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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:

Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

The way to live a life inwardly applying the cross is by stimulating your spirit. 

This is the way to renew the vision of your sonship continuously in order to execute the cross over yourself. 

This is exactly what Paul is saying in Romans 8. 

Let us consider verses 13-15 together, looking first at their structure. 

Verse 13 is the result of verse 14. 

That is, the putting to death of the practices of our body is the result of the leading of the Spirit. 

Verses 14-17 actually reveal to us what precedes the putting to death in verse 13. 

Paul says in verses 14-15, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

In our experience verse 15 brings in verse 13. 

Verse 15 is the stimulation of our spirit by crying, “Abba, Father.” 

You just consider–we have received a spirit of sonship in which we cry, “Abba, Father.” 

And when we do something with our spirit, immediately “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (v. 16).

By the stimulation of your spirit, you freshly renew the vision of who you are. 

Because this is a continuous experience, Paul uses present-tense verbs to describe it. 

We are crying”Abba, Father,” and the Spirit Himself is witnessing with our spirit (vv. 15-16). 

Notice, the witness is that we are the children of God. 

And then in verse 17 Paul quickly adds, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

This is vision coming to you instantly when you stimulate your spirit. 

And it is vision with a consciousness–“What am I doing here arguing? What am I doing vindicating myself? What am I doing living out this flesh again? What am I doing here? O Lord Jesus! Abba, Father!” 

You begin to activate your spirit and get out of your reasoning mind and your fickle emotions. 

As you cry “Abba! Father!” out of that crying comes the sensation that you are a child of God. 

Then from that initial sensation comes a deeper sensation that you are an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. 

The vision of God’s economy over your life rises within you simply by stimulating your spirit to have contact with God. 

Until Tomorrow 

With a Shepherd’s Love

Pastor

TODAY’S PRAYER LIST

Nancy Brown In Passing of her Daughter  

Bill Lawhead – Hospice

Charlene Shiflett

Darlene Thaxton – Improving

Richard Blount 

The Graham Family – Brandon’s Friends

Amy Garner’s Mother/Dad  

Ashley Burn’s Sisters

Barbara Shed’s Family 

Bill Moody 

Carol Lawhead’s Brother 

Charles Rambles

Charlie Sessom – Waiting  

Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons 

Denise Stubbs – Kim Allison’s Mom 

Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother

Hanna Hall – Pray for Grace

James Garner’s Brother, G’Son, & Daughter

Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister  

Larry Barker  

Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah  

Vickie – Nancy Brown’s Daughter  

Mary Sims  

Marynell Ford 

Michael Stanley 

Nora Allison – Dustin’s Mom  

Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend 

Ricky Stubbs  

Rod Gustafson – Cancer

Roseleigh Osborn  

Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son 

Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend

Sheila Simmons Cousin  

Tom Witchers