TLC Values: Attentive to the Spirit
Speaker: Matt Hails
Notes
From TLC Vision and Values: Attentive to the Spirit [Galatians 5:25]
God has a strategy for seeing His Kingdom come and His will done; we want to be part of that, at the forefront of what God is doing, continually in step with the Holy Spirit. We aspire to be led by the Spirit, approaching situations and circumstances with wisdom and discernment, continually seeking God as to His plan for us as a church.
We believe that God not only has a general plan and purpose for humanity, shown in the Bible, he also has specific plans and purposes for us, as TLC and as individuals.
We need to be both Anchored in the Bible and Attentive to the Spirit - a good Word/Spirit balance - strong in both.
We aim to listen to the Holy Spirit in all areas of church life. e.g. selecting preaching topics, preparing preaching, listening to preaching, Bible Study, preparing + leading worship, when praying, outreach, hospitality, and many more. We encourage the use of spiritual gifts in meetings (1 Corinthians 12:7 - 11), especially prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1). We value prophecy, but also see the need to test it (1 Thessalonians 5:19 - 21). We look to respond to prophecy.
Elijah had an experience in hearing God and keeping in step with him in 1 Kings 19:9 - 18. Some principles we can take from that:
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Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
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Put God first.
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Develop a listening habit.
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Work together.
Application
Pick some of the following to initiate discussion. Aim to finish by praying for one another.
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Does God speak to you? Tell the group about one example - preferably recent - when God spoke to you.
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Read 1 Kings 19:9 - 18. What do you think Elijah was feeling? What stands out to you most from this passage? What can we learn from Elijah's experience about valuing God's voice and being attentive to him?
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Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you pray in tongues? If yes - what difference has it made to you in terms of listening to and hearing from God. If not - would you like to be? (Opportunity to pray for one another)
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Have you received any prophesies that you regard as having a big impact on the way you live your life?
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How do you feel about the 6 TLC Values? Which ones do you most identify with and why?
Posted: 29 Mar 2009
