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God’s Resources for Growth (Part 2) · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. This is the deep dive where we
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take a look at various source materials and really try to
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unpack the core ideas. Yeah, our aim is always to kind
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of distill the information, make things clear and maybe point out
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some details that you might otherwise skim over.
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And today we're diving into some really essential resources God
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gives us for well, for living the Christian life, and for
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growth. We've got some notes here from a
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recent teaching dated 672025 and also a transcript from a YouTube
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lesson. That's right, it's from North
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Creek Church cornerstone Lesson 3, Part 2.
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God's resources for growth. And this material, it offers a
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specific viewpoint, doesn't it, Rooted in a reformed
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understanding of Scripture, helping us get a handle on the
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Holy Spirit and prayer, as you know, resources for growth.
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Exactly. It tackles some areas where
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there might be confusion. You know, sometimes life just
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feels overwhelming. Or maybe you feel a bit stuck
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spiritually, like you want to grow but you're not quite sure
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how to make that happen. I think that's relatable for a
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lot of people. Well, this source material jumps
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right into that feeling. It aims to bring clarity on 2
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absolutely vital resources God provides the Holy Spirit in
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prayer. So our goal here is to pull out
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the key insights from these sources, helping you understand
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what these resources are, how they're meant to work in your
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life today, and how that enables real, genuine growth.
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OK, so where do we start? The material begins with the
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Holy Spirit's foundational work, right?
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What he does? Kind of apart from us.
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Yes, His sovereign activity. This is really important because
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the source material suggests there's often misunderstanding
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here. How so?
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Well, maybe seeing the Spirit as less active or only working when
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we sort of activate him, this material wants to establish his
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identity and actions as fully God, independent of anything we
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do first. Got it.
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So his role within the Trinity. Right.
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He's presented as working in perfect cooperation with the
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Father and the Son. It's not a secondary role.
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He's fully God, fully involved in everything and.
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This goes way back to creation. All the way back Genesis 1
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verses 1 and 2 are mentioned. In the beginning, God created
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the heavens and the earth, and the Spirit of God was hovering
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over the face of the waters. Hovering.
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What does that imply according to the source?
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It suggests active continuous motion, like a bird protecting
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its nest. Maybe it's not passive waiting.
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OK, And Psalm 104 is also brought in.
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It talks about God sending forth His spirit and creation happens.
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He renews the ground. So the point being made is the
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Spirit wasn't like an afterthought introduced later.
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He was there, active from the absolute start of creation.
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Exactly involved from the get. Go so involved in creation.
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The material also says he gives and sustains life both kinds.
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Yes, both physical and spiritual life, and this is maybe broader
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than we usually think. It's not just about spiritual
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rebirth. He gives and sustains physical
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life for everyone. Genesis 6.3 is cited where God
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limits human lifespans, saying His spirit won't strive with man
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forever, and Job 34 verses 14 and 15 are even more striking.
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It says if God were to withdraw his spirit and breath, all
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flesh, everything living would just perish instantly, return to
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dust. Wow, so the very fact that
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anyone is breathing right now, believe it or not, someone who
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loves God or someone who hates him, that's the spirits ongoing
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work. That's the implication drawn
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from the text. It's his, moment by moment,
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sustaining power. It's a pretty profound thought,
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isn't it? It really is changes how you
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view God's presence in the world.
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Definitely, and then alongside that universal sustaining of
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physical life, the source points to his work in giving spiritual
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life. John 3.
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The new birth discussion. John 6.63.
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It is the Spirit who gives life. Romans 8.1 in linking the Spirit
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to resurrection life. So universal physical life,
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specific spiritual life for believers.
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Got it. What else?
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His role regarding Scripture. Yes, the Holy Spirit is
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presented as the ultimate author of divine revelation, the Bible.
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How does that work? First, Peter 1.21 is key here.
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Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
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Spirit. Carried along.
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Yeah, it suggests the Spirit guided the process, ensuring
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that what the human authors wrote using their own styles and
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personalities was precisely God's intended word.
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It wasn't mechanical dictation, but divine superintendents.
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And Second Timothy 3.16 all scripture is breathed out by
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God. That's linked to the breathing
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out by God, is connected to the Spirit's work in producing
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scripture. OK, so creator, life sustainer,
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author of scripture, these are huge overarching works.
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Now the material shifts focus a bit, doesn't it, to his specific
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work in Salvation. Right.
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And this is where where that term monistic comes in MONISTIC.
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Monistic. What does that mean in this
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context? It describes work the Spirit
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does entirely alone, without any human help, without our
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cooperation. It's God's sovereign action on
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us. OK.
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And the source emphasizes, if you're a believer, these
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monistic works, they're already done.
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They are yours. You received them.
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So what are some examples of these monistic works?
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The first one mentioned is the Spirit as a sovereign gift.
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Yes, He himself is a gift given Sovereign by the Father and
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crucially, given to sinners. It's not a reward for being good
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or something earned by obeying rules.
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Right, you don't qualify for the Spirit.
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Exactly. He's given freely Ezekiel 36
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that prophecy about the new Covenant is highlighted.
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God promises to put His Spirit within His people, and that
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Spirit will then 'cause them enable them to walk in His ways.
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So the Spirit isn't just a helper after we decide to obey,
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He's the very power that enables obedience in the first place.
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That's the idea presented. He's the prerequisite power for
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obedience. OK, that makes sense.
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And that leads into the next monistic act, regeneration.
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Regeneration defined simply as going from spiritual death to
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spiritual life, death to life. Yeah, and because we are
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spiritually dead apart from Christ, the source says the
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Spirit must regenerate a dead heart.
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We can't do it ourselves. The Lazarus story from John 11
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is used here, right? Yes.
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And it's a powerful illustration.
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The focus is that Lazarus was dead, completely unresponsive,
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couldn't hear, couldn't choose, couldn't do anything.
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Utterly passive. Totally.
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Jesus didn't negotiate, He just commanded Lazarus come forth and
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instantly by that divine power, Lazarus was made alive before he
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could respond or make a choice. And that pictures our spiritual
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state. That's how it's presented.
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Spiritually dead, unable to respond to God in a saving way.
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So the Holy Spirit has to act first, unilaterally, making us
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spiritually alive. This act of regeneration
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precedes our ability to repent and believe.
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So the person being regenerated, they don't initiate.
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It in that initial divine act, the source says they didn't
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really have a say in it. The life comes first,
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sovereignly given. So when we read commands like in
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Mark 1, repent and believe the gospel, that's understood as the
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response of someone the Spirit has already made alive.
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That's the sequence this material puts forward.
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Regeneration enables the response of repentance and
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faith. You can only respond once you're
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alive. OK, I see the logic there.
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The source also lists several things that happen right at that
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moment of regeneration instantly.
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Yes, a whole package deal, you could say.
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Yeah, all happening simultaneously when the Spirit
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makes you alive, right? OK, first intellectual
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illumination. Suddenly you can grasp spiritual
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truth. Things that seem like nonsense
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before start making sense. All of a sudden you understand
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the things of God is how the source puts it.
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A new capacity to understand. Right Second, freedom from sins.
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Dominating power before sin was the only real option.
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Now you're freed from its mastery.
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You actually have the ability to choose not to sin.
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That's huge. It is third, a complete
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cleansing of the heart, tying back to that Ezekiel 36 promise
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of a new heart. 4th Instant baptism into the body of Christ.
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And that's clarified as spiritual union, not water
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baptism. Correct union with Christ and
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all other believers. 5th The instant indwelling of Holy
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Spirit, and 6th The instant sealing by the Spirit.
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God's guarantee a final salvation.
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Let's pause on that. It's an indwelling point.
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The source seems to really want to clarify this one.
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Yes, there's a definite emphasis here.
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Indwelling happens at regeneration.
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It's instant. And crucially, all believers are
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fully indwelled. Yes, the material states.
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Clearly every believer has all of the Holy Spirit.
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You receive the person of the Spirit.
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Not like a portion of him. So it's not something that
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increases overtime. You don't get more of the Spirit
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later. That's explicitly what it says.
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It's not no gradual receiving, no second blessing where you get
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more. You have all of him from the
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moment of new birth, OK. That clarifies a common point of
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confusion, I think. Definitely.
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So the question isn't do I have enough of the Spirit, but maybe
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does the Spirit have all of me? Which kind of leads us into the
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next section. Right from His sovereign work
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for us in salvation to His ongoing work in us as we grow
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sanctification. Exactly, this is the spirits
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continuous work enabling believers to live out the new
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life they've received. Still his work, but now
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involving our cooperation. And the source lists a number of
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things he does in sanctification.
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Yes, quite a list. Let's touch on a few of those.
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What stands out? Well, he empowers believers for
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gospel proclamation, gives boldness, effectiveness.
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He speaks to the believer through the Word, making it come
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alive. Illuminating Scripture.
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Right. And interestingly, he also
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speaks to God for the believer interceding for us, especially
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when we don't even know what to pray.
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Romans 8 mentions that that's. Comforting.
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What else? Gifts.
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Yes, he gives spiritual gifts to equip people for service in the
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church, and he assures believers of their salvation, their
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adoption. Yes, the adoption point, there
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was a nuance there. Small clarification, Yeah, the
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source preferred saying that once adopted you are children,
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not perpetually called adopted children.
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Romans 8.16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
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that we are children of God. And that assurance brings
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security. Immense security.
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It confirms God's unchanging love and acceptance regardless
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of our ups and downs, Knowing you're truly His child, sealed
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by Him. What other actions?
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Fruit of the Spirit. Yes, implicitly referencing
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Galatians 5, Lovejoy, peace, patience, and so on.
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These aren't things we manufacture, they're the the
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natural result of His presence and control.
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He also grants freedom, progressively transforms us into
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Christ's likeness, and He convicts believers of sin.
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Conviction. That was another point the
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source emphasized with a caution.
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A very strong caution. The material states plainly He's
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the one that convicts, not you, not me.
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Meaning meaning. It's the Holy Spirit's job,
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exclusively his, to bring genuine conviction of sin to
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someone's heart. We shouldn't try to do it for
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Him. Like trying to make your spouse
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or kids or friends feel guilty. Exactly.
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Trying to force conviction is stepping outside our role.
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It's his work to Pierce the conscience and reveal sin in
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light of God's holiness. Our attempts often just backfire
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or create resentment. That's a really practical
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boundary to remember in relationships.
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OK, what else does he help us fight our own sin?
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Yes, absolutely. He helps us mortify, put to
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death the deeds of the body. We'll come back to that when we
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talk about guidance. He also teaches truth, unifies
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believers, comforts, gives hope, pours God's love into our
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hearts, gives joy. It's a comprehensive list.
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He's involved in pretty much everything.
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Very much so every aspect of the inner life and outward walk.
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So seeing all this, what he does sovereignly, what he does in our
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growth, leads to a very practical application section in
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the material, doesn't it, about God's job versus our job.
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Yes, this is where the theology hits the road.
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You could say understanding the spirits role, especially his
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monistic work, brings clarity and helps manage things like
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worry. The source uses this
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illustration of two circles. The circle of concern and the
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circle of responsibility tell us about this.
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OK, imagine a big circle. That's your circle of concern.
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It includes everything you might possibly worry about.
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Your health, your family, salvation, world events, job
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stuff, your own struggles. It's huge.
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Now inside that big circle, draw of a much smaller one.
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That's your circle of responsibility.
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This is what God is actually giving you to do.
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Trust Him, pray, love Him, love your neighbor, obey His word,
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use your gifts, repent of your sin, share the gospel.
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Be patient. And worry comes when we confuse
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the circles. That's the connection made very
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often happens when we try to take ownership of things in the
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big circle of concern that are actually God's responsibility,
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not ours. We try to pull things from His
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domain into our small. Circle, and that's described as
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a form of. Pride, essentially a lack of
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trust. It's like telling God, I don't
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think you've got this. So I need to step in and manage
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it which. Connects to casting our cares on
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him first. Peter 5.
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Directly humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand
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of God, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He
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cares for you. And the mighty hand of God is
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significant. Yes, the source notes that
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phrase often refers back to the Exodus, God's powerful
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deliverance of Israel. So humbling yourself under that
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kind of sovereign power means consciously giving him your
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anxieties, the things outside your responsibility circle,
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trusting his power and His care. Because he cares for you.
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Exactly. It's an act of dependent trust.
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So based on the spirits work we discussed, what are some
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examples of things that are God's job, not ours, that we
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tend to worry about? Well, trying to save someone?
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That's regeneration. The Spirit's monistic work.
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Trying to fundamentally change another person's heart or
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ingrained habits? That's the Spirit's work of
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sanctification, not ours to force.
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Trying to be the ultimate comforter or hero for someone
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instead of pointing them to the true comforter, the Holy Spirit.
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Trying to manufacture unity in your family or church by sheer
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effort rather than seeking the unity of the Spirit.
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And back to that point, trying to bring conviction to others
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about their sin, that's the Spirit's job.
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And when we try to carry these burdens that aren't ours.
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The source suggests it leads to things like fear, anger,
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frustration, burnout, anxiety because we're trying to control
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things we can't control, things God hasn't assigned to us.
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But when we understand the distinction and trust him with
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his part. Then we're freed up, freed to
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focus wholeheartedly on what is in our circle of responsibility.
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Prayer, obedience, love, service, repentance.
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It takes the weight off. Leading to less worry, less
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anxiety. And more hope, peace, security,
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joy, because those things are found in depending on him, not
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in trying to manage everything ourselves.
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The source explicitly connects peace, comfort, and joy to being
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filled with the spirit. It all ties together.
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OK, this is really helpful practically.
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Now let's move to another crucial area.
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How does the Holy Spirit guide Christians today?
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Normative guidance. Right, this is a big one, and
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the source acknowledges there's a lot of confusion out there.
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It makes a key distinction between what's normative the
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usual way key guides and what's non normative or unusual.
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Where do we see non normative guidance described?
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Often in the narrative parts of Scripture, like the book of
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Acts, these sections describe specific, sometimes
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extraordinary events tied to the unique period of the apostles
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and the initial spread of the Gospel.
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Like Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch.
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That's the prime example used. Phillip gets specific
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directions, shares the gospel, baptizes the eunuch, and then
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verse 39 says the spirit of the Lord carried Philip away.
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Literally transported him. Apparently so, but the source
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presents this as descriptive of a unique moment in redemptive
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history, not prescriptive for how we should expect guidance
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today. It's not the normal pattern.
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So how do we figure out what is the normal pattern for guidance
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today? The suggestion is to look mainly
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at the Epistles, Romans, Ephesians, Philippians,
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etcetera. These letters were written to
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instruct believers on the normal Christian life.
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If a pattern isn't taught or commanded there as standard
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practice, it's likely not normative for us now.
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The source also mentioned a cautionary story about
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subjective feelings. Ah yes, the counseling example
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referenced from a talk by Pastor Kent Teso about someone making
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really bad financial decisions because they felt the Lord told
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them to, even when it seemed unwise.
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Or people justifying actions that contradict scripture based
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on a feeling. Exactly the danger of relying on
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internal impressions, supposed voices, or strong feelings for
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major life decisions. Spouse, job, moving.
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Especially when those feelings aren't grounded in, or might
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even contradict clear biblical principles.
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So the source is pretty direct on this.
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Quite direct, it states the Holy Spirit is not seen in Scripture
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guiding individuals in personal decisions such as choosing a
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spouse, a job, or where to move through these kinds of direct,
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extra biblical revelations. Specific divine instructions in
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Scripture are usually tied to foundational things like writing
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Scripture or key moments in Gospel expansion.
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OK. So if normative guidance isn't
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mainly about getting those kinds of specific personal directions,
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what is it? How does he usually guide us?
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The source outlines several key ways, drawn primarily from the
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Epistles. The first is being led by the
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Spirit from Romans 8. Romans 8.14 All who are led by
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the Spirit of God are sons of God.
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How is that unpack? The very next verse, Romans
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8.13, is presented as the clue. If by the Spirit you put to
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death the deeds of the body, you will live.
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So being led by the Spirit means putting sin to death.
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Primarily, yes. It's about engaging in that
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ongoing struggle against your flesh, your sinful nature
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enabled by the Spirit. It's about actively fighting
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your flesh, yielding to Him so you're living more and more in
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line with God's will in every area.
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Not a mystical feeling, but an active fight against sin.
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That's the emphasis, and a practical indicator offered is
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this. You know you're likely being led
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by the Spirit if you're more concerned with your own sin than
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with the sins of others. That's convicting.
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It is being LED is about responding to His commands in
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Scripture, depending on Him for strength, cooperating with His
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work. In you.
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The Corey 10 boom glove illustration was used.
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Spirit is the hand wear the glove.
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Being LED is letting His hand fill every finger, directing all
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our actions. OK, so being LED is about
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battling sin? What about walking according to
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the Spirit? Also Romans.
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Yeah, presented as two sides of the same coin.
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He leads, we follow our walk. It means actively progressing in
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your relationship with God, staying in step with the Spirit,
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living life with your mind focused on spiritual things, not
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fleshly things. Aligning your direction with
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his. Exactly.
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Romans 8.4 connects this walking according to the Spirit with
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fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law, not by
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our effort, but through Christ's work applied to us as we walk by
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the Spirit. And the third one was being
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filled with the Spirit from Ephesians 5 point.
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Yes, and do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the
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spirit. This is presented as a vital
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command and the grammar is key. It's a present passive
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imperative. Break that down again.
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Imperative. It's a command we must obey.
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Passive, it's something done to us.
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We are filled by Him. Present, It's continuous.
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We are commanded to keep on being filled.
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So continually allowing the Spirit to fill and control.
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Us right, And the source is careful to define what this
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isn't what isn't it? It's not a second blessing
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experience after salvation. It's not a spiritual shortcut
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like a lazy boy route to holiness.
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It's not the same as his indwelling.
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All believers are indwelt, but not all are continuously filled.
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And again, it's definitely not getting more of the Spirit.
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You already have all of him. You have all of him.
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The issue is, does he have all of you?
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Is he in control? So what is being filled then?
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It means being under the control of the Spirit.
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The contrast in the verse is with being controlled by
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alcohol. Drunkenness leads to loss of
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control. Debauchery, being filled with
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the Spirit, means yielding control to him, letting his
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influence govern your thoughts, feelings, actions.
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Instead of being controlled by other things.
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Exactly. Your flesh, your emotions,
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circumstances, peer pressure. Whatever it might be, being
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filled is spirit control. And how does this happen?
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How are we filled? By actively yielding your life
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to God and His ways, submitting to His direction found in
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Scripture. It's passive in that He does the
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filling, but it requires our active ongoing yielding and
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surrender. And the results of being filled
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are practical. Yeah, seen in Ephesians 5 and 6.
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Very practical. The source lists the immediate
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consequences described right there in Ephesians.
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First, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs,
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corporate worship, mutual mutual encouragement.
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Second, singing and making melody in your heart to the
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Lord. Internal joy and worship, not
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just external. Genuine heart attitude. 3rd
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Being a thankful person, giving thanks always for everything,
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The source notes a lack of thankfulness might indicate
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someone isn't currently filled. Ouch, that's another challenging
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1. It is.
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And 4th, a big one, submitting to one another out of reverence
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for Christ. This is a primary evidence of
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spirit control. And that plays out in specific
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relationships. All right away the passage
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details it. Wives and husbands, children and
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parents, employees and employers.
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Spirit filling leads to humble appropriate submission within
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the God ordained structures of life.
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So normative guidance is really about this practical, yielded,
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obedient walk with God, empowered by the Spirit.
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That seems to be the core message from the source.
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It's about practical living, putting in the effort to obey
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God in your daily really context, staying in step with
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Him. That's how He guides, grows, and
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changes you. And guidance also comes through
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Scripture itself. Yes, absolutely.
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The Spirit illuminates the Word, makes it clear, applies it to
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our hearts as we read Scripture is sufficient to guide us into
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righteousness. Which leads us naturally to the
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other key resource discussed, prayer.
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The other side of the communication coin, you might
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say the Spirit works through the word, and we respond and commune
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through prayer. So prayer as communication?
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What opportunities does the source say prayer provides?
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Several P things. It's an opportunity for the Lord
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to draw near to US. Psalm 145.
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He's near to those who call on him.
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Truthfully, it's an opportunity for him to bless us.
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Luke 11. He loves to give good gifts.
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And it's an opportunity for guidance, head, heart and hands.
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Yes, guidance for the head. Prayer helps renew our minds
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according to God's Word, correcting wrong thinking.
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Guidance for the heart. It aligns our affections with
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God's, helping us love what He loves.
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The source. Use that supercross
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illustration, how being close to someone makes you care about
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what they care about. Prayer draws us close to God's
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heart and guidance for the hands.
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It brings clarity for action, helps build wisdom and faith as
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we seek His will and depend on Him for direction in what we
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actually do. So prayer shapes us.
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It's not just asking for stuff. Exactly.
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It's also an opportunity to praise God, just acknowledging
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his worth. An opportunity to be filled with
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joy. An opportunity to submit
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ourselves, humbling ourselves before Him and connecting back.
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A vital opportunity to cast our anxieties on Him, bringing those
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out of our control worries from the big circle into His
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presence. Trusting him with his job again.
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Precisely. It's actively handing over those
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burdens. The source also confirms God
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hears and answers prayer. Yes, just reaffirming basic
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truths. He listens, he hears, He knows
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our needs, He delights in our prayers, He answers.
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Maybe not always power when we expect, but according to his
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will often exceeding our requests.
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And finally, some practical advice for growing in prayer.
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Yeah, some really down to earth suggestions first.
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Just prioritize it, make time for it.
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Don't buy the too busy to pray. Excuse the source reference
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figures like Joseph, Elaine or Luther suggesting the busier
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life gets, the more crucial prayer becomes.
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OK, make time. What else?
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Focus on sincerity over style. God looks at the heart, not how
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eloquent we sound. Simple, honest prayer is valued.
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Good reminder. And make a realistic plan.
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Find a structure that helps the ACTS model.
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Adoration, confession, Thanksgiving, supplication is
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mentioned as one possibility. In the idea of praying the
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Bible. Yes, this was highlighted as a
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particularly helpful method. How does that work?
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Instead of just coming up with your own list, you take a
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passage of Scripture, a Psalm, a section from an epistle, and you
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let that text guide your prayer. You turn the verses into prayer.
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What's the benefit of doing that?
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It keeps prayer fresh, prevents falling into ruts.
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It rounds your prayer in God's own Word, which helps align your
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requests with His will. You're praying His truth back to
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Him, letting it shape your concerns and praises.
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The source gave a quick example using Psalm 25.
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Can you walk through that briefly again?
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Sure, like Psalm 25, verse one to you, O Lord, I lift up my
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soul. You can pray, Lloyd, right now I
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consciously lift my soul, my thoughts, my worries about the
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situation to you, verse 2, Oh my God, in you I trust.
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Let me not be put to shame. You can pray God, I declare I
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learn my trust in you regarding this challenge.
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Please help me not to be ashamed or given to fear.
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Protect me. So you're using the scripture as
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prompts. Exactly verse 4.
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Make me to know your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths.
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Pray Lord, show me Your way in this decision.
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Teach me how to walk rightly through this difficulty.
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It just provides rich content and keeps the focus on God and
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His truth. That sounds like a really
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valuable practice. OK, so pulling this all
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together, the spirits amazing work both sovereignly and in our
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growth. His guidance through yielded
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obedience to the word and prayer as vital communication.
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What's the bottom line for growth according to this
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material? I think the main take away is
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that genuine Christian growth and peace come from
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understanding what God through the Spirit has done and is
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doing, and then living in act of dependence on Him.
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It's about cooperating with the Spirit, walking in step with Him
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as he leads through Scripture, and maintaining that connection
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through prayer. It's not about striving harder
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in our own strength or trying to manage outcomes.
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No, it seems the opposite. It's about yielding control,
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trusting Him with His responsibilities, and focusing
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on faithfully doing what He has called us to do Obey, pray,
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love, serve, relying on His power.
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You know, understanding the sheer scale of the Spirit's
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sovereign work, creation, life, regeneration, it really does
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feel freeing, doesn't it? It lifts the burden of trying to
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do things only God can do. It absolutely should.
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It puts things in perspective. We can stop trying to carry the
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weight of changing hearts or controlling the future and
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instead focus on our part, walking faithfully today,
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trusting Him completely for the results and for everything
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outside our small circle. That trust is where the peace
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and joy are found. So perhaps something for you,
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the listener, to consider this week based on all this thinking
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about God's job versus your job, and how the Spirit guides
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normatively through practical obedience and yielding.
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Is there one specific area right now where you might be carrying
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a burden that actually belongs in God's circle of concern, Or
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maybe relying on the subjective feeling instead of walking in
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step with His revealed Word? How might recognizing the
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Spirit's true role and power change how you approach that
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situation this week?