It’s easy to think that the work of the Holy Spirit is something out of Return of the Jedi; that somehow we become able to do things beyond the natural world. Yes, that’s true, but more often in Scripture we see the supernatural acts of the Holy Spirit being very practical. Maybe natural is less about science and more about natural human behavior. What if the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit is as simple as when we give to someone in need?

You'll often hear churches talk about not doing life alone and that Christianity is more a team sport than a solo act. All true. But how much do we really mean that? How far are we willing to go when it comes to unity? In a diverse world where everyone looks different and acts different, is unity really even possible? It is, but it's not in a program or a governmental initiative...it's in something better.

What does God want me to do? Everyone asks that question at least 50 times a day, and at least 50,000 times when they were trying to figure out what to major in for college. It would be so nice if He would just draw a map to give us a turn-by turn guide through our days. Unfortunately He doesn’t; but it’s not because He doesn’t care, it’s because He knows it’s not that simple. He knows what drives our decisions. He knows it’s all about what we know––what we hold as true. So why not just get us to see that?

There’s a huge difference between a power drill and a power drill battery. The drill is something that can be used while the battery is what enables the drill to be used in the first place. Many people think the Holy Spirit is like a tool; something we use to accomplish some righteous task––as if the Holy Spirit is at our disposal or beck and call. But we’re the tool. We’re the ones that God uses to accomplish His purposes, so that makes the Holy Spirit the great enabler.

Do you like your job?  Here's an even trickier question: does your job like you?  If you were to poll the people you work with and the bosses you work for, asking what their perception of you might be, what do you think they'd say?

By 2018 it’s expected that 2.5 billion people will be connected through social media. No matter where you are or what time it is, you can reach millions of people with one click.  We’re now “friends” with people we’ve never met. We “follow” people we’ve never been in the same room with. And we want more than ever for people to “like” us. Social media is the new public square where people come together to socialize, to discuss hot topics, and make themselves known. A lot of good can be accomplished in the public square, but a lot can go wrong too.

Most people outside the church see the people inside the church as hypocrites. They’re seen as people who talk a good game but don’t really walk the talk. Unfortunately, that perception isn’t always wrong and that’s a huge problem because it reflects poorly on God’s reputation. We don’t think about it much, but our lack of integration, or infusing our faith into every part of our lives, actually turns people away from God. There’s a whole new generation on the planet that cares a great deal about genuineness and conviction. We cannot continue to have a church compartment…we need to live an integrated Christian life; people of integrity.

Do and don’t. That’s where we always start isn’t it? Change or modify behavior so that real growth can happen. Somehow though, we always come back to the same old hangups. Maybe we aren’t getting to the root of the issue. And maybe that’s why people find Christianity so unapproachable. Maybe that’s why we have such a hard time connecting with our unchurched friends. Maybe we need to change how we think about this…maybe we need to change the way we think, period.

Everywhere you look, you’ll find someone trying to be famous. Social media seems to have created an insatiable appetite in us for being known. The trouble is that many of us actually pull it off; often for the wrong reasons. Which is not all that different from God; it seems like, at least in our day and age, God is famous for wrong reasons. Those wrong reasons? His followers. That needs to change. But how do we make God famous for right reasons? Well, it might not be what you think.