Multiply

I have often said that one of the roles of a leader is to “instruct and inspire.”  As leaders instruct, we share facts and knowledge.  When we inspire, we are dealing with the emotional side of life. 

This reminds me of Philippians 4:7 where Paul wrote “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  You see, our God understands us because He made us!  The Holy Spirit deals with both our emotions and our intellect.

One of the most challenging commands of Scripture is first mentioned in the Old Testament and is repeated in the New Testament: The Lord says, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” 

 

But can we really be holy?

How does the fruit of the Spirit reproduce? For me, the answer is simple! As we seek the Lord, worship Him and feast upon His Word, this fruit will be a part of our lives. The Fruit of the Spirit reproduced is not of us.

Firstly, we are commanded to “accept one another.”  What does this mean, and what does it not mean?  To gain some insight, consider the two preceding verses (5-6).  ^“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I believe that what Paul is saying here is that accepting one another produces a spirit of unity in the body of Christ

So many of the children of God struggle to share the Good News of Christ.  But Jesus has promised us power so we can be his witnesses. The book of Acts shows that God gives such power after we spend time in prayer.  So how should we pray if we want to be empowered witness for Christ?

There is such a powerful promise as we look to understand the role of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that we would need all that is mentioned in John 14:16. There is no church planter, pastor or minister that will be able to do anything on their own. We need the Holy Spirit, and it is vital that we learn to depend on Him. He is our comforter and many times we think of the comforter comes when we have a death in our family or church. This is true and yet how about when we have had a really hard day. Church planting is not easy, and it can feel very lonely at times. 
We need comfort from God’s word promising we are not alone, and that God can do all things.

“My word of encouragement for first generation church planters is this: You can coach with confidence. Don’t do for second-generation church planters they work they themselves should do. Use open questions to help your disciples make wise church planting plans. Then pray for them saying, “Lord help them to do what you have put in their hearts to do.”

Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or
obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” (Romans 14:13)
Firstly, I want to say that one of the responsibilities of a leader is to make assessments of people and situations. Leaders
do exercise judgment about circumstances.
But what the Apostle Paul is speaking about here is “passing judgment” upon others. His term has a tone of
condemnation or looking down upon. We see this in verse 10 where he asks, “why do you treat them with contempt?”

Galatians 5:16 is a wonderful promise from God for his children. “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”  The promise indicates anew kind of spiritual power for the children of God.  But what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?  How can we get started?

We will come to a COMPLETION: (THAT IS FULFILLMENT).

This fulfillment of the Holy Spirit filling us with His power & gifts will set us free from our own limitations (within our own mindsets).