Posts with the tag “fresh-air”

What if the spiritual life isn't about striving harder, but about learning to breathe? Each of us are invited into the beautiful rhythm of inhaling God's fresh breath and exhaling His love to others. Drawing from the Garden of Eden's choice between the tree of life and the tree of knowledge, we're reminded that we can either live dependent on God's breath or exhaust ourselves paddling through life on our own strength. The imagery of the eagle soaring effortlessly by catching the wind rather than frantically flapping captures this perfectly - we weren't designed to strive our way to spiritual health, but to catch the wind of God's Spirit. Yet breathing doesn't stop with inhaling. John 7:38 promises that rivers of living water will flow from the hearts of believers, reminding us that God fills us not just for our own benefit, but so we can pour into others. Are we trying to hold our breath spiritually, hoarding God's blessings, or living in the natural rhythm of receiving and giving? When we understand that we inhale for life and exhale for love, we discover that together - in authentic community - we live with purpose. This isn't about religious duty; it's about being so loved by God that we can't help but love others with that same love.  Read More

We're invited into a profound exploration of spiritual breathing - the continuous filling of the Holy Spirit that sustains us through life's most challenging climbs. Drawing from Ephesians 5:18, we discover that being filled with the Spirit isn't a one-time event but an ongoing posture of receiving. The Greek text reveals this as a present, continuous action: we must keep positioning ourselves to be filled, not once, but continually. The beautiful truth here is that we don't produce the Spirit's presence through our own effort; we simply position ourselves through worship, community, and openness to receive what God is already pouring out. Like climbing a mountain at high elevation where every breath becomes precious and intentional, our spiritual lives require us to stop, pause, and intentionally breathe in God's presence. The metaphor of fragile clay jars from 2 Corinthians 4 reminds us that we leak - life drains us, circumstances empty our tanks, and our humanity is weak. But the source never runs dry. When we find ourselves spiritually breathless, holding our breath in survival mode rather than abiding in Christ, we're called back to the gentle leading of the Spirit who never forces but always invites.   Read More

We're invited into a season of spiritual renewal through 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, but more importantly, it challenges us to examine what's blocking the life-giving breath of God in our souls. We're reminded that God never stops breathing life into us - we simply get clogged up. The message traces this struggle back to Genesis and the two trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life representing dependence, trust, and relationship with God, versus the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil representing control, self-reliance, and performance. We discover three primary ways our spiritual airways become blocked: when control replaces trust, when knowledge replaces dependence, and when religion replaces relationship. The call isn't to try harder or do more - it's to come closer. Jesus invites the weary and burdened not to another religious checklist, but to proximity with Him. As we enter this season of fasting, we're challenged to identify what we need to sacrifice, to write down our commitments, and to gather together for corporate prayer. This isn't about earning God's favor through our efforts; it's about clearing the pathways so we can receive the abundant life He's already freely offering us.  Read More

A profound spiritual truth that runs from Genesis to the Gospels: God offers us life by breath, not by performance. We explore three powerful manifestations of divine breath in Scripture - the creation of Adam in Genesis 2, Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming to life, and Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit upon His disciples. Each story reveals that we don't earn God's life-giving presence through striving or achievement; we simply receive it. We are challenged to position ourselves like sailboats catching the wind rather than rowers exhausting ourselves through human effort. As we enter a season of prayer and fasting, we're reminded that one word from God can break chains that years of striving couldn't budge. Whether we're spiritually dead and need creation, feeling dry and need resurrection, or wandering without direction and need purpose, the breath of God is available to us. The call is clear: stop trying to live on old manna and stale vision, and instead open ourselves to receive fresh revelation, fresh dreams, and the supernatural life that only comes when God breathes on us.  Read More