Key points
- 1
1Salvation is Jesus plus nothing — faith in Christ alone sets us free, and we must not return to any form of slavery.
- 2
2The whole law is summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself, which is the true aim of Christian freedom.
- 3
3Every believer experiences a daily battle between the sinful nature and the Holy Spirit — and the fruit of whichever side wins is visible in their life.
Illustration
Old NFL Films slow-motion trench battle used to picture the daily war between the Spirit and sinful nature inside a believer
- 4
4Those who belong to Christ have crucified their sinful nature with Him — the old self died with Christ and we are now raised to new life.
“Our problem is that we go to that graveyard and we start digging up that old stinking corpse, the old Pat McCullough, the one who looked at these things, the one who thought these thoughts, the ones who said these things, that's the old Pat McCullough, he died with Christ”
- 5
5Because we are living by the Spirit, we must follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
“You will never get off your throne until you get on the cross”
- 6
6The power available to every believer is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and it is at work within us.
A story from life
Preacher recounts telling a dinner story about clearly hearing God speak, then clarifies he has never heard an audible voice but hears the Spirit constantly in his heart
Illustration
Barney Fife's powerless gun with no bullets illustrates living without tapping into the Spirit's power
Illustration
A locomotive versus individually powered race cars illustrates the difference between Spirit-led power and self-powered living
Illustration
Batteries removed from a device illustrates a believer living disconnected from the Spirit's power
A story from life
Preacher's honeymoon sailboat capsizing on a Minnesota lake illustrates the Spirit as wind — power the sailor cannot manufacture but must position to receive
- 7
7Walking in the Spirit means learning to listen to and obey the Spirit's voice in small, everyday moments — not just in major decisions.
“This same power that raised Lazarus from the dead, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the power that created this universe. This unimaginable power is at work within us”
“I've been talking to you for three years and you haven't listened. No wonder you can't hear my voice anymore”
“tell me how connected you were to my spirit. How'd you live this new life I gave you”
A story from life
Preacher encounters a homeless teenage boy at a Circle K and hears the Spirit's quiet prompt to help him
A story from life
A parent at a parent-teacher conference at the preacher's former Christian school flips the report card over and asks about his son's true character, not his grades
A story from life
Preacher runs into a steel construction beam while jogging through a parking lot, injures his head, and sits through a two-hour meeting oozing blood
Application
Pastor Pat's challenge is direct and personal: for the next week, pay close attention to the Spirit's voice in the small, everyday moments — when you've said something unkind to your spouse or children, when you feel nudged to help a stranger, when the Spirit says to turn something off or hold back a harsh word. Don't wait for a dramatic, audible voice on a major decision; learn to listen and obey in the little things, because that is how you develop ears to hear God in the big ones. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives inside every believer — the question is not whether you have Him, but whether you are surrendered enough to let Him lead. Start today: listen, and then do whatever He tells you.
