Acts 15:5-12; John 15 (excerpts), John 16:1-3; Matthew 23:23-26

Instead of routinely working on the fundamentals and getting back to basics, what blew it for me was an unhealthy dependence upon ritual. This can often happen in our spiritual development as well, where we easily trade ritual for relationship. Instead of developing greater sensitivity to the Spirit’s direction, we often revert back to following rules or ceremonial rituals, thinking that somehow God is happy with those efforts. What’s lacking? Two words: Dependence and Empowerment.