Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore--The Gray Areas

The Bible is very clear on some things but not so clear on others. When things are not spelled out such as what job to take, who should we marry, where should we live, which activities should we sign up our kids to participate in, there are principles to lead us. I personally believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God; consequently, I seek to live according to its principles and commands to bring glory to God.

The Bible gives many specific commands, but for those gray areas where it is not so clear, we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability to perceive the things of God. He gives us insight and helps us to discern between right and wrong, good and bad. Therefore, it is a must that we not only trust Jesus as Savior but surrender to His will and ask Him to fill us with his Holy Spirit so we can be lead by the Spirit and not our selfish desires.

The fruit of the spirit or characteristics of the spirit that indicate we are filled with the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22, 23 NIV). In the following weeks, I will share what I have learned from this study about each.

Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore--The Holy Spirit

The key to living above our circumstances and doing things through God's power is to constantly be filled with the Holy Spirit of God and be lead by the spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. It is a command! It is an ongoing process.

First, pour out. We must empty ourselves. Get us out of the way so God can work and fill us with His Spirit. There are two parts of this: Confession and concerns. We do this by confessing our sin and gaining freedom from guilt. Then talk to God about all our anxieties, concerns, worries, problems and just basically pour out our hearts to him. She compared this to a drink sacrifice that God actually enjoys. He wants us to talk to Him about everything because he is concerned about us.

Secondly, pour in the Holy Spirit. Ask God to fill us with his Holy Spirit early, at the beginning of our day. Then through the day, constantly practice his presence and look for Him to work in our life. Remember God is in control and He is in control of us! Let him change our day!

Finally, pour forth. Go and be his servant and minister to others in His power.

This is what I learned in the Bible study by Beth Moore that women at Parma Heights Baptist Church participated in.