“When the Counselor comes, the one I will to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father – he will testify about me.” — John 15:26
When you become part of a team, you usually receive some nice perks: gear, shoes, per diem, and if you're lucky, even laundry. When you make a decision to place your faith in Christ, you get perks too. The biggest one is the Holy Spirit. The moment you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He gives you the Holy Spirit to help you grow.
WARM-UP
If you ever get an NIL (Name, Image Likeness) deal, what will you do with the money?
WORKOUT
Connected
At the end of John 15, Jesus moves from talking about hardship to promising that the Holy Spirit is coming to help. He refers to the Spirit as the Counselor (John 15:26). A few verses later Jesus tells his disciples that it’s actually better for Him to leave so the Counselor can come (John 16:7). As a disciple of Jesus, this means that no matter where you are, you have the presence of God dwelling in you! To fully appreciate this gift, you need to get to know Him (yes, the Holy Spirit is a him not an it) and the Bible tells us that:
He helps us when we are weak (Romans 8:26)
He prays to the Father on our behalf (Romans 8:26)
He transforms us to look more like Jesus (Romans 8:29)
He teaches and reminds us (John 14:26)
He convicts us (John 16:8)
He guides us (John 16:13)
The Spirit’s existence in our lives means that whenever we practice or compete, God is with us. He is not a distant being in the top corner of the bleachers staring down at us. He is with us every step of the way! If you are in Christ, you are never alone because His Spirit lives actively within you, offering you a constant presence no matter what you deserve or how you perform.
Q: Before this workout, how would you have described the Holy Spirit to someone?
Q: How does knowing you are never alone change your perspective?
Producing Fruit from the Spirit
Remember, Jesus told His disciples that God is glorified when they produce much fruit. It’s one of the primary ways we can prove that we are His disciples. As we acknowledge the Spirit’s active presence in our lives and begin to follow His lead, the Bible says that He produces fruit in our lives!
The Apostle Paul talks about this in Galatians 5:22-23. He says that the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
As we surrender to the Spirit’s leading, we see this fruit, or proof, displayed in our lives. This doesn’t mean that life is easy or that every aspect of our lives changes immediately. It also doesn’t mean we’ll live perfectly in these categories. In fact, these changes often happen without us necessarily feeling like we are changing. It’s similar to physical training. We rarely see proof of the work after a day. But as weeks, months, and years go by, there is fruit (proof) that our training is working.
What does this mean for you as an athlete? It means you have Someone with you at all times who has a vested interest in seeing you remain in Jesus and produce fruit in your life!
Being connected to the Spirit means you have unlimited access to your Creator—the same Creator who identifies as your Father.
Being connected to the Spirit means you don’t have to just settle for playing for God. You can now play with Him.
Being connected to the Spirit means you have a purpose and power that transcends the world of sports.
Your identity as an athlete offers you some pretty amazing perks, but your identity as a follower of Christ means you are personally connected to the Father at all times through the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. As you commit to follow the Spirit’s lead in your life, He offers you everything needed to grow, thrive and persevere in sport—and more importantly, in life.
Q: Of the nine character traits within the Fruit of the Spirit, which one could you use the most right now?
Q: Being connected to God through the Spirit has several perks. Which one brings you the most comfort?
WRAP-UP
We’re proven by learning about God’s Spirit and listening to Him.
If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in you.
The Spirit’s job, simply stated, is to help you look more like Jesus every day.
Our job is to acknowledge His active presence in our life and follow His lead.
Key Action: Assess the Fruit of the Spirit in your life. Which ones do you need to work the most on?
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