Pastor Mac Hammond | December 12, 2021

Recap:
When Mary became pregnant with Jesus by the power of God, Jesus wasn’t immediately full grown on the inside of her. He went through the full gestation period of nine months as any baby would have. In the same way, when we receive the seed of God’s Word on the inside of us, it will take time for that Word to grow on the inside. Our expectation and faith in who God is will increase and we will eventually come to a place where Jesus is so big on the inside of us that Jesus is “birthed” into the world and He is seen by others in our lives.

Dive Deeper:
While He was on earth, Jesus taught in parables. He understood how powerful a picture can be to make truth come alive in us. The Christmas story is an example of this. God used the natural example of Mary’s pregnancy to demonstrate to us the spiritual truth that Christ will grow within us and eventually be delivered into the world around us as we receive the Word of God and let it expand in our lives.

As we read the Word, study it, and spend time with the Lord, the God ideas and spiritual truths of God’s kingdom are formed in our hearts. The more we focus on them, the more they expand on the inside of us. They become so big in us that eventually it spills out from us into the world around us. What is happening in our prayer closet begins to be seen by the world.

A key way we know this is happening is when we start to see our focus turn outward. Life isn’t all about us or making sure that we are doing okay. The more we meditate on the Word, the more we realize that God is taking care of us as individuals so we can take care of others. The Holy Spirit will empower us to live well in this world and reach others with His grace and goodness.

How do we maintain and expand this fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives? We are filled with the Spirit on a regular basis when we sing! Go ahead and let songs, hymns, and spiritual songs come from your lips. It may start out small, but the more you sing in the Spirit, the more you’ll find the Spirit of God coming on you and empowering you! He is filling you up, getting you ready to minister His life to the world around you!

Read More:
Colossians 1:26-27 TPT
There is a divine mystery—a secret surprise that has been concealed from the world for generations, but now it’s being revealed, unfolded and manifested for every holy believer to experience. Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!

Luke 1:26-38 KJV
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

John 3:3-15 KJV
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Ephesians 5:18-20 KJV
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Discussion Questions:
1. How can we give place to the Holy Spirit today?
2. How does singing in the Spirit and praising the Lord encourage our spirits?
3. How does the infilling of the Spirit prepare us to live well each day?
4. Why does thankfulness matter in our daily lives?

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