Mission Hills Church
The difference between religion and relationship, when we’re talking about God, is what we’re following. If we’re following the rules, that’s religion, but if we’re following Jesus, that’s relationship. Following Jesus is about learning to rest in the grace of God’s love and respond to the life flowing from his Spirit. Join us for a faith-changing series about what it really means to follow Jesus from what many have called the most important chapter in the entire Bible – Romans 8.
Following Jesus isn’t about rowing hard, it’s about raising sails to catch the fresh wind of God’s Spirit.
"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;" (Romans 8:5a)
Paul is using “the flesh” as a metaphor for sin.
What we listen to determines what we long for.
What voices am I listening to on a regular basis and what longings are they cultivating in me?
"...but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." (Romans 8:5b)
Romans 8:6 NIV
We’re led by our longings.
Romans 8:7-8 NIV
Sin, by its very nature, leads us away from a God we instinctively know we can only relate to by bowing to.
Romans 8:9 NIV
: Everyone who belongs to Jesus has his Spirit.
Romans 8:10 NIV
Romans 8:11 NIV
The more we listen to the Spirit, the more we can experience the life that’s coming…now.
The first key to listening to the Spirit is learning to recognize his voice.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
What will I do to get more familiar with the voice of the Spirit in the Bible this year?
Four things you can do:
1. Read it: find a reading plan and follow it.
2. Learn from it: listen to gifted Bible teachers.
3. Discuss it: join a Bible-driven small group.
4. Apply it: do what it says.
Reflection Questions:
1. What is the loudest voice I’m listening to? (besides God)
2. What longings is it cultivating in me?
3. Where are those longings leading me?