Businesses uses strategies to be effective. Parents have a strategy to raise children into successful adults. Deep down everyone has a desire to be effective in life. When we pass on, we want to know our life counted and made a difference. Why is it that Christians can be so ineffective? What role does the Holy Spirit play into our effectiveness?

There is a tendency to live an unbalanced life. There are more times we act, think and do things for ourselves than ourselves. There are times when we feel like putting others first. We make a contribution to a charity, help with the community and give some money to those who are in need. This does not happen all the time, but when we do it, we begin to balance life out a little. What are we supposed to do with the struggle of being selfish and selfless? Is there a way to balance the two? 

So no matter who you are or how old you are, we all have this internal desire to have control. The control can be more or less depending on the situation, but nonetheless, we want control. Control leads us to pursue what we want. Ultimately, we want to be in control so we can control the outcome of our lives. But is that the best way to live life or is there another way?

What if you lived life a little bit differently? What if you skipped every third meal? What if you didn’t say every third word? It seems really weird and ridiculous. It doesn’t make sense, skipping every third word or every third meal. When it comes to the Holy Spirit, we seem to leave him out. Going through life sometimes can be overwhelming. We are not to do it alone and that is why God gave us a guide to come alongside us. 

Pastor Joe's message, Fight it, from his series Genuine.

Ever had a victory on minute, only to be defeated the next? Ever got so depressed that you felt like you couldn't go on? In the midst of it all, you might have wondered where was God. Did he ever care? The answer may surprise you to see what God is like during our lowest point in our lives. 

Chances are you have been labeled as a child or made a mistake that has followed you for your entire life. When that happens, you are defined by what someone said or what you did. But what if you began to see yourself differently. What if you began to see yourself as God see you?

Nobody really likes to be uncomfortable. When we are uncomfortable we are miserable. We stress, worry, and get anxious. When you get comfortable with God, the relationship can have the potential to be stagnant and fade out over time. What would happen if you were ok being comfortable getting uncomfortable?