Love God First

We have one last topic to learn about before we wrap up our summer series, and that is as followers of Jesus, we need to know how to deal with the devil. And yes, there is one.
This episode is a bit different: it is a 3-part message preached several years ago from Dr. Steve Schell. It teaches us how to apply the principles from Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. This first episode explains what happened at the Jordan River when Jesus was baptized, but it lays an important foundation for us to learn how to overcome strong temptation in the next two episodes. 
 
 

We have one more episode dealing with the intricacies of following where God leads us when we minister to other people. How do we know we are truly on the right track? Is there any way to tell? Yes, there is! This episode deals with some practical tips for walking in faith while ministering to other people. Remember, if we follow where God leads us to minister, there will be much more abundant fruit because God Himself has prepared the hearts of those He directs us to. 

In this second of three episodes on being led by the Spirit, we get more practical and start looking at the lessons we can learn from Ananias. Ananias models how effective a disciple can be when a person listens and obey Jesus! 
 
 
Keywords
walking in the spirit, ministering to others, Holy Spirit, effective ministry, Love God First, spiritual empowerment, Jesus' ministry, Christian faith, discipleship, kingdom of God
 
 

In this first episode of a three-part segment on Love God First, we explore the concept of walking in the spirit and how it empowers believers to minister powerfully to others by using Ananias as our biblical example. We have been talking about personal spiritual growth between us and God in the past few episodes, but now our focus has shifted outward to those we can serve and love. We have a call to extend Jesus' ministry throughout the world, and what better way to do that than to be led by the Holy Spirit to do it! 
 

As we continue talking about Walking in the Spirit on our summer series, we take an episode to discuss the process of receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit. We explain the necessity of actively seeking the baptism, going to the Lord to overcome personal barriers, and preparing one's heart to receive this gift. There is a dual role of divine and human participation in the process, so the episode encourages listeners to persist in the seeking to receive all God has for them. 
Please click on this LINK to receive a free book about the baptism with the Holy Spirit by Dr. Steve Schell.
 

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not meant to be a theological truth we affirm but never experience. God intended it to be a very real encounter with His power, and He intended it to be a gift to believers. If you have questions about what the baptism with the Holy Spirit is or wonder why it even matters, this episode will help you! 
 
Scripture references:
The Father's promise: Ezekiel 36:27, Joel 2:28-29
Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit: Luke 3:21-22, Mark 1:9-12, Matt 3:13-16
Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit: Matt 3:11, John 1:33
 
The baptism with the Holy Spirit...
• glorifies and reveals Jesus as never before (John 14:21-23, 15:26, 16:13-15)
• gives believers power to continue Jesus' ministry (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8)
• gives believers a deeper passion to save unbelievers (Acts 2)
• gives believers a new power in and desire for prayer and worship (Acts 2, 3, 4:23-31)
• gives believers a deeper love for and richer insight into the Word of God (John 6:3)
• gives believers manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:4-11)
• gives believers a deeper love for one another (Acts 2:42-46)
(From Foundations of Pentecostal Theology by Guy P Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave)
 

We are ending our three-episode talk about worship with a story and some practical tips for those who want to mature in their worship life. The biggest takeaway I have for you is to remember that God moves in us when we step out of our comfort zone. That is true as we walk out our lives in faith, and it is true in worship as well! 

In this part two of a three-episode talk on worship, we ponder the significance of being filled with the Holy Spirit through worship. We talk about what worshiping in spirit and truth really means, and then we go to the Old Testament and consider what we can learn from King David since he was such a model worshiper for us all. 

We are continuing the topic of Walking in the Spirit, and for the next three episodes, we  discuss the significance of being filled with the Holy Spirit through worship. The key is to develop our worship life to that point that our awareness of God's presence is restored continually. If you want to learn how to mature in your worship life, this episode (and the two following) are for you!
 
Book Citation: C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity. Harper One Publishers, 2001, pp.175-176.

In this part-two episode, we continue to explore the theme of our summer series, Walking in the Spirit, by emphasizing the importance of setting our minds on the Spirit instead of on our flesh. In this episode we get practical and share two methods to redirect our minds back onto Jesus when we are tempted, or even when we are stressed, angry, worried or sad.