
believe me about
the competition,
note how many
people are talking
about their times
at morning tea.
Anyway, it's a
five kilometre time
trial.
And in my
marathon training, a
good win about
investing all those
hours was that my
times got better and
better and better and
I had something to
brag about and gloat
about.
And then I set
myself a bit of a
target about what
time I would get to.
I wanted to get
faster than 22
minutes.
And I got kind of
close and I was
pretty happy with
that.
And then after my
marathon I thought
that's where I'm
going to focus my
energy.
And I had a couple
of weeks break
because my body was
kind of exhausted.
But the first time I
went back I ran like
quite a bit slower
than I'd been running
beforehand.
I was very frustrated
and so I went home a
little bit disappointed
and agitated and I
thought I'll go back
next week and I'll get
that goal.
Because once I've got
that goal I can relax.
Job done.
The next week still
nowhere near my 22
minute goal.
Very disappointed and
frustrated.
And as I'm running
around the five
kilometres trying to
beat this time I'm
getting angry at
myself.
Like what are you
doing?
Just put some extra
effort in.
Run faster.
But there's some
physiological issues
like having to throw
up next to the track
that were limiting me
getting to my time.
And that's because the
reality is what I do
in that moment actually
counts very little in
the scheme of things as
to whether or not I can
actually produce the
result that I want.
The factors that
influence whether or not
I can get that goal
and get victory if you
like in that moment is
the work that's done
beforehand.
It's the whether or not
I ate KFC the night
before I did.
It's whether or not I
ran during the week or
two weeks or actually
three weeks beforehand
I didn't.
The preparation is where
the victory is won.
In the battle you might
have all the willpower in
the world but if you have
not prepared yourself and
strengthened yourself you
will lose.
You will be defeated.
We have life in the
spirit so the call is to
keep in step with the
spirit.
To constantly be led by
the spirit.
To have the spirit
shaping us and equipping
us so that when the
temptation comes we know
that Jesus is better.
When the failure comes we
know that God is gracious
and will still forgive us.
So what does it look like
to keep in step with the
spirit?
How do we do that
concretely?
How do we prepare for the
battle?
Two things.
Sharing and sowing.
Firstly sharing.
Spirit led life is
community life.
Have a look at verse 26.
Let us not become
conceited, provoking and
envying each other.
Brothers and sisters if
someone is caught in a
sin you who live by the
spirit should restore that
person gently.
But watch yourselves or
you also may be tempted.
Carry each other's
burdens and in this way
you fulfill the law of
Christ.
If anyone thinks they are
something when they are
not they deceive
themselves.
Each one should test their
own actions then they can
take pride in themselves
alone without comparing
themselves to someone
else for each one should
carry their own load.
Spirit life, living by the
spirit, being led by the
spirit, keeping in step
with the spirit has to do
with how we live together.
The first thing that Paul
goes to after saying keep
in step with the spirit is
how we perceive ourselves
and how that impacts the
way we relate to and love
one another.
Don't provoke each other out
of some sense of
superiority.
Don't envy each other out
of feelings of inferiority
because both attitudes
reflect conceit or
self-absorption or focus
on me.
This echoes back to
chapter 5 when Paul talks
about being free and what
it looks like to live free
is to lovingly serve our
neighbours.
The spirit that God has
given us didn't draw us
into this little quiet
private one-on-one
relationship with God.
It drew us into a
community that would be
the people of God.
Plural.
The point being that
keeping in step with the
spirit requires you
to be engaged with the
people of the spirit.
Engaged with Christian
community.
Preparation for the battle
in your heart, the battle
to resist temptation,
the battle to deal with
your failures is best
done in partnership with
your brothers and
sisters in Christ.
Carrying each other's
burdens.
Gently correcting one
another.
Not comparing ourselves
but pointing each other
to the freedom of the
gospel, to the obedience
that the gospel enables.
And here's a little
challenge for us in
this.
I think it's much
easier for us to
carry someone else's
burden with them than
it is for us to ask for
or accept help for our
own burdens.
We're happy to offer
help but accepting
help is a little more
difficult.
It's much easier to
recognise sin in someone
else and to gently seek
to restore them than it
is to have somebody
recognise sin in you
and gently seek to
restore you.
We live in a culture
that prides itself on
independence.
But we serve a God who
delights in and designed
us for interdependence.
The challenge for us as a
community and as
individuals, will you ask
for help?
Will you share your
burden?
Will you hear
correction?
I remember when we
were having kids in that
crazy bit when they're
first born and you just
don't know which way is
up and you can't sleep.
And lots of people
graciously and generally
offered meals, offered to
babysit Bailey when
Hudson was born, offered to
do whatever we needed for
help.
And we'd have
conversations about that
and we're like, oh, that's
really nice.
And some people really
graciously forced their
help on us.
And I mean that when I say
it.
They forced their help on us
and we had to receive it.
But I remember having
conversation.
We'd be sitting there
going, surely somebody else
needs help more than us.
We're surviving.
And we were.
We were tired, but we were
surviving.
But what if that's not the
goal?
What if God's goal for you is
not that you survive in your
own strength?
What if in that moment
what we were doing was
actually robbing ourselves
of the blessing of
journeying together and
robbing our church family
of the blessing of doing
what we're instructed to do
when it comes to living in
line with the Spirit?
Keeping in step with the
Spirit requires us to be in
Christian community.
And that doesn't mean
attending church once a
week.
Being in Christian
community means having
substantial, honest
relationships with other
Christians.
Having people that you feel
secure enough to ask help
from.
People who you trust enough
to confess sin with.
Maybe the people in your
community group.
Maybe others that you have
long-standing relationships
with.
But either way, ensuring that
you are there to share the
burden when they need it.
And they are there to share
your burden when you need it.
We are in a battle.
And the Spirit's power to
win that battle is built
into the kind of Christian
relationships that are
described in these verses.
Where we journey together.
So keeping in step with the
Spirit, staying ahead of the
game means sharing your life
with your brothers and
sisters in Christ so that
you don't battle alone.
And the second bit it means
keeping in step with the
Spirit is about sowing.
Have a look quickly with me
at verse 7.
Do not be deceived.
God cannot be mocked.
A man reaps what he sows.
Catch the seriousness of that
soundbite there.
Be easy to just skip past it
and focus on the reaping and
sowing.
God cannot be mocked.
It's a timeless principle.
You get out what you put in.
You sow apple seeds, you get
an apple tree.
You sow rocks, you get
nothing.
As followers of Jesus, it is
mocking God to sow that which
is not honoring to him into your
life and then to act surprised
or disappointed when you don't
see the fruit of the Spirit being
produced.
Verse 8,
Whoever sows to please their
flesh from the flesh will reap
destruction.
Whoever sows to please the
Spirit from the Spirit will reap
eternal life.
The things you fill your life
with, the things you watch, the
people you spend time with, those
are the things that you are
sowing into your character.
Those are the things that will
produce either the acts of the
flesh or the fruit of the Spirit.
If you spend all your time with
people who encourage you to be
dishonest or arrogant or
competitive or to compare
yourself, if you watch things on
TV or movies that fill your mind
with violence or hatred or
immorality, what do you think you
will reap?
Now the point isn't that we should
all go live in the desert and hide
away from the big bad world out
there.
Remember the battle's in here so
we're taking the battle with us
even into the desert.
Plus God sent us into the world
to call people out of darkness
into light with the hope of the
gospel.
The point is you reap what you sow.
And so if your heart's desire is to
truly live a life that honors God, a
life that shines so brightly that
others are drawn into the hope and
joy of the gospel, then you need to be
sowing to please the Spirit.
Spirit.
And the Spirit's desire is to make
much of Jesus.
So if you want to please Him, fill
your life with Jesus.
Fill your mind and your heart with
Jesus.
Soak in His Word.
Pray.
Spend time just hanging out with Him.
Avoid the things that you know will
lead you away from Him.
Walk out of the movie that you've paid
good money to watch if you can see
that that movie is sowing into you
things that are going to lead you away
from Jesus.
Stop doing that hobby if it's become
something that is sowing selfish
ambition or jealousy in you.
Gather with and invest in Spirit-filled,
interdependent relationships with
brothers and sisters in Christ.
Serve and allow yourself to be served.
Confess your sins and entrust yourself
to Jesus who died and rose again so
that you could be forgiven even as you
battle, even in your moments of doubt
and failure.
Walk with Jesus who has already won the
war.
We are in a battle.
So we need to know that there will be
conflict.
And yet we are secure.
There will not be condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus.
We are in a battle.
And that battle is not fought in our
hands and feet but deep within us, in our
hearts.
So we need to pray.
We need to depend on God and on the
power of His Spirit within us to shape
and mould us to win the battles,
to stand firm.
We are in a battle.
So we need to get ahead of the game.
We need to listen to the Spirit.
We need to share our lives with one
another, journey together, share
burdens and we need to sow for a future
harvest.
We need to take the things in that will
produce the fruit that we desire most.
Since we live by the Spirit, since we have
been given life by the Spirit, we have
been brought to life through the death and
resurrection of Jesus which gifted us the
Holy Spirit.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep
in step with it.