Remain in Me
Dear High Street Family,
How has 2024 been so far?
If you’re like me, momentum is picking up and it’s easy to get swept into the busyness, demands, and distractions of ordinary life.
Many of these are “good things”, but if we’re going to flourish…we need to remain connected to the Best Thing. As John 15:1-11 says, “Remain in Me and I in you.”
What would it look like to remain in Jesus this year?
The Amplified version puts it, “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.]”
What a powerful invitation—to dwell-in—to literally live inside of the Presence of Jesus. Can you imagine what your life would be like if you were living and dwelling in His Presence?
To develop and deepen this, we’re launching a new series, Renewal, starting this Sunday!
The Renewal we’re anticipating in this sermon series, isn’t just the flowery landscape in Spring, or even the wonderful miracle of Salvation…
This Renewal is an experience. The evidence of God, the Holy Spirit, moving in us and among us as a church.
Church historians often note renewals as a precursor to revival. Historians note that the believers in a Church must first experience renewal themselves as they prepare for God to do a work through them in reviving a community, village, town, or region.
Titus 3:4-5 says, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
When the New Testament speaks of renewal, it is particularly the return to the power and presence of God, the Holy Spirit. We place ourselves underneath His leadership in such a way that we are refreshed, realigned, reattuned, and hopefully, revived.
This is an intentional act by which we posture ourselves as a community to receive and be moved by God’s Presence. While at the same time, we are totally reliant on Him to respond by drawing near to us as we draw near to Him.
In order to do this, we’ll study through Romans 8—one of the most poignant chapters on God’s presence and movement in our Christian lives. Each sermon will take a step deeper into what it looks like to listen to and follow God, the Holy Spirit.
So, I’m challenging everyone who attends High Street, whether in person or online, to read through Romans chapter 8 before Sunday! Do you think you can do that?
Below we have a few different links for you to begin reading right now--check them out!
I’m expectant for God to lead us as we offer more of ourselves to Him.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Dave
Resources
Read Romans 8 Online:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+8+&version=AMPC
Audio Versions of Romans 8:
Try this option from Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/
Or here on Bible.com: https://www.bible.com/audio-bible/59/ROM.8.ESV
Check out this beautiful, inexpensive Book of Romans journal (under $7 on Amazon):
https://www.amazon.com/ESV-Illuminated-Scripture-Journal-Romans/dp/1433564815