Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Four Metaphors - City Builder; Fire Lighter; Wall Whitewasher; Well Digger

City Building -

- The Spirits Work: Desert experiences

- New Passion:"What can I give?"

Fire Lighting -

- Bible is a rule book, collection of principles to follow, need is to be right

- Spirits Work: Takes us through Dark Places

- New Passion: "Trusting in Christ completely" not in our theory or technique

Their commitment to safety restricts the freedom that connecting requires.

Ezekiel 13:10 “This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, ‘All is peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash! 11 Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down. 12 And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, ‘What happened to your whitewash?’

- Two-part question: Am I safe? What can I do to guarantee my safety?

- They connect falsely to -

- Hate uncertainty more than they trust God.

Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

- The need for safety at all costs is an urge to be killed.

Question/Focus:

Spirits Work: Introducing difficulties that cannot be protected against but God works through.

New Question: "Am I in good enough hands to actively move into life?"

2 Samuel 22:2 He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.He is my shield, the power that saves me,and my place of safety.He is my refuge, my savior,the one who saves me from violence.

Well diggers insist on feeling good, now and on their terms.

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have done two evil things:They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water.And they have dug for themselves cracked cisternsthat can hold no water at all!

Well digging highlights our urge for immediate satisfaction

The urge to feel now what we will only be sustained in heaven dominates us;

- We assume responsibility

We don’t like being at the mercy of an unpredictable God.

- Then God’s Spirit goes to work

- Question/Focus:

- Spirits Work: Exposing the damage to others that selfishness has caused

- New Question: "How can I bless?"

- Urges that corrupt our efforts to lovemust be crucified/Killed.

- They die in the midst of trials

Galatians 5:22-26 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. 23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. 25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.