Rivers of Living Water | Greg Ford | One Church Columbus
Water and Wind | Out of Your Control | Greg Ford | One Church Columbus
ICEBREAKER:
If you could be any Disney character, who would you be and why?
MESSAGE NOTES:
Series: Water Works
Sermon: Rivers of Living Water
[John 7:37-39]
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
[John 3:5]
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
[John 3:16-17]
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
The word for Spirit is the same as the word for wind.
[John 16:12-13]
There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.
What are the effects of the wind?
Wind can either put a fire out or make a fire grow.
[Romans 8:1-4]
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
[Romans 8:5–6]
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
What does it mean to be controlled by the Spirit?
Life and Peace…God, Self, Others
What does it mean to let the Holy Spirit control your mind?
Living a life of peace doesn’t mean you avoid conflict…you take on stress, challenges, tough conversations with the motive to bring life and peace.
[John 3:17]
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
[John 16:12]
There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
QUESTION 1: Have you ever experienced the “willing-doing gap” as Paul mentions? How do you practically continue to bounce back and move forward after failure?
QUESTION 2: As we reflect on this scripture, how would you define being “controlled by the spirit”? How does it flesh itself out in our day to day lives?
QUESTION 3: How do we truly access life and peace in Jesus in our families, careers, goals, ambitions, and relationships?
GUIDED PRAYER:
God I thank you that you send your Holy Spirit to be the river of living water for my life. Thank you that you lead me to a life of peace. Help me to discern how to follow peace in every situation, and lead others around me toward it as well. Amen.