How do we love well if we don’t have real Love living inside of us first?
I know, y’all. It’s a loaded question, and a potentially polarizing one at that. But the Bible tells us that human beings have the ability to love one another only because God loved us first (1 John 4:19). He loved us so much, in fact, that he sent his Son to redeem us back to his heart, and then he put his Spirit on the inside of us. And it’s God’s Spirit that sheds his love abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). So, seriously . . . how can we even endeavor to love another human being well if we don’t have the essence of that kind of real love deep down on the inside of us?
On this episode of The Positioned to Prosper podcast I’m sharing a message with you that I preached at my home church, REVIVE Church of Tampa, a short time ago as we closed out a series on the truth about the spiritual realm and stepped into a series on the truth about love. These two things are connected and this message is the bridge. I truly believe you’ve got to be Spirit-filled in order to love people well, and I’m using Acts 19:1-20 to show this pivotal principle in God’s word.
So if you’re ready to explore why it’s truly essential to have the Holy Spirit living inside of you as you endeavor to love people well, grab your Bible, your journal and a pen, and . . . Let’s Go!
Scripture References mentioned in this episode:
Acts 19:1-20 —
Paul in Ephesus
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland[a] country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in[b] the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.[c] 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
The Sons of Sceva
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all[d] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
Links to Resources Mentioned in This Episode
One of the most frequent questions I get asked around the podcast is, “Hey, Erica, where is the conversation happening? Where can I go to ask questions or to chat with others around the episodes you’re releasing?”
While I don’t host a podcast-specific discussion group at this time, I do lead and participate in a few different communities where the podcast episode topics are relevant. We discuss episodes in these groups on a regular basis. I want to invite you to check out these different communities to see if one feels like home for you. Then we can get together and discuss all things Positioned to Prosper there!
Erica co-leads a local church alongside her husband, Doug, in Tampa, Florida called REVIVE Church of Tampa. You can visit the church’s website for more information about who we are, what we believe and how we show up as the Church in the heart of West Tampa and beyond.
REVIVE Church of Tampa streams services live on Friday nights at 7pm ET and Sunday mornings at 11am ET. You can find those livestreams on our church Facebook page:
Live Services – Fridays at 7pm ET and Sundays at 11am ET
If you’re interested in joining the online campus of REVIVE Church of Tampa, you are welcome to join our community group on Facebook where we offer weekly discussion around the Friday and Sunday messages as well as discipleship Zoom groups and the opportunity to host others in your home as you stream services. You can find us here:
The ROCC: REVIVE Online Campus Community
About this podcast:
Positioned to Prosper is a weekly podcast that covers the ins and outs of what it means to live a lifestyle of breakthrough and victory in your relationships, health, finances and beyond. Your host, Erica Pyle, is no stranger to jumping without the proverbial parachute while maintaining a firm grip on godly wisdom. A self-described slayer of pragmatism and a “walk by faith” kind of girl, Erica is an unabashed believer in the power of God to radically transform lives. Front-footed in faith as she offers straight-up truth, strategies, and wisdom for living victoriously, and equipped with her love for the word of God, her certification as a holistic health coach, and years of experience in personal finance and taxation, Erica is ready to help you get positioned to prosper.
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