01 Abiding in Holy Spirt

The Kingdom PathWay: Love God Part 1

Today, we are beginning a journey together called The Kingdom Pathway.

This is not just a teaching series. This is an invitation into transformation.

Because the Kingdom Way is not about behavior modification it is about living a transformed life.

It is the process of moving from living for self… to living fully for Christ.

Pray

And I want to be very clear right from the beginning: this does not happen automatically.

It is intentional.

It is a pathway, you must choose to walk

Route 1

Matthew 22:37–38 NASB95

37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

Route 2

Matthew 22:39–40 NASB95

39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Route 3

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The Kingdom pathway is built on three foundations:

Love God Love People Make Disciples

This is not optional Christianity. This is core Christianity.

Thats why we say Love God, Love People, so they can Love God and Love people Too

Discipleship is not an add-on—it is the calling. Its your priority

And a disciple is not just someone who follows Jesus… a disciple also makes disciples.

Why Abiding with the Holy Spirit Comes First

John 15:4–5 NASB95

4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Now here’s where we begin.

We start with abiding with the Holy Spirit.

Not because it’s a preference… but because it’s a priority.

Without the Holy Spirit:

Effort becomes empty Activity becomes religion And results have no Kingdom Impact

Let me say it plainly:

Without the Holy Spirit, everything we do is ineffective spiritually.

You can have programs. You can have structure. You can even have good intentions.

But without Him… it’s powerless.

Think about Samson.

Samson had defeated armies. He had torn apart a lion. He had operated in supernatural strength.

But there came a moment… after his hair was cut…

He got up to do what he had always done before.

Same motion. Same confidence. Same expectation.

But this time… nothing happened.

Scripture says he did not know that the Lord had left him.

That is one of the most sobering lines in all of Scripture.

Because outwardly, everything looked the same… but inwardly, the power was gone.

That is what life without the Holy Spirit looks like.

You can go through the motions… but the power that makes it effective is no longer there.

The Holy Spirit: The Breath of Life

Holy Spirit is not optional to the Christian life.

He is essential.

Just like breathing sustains your physical life… the Holy Spirit sustains your spiritual life.

If you remove breath from the body… there is death.

And if you remove the Holy Spirit from your life… there is spiritual emptiness.

You may still be active… but you won’t be alive in the way God intended.

Think about a lifeguard rescuing someone who is drowning.

When a person can’t breathe, nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter how strong they are… how skilled they are… how much potential they have.

In that moment, the only thing that matters is air.

A lifeguard’s entire focus is to get that person back to a place where they can breathe again.

Because without breath… everything else shuts down.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit is the breath of our spiritual life.

Without Him, you can still move… you can still function outwardly… but something essential is missing.

And eventually… everything begins to shut down spiritually.

The Danger of Rejecting or Misunderstanding the Holy Spirit

And here’s where we need to be careful.

Some people ignore the Holy Spirit.

Some reduce Him to a theological concept.

Some reject His work… because it makes them uncomfortable.

And others misattribute what He’s doing… to something else.

But there is a warning here:

We must be careful not to reject what God is doing… or mislabel it.

It’s like someone being handed a valuable gift… but not recognizing what it is.

Imagine being given a brand-new, high-end tool—something designed to do a specific job with power and precision.

But because you don’t understand it… you assume it’s unnecessary… or even dangerous.

So instead of learning how to use it… you set it aside. Or worse… you reject it altogether.

Not because it has no value… but because you misunderstood it.

And the result is this:

You continue struggling to do things the hard way… while the very thing that could help you is sitting unused.

That’s what happens when the Holy Spirit is misunderstood.

He is not a complication. He is not something to avoid.

He is the very One given to empower, guide, and transform us.

And if we mislabel Him… or push Him aside… we end up living a powerless version of the life God intended.

Jesus’ Model: Wait for the Holy Spirit

Think about this.

Jesus had already taught His disciples. He had trained them. He had demonstrated everything.

And yet… He told them to wait.

In Luke 24:49… in Acts 1:4…

He said, “Do not go… until the Holy Spirit comes.”

Why?

Because knowledge is not enough—power is required.

You can know what to do… and still not have the ability to do it.

He takes what we know… and gives us the power to actually live it out.

What the Holy Spirit Does in Our Lives

So what does the Holy Spirit actually do?

He is our Helper He comes alongside us.

Paracletos literally means: “one called alongside to help.”

But that’s just the surface. In context, it carries several layered meanings:

Helper Comforter Advocate Counselor Intercessor Strengthener

No single English word fully captures it.

He is our Cleaner He sanctifies us. And notice this… He transforms us. It is not our job to fix everyone else.

Holy Spirit does that!

He is our Teacher

He teaches us all things and reminds us of truth.

He transforms us...making us more like Christ.

He reveals God’s will...He leads and directs our steps.

He gives spiritual gifts...empowering ministry.

He fills us with love...so we can actually experience God, not just know about Him.

He gives us hope...something internal that sustains us.

He guides our prayers....even when we don’t know what to say.

And He empowers us to be witnesses...giving us dunamis, supernatural power.

This is not theory.

This is the active work of God in your life.

Jesus Operated Through the Holy Spirit

Now this is critical.

Jesus Himself modeled this life.

He laid aside His divine privilege… and everything He did was through the Holy Spirit.

He said in

John 12:49 NASB95

49 “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.

John 5:19 NASB95

19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

Jesus lived a Spirit-led life… so that we could live one too.

It’s like learning a skill by watching someone who already knows how to do it.

Think about a child learning how to tie their shoes.

You can explain it all you want. You can describe every step in detail.

But at some point, they need to watch someone do it… slowly… intentionally… step by step.

They follow the model. They imitate what they see.

And over time, what once felt impossible… becomes natural.

That’s what Jesus did for us.

He didn’t just teach principles He demonstrated a life.

A life fully dependent on the Father… through the Holy Spirit.

And now we don’t just try harder…

We follow His example.

The Holy Spirit grows Fruit in our Lives

Galatians 5:22–23 NASB95

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The Holy Spirit Gives gifts

The Holy Spirit doesn’t just transform us internally… He empowers us externally.

He gives gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:7 NASB95

7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

That means this:

Every believer has been given something. No one is left out.

And the gifts are not for you… they are for others.

But this all begins with relationship.

Holy Spirit enables this as well

The Holy Spirit Enables Relationship with God

The Holy Spirit is the one who makes relationship with God possible.

He connects your spirit… to the Father.

Without Him, Christianity becomes external.

It becomes routine. It becomes religion.

But with Him… it becomes relationship.

Let me say this clearly:

Christianity without hearing God becomes religion.

Hearing God: A Core Practice

Jesus said in John 10:27

John 10:27 NASB95

27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

Not some sheep. Not special sheep.

My sheep hear My voice.

That means every believer can hear God.

The issue is usually not ability… it’s recognition.

Wifi signal

Practical Tool: Conversational Journaling

So how do we grow in hearing God?

One practical tool is conversational journaling.

This is simple… but powerful.

You write your questions to God. Then you listen… and write what you sense He is saying.

Here’s how you prepare for it:

AWARE – Positioning Your Heart to Hear God

As we talk about hearing God, we also need to posture our hearts correctly.

Because hearing God is not just about technique… it’s about alignment.

Here’s a simple tool you can use daily called AWARE:

A – Always Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4 Start with gratitude. Thanksgiving shifts your focus from yourself… to God.

Psalm 100:4 NASB95

4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

W – Welcome God in Every Situation

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Not just the good moments… invite Him into everything.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB95

18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

A – Act with a Grateful Heart

Colossians 3:17 Let gratitude shape your actions, not just your words.

Colossians 3:17 NASB95

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

R – Rest in God’s Faithful Presence

Psalm 9:1 Slow down. You don’t have to strive—just remain aware that He is with you.

Psalm 9:1 NASB95

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.

E – Express God’s Glory through Gratitude

Psalm 105:1–3 Let your life declare who He is. Gratitude becomes a testimony.

Psalm 105:1–3 NASB95

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. 3 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.

This isn’t just a formula.

rather It’s a way of living… that keeps your heart positioned to hear His voice.

Once you’ve prepared your heart to receive. there still important steps to confirm what you are hearing

Testing What You Hear

Now this is important.

We don’t just accept everything—we test it.

First, the Word of God. God will never contradict Scripture.

Second, the inner witness of the Spirit. There’s a sense of peace—“it seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit.”

Third, godly counsel. Mature believers help confirm direction.

Fourth, the fruit test.

Does it build up? Does it bring life? Does it align with God’s nature?

Application: This Week’s Challenge

So here’s your challenge this week.

Start daily journaling.

Ask God: “What do You want to teach me today?”

Then create space to listen… to write… and to reflect.

Closing Emphasis

This is the foundation of the entire pathway.

If you miss this… everything else becomes mechanical.

Because without hearing God…

You can go through all the steps… and still miss the relationship.

So here is the final truth:

Hearing God transforms discipleship from a system… into a relationship.

thats why we put this here 1st!

End

Psalm 27 NASB95

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. 4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes. 12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.