WEBVTT

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 The New Testament vision for following Jesus is not just about belief with our minds.

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! It's about the transformation of our spirits.

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! And that's an ongoing spiritual transformation throughout our whole lives.

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! As the Spirit dwells in us, the Spirit also moves in us.

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 It's a dynamic image that Paul gives us.

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 One of being transformed and transformed and transformed.

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 Since we live by the Spirit, he says, therefore let us keep in step with the Spirit.

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 Very early on in Christian history, Paul was eager to point out the distinction between

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 simply paying lip service to Christianity and Christian belief, and being filled and transformed

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 by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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 There was a little girl, she was about six.

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 And she noticed two things that her dad seemed to do at mealtimes.

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 The first thing was he always insisted that grace was said before meals.

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 The prayer of thanksgiving be prayed.

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 The other thing she also noticed, to put it bluntly, he was quite foul-tempered with everybody else, with his family around the table.

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 The way he spoke to people, he was grumpy.

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 He was quite rude and aggressive at times in the way he spoke to everyone.

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 One day, this six-year-old said to her dad, Daddy, does God hear us when we pray?

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 He said very sternly, well, of course he does.

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 He said, Daddy, can I ask you another question?

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 Does God hear everything we say?

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 He said, well, of course he does.

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 He said, Daddy, which does he believe most?

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 Since we live by the Spirit, let's keep in step with the Spirit.

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 You see, it's one thing to talk of what we believe.

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 It's another thing for the Spirit to be at work in us and to transform us, which is totally the vision that we're given in the New Testament.

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 A number of years ago, you may remember, a book was written by somebody called Craig Gruchel, called The Christian Atheist.

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 The subtitle of that book says it all.

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 It's The Christian Atheist Believing in God, but Living as if He Didn't Exist.

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 There's a warning there to all of us to take a deep, hard, honest look at our lives.

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 If we seeked, if we talk about living by the Spirit, do we keep in step with the Spirit?

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 We believe in God, but do we live as though He does exist?

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 And more than that, do we know that transforming presence of the power of His Spirit in our lives?

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 You see, at its most extreme, and this is especially pertinent on Remembrance Sunday,

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 some of the most violent warmongers in history have claimed to be Christian,

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 or at least laid claim to a version of Christianity.

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 Hitler being one of them.

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 Paul draws a razor-sharp contrast in these words to Galatians,

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 a razor-sharp contrast between life in the flesh, as he calls it,

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 where we're driven by those broken human sinful desires,

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 and life in the Holy Spirit.

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 He gives a list of the sort of behaviours you might expect

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 if you're driven by your human brokenness.

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 But then he gives a powerful description of what he describes as the fruit of the Spirit.

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 And note that it is singular fruit, not plural fruits.

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 In other words, there is the expectation

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 that as the Holy Spirit is at work in us,

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 not just one or two of these fruits will grow,

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 but all of this as a single fruit,

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 with these nine different characteristics,

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 will grow.

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 Love will grow.

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 Joy will grow.

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 Peace will grow.

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 Patience will grow.

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 Kindness will grow.

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 Goodness will grow.

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 Faithfulness will grow.

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 Gentleness will grow.

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 And self-control will grow.

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 Not one or two at the exclusion of the others.

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 But we are to expect, as this transformation takes place,

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 for all of this to grow and flourish.

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 This list of dimensions of spiritual fruit,

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 remember it is just one fruit,

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 differs from elsewhere.

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 Paul talks in the New Testament about gifts of the Holy Spirit,

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 because when Paul talks about gifts of the Holy Spirit,

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 whether that be healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues,

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 whatever it may be,

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 it's not necessarily that every Christian will be given every single gift.

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 We are gifted in different ways.

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 That's how the body of Christ flourishes.

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 But not so when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit.

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 The expectation, the understanding is laid out very clearly by Paul,

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 that the fruit of the Spirit is expected in every Christian believer.

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 So as you seek the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life,

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 expect all of these things, all of them,

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 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

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 faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,

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 to grow in your life.

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 And you know, a really great way of engaging with that

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 is at the beginning each day to pray through that list,

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 to invite the Holy Spirit to move among you

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 and to pray intentionally for each of those things.

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 I recently heard it put this way,

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 and he said, if you want to put this in action,

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 if we're really serious about transformation

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 and the fruit of the Spirit growing,

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 let's aspire to be triple A Christians.

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 The three A stands for three things.

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 Okay, so acknowledgement, attention, and action.

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 What do they mean?

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 Well, acknowledgement means at the beginning of the day,

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 make it the very first thing you do

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 to try to push aside all the other things

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 that you might have on your mind

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 and focus on that one single truth

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 that you are a child of God,

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 that you are His.

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 Acknowledge that before anything else gets into your mind.

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 Remember, Scripture before screens.

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 Acknowledge who you are in Christ.

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 Remember Paul says here in verse 22,

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 those who belong to Christ.

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 In Christ you're given a new identity.

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 You're a child of God.

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 Know that.

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 You've probably heard me share this story before,

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 but I'm going to tell it again.

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 A story about a group of eggs that,

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 there were chickens' eggs and one eagle egg,

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 and they all hatched at the same time.

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 I don't know how the eagle egg got in among the others,

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 but it did.

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 And these birds,

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 these chickens and one eagle,

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 grew up together.

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 The eagle, being on his own,

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 just copied the chickens all day long,

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 clucked around,

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 looked rather silly

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 as they all grew bigger and bigger and bigger.

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 But that was the only thing he'd ever known,

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 to walk around on the floor all day,

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 clucking around like a chicken

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 and eating the food from the ground.

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 That was life for this eagle.

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 One day,

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 another adult eagle

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 flew above the place

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 where these birds were.

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 And they all looked up

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 and gasped in wonder

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 as they saw this eagle

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 with its wings stretched out wide

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 in full flight and majesty.

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 The eagle on the ground,

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 who didn't realise that he could fly,

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 stretched out his wings

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 and said to his chicken friends,

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 do you think I could?

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 And they laughed at him.

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 Don't be stupid, they said.

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 You're one of us.

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 We're born to be in this space,

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 to cluck around

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 and to eat our food each day.

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 And so tragically,

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 that majestic bird

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 never took off,

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 even though he had been born

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 to fly.

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 The sad, tragic reality

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 is that every time

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 somebody rejects Jesus

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 and everything he stands for,

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 they accept the life of the chicken,

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 not realising that every single one of us

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 has been given those wings

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 and that we are born to fly.

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 There's no exclusivity in this.

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 It's for everybody.

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 The gospel is for everybody.

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 And God has plans and purposes

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 for each and every one of us

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 that only you can fulfil

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 because only you are you.

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 and only you have been designed

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 and shaped and formed

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 and given the experiences

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 and taken through those experiences.

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 Only you can fulfil those plans

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 and purposes that God has for you.

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 And it's never too late.

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 Any age, any stage in life,

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 we can know this reality.

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 To be born to fly

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 most essentially means

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 you know who you are.

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 You acknowledge

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 you are a child of God.

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 Make it the first thing

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 you do each day.

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 If you want to grow,

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 if you want to see

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 the fruit of the Spirit grow,

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 begin by acknowledging it

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 at the start.

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 The second A

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 is attention.

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 Having acknowledged,

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 having acknowledged it,

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 stay attentive to it.

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 I say that as though it's easy

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 and it's not.

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 I realise that.

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 We get distracted

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 by all sorts of things

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 that come our way

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 during the course of the day.

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 But our call is

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 to practice the presence of God.

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 See your tasks

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 throughout the day

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 not just as tasks.

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 See them as ministry.

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 The ministry that God

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 has given you

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 that only you can fulfil

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 because only you are

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 in that particular place

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 at that particular time

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 in a way that nobody else

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 on this planet is.

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 Give your attention to it.

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 As Paul says in Thessalonians,

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 pray without ceasing.

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 So acknowledgement,

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 attention,

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 and the third one is action.

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 You know,

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 it's not that we should go around

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 all the time thinking

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 what should I avoid?

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 What should I not do?

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 Rather,

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 to keep in step

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 with the Spirit

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 is about asking the question

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 what aspect of fruit

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 of the Spirit

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 might grow now?

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 That positive action.

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 Not what do I not do,

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 but what do I do?

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 Holy Spirit,

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 I acknowledge that I'm

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 a child of God.

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 I give attention

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 to your presence,

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 so Lord,

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 lead me into action.

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 What are you putting

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 before me now?

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 And let's remember

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 that that list

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 that we refer to

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 as the fruit of the Spirit

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 is there as a vision

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 from God

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 for what we can become

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 in a life of freedom,

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 knowing our identity

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 in Him

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 and not something

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 that we just

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 follow out of

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 slavish morality.

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 There's one last story

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 and then we'll pray.

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 And it's about a woman

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 who got married.

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 Well, a man and a woman

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 that got married.

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 But the story is about

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 this particular lady

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 who was presented

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 with a list

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 from her new husband.

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 on one side

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 of this piece of paper

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 was a list

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 of all the things

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 that he promised

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 that he would do

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 and that he regarded

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 as what he would do

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 in the life

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 of that marriage

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 each day

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 or each week

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 or each year,

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 whatever it may be.

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 He said,

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 these are the things

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 that you can expect

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 from me

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 that I bring to the table,

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 the jobs that I will do,

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 the responsibilities

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 I will take.

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 And on the other side

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 of that piece of paper

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 was another list

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 and he said,

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 here is the list

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 of things

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 that I expect

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 from you.

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 Things that I expect

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 you to do.

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 He arranged

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 all sorts

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 of different

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 tasks,

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 duties

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 and expectations.

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 The woman

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 was quite puzzled

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 by the fact

00:13:58.059 --> 00:13:58.879
 that he presented

00:13:58.879 --> 00:13:59.359
 what seemed

00:13:59.359 --> 00:13:59.719
 almost like

00:13:59.719 --> 00:14:00.500
 a contract.

00:14:00.500 --> 00:14:04.059
 But she took

00:14:04.059 --> 00:14:04.600
 it seriously

00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:05.299
 and she tried

00:14:05.299 --> 00:14:05.659
 her best

00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:06.220
 each day

00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:07.779
 to look

00:14:07.779 --> 00:14:08.340
 at that list

00:14:08.340 --> 00:14:09.840
 and remind

00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:10.700
 herself of the

00:14:10.700 --> 00:14:11.100
 things

00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:12.559
 that her husband

00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:14.080
 wanted her,

00:14:15.139 --> 00:14:15.820
 expected her

00:14:15.820 --> 00:14:16.340
 to do

00:14:16.340 --> 00:14:17.820
 for him.

00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:21.740
 After a few

00:14:21.740 --> 00:14:22.399
 years,

00:14:24.539 --> 00:14:25.659
 forgive the bluntness

00:14:25.659 --> 00:14:26.379
 of this story,

00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:28.679
 her husband

00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:29.379
 became sick

00:14:29.379 --> 00:14:30.240
 and died.

00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:34.679
 After a period

00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:35.320
 of mourning,

00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:39.039
 this woman

00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:39.580
 eventually

00:14:39.580 --> 00:14:41.299
 met somebody

00:14:41.299 --> 00:14:41.679
 else,

00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:43.939
 fell in love

00:14:43.939 --> 00:14:46.100
 and got married.

00:14:49.539 --> 00:14:50.100
 Years

00:14:50.100 --> 00:14:50.620
 passed,

00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:51.080
 indeed

00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:51.919
 decades

00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:52.399
 passed

00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:52.799
 and this

00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:53.079
 woman

00:14:53.079 --> 00:14:54.019
 was blissfully

00:14:54.019 --> 00:14:54.439
 happy

00:14:54.439 --> 00:14:55.600
 in that

00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:56.519
 relationship.

00:14:59.419 --> 00:15:00.139
 One day

00:15:00.139 --> 00:15:00.539
 she was

00:15:00.539 --> 00:15:01.620
 going through

00:15:01.620 --> 00:15:03.360
 some things

00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:03.939
 in a drawer,

00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:05.500
 some old

00:15:05.500 --> 00:15:05.939
 papers,

00:15:06.059 --> 00:15:06.519
 having a bit

00:15:06.519 --> 00:15:06.980
 of a clear

00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:07.240
 out,

00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:09.579
 and she

00:15:09.579 --> 00:15:10.259
 saw an

00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:10.579
 envelope

00:15:10.579 --> 00:15:11.220
 which she

00:15:11.220 --> 00:15:12.740
 sort of

00:15:12.740 --> 00:15:13.000
 vaguely

00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:13.559
 recognised

00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:14.959
 but had

00:15:14.959 --> 00:15:15.360
 forgotten

00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:15.919
 all about.

00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:16.500
 She couldn't

00:15:16.500 --> 00:15:16.819
 remember

00:15:16.819 --> 00:15:17.220
 what was

00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:17.699
 inside.

00:15:17.879 --> 00:15:18.699
 She opened

00:15:18.699 --> 00:15:19.019
 it up

00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:19.559
 and pulled

00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:19.899
 out

00:15:19.899 --> 00:15:21.480
 the very

00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:21.899
 list.

00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:22.899
 That had

00:15:22.899 --> 00:15:23.240
 been given

00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:23.799
 to her

00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:24.500
 in her

00:15:24.500 --> 00:15:24.799
 first

00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:25.199
 marriage.

00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:29.620
 And as she

00:15:29.620 --> 00:15:30.220
 read back

00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:30.840
 once again

00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:31.399
 at the list

00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:32.279
 of expectations

00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:32.740
 that her

00:15:32.740 --> 00:15:33.279
 first husband

00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:33.639
 had had

00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:34.100
 of her,

00:15:34.899 --> 00:15:35.559
 the things

00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:35.939
 that he

00:15:35.939 --> 00:15:36.779
 expected her

00:15:36.779 --> 00:15:37.120
 to do

00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:37.699
 each day,

00:15:41.699 --> 00:15:44.139
 she came

00:15:44.139 --> 00:15:44.759
 to realise

00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:47.439
 that in

00:15:47.439 --> 00:15:47.840
 her new

00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:48.179
 marriage

00:15:48.179 --> 00:15:48.699
 of love

00:15:48.699 --> 00:15:50.519
 and being

00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:50.840
 loved,

00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:53.259
 she

00:15:53.259 --> 00:15:53.440
 actually

00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:53.620
 did

00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:54.060
 everything

00:15:54.060 --> 00:15:54.259
 on

00:15:54.259 --> 00:15:54.420
 that

00:15:54.420 --> 00:15:54.759
 list.

00:15:57.460 --> 00:15:58.019
 The thing

00:15:58.019 --> 00:15:58.280
 is it

00:15:58.280 --> 00:15:58.700
 wasn't a

00:15:58.700 --> 00:15:59.220
 list for

00:15:59.220 --> 00:15:59.460
 her.

00:16:01.340 --> 00:16:02.040
 It didn't

00:16:02.040 --> 00:16:02.460
 need to be

00:16:02.460 --> 00:16:03.019
 written down.

00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:05.820
 It wasn't

00:16:05.820 --> 00:16:06.300
 a code.

00:16:07.800 --> 00:16:08.360
 It wasn't

00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:08.800
 a set of

00:16:08.800 --> 00:16:09.100
 rules.

00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:11.480
 It was

00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:12.040
 simply what

00:16:12.040 --> 00:16:12.460
 you do

00:16:12.460 --> 00:16:14.560
 when you

00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:14.840
 love

00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:16.519
 and know

00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:16.820
 that you

00:16:16.820 --> 00:16:17.240
 are loved.

00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:17.299
 God,

00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:22.480
 since we

00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:23.100
 live by

00:16:23.100 --> 00:16:23.279
 the

00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:23.580
 Spirit,

00:16:25.060 --> 00:16:25.980
 let us

00:16:25.980 --> 00:16:26.500
 keep in

00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:26.840
 touch.

00:16:28.180 --> 00:16:28.560
 Let us

00:16:28.560 --> 00:16:28.960
 keep in

00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:29.399
 step

00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:31.060
 with the

00:16:31.060 --> 00:16:31.360
 Spirit.

00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:35.860
 Let's

00:16:35.860 --> 00:16:36.220
 acknowledge

00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:36.860
 each day

00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:38.600
 that we're

00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:39.060
 children of

00:16:39.060 --> 00:16:39.279
 God,

00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:40.799
 born of

00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:40.960
 His

00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:41.259
 Spirit.

00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:43.460
 Throughout

00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:44.560
 each day,

00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:45.060
 let's be

00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:45.459
 attentive

00:16:45.459 --> 00:16:47.619
 to that

00:16:47.619 --> 00:16:48.079
 reality.

00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:50.659
 And let's

00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:51.019
 be people

00:16:51.019 --> 00:16:51.539
 of action,

00:16:52.719 --> 00:16:54.339
 not because

00:16:54.339 --> 00:16:54.559
 we're

00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:54.919
 a slave

00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:55.319
 to a

00:16:55.319 --> 00:16:55.779
 list of

00:16:55.779 --> 00:16:56.559
 expectations

00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:57.279
 and demands,

00:16:58.579 --> 00:16:59.359
 but because

00:16:59.359 --> 00:16:59.739
 we know

00:16:59.739 --> 00:17:00.159
 who we are

00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:00.719
 in Christ,

00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:02.119
 filled with

00:17:02.119 --> 00:17:02.579
 His Spirit.

00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:04.519
 Let's pray

00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:04.899
 together.

00:17:04.900 --> 00:17:10.380
 Lord,

00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:11.120
 thank You

00:17:11.120 --> 00:17:11.860
 that You

00:17:11.860 --> 00:17:12.860
 create us

00:17:12.860 --> 00:17:13.259
 to be

00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:13.460
 Your

00:17:13.460 --> 00:17:13.940
 children,

00:17:15.259 --> 00:17:19.200
 to love

00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:19.640
 You and

00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:19.960
 to know

00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:20.240
 that we

00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:20.560
 are loved

00:17:20.560 --> 00:17:21.120
 by You.

00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:25.940
 So fill us

00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:26.259
 with Your

00:17:26.259 --> 00:17:28.240
 Spirit and

00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:29.380
 transform us

00:17:29.380 --> 00:17:29.940
 by Your

00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:30.320
 Spirit,

00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:33.799
 that the

00:17:33.799 --> 00:17:34.299
 fruit of

00:17:34.299 --> 00:17:34.480
 Your

00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:35.079
 Spirit would

00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:35.740
 grow in

00:17:35.740 --> 00:17:36.500
 our lives

00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:38.139
 each day,

00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:40.179
 each week,

00:17:40.299 --> 00:17:40.839
 each month,

00:17:40.939 --> 00:17:41.500
 each year.

00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:45.319
 Transform

00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:46.559
 our lives

00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:47.700
 and shape

00:17:47.700 --> 00:17:48.220
 us into

00:17:48.220 --> 00:17:48.819
 the people

00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:49.899
 that You

00:17:49.899 --> 00:17:50.500
 long for

00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:51.139
 us to be.

00:17:53.619 --> 00:17:54.460
 We may

00:17:54.460 --> 00:17:55.000
 know that

00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:56.240
 we are

00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:57.960
 born to

00:17:57.960 --> 00:17:58.299
 fly.

00:17:58.299 --> 00:18:01.619
 Amen.