09/03/2026
Tonight, St. Paul United Methodist Church and Haven Chapel United Methodist Church gathered online for our Community Bible Study, “The Spirit Changes Us From the Inside Out.”
Our main Scripture was Galatians 5:16–25, supported by Ezekiel 36:26–27, Romans 8:5–11, and 2 Corinthians 3:17–18.
We were reminded that genuine spiritual transformation is more than changing our outward behavior or participating in religious activities. The Holy Spirit works from the inside out—changing our hearts, renewing our minds, and shaping our character so that our lives increasingly reflect Jesus Christ.
Spiritual maturity is not measured merely by church attendance, biblical knowledge, religious titles, preaching, singing, shouting, or knowing the right religious language. The clearest evidence of spiritual growth is the fruit our lives produce.
Paul identifies the fruit of the Spirit as:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The true test of our Christian character is not only how we behave during Sunday worship. It is revealed in how we treat our families, respond to difficult people, handle disagreements, conduct ourselves in the community, use social media, and behave when no one is watching.
Galatians teaches us that there is an ongoing struggle between the desires of the flesh and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Walking by the Spirit means surrendering our attitudes, decisions, reactions, relationships, and conduct to God each day.
During difficult situations, we should ask:
Does my response reflect the character of Jesus?
Am I strengthening or damaging the Church’s witness?
Am I being led by the Holy Spirit or controlled by my emotions?
We also learned that church renewal must begin within us. New programs and activities cannot heal a church if hearts remain hard, resistant, unforgiving, and unloving. Before we try to address everything wrong in the world, we must allow the Holy Spirit to confront the brokenness, attitudes, and behaviors within us.
In the Wesleyan tradition, we call this continuing work of God sanctifying grace. God does not merely forgive us and leave us unchanged. Through the Holy Spirit, God continually shapes us toward holiness and Christlikeness.
This week, choose one fruit of the Spirit that is difficult for us and intentionally practice it. Each morning, we are encouraged to pray:
“Holy Spirit, produce Your fruit in me today. Make me more like Jesus.”
At the end of each day, let us ask:
Where did I cooperate with God’s grace?
Where do I need to surrender again?
Did my life help someone see Jesus today?
You do not have to be a member of either church to participate. Everyone is invited to join our Community Bible Study each Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Come grow with us as we study God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, our churches, and our community.
For Bible study materials or additional information, email [email protected].
Holy Spirit → Transformed Lives → Transformed Church → Transformed Community
