Tag: Hillsong Young and Free

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LAW / GRACE / FREEDOM :: Introduction

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR.
EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS WE’RE REVIEWING CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the fourth Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying the RHW 2022 Theme: God’s Law, Grace & Freedom.

“Without God’s law and grace there is no opportunity for recovery from any addiction and therefore no true freedom!”

As I shared in the RHW 2022 Preview I was contemplating the abounding lawlessness in our world when God pricked my heart with a reminder of the Ten Commandments. I then thought about how Jesus fulfilled that law and gave us the grace and freedom we believers can gratefully enjoy in our everyday lives. Immediately, I knew what I needed to focus on this year. And then this sentence came to me:

“Without God’s law and grace there is no opportunity for recovery from any addiction and therefore no true freedom!”

What To Expect

In the Law/Grace/Freedom study series we’re going to dive into all of these topics and how they relate to each other and to us as Christians. We will go through biblical history and look at the relationship humanity has had with them and what has resulted. I’m no theologian, just a simple woman seeking to obey God’s good and perfect will to the best of her ability. However, I believe, without any doubt, that God is leading me this year more than any year before. These core topics are critical to the body of Christ today.

Spirit Led Study

My traditional approach to writing an RHW study series is to prepare a solid outline far in advance and follow it for the entire year. This study will be very different. I have prepared a loose outline of what I want to learn myself in regards to these topics. Otherwise, it will be the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to how this study proceeds. Should be an exciting and very interesting study!

Contemplate how the Holy Spirit will guide us in this life-changing study as you enjoy this beautiful song by Hillsong Young & Free.

RESOURCES

Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives  by Alistair Begg

The Doctrine of Law & Grace Unfolded  by John Bunyan

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THE HOLY SPIRIT :: Fruit of Peace and Patience

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR THEMES FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR.
EACH OF THE FOUR POWER-PACKED THEMES ARE A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING TOUCHING INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC.
On the second  Friday of each month in 2021 we’re studying the Holy Spirit. We will learn who the Holy Spirit is, about His gifts and fruit given to us as believers and how to walk those out in our life each day. This is the seventh post in The Holy Spirit Study series.

While the gifts of the Holy Spirit are virtues, the fruit are the resulting moral actions that flow from those gifts. With the help of Holy Spirit we are able to daily walk in these fruit and display them to those around us. In today’s post we will focus on the fruit of peace and patience.

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless. ~ Galatians 5:22-23

God has given us the powerful fruit of the Spirit to help us live a life of victory and to protect us from our enemy, Satan. As born again believers we’re all filled with the Holy Spirit and have the ability to walk in His fruit of peace and patience. We also have the ability to squelch the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives with worldly behavior or lack of faith.

  • THE FRUIT OF PEACE: a state of quiet of tranquility, calmness and rest; freedom from strife or agitation; denotes perfect well-being, health, welfare, prosperity; harmony in all relationships: spiritual, familial, the world and among nations.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! ~ Isaiah 26:3

True peace isn’t the absence of problems but rather the presence of God. It’s our job to stay closely connected to God in His Word, in prayer and fellowship so we will remain in the perfect peace that is promised to us.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. ~ Colossians 3:15

Jesus, The Prince of Peace, came to bring the world peace with God but also peace with themselves and others. Jesus promised us His gift of peace, not a worldly type of peace. He told His disciples the Father would be sending the Holy Spirit to reveal all truth. Then just before Jesus ascended to heaven He breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit.

Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope! ~ Romans 15:13

 

  • THE FRUIT OF PATIENCE:  an attitude of cheerful endurance during tests, hopeful forbearance, long-suffering; the emotional and mental strength to face difficulties with courage; the quality that doesn’t surrender to circumstance or under trial.

While all the fruit of the Holy Spirit are available to us when we’re born again, they’re mostly in a seed form and haven’t had time to develop. They need to be nurtured and mature with God’s Word and by exercising them in practical application in our daily lives. That’s where the real learning and growth begins.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. ~ James 1:2-4

The fruit of patience gives you the strength to overcome temptation… enables you to wait faithfully without giving up. It helps you remain steadfast in faith, believing God for the impossible no matter what. Patience is often the key to our prayers becoming reality and the supernatural manifestation of miracles.

Stand firm with patient endurance and you will find your souls’ deliverance. ~ Luke 21:19

These fruit of the Holy Spirit: peace and patience go together in such a perfect way. If we our impatient we’re likely not walking in peace. When we’re not walking in peace we can easily succumb to impatience.

Let’s lean into a closer fellowship with God and His Word. Holy Spirit will lovingly guide us into a deeper dimension and experience of these fruit. As we do, our lives will become a rich walking testimony of God’s goodness for others to witness. And we will have the goodness of God fulfilled in our own lives.

Be blessed by this beautiful video by Hillsong Young & Free.

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THE HOLY SPIRIT :: FRUIT – LOVE AND JOY

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR THEMES FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR.
EACH OF THE FOUR POWER-PACKED THEMES ARE A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING TOUCHING INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC.
On the second  Friday of each month in 2021 we’re studying the Holy Spirit. We will learn who the Holy Spirit is, about His gifts and fruit given to us as believers and how to walk those out in our life each day. This is the fourth post in The Holy Spirit Study series.

While the gifts of Holy Spirit are virtues, the fruit are the resulting moral actions that flow from those gifts. With the help of Holy Spirit we are able to walk in these fruit during our daily lives and display them to those around us. In today’s post we will focus on the fruit of love and joy.

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. ~ Galatians 5:22

LOVE is key. Without it nothing we do matters.

But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all—love]. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:31 

Love heads up the list of all the fruit of the Spirit. It is not only the foundation, but holds all the other fruit together. Love is the greatest manifestation of God’s Presence in our lives. If we are not having regular personal contact with God in His Word, prayer and worship, this fruit will be missing in the action of our life.  Without love our faith doesn’t mean anything.

CONFESS LOVE OVER YOUR LIFE TODAY (from 1 Corinthians 13)

“I am patient and kind. I am not envious or boastful, rude or haughty. I’m not self-seeking. I don’t insist on my own way. I’m not touchy or fretful. I never fail because God’s love is in me!”

JOY in abundance overflows from His Presence!

With triumphant joy you will drink deeply
from the wells of salvation. ~ Isaiah 12:3

God puts His joy in us when we’re born again. Unlike the temporary happiness the world has to offer, joy isn’t dependent on outward circumstances. Rather it’s a powerful force that resides in us and overflows in abundance as we continue in personal contact with God by His Word, worship and prayer. The more fellowship we have with Him, the more joy will flow in our life.

CONFESS JOY OVER YOUR LIFE TODAY (from 2 Corinthians 2:14)

“I’m not moved by my circumstance or what I see. I am only moved by God’s Word and He always brings me to victory. I choose praise and thanksgiving. I choose joy today!”

Stay in close personal contact with God each day to walk in the abundance of the fruit of love and joy in your life. Be intentional to spend time with God in His Word and participate in some form of worship and prayer time. When we do we will find our levels of love and joy will increase exponentially.

Today we have two videos to top off our post! These songs will get the love and joy fruit of the Spirit energies flowing in your life. Turn it up for: Real Love by Hillsong Young and Free and Joy by For King and Country.

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ACCEPTING

In The Serenity Prayer column each month we’re studying this well-known prayer phrase by phrase and applying it to our life today. These columns will be published the first Friday of each month in 2019.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.

 

Hardships are simply a part of life. We can’t avoid them but many of us have found a way to numb ourselves through them. This pretty much defeats the learning purpose they can provide for us.

Some people don’t believe that God uses hardships.  All through the Bible God allowed trials to help people grow. Whatever the end result, God uses difficult situations for our good and for His glory.

Does this mean that God causes bad things to happen? No. Satan, who rules the kingdom of earth, is allowed to bring difficult situations in our life, but only after permission is given by God, the Father. The biblical story of Job is evidence of this. At the end of his life God blessed Job with 10 times more than what he lost.

Whatever the source of our hardship, it’s up to us to accept them. Accepting a hardship isn’t an easy task. The are many emotions involved when we’re struggling through a situation. If we look to Paul and see how he handled his “thorn in the flesh” we can be encouraged.

 “Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations… At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” ~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (MSG)

God cares more about our character than our comfort. He wants us to be molded into the image of Jesus Christ, no matter what it takes. The more stubborn and willful we are, the more prideful and self-pitying we are, the longer it may take. How many times must we go around the same mountain?

Submission to the circumstances can bring about peace. Just like the earlier portion of The Serenity Prayer states, we must come to a place of accepting the things we cannot change. Not accepting them doesn’t change them, but it can and will change us into a miserable person to live with.

Peace is a promise of Christ. Let’s be determined not to let life trouble our hearts and turn us into miserable people. When we look to Jesus in times of struggle and heartache He will give us the peace that passes all understanding!

Center your heart with this lovely song by Hillsong Young and Free.