By Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA You start doing what you were never able to do on your own. When you stop leaving the Holy Spirit in the box and start walking with Him daily, you get the everyday stuff right and the hard stuff right, and your life becomes the kind of proof that points other people straight to God. We have spent all week on one gift. We found out the Holy Spirit is God living in you. We pulled Him out of the special-occasion cabinet. We took Him out of the

By Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA Because you have been living like you bought a cheap seat when Jesus already paid for your VIP access. The power of the Holy Spirit is not reserved for the extra-anointed few. It was bought for you, given to you, and it comes with every privilege everybody else has. Let me tell you about my husband. If there is any way to get the VIP pass, the VIP seat, the VIP package to an event, that is what we are getting. That is mostly a David thing,

By Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA Because you have been trying to produce the fruit of the Spirit without actually using the Spirit. You already own the help you need. You just keep leaving it in the box, doing life the comfortable old way, and wondering why the results never change. Let me confess something on myself. I have bought things off the TV that I was absolutely convinced would change my life. Have you ever seen something on an infomercial and got completely marve

By Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA Yes. The Holy Spirit is not a special-occasions gift you only pull out for crises and miracles. He is an everyday Helper for the ordinary, unglamorous parts of your life. Reserving Him for emergencies means you are missing most of what He was given to do. Let me ask you something. Do you have the good stuff in your house? The good china that only comes out for Thanksgiving. The good dishes, the good linen. The room nobody is allowed to sit

By Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA Because you have not been leaning on the Helper who already lives inside you. When you accepted Christ, God did not just save you and wave from a distance. He moved in. The Holy Spirit is God in you, and most of us are out here trying to carry it all on our own, when He was sent to help us. Let me talk to the woman who is worn out from trying. You love God. You are showing up, praying, doing your best to live right. But somewhere in there i

By Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA He wants you to go be a witness. Everything Jesus did across those forty days, revealing Himself again and again, was so that ordinary people would believe and then go tell it. You were not saved just to sit. You were saved to carry the news that He is alive. We have walked all week through the awesome reveal. We got you up off the grave of the past. We sent you out to plant a seed while afraid. We found God walking beside you when you coul

You cannot do it perfectly. But you are not alone in the attempt. God never gave you a commandment without also giving you help to carry it out. The Holy Spirit is that help. And learning to depend on Him is how imperfect people give the most extraordinary love the world has ever seen. We have covered a lot of ground this week. Four types of love. Match them to the right relationship. The giving versus receiving distinction. The commandment to Agape love unconditionally. And