Do you hear the Holy Spirit’s voice in your life? During his message on Sunday, January 14 at Community Church Pastor Troy Murphy said Christ followers can tap into the power of the Holy Spirit.

Troy said the Father in heaven did not say to us, “Just get saved and wait in misery and struggle in your sin until I get back.' He says, 'I’m going to equip and empower you to walk in freedom and not in the power of sin in your life. I want you to be changed.'

When we trust Jesus, God gives us an ally in the Holy Spirit, who is to be noticed and seen in our lives. Troy pointed out four ways the Holy Spirit should be present:

ADVOCATE

John 16:7 says the Holy Spirit will come to us, not as a force or principle of nature or piece of God. He is a person present in all believers.

The Holy Spirit’s role is to be a helper called to our side and pleading our cause. The Holy Spirit will live in us forever (John 14: 15-17). The Spirit calls us to holiness. When we feel guilty or convicted over sin, that’s a good sign because the Spirit is working in us. When you have a true sense of God calling you toward something different than the world’s standards, that’s a good gauge that the Spirit is working in you.

Busy-ness prevents us from hearing the Holy Spirit’s voice. We run too fast as believers. We need to slow down and be still in order to hear the Spirit.

COMFORTER

John 14:27 says that God sends his peace to our hearts through the Holy Spirit. But God is not sending a world-defined peace, which is outward and distorted. God sends us an inner peace. We live in a world filled with pain, struggle and disappointment. Our hope is that Jesus promised to give us inner peace through the Spirit in the midst of chaos and difficulty.

TEACHER

1 Corinthians 2: 6-16 says God gives us the Holy Spirit so we can learn and grow. The Spirit teaches us and prods us to change. God wants us to know Him, and the Holy Spirit teaches us and pulls us on a path to follow in the steps of Jesus.

PRODUCER

The Holy Spirit is the producer of fruit in our lives (Galatians 5: 22-25). You can’t love better by your own will, or create more joy. Those ‘fruits’ come from the power of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of transformation. It helps us love people who are unlovable and forgive people in difficult circumstances. The Spirit enables us to be faithful and good and gentle and kind and filled with self-control.

Conclusion

The Holy Spirit is our cheerleader and reminds us of our worthiness before God through Jesus. How can you better walk with the Holy Spirit in the following areas:

*Create stillness in your life

*Read the Bible

*Share with believers (being open and vulnerable about your struggles without shame).