This week Pastor Ashish preached on Listening to the Spirit. God is not impressed by titles or religious positions; He looks for hearts that are humble, open, and ready to listen. Eli held the position of priest but had grown cold to God, while Samuel had no title yet carried a posture of attentiveness. That is why God skipped over Eli to speak to Samuel, showing us that posture matters more than position.

To cultivate that kind of posture, we practice the following. Awareness means removing barriers like sin, stubbornness, and self-sufficiency. Abiding means staying rooted in Scripture, prayer, and intimacy with Jesus. Assessment helps us discern God’s voice against His Word and character, and Approach reminds us to carry His message with humility and love. When we live this way, we cultivate the soil conditions of our life to hear God.

Freedom in Christ isn’t the license to do whatever you want. It’s the Spirit-given power to love and serve others. When we walk in the flesh, our lives produce bitterness and division, but when we walk in the Spirit, we bear fruit that looks like Jesus: love, joy, peace, kindness, and more. The Spirit makes us into living orchards of God’s beauty in a world that’s tearing itself apart.

Sermon Series: The Deeper Life

Episode one:

Pastor Ashish kicked off the Deeper Life series by preaching on the leading of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus, to make us more like Jesus, and to bring more to Jesus. He leads us to Jesus, awakening our hearts, making us alive, and spotlighting Christ. He then transforms us from the inside out, chiseling away what is not like Jesus and growing His fruit in us. It all starts with a simple prayer: “Lead me, Holy Spirit”