Welcome to the Harvest Chapel PA podcast. We're so glad you've joined us. Each week you'll hear powerful messages, testimonies, and conversations designed to help you grow in your faith and encounter Jesus in a fresh way. Let's dive into today's episode.
Good morning, family. I'm so glad to be up here this morning, able to just spend time together in His Word. Don't we love that? Isn't that why we come together?
We love studying His Word. We should be, all of us should be little theologians, little Christ-like ones who are in our Word and know our Word. I think that's so important.
If you're new here this morning, welcome. I'm Pastor Anna. And if you know me, hi, good to see you.
It's been so fun the past few weeks having the series, right? Have we enjoyed the series? We've been just leading up one after the other.
And today I have the honor of speaking on a Spirit-led life. I think it's called Live Spirit-led. He came up with the title. I didn't come up with it.
They always give me the Spirit-led ones. I don't know why. I was asking the Lord. Well, the Lord knows why. And I kind of know why.
But whenever you're living it, it doesn't really feel anything spectacular. It's a normal way of living for me. And it should be a normal way of living for you as well.
But when I was praying about living Spirit-led, I felt like the Lord took me into like towards a different place that I wasn't really expecting to go.
So we're just going to go on this journey together. OK, everybody take your seatbelt and buckle up. Come on, I'm serious. Take it and buckle up.
OK, so let's just pray. We're going to get right into it.
So, Father God, we just thank you for your presence in this place. Jesus, you are so worthy. Jesus, you are so beautiful.
Jesus, we adore you. Jesus, we just come to your feet this morning and we just let it all out before you.
God, we just give you everything we have. We give you everything we are. We worship you this morning.
Jesus, open our hearts that we would know you more today, that we would all leave here today knowing you better, knowing your spirit better, knowing your heart better.
And so, God, we just ask your blessing on each person that is in this room that's within the sound of my voice that's online.
And God, we just thank you for each and every one. We ask you to bless them and teach them to live a spirit led life through your spirit.
In Jesus' mighty name. And all God's people said, Amen. Awesome.
Seriously, though, I can preach on other things other than being spirit led. I just want you to know that. But I'll do it anyway, OK? I'm just kidding.
So these past few weeks, we've talked through what it looks like to love God. Everybody say, love God. To love people, say, love people.
And to make disciples, say, make disciples. In case you forgot, those were the last three weeks.
But today, we're coming to the core of what sustains it all, which is living spirit led.
And I believe you cannot live spirit led if you do not live by faith. Everybody say, faith. We're going to dive into what faith is today.
Living. Oh, by the way, thanks a lot, Pastor Dave. He already preached most of my sermon, OK? Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. Faith. What can we say? I guess we're just spirit led.
Funny how he does that. Living spirit led isn't just about chasing spiritual gifts or your feelings, but it's about trust and surrender.
And it's about a faith that leans fully on God, just like a child who leans into their father's arms.
I want you to ask yourselves this morning, where have I been trying to control my life instead of trusting God?
So let's just take a moment. Let's just inwardly think about that for a second. If you're taking notes, write it out.
Where have I been trying to control my life instead of trusting him? Faith is the foundation of a spirit led life.
Hebrews 11, 6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
So we're going to talk about faith and scripture, OK? There are two words for faith in the Bible, and it's different in the Old Testament versus the New Testament.
The Old Testament word is a Hebrew word, so Old Testament, Hebrew word. The New Testament, the word for faith, is a Greek word.
And so the Old Testament word for faith, it's, everybody say, e-mu-na, e-mu-na. It's faith, it's trust, loyalty, and steadfastness.
So think about you're living on the seaside or you're visiting the seaside and there's a lighthouse.
And you see that lighthouse and you know that that lighthouse, most lighthouses have been around for hundreds of years.
So you see it, you know that it's there, you trust that it's there. You can, you can trust that that light is going to guide you home.
It's not going anywhere, it's not moving, it stood the test of time. Waves have not taken it out, it's there, OK?
So that's what the Old Testament word for faith is. It's that knowing that he is there, OK?
So the New Testament, the Greek word, is pistis. It's trust as a verb. It's reliance.
That's you, so this sense of faith is you not just knowing that that lighthouse is on the seashore, it's not just on the cliffs, like you know that it's there.
But this Greek word, the pistis word for faith, is you get in to that lighthouse and you experience the protection of it.
You're not just looking at it from afar off, you're getting inside of it, you're holding on and you're gearing up for what's to come.
Does that make sense? Even though both words are translated as faith in English, the Bible shows us that faith is both loyalty and active trust.
It's trust as a verb. It's the knowing, but it's also the doing. Amen?
So everybody look to your right and to your left.
Do you think your neighbor or yourself checked the bolts to your chair before you sat down this morning?
If you did, wow. But if you didn't, it proves my point of you just trusted in that chair.
You trusted that you were going to sit down without looking. I mean somebody could have pulled it out from behind you too, I'm just saying.
But you didn't have to think about that this morning, did you?
You just sat down and you trusted that the strength of that chair was going to hold you.
Amen? And did you fall down? No, you did not.
But you blindly sat down. You didn't look first, you just sat down.
That is faith. That is that word, pistis.
Faith is trusting God enough to sit down in His promises.
To sit with Him and dwell with Him and trust that all of His promises are what? Yes and amen.
Where in your life do you need to climb in and grab hold of that lighthouse?
Where do you need to trust that it's holding you right now?
Living spirit led means leaning your whole life on the Spirit of God.
It's not about control. It's about trusting God's character and His promises.
So you can't have faith without childlikeness.
I liken myself to, and not in like a mean way towards myself, but simple minded.
I don't like to overthink about things.
I've been in environments where the people around me are just overthinkers.
And their minds will just race and race and race and race and race.
And I'm like, you know what? I'd rather just feel the wind.
I'd rather just watch the leaves blow in the trees.
I'd rather not have to worry about things that I can't control.
And that's a choice.
Because I personally could have the ability to let worry, like most of us in this room, consume my life.
But I have to take every thought captive, submit that to the Spirit, give it to Him, and let it go.
You give it to Him and you let it go.
Sometimes people ask me, they say, how can I be led by the Spirit?
How do I just trust God?
And it's truly that place where if you have ever had to, raise your hand if you've ever had to forgive someone.
You know that feeling of forgiveness?
We've all received, obviously, the great gift of forgiveness.
But when we have to forgive someone, that's the choice.
It's not that that person undid what they did to hurt you.
That person didn't undo whatever it was that you needed to forgive them for.
But there was a choice that came into your spirit.
There was a choice that came into your person that you looked at them and you said,
I forgive you.
Just like Jesus looks at us and says, I forgive you.
But it's that feeling of just, you just let it go.
Some of us don't let it go, just saying.
We need to submit that a little bit more to the Lord, if you know what I mean.
But those who have truly forgiven know that feeling of just letting go.
And it's that same place with childlike faith and trust in the Lord,
with the worries that come to our minds.
We have to take those things captive.
We give it to the Lord and we release it.
And I want you to just think this morning, like I said just a moment ago,
about where in my life am I holding on to control?
And how can I give that over to the Spirit?
Because you will not be Spirit led in your daily walk
if you are holding on to things that aren't yours to carry.
Jesus said in Matthew 18 verse 3,
Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children,
you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Childlikeness is the posture of faith.
Children from healthy homes trust without any fear or anxiety.
They live expecting for their father to provide.
One of Uriah's favorite games right now is peek-a-boo.
He loves it. He initiates it.
When we were on our way home from vacation,
I had gotten in the back seat with him and he had his little blankie
and we were driving like eight hours home or something like that.
And I got in like halfway and I'm sitting back there with him
and he had just eaten his bottle. He's happy.
I'm like trying to get snuggled in because I'm like, I'm going to take a nap.
Matt's driving. I'm going to take a nap.
So I look over at him though and he has the little blankie over his head.
And then I was like, oh, Uriah, where'd you go?
And he pulled it down and he was like, he had this grin on his face
and I swear he was looking out of the corner of his eye because he was being cheeky.
And so I said, oh my gosh, he's initiating playing peek-a-boo with me.
This is fantastic.
I was like, Matt, you're not going to believe it.
And so I started recording him and everything, but he kept doing it.
He would put it over his head and then I'd say, where'd Uriah go?
And he'd pull it down and I'd say, peek-a-boo.
And he had the biggest grin on his face.
And so now at home, we'll be playing in our living room area
and all of a sudden he will get this.
You can see the thought literally enter this child's mind.
And he's fast now. He can't walk, but he is the fastest crawler I have ever seen.
And so he'll get that thought. It'll shoot into his little mind
and then he'll stop what he's doing and he'll run away or crawl away.
And he will go around the corner of our little island
and then I'll be like, Ria, Ria, where are you?
And he'll go, peek-a-boo.
And he's waiting for me to say peek-a-boo.
But that baby, he doesn't wonder if I'm going to be there when he peeks his head out.
And when it's my turn, because you better believe,
I'm chasing him around that island and I'm hiding and then I'm popping out.
And then he'll belly laugh, which is my favorite thing.
But that baby, he doesn't wonder if I'm going to pop out.
He doesn't wonder if when he pops out, if I'm going to be there.
He knows with a smile on his face with expectation
that his mother is going to be there waiting to laugh and smile and play together.
But God expects that same kind of expectation from us.
That's what it means to be childlike.
It's knowing without a shadow of a doubt.
And even though there's a moment of anticipation
where the Lord, He might not be completely visible in that moment.
But there is expectation that He is on the other side.
That He is right there waiting to surprise us
with whatever it is that we're believing for, that we're stepping out for, whatever it is.
But you have to position yourself like a child.
Do you want to inherit the kingdom of heaven?
I would hope all of us would have a yes in our heart.
And I don't mean whenever we pass, because we all will,
when we pass away one day and we meet Him face to face.
I don't mean that.
I mean right here, right now, inherit the kingdom of heaven.
All He asks of you is expectation, is belief, is childlike faith.
And you have that ability.
Even if you don't know what that feels like,
even if you've experienced a childhood that was not what I'm describing
as safety and anxiety-free and these different things,
even if you didn't experience that, He has the gift for you right now.
He's the Redeemer. He redeems all things.
And so this morning, He wants to redeem your childlikeness today.
Because if we don't revert to that childlike place,
then we won't have childlike faith.
And then we won't be able to step out when the Spirit leads us,
which then means we won't be able to live a Spirit-filled life.
Do you see what I'm saying?
It all is connected. You can't have one aspect without the other.
It's a whole picture.
And different Sundays, we get different views of the diamond.
You know how all of the married ladies who have diamonds in the room
or husbands who have given your wives diamonds,
there's different facets of it.
The light will shine through it in different ways, through different light.
And that's the way His Word is.
And that's what we're experiencing this morning.
Living Spirit-led looks like childlike trust and dependence.
It's saying to God, I don't know what's next, but I trust You.
Are You brave enough to pray that prayer?
I don't know what's next.
I don't know what it looks like.
But I say to You, Lord, I trust You with every fiber of my being.
Are You able to say that?
I won't say that You are able, because He empowers us to say those things.
But are You willing to say that?
Are You willing to relinquish control and give Him everything
and say, I trust You, God?
Faith expressed in trust and obedience.
Hebrews 11 is like the faith hall of fame, if you've ever read it.
So if you haven't read Hebrews 11, or it's been a while,
write that in your notes and go and read that later.
Abraham left home because he trusted God's voice.
Noah built the ark because he believed what God said.
Moses stepped into the Red Sea because he trusted God to make a way.
All of those examples are both faith-filled and spirit-led.
I've heard people say many times that faith is about risk.
Like, have you ever heard people say that?
They'll say, faith is spelled R-I-S-K.
And I don't fully disagree with that,
but I believe that faith is about trust.
It's about knowing who your Father is.
Because when you know that, then you're willing to take the risk.
When you know who He is, then you can know who you are.
And you truly know what you're capable of.
And you're capable of anything that He says that you are.
And it's more than you think.
Trust God is who He says He is.
It's about trusting His word is reliable.
Trusting the Spirit even when you can't see the full picture.
2 Corinthians 5, verse 7 reminds us,
for we walk by faith and not by sight.
We have to pray when the Spirit prompts us to pray,
trusting that it's God's voice.
We have to give when the Spirit leads, trusting in His provision.
We have to speak when the Spirit nudges,
trusting His wisdom more than your own comfort.
Faith isn't a feeling, but it's a knowing.
It's leaning fully on God like a child in their Father's arms.
I want to just expound on trusting His wisdom over your own comfort.
Just for a moment.
Do you know how many people say to me,
I could never do what you do?
I've done so many random things in my life.
Because the Lord has asked me to do it.
And I have no excuse other than that.
One thing that you have to know about me,
I don't like leaving my house.
I'm not kidding.
I don't like leaving.
I'm a hobbit of sorts.
I like the Lord of the Rings and Narnia and all of those things.
Matt and I bonded over...
Where did he go?
He's out with the baby somewhere.
Matt and I bonded over that early on in our marriage.
And in our dating.
And you know when you're young, you're like...
If you've seen the movies, you know what I'm talking about.
But there's these creatures called the hobbits.
And they're just like little people with big hairy feet.
And they don't like leaving their shire
where there's comfortable warm fires and food
and all of those nice comforts of hobbit life.
And then there's characters and they're called the elves.
And they're beautiful and majestic and angelic.
And when you watch the movies, you're like,
Oh, they're beautiful.
I'm totally an elf.
Totally.
That is 100%.
I totally relate to their adventure and all the things.
And Matt and I were having a conversation one day.
And I was like, yeah, I would totally be an elf
if I was in the Lord of the Rings.
And he was like, he looked at me and he was like,
Babe, you're a hobbit.
And I was like,
I was like, how could you?
How dare you?
And then as time went on, I was like, he's so right.
He knows me better than I know myself.
Because I love food.
I love my house.
And I love cozy things.
But if you know anything about, again, the Lord of the Rings
or the hobbit, that the hobbit Frodo and Bilbo,
they get, I don't know why I'm talking about this.
I'm sorry.
I hope it doesn't offend you.
But this is just my analogy.
It's relatable to me.
So hopefully it's relatable to you.
These little hobbit things that don't like to leave their
And that's how I envision myself with the Holy Spirit.
Because one day he just came to me and he beckoned me on a
grand adventure.
And he said, will you follow me?
Will you step out of your comfort?
Will you trust my voice over your own and go to unknown
places and unknown lands?
Unknown things.
And if there's one thing that I want you to get from this
morning, I'm talking about faith, I'm talking about
childlikeness, I'm talking about these different things.
But if there's one thing I need you to understand and to
know is that there's nothing greater that you can give the
Lord except your yes.
All he asks of you is a yes.
How do I hear from the Holy Spirit?
Say yes to when you think that it's him.
How do I know it's him?
Step out.
How do I know it's him that's asking me to pray for
that person in front of me?
Well, that ain't the devil.
So if it's not the devil and you yourself are certainly
not thinking to yourself, you know what I should do?
Pray for that person in front of me.
If you're anything like me, if that thought's coming to
my mind, woo-hoo, guess who it is?
Not me, Jesus.
Same thing for you.
And if you say yes once, then his voice will get louder.
Then when you say yes again, his voice will even
get louder.
And then all of a sudden, you can clearly differentiate
his voice between your voice.
Because people ask me that all the time.
How do I know that it's him and not me?
Just weigh the question.
Weigh what it's saying.
You'll know the difference.
And if you don't know the difference, just step out.
And like I said, that faith is the currency of
heaven.
It's like putting a deposit into the ATM of heaven.
And he's like, oop, that stock just went up.
Because I can trust that when I, this is the Holy
Spirit, when the Holy Spirit, he's saying when I
can trust that they're going to step out in what
I say, then I'm going to add a little more and
add a little more and add a little more.
And that's how you grow in hearing the voice of
the Spirit.
Because when you do step out in faith, there's no
room for the enemy to get in there.
Matt and I don't joke every Sunday when either
one of us is up here.
We all always get nervous before we get up here.
But once you step over that chicken line of
faith and you just do it, come on, we got to
take it back from Nike.
Seriously.
Just do it is a heavenly term.
You have to look at his word.
You have to say yes to it.
And then you have to come on church.
Come on one more time.
Just do it.
We can trust that he's reliable.
Where is an area of your life that God is
asking you to be obedient in and you've
been ignoring his voice?
Think of it right now.
I'm sure we all have an example of something in
our lives, in our hearts, in our spirits mind
that we know what he's asking us to do.
But we're looking at the sometimes when the
Lord is asking us to do something, it comes
through another person.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will speak to us
about something and we'll say that had to
just be me.
And then somebody in front of you asks
something of you that confirms what the
Holy Spirit was already speaking to you.
And then you know what you do?
Because I've done it.
You look at that person square in the eye
and you say, I'll pray about it.
Hear me church, there is nothing wrong with
taking something that's before you to the
Father and praying about it to get
confirmation and assurance.
But sometimes we waste our whole lives praying
about it and we never do it.
Sometimes we know that we're the one who's
called to, I'm not using these as examples
because these are actual needs in our church.
But it's not just our church, it's the
body of Christ.
I'm talking to the body of Christ this
morning, not just the congregation of
service chapel.
But if you know that the Holy Spirit has
put an anointing on your life to serve
children and to teach children and to
train them up in the way that they should
go and you're saying that you'll pray
about it when it comes to actually
volunteering, I think you're in
disobedience.
If the Lord has asked you, because
you're the shyest person in this room,
but you know that the Lord has asked you
to greet people and smile at them and
give them bulletins on the way in.
But you're looking at the person who
says that they need help, that you're
going to pray about it, I believe that
you're in disobedience.
I could go on example after example,
insert thing here that you feel called
to.
But we have people that are sitting
on their, we have people, yes thank
you Missy.
Missy gave me the kind word
seats.
We have people who are sitting on their
seats praying about it and not on their
knees praying about it.
There's a difference.
Because one positions yourself in a
place of servant hood and the other
positions you in a place of being
served.
And this morning's message is not
about servant hood.
But if, again, if you have one, you
need it all.
If you want to be spirit led, you have
to step out in faith.
If you want to be spirit led, you have
to step out and serve.
We are Christians people.
We are little Christ-like ones.
And I don't see Jesus sitting on his
seat.
Thank you.
I see him on the ground serving.
I see him on the ground lifting
people's faces and walking out in
circles.
And you know what?
Jesus is the greatest example of
spirit-filled living that you will
ever see.
Because you know what his word says.
His word says.
To his disciples, I do what I see
my father doing.
But we as little Christ-like ones
are sitting on our seat and we're
saying to ourselves, I wonder what
God wants.
I wonder what God's will is for my
life.
I wonder what he wants me to do.
I wonder how to be spirit led.
If you are spending time with him,
he's beckoning to us day after day,
week after week.
He wants to spend time with you.
Not just, we, sometimes when we're
young in our faith, or even if we
get, we're long in our faith and
we're just in a dry season or
whatever it might be, sometimes we
go and spend time with the Lord to
get the next assignment.
To get the next mission statement.
But Jesus, all he wants is to be
present with you.
All he wants is for you to be
present with him.
We have everything in our lives
against us from spending time with
the Father.
We have responsibilities and jobs
and children and hobbies and our
little pocket idols.
We have all of these things,
stealing time away with the one who
gave us time in the first place.
He gave us life, he gave us breath
in our lungs, he gave us
everything and we try to pencil him
in.
And we wonder why we don't know what
his will is for our lives.
We wonder why we don't know what to
do next.
But if you would just come away with
him, like Jesus got away with him,
he went off into the wilderness to be
alone with the Father.
He went away to secret places to be
alone with the Father.
But where is your secret place?
The secret place is in here.
And we can tap into it anytime we
want, but there's something about
physically separating yourself from
the noise of this world.
To be with him, to know what he's
saying, to listen to him.
Ask yourselves, where is he asking
you to obey?
And where are you operating in
disobedience?
The Spirit bears witness with our
faith.
Romans chapter 8, verses 14 and 16
says, for as many are led by the
Spirit of God, these are sons of
God.
The Spirit himself bears witness
with our spirit that we are
children of God.
The Spirit doesn't just guide us.
He confirms we belong to the
Father.
We are not orphans trying to
figure it out.
We are sons and daughters being
led.
You might be sitting in your seat
today and saying to yourself, man, I
have this to do before I can be led
or that to do before I can be led or
whatever.
If you consider yourself a son or a
daughter of the most high, then you
are being led by him.
You have the ability to be led by
him.
And it can start this moment.
But we have to cast off our cares.
We have to cast off our anxieties
because he cares for us.
And so we have to cast those
things onto him because they were
never ours to carry in the first
place.
And they're only hindrances for
you being who you were called to be
in Christ.
Living spirit led means living
from identity.
I am a child of God and I trust my
Father's voice.
We can all say that in this room
today.
John 10 27 says, my sheep hear my
voice and I know them and they
follow me.
For all of you who don't think you
hear the voice of God, let's just
place our hands on our hearts right
now.
Right now.
We're just going to do it right
now.
Close your eyes.
And say, I am God's child.
I am God's child.
When the enemy comes, church,
and he will, he will come, I
would love to stand up here and
tell you that the enemy is not
going to come as a wolf in sheep's
clothing and speak to you and try
to sway you this way and that way
because he will.
My husband and I would not be good
shepherds if we told you
otherwise.
The enemy will come.
But you know what you say when
the enemy comes?
You say, I am God's child.
You look him square in the face
and you say, I am God's child.
Amen.
Because when you speak louder than
the enemy's voice, there's power
because of who you are in Christ.
But there's only power if you
know his word.
We come up with these sayings in
Christianese and we declare them
out.
And there's, again, there's
nothing wrong with that.
With saying good things over
yourself and declaring and
declarations.
But if you're not declaring his
word, you might as well just
dump it down the toilet and hit
flush.
That's another thing Uriah loves
to do right now.
He's discovered the handle.
He likes to flush.
But you might as well flush it
if it's not scripture.
You might as well flush it if
it's not fueled by the very
word of God, by the very
name of God.
So how do we acquire faith?
Romans 10, 17 says, so then,
faith comes by hearing.
And hearing by the word of
God.
So when we look at that word,
word of God, in Romans 10,
17, we have, there's two
types for the word word.
I know that's confusing.
But there's logos, which means
word.
It's the written word of God.
Everybody say logos.
It's the written word of God.
It's the Bible.
Okay?
So rama.
Everybody say rama.
That is the spoken word of
God.
It's alive and personal to you
in the moment.
Reading scripture is like
stacking wood in a fireplace.
The spirit breathes on that
wood.
He takes that wood, the
logos, which is the written
word.
He strikes it with fire and it
becomes burning and alive.
And that is rama.
It's the warmth and light for
your life.
You've heard Pastor Matt say
before that he has like 30-ish
Bibles.
And he and I both have such a
love for the word.
And you might be like, what's
he doing with 30 Bibles?
I'm asking the same question,
really.
Taking up space on my book
shelf, that's what it's
doing.
I'm just kidding.
I love them all to you.
And what's mine is his and
his is mine.
But I don't know about you,
but with your physical
Bible, all I have to do is
hold it.
I've spent time in this
thing.
This thing, this was a, I
didn't get a car for my 16th
birthday.
I got a Bible and you're
looking at her.
I've spent time in this
thing since I was 16 years
old.
And so when I see this
laying around my house, when
I pick it up, when I read
it, when I just hold it,
there's a comfort.
It's like a quenching of
the thirst for your soul.
It's the quenching of the
thirst for your spirit.
There is so much life in the
logos, but there is so much
more life in the spoken,
the rama word of God.
Read scripture day in and
day out.
If you guys remember my
testimony, I think I spoke
it last year.
Last year?
I don't remember.
I think it was last year.
Yeah, 2024, because I went
through the whole Bible in
the month of January in
2024, and it healed me mind,
body, and spirit.
It healed me from the
inside out.
And that next month we got
pregnant with Uriah.
That's in short my
testimony.
But the word, it's sharper
than any two-edged sword.
It goes between bone and
marrow.
If you want to be led by
the spirit, know what the
word says.
Because then anything that
you hear from the spirit,
you can back it up with
scripture.
You know, oh, I know that's
the spirit because I know
that's what the word says.
When we're not in our word
and we listen to the
spirit, my friends, that's
where we can get drawn
astray, when we don't know
the word.
Because we need to be weighing
everything we hear.
When you leave today, you
need to weigh what I am
saying to you through
scripture.
Don't take my word for it.
You have to weigh it out in
scripture in your own time,
in your own study, in your
own secret place.
We're here to lead you to
water, but we can't make
you drink.
You have to do that on
your own, on your own time.
Because we're not going to
be standing with you on
judgment day, holding your
hand.
We'd love to.
We love you.
We want the best for you.
But you are the one that
has to put the work in to
develop your secret place.
This is very practical this
morning, and I don't mean
to be hard or harsh or
anything like that.
I know that he has the best
for you, and I'm going to
fight for that.
There is so much that the
spirit wants to do through
your lives.
If you'll just lean in a
little closer, and you'll
take the time and you'll
do the work to be with him.
Faith grows where word and
spirit meet.
So I have a
commissioning for you.
I want you to, one,
devour the word daily.
I don't care how you do
that.
When I got through the
Bible in a month, I was
listening to it, nonstop.
I wasn't scrolling on my
phone.
I wasn't watching YouTube
videos.
I was just listening to it.
Was I always tuned in?
Can I quote you the whole
Bible like Pastor Don?
No.
I cannot.
I would love to, but I
can't.
But I was listening to it.
I was letting it permeate
my household.
I was letting it permeate
my inner voice and my
hearing.
And when I had the time,
I would sit and I would
read.
Not when I had the
time.
I made the time to sit
and to actually read it.
But I listened to it more
than I actually even just
read it.
And like I said, there
was power in that rama.
If you are wondering how
he is leading you, what
he is saying, what to
do, where to go, who
to speak to, listen to
the word.
Get it in you.
Know what it says.
So one, devour the
word daily.
Two, listen for the
spirit to breathe life
in it.
When I was listening to
it, I would just, like
I said, I would just
kind of tune out to
like, to an extent, but
again, I'm listening to
it.
So there's times,
probably even whenever
you're here week after
week, there's times that
you're in focus and then
you're out of focus.
Then you're like, oh,
let's come back.
Got to focus.
What's she talking
about?
When you're listening to
the scripture, there will
be things that the
spirit will breathe on
that you'll say, oh, I
got to pause that and
rewind it.
I got to listen to that
again.
Or oh, I'm going to
open my word and I'm
going to read that.
There's something on
that.
I have to focus on that.
The Lord is doing
something on that.
Follow those unctions.
Follow those just knowings.
Okay?
Listen for the spirit
to breathe life into it.
Imagine each verse as a
small piece of wood and
God lighting it on fire
in your heart.
So ask yourselves, when
has the spirit brought
a verse alive to guide
me this past week?
And going into this
next week, look for
verses that the spirit
is guiding you in.
One thing I seek.
Psalm 27 verse 4 says,
one thing I have
desired of the Lord,
that will I seek,
that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord all the
days of my life,
to behold the beauty of
the Lord and to inquire
in his temple.
In this Psalm, David
points to the heart of a
spirit led life, seeking
God above all else.
Did you hear what I said?
The heart of the spirit
led life is seeking God
above all else.
Sometimes we can get caught
up in that phrase, being
spirit led.
And that means so many
things.
It can mean giving
somebody a prophetic word
in the grocery store.
It can mean being spirit
led and knowing that
somebody has a back issue
that the Lord wants you
to pray for them, for
them to be healed.
Those things are all
beautiful.
But what is the goal of
those things?
The goal of those
things is to not show
off in wise.
I was going to say
Kmart.
Kmart, I don't even
think Kmart exists
anymore.
Where did that come from?
I don't know.
But it's not about
showing off how good
you hear from God.
Or showing off that,
you know, you can pray
for somebody and because
you know who you are,
you're a daughter or
son of the king, that
healing comes through
you when you pray.
It's about leading that
person to God.
It's about you knowing
what God is saying
because you dwell with Him.
But if there's one thing
I want you to know
about seeking Him and
being with Him and
dwelling with Him, it's
that He will ask you
to do things you
don't want to do.
I don't want to talk
to that stranger.
I know.
I really, really, really
don't want to talk
to that stranger.
Please don't make me.
I know.
Follow me.
Be led by me.
I'll give you the
words to say.
And faith, that's
where that faith comes
in and you step out.
That's when you're
climbing up into that
lighthouse.
You're holding on
for dear life because
the waves are coming,
but you know that
He's got you.
You can do that.
Children focus on
one thing, their
Father's attention.
Spirit-led living
simplifies life to
one pursuit, and that's
Jesus.
Living Spirit-led gets
the attention of Heaven.
It gets the attention
of the Spirit of God.
It gets the attention
of Jesus.
And like I said earlier,
when you obey once,
all of Heaven,
they're looking.
And God says,
I'm going to do that
again because I can
trust them.
I can trust they're
going to do something
with what I'm saying.
This one thing I
want to tell you
with you, God.
When Matt
gets home from
work, Uriah
isn't looking
in his hand
to see if he
brought him anything.
He doesn't
turn away from
Matt when he
comes home
without a new
toy.
But Uriah
looks right
into Matt's face,
and he gets
the biggest
possible grin,
knowing his
is in that place.
He just wants
closeness.
And that is
Spirit-led living,
dwelling with him
and trusting him.
It's waking up
every day
and asking
the Holy Spirit,
Holy Spirit,
what are you
doing today?
God,
where are we going today?
Jesus,
what do you want me
to say?
Who do you want me
to talk to?
How can I
obey you today?
Don't get
caught up
in the whole
big picture
of your life.
What's my
grand calling?
The greatest
calling that
you will
ever
receive
and walk out,
which will
fuel everything
else that you do.
It's knowing
who you are
in Christ
as a daughter
or as a son.
And if you
can understand that,
everything flows
from that place.
Jesus lived
every moment
in step
with the Father,
fully led
by the Spirit of God.
He never
acted independently.
But He said
in John
5 verse 19,
the Son
can do
nothing
by Himself.
He can do
only what
He sees the Father
doing.
Jesus is who
we ultimately
look for,
look to,
for a Spirit-led life.
At His baptism,
the Spirit
descended
and remained
on Him.
That's in Luke
chapter 3
verse 21
and 22.
His life
flowed
directly from
the Father's heart,
proclaiming
good news
and binding
up the
broken-hearted
and bringing
freedom.
He was
not
self-appointed,
but He was
Spirit-anointed.
Jesus prayed
continually,
seeking the
Father's
direction,
and allowed
Himself
to be led even
into the
wilderness for
testing.
Every step
He took
revealed
His trust
that the
Father's
way was
better than
His own.
Do you believe
that this
morning?
Jesus
only spoke
what He
heard the
Father
say
and only
acted where
He saw
the
Father
at work.
He
was
surrendered to
God's
will,
especially
when it
meant
suffering
or
sacrifice.
Comfort
never
drove Him.
Obedience
to the
Father did.
Because
Jesus walked
in complete
alignment with
the
Father,
the Spirit's
power
flowed
unhindered
through
Him.
His
miracles,
His healings
and deliverances
were not
random
acts,
but they
were
signs of
the
Father's
kingdom
breaking
into this
world.
Jesus shows
us what
it looks
like to
truly live as
children of
God,
staying
close to
the
Father,
depending daily
on the
Spirit
and walking
in
obedience
and
practicing
humility
and
serving
others,
just as
He
only
did what
the
Father
was
doing.
We,
are
invited to
live in
that
same
rhythm of
dependence
and
surrender.
Everyone
say,
I can
do that.
If Jesus
only
did what
the
Father
was
doing,
what does
that
look
like in
my
life?
What does
that
look
like in
your
life?
Examine
yourself
this
week.
What does
Cheeky
cars,
with
your
grocery
lists,
at your
jobs.
What does it
look like
for
you?
Because there's a
calling for
you in
that
place.
Living
spirit led
equals
living
dependent.
Say,
I am
dependent
on the
Holy
Spirit.
To
love
God,
you
need
the
Spirit.
To
love
people,
you
need
the
Spirit.
To
make
disciples,
you
need
the
Spirit.
To
live
spirit
led,
you
need
faith.
And to
acquire
faith,
you need
the
word and
the
Spirit
together.
To
walk in
the
Spirit,
you
seek
Him above
all
else.
So I
ask you
this
morning,
are
you
willing
to
follow
Him this
way?
To
let the
Spirit
guide
your
steps
every
step of
the
way?
To
trust
Him
fully like
a
child
reaching
for
their
daddy's
embrace?
Where do
you need
to
surrender
control
and
step
out
in
faith?
And what's
one
thing
you
will
seek
above
all
else?
And I
hope
it's
Jesus.
So
Pastor
Dave
opened
us with
Proverbs
3
5,
and I'm
ending
with it.
But
Proverbs
chapter
3 verses
5 and
6
says,
can we
just say it
together if
it's on
the
screen,
trust in
the
Lord with
all your
heart,
and lean
not on
your
own
understanding.
In all
your
ways
acknowledge
Him,
and
He
shall
direct
your
paths.
Will you
stand with
me?
I know that this
was a
little
different
message on
being
spirit-led
this
morning,
but I
truly
believe you
need
faith.
I
truly
believe we
as a
body of
Christ
need
to
step
out
in
greater
faith
every
day.
So if
you are
in this
place
this
morning
and
you
just want
a
greater
level
of
hearing
the
Lord's
voice
and
being
led by
His
spirit,
I
also
believe that
the
Lord has
given me
just like
a
gift
of
faith.
Like
when
my
father
in
heaven
speaks,
I
trust
what
he's
saying.
And I
just want
to
pray
that
over
each and
every
one in
this room
today that
feels like
that's
just what
you
need.
Like if
you
just
feel like
man,
I
believe
the
word of
God,
I believe
what he
says,
I believe
what he's
done for
me,
but I
struggle
in
certain
areas,
believing,
just
having
full
faith,
overwhelming
supernatural
faith.
If you
need that
this morning,
will you
just
raise
your
hand?
Just
overwhelming
supernatural
faith,
just
trusting,
trusting in
what
he
you
are.
Thank
you for
what
you've
done.
Thank
you,
Jesus,
for
dying on
that
cross that
we
would
have
fellowship
with
the
King
of
Kings
and
that
you
could
leave us
with
your
spirit,
that
we
could
daily
be
led
by
him.
So,
Holy
Spirit,
across
this
room
right
now,
I
thank
you
for
this
supernatural
gift
of
faith.
For
believing
in
what
God
says
over
each
and every
person in
this
place this
morning,
that
there
would
be
no
more
doubt,
that
the
I
just
feel
like
there's
been
such
loud
voice
from
the
enemy,
and
that's
even
at
times
come
through
actual
peoples
just
speaking
things
over
you,
which
has
made
you
doubt,
which
is
your
supernatural
faith
into
each and
every
person within
the
sound of
my
voice
this
morning,
that
Holy
Spirit,
they
would
know,
there
would
be
no
more
guessing,
there
wouldn't
be
the
is
that
me or
is that
the
Lord?
No,
that
there
would
be
a
clarity
right
now
in
Jesus
name,
that
the
scales
would
be
taken
off
eyes
and
ears,
and
they
would
be
able
to
know
your
voice
as
your
word
says,
they
are
my
sheep
and
I
know
them
and
they
follow
me.
So
Holy
Spirit,
we
thank you for
that
right now
in
Jesus
mighty
name.
And in
this
place,
if I
could
just
have,
if you've
gone
through
the
altar
ministry,
class
with me,
could
my
altar
team
just
come
to
the
front right
now,
just to
be
available
for
those
who
might
need
healing
or just
need
deeper
prayer.
So as
they
come,
I want
you to
just
examine
your heart
right now.
If there's a
place in
your life
where you
say,
I still
need to
surrender
my life
to
Jesus,
then these
beautiful
people up
here would
love to
pray the
prayer of
salvation
with you.
If you
need a
healing in
your
body,
we
believe in
healing in
this
church,
and we
believe
in healing in
we're
just
going to
pray with
you,
pray
over you.
So,
we're just
going to
close in
prayer right
now.
My altar
team will
stay up
here if
you would
like to
have
prayer,
and then
we'll
be
released.
But,
we just
thank you
again for
each
person.
Bless them,
God.
Show them
your way,
not their
way.
Show them
the way
that is
narrow,
the way
that is
narrow,
that leads
straight to
you,
Father.
And so,
Holy
Spirit,
we just
ask you
bless each
one as
they go.
Bless them in
their
week.
I ask
Lord that
this
word would
be
sealed upon
their heart,
that they
would be
able to
step out
in spirit
ledness,
God,
where they
are out
and about and
they can
just
hear your
voice and
they know
what
they're supposed
to do or
with their
work or
whatever it
might be,
God.
We thank you that
you are
speaking to
them and
that you
love
them.
So we
bless them in
Jesus'
mighty
name.
And all
God's
people said,
amen.
Give
someone a
good smile
before
you go.
Bless you.
Have an amazing
week.
And if you
need prayer,
we are
here to
pray with
you.
Thanks for
listening to
the Harvest
Chapel PA podcast.
We hope this
message encouraged
you and drew
you closer to
Jesus.
To stay
connected,
visit us at
HarvestChapelPA.com
or follow us
on social
media at
HarvestChapelPA.
We can't
wait to be
with you again
next week.