10 Principles of Spirit-Filled Discipleship - Jack Hayford

I have been using these 10 Principles of Spirit-Filled Discipleship from Ps Jack Hayford recently in a range of ways.

Here is the complete list from his book, Living the Spirit-Formed Life.

THE FIRST DISCIPLINE: COMMITTING TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)

THE SECOND DISCIPLINE: LIVING IN THE POWER OF BAPTISM
“But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness’.” (Matt. 3:15)

THE THIRD DISCIPLINE: THE RESOURCES OF THE LORD’S TABLE
“Take, eat; this is my body … Drink from it, all of you.” (Matt. 26:26,27)
........... living in the shadow of the Cross.

THE FOURTH DISCIPLINE: THE SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS
“I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” (Matt. 18:32,33)

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE: FEEDING ON THE WORD OF GOD
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
(Matt. 4:4)

THE SIXTH DISCIPLINE: MAINTAINING INTEGRITY OF HEART
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt.5:8)

THE SEVENTH DISCIPLINE: ABIDING IN THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)

THE EIGHTH DISCIPLINE: LIVING A LIFE OF SUBMISSION
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”(Matt. 16:24)

THE NINTH DISCIPLINE: THE PRACTICE OF SOLITUDE
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

THE TENTH DISCIPLINE: THE LIFE OF A WORSHIPER
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23)

LIFT Part 1 - with Special Guest Max the Manequin

I really enjoyed the start of our new LIFT series last Sunday AM.

I had special guest "Max the Manequin" helping me. Here are some photos of Max and I.

I used a firehose and "Max" to demonstrateHoly Spirit baptism and fullness as follows:

The initial baptism in Holy Spirit is once-for-all experience that never needs to be repeated. But drinking from the river of the Spirit that now flows from within is something that each believer needs to do regularly.

For this reason Paul uses a continuing tense when he says: “Be [continually] filled [and refilled] with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)

Continual feeding on God’s word and drinking of God’s Spirit are essential for a life of victory and fruitfulness

Max did look worried when I pulled out the cordless drill and gave him a mortal wound to the heart!

Here is a media clip from the start of the message. Here is where I introduce "Max" and have some fun.

Click the clip below.

New L.I.F.T. Series = Re-enACTS series 2.0

We start the new L.I.F.T. series this morning.

I am linking this series to our previous Re-enACTS series in March 2009.

Here is a link to one of the previous blog posts about Holy Spirit.

It is well worth digging around the March 09 blog archives or doing a search with the tag "Re-enACTS."

It's time to do it all over again - and grow in fruitfulness and daily live in power.

The initial baptism in Holy Spirit is once-for-all experience that never needs to be repeated. But drinking from the river of the Spirit that now flows from within is something that each believer needs to do regularly.

For this reason Paul uses a continuing tense when he says:

“Be [continually] filled [and refilled] with the Spirit” - Ephesians 5:18.

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit" - Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)

Continual feeding on God’s word and drinking of God’s Spirit are essential for a life of victory and fruitfulness.

"Fullness" - What a Word!

I have been captivated in recent months by the word "fullness."

Live full lives, full in the fullness of God - Ephesians 3:19 (MSG)

And God placed all things under his (Jesus) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way - Ephesians 1:21-23 (NIV)

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore - Psalms 16:11 (AMP)

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness - John 10:10 (NLT)

I did up this visual thesaurus for the word "fullness"..... helps me get a "fuller" appreciation of the word "fullness."

Ben Naitoko is Coming - Sunday 9 August - 10am

We have a new series starting this Sunday. That is always good.

What is extra exciting is that Ps Ben Naitoko from Metro Church Brisbane will be with us the weekend after. Yes!!!

He made a real impact last time he was with the Westlifers.
And his message will be drawn out of Ephesians with the theme of Be Empowered to be a Territory-Taker!!

As Phil Pringle would say, "See you in church!" 10am.

LIFT - Shannon Noll

We are starting a new series in August called LIFT! - it's about living in fullness... today!

One of the songs we will be playing in the series is an Aussie favourite ... and I love the lyrics.

You can watch it here on YouTube .... click here


I know you're hurting
Feels like you're learning '
Bout life the hard way
And it ain't working

Seems like forever
That you've been falling
It's time to move on
Your life is calling, yeah

This was never meant to be the end
Close the book and start again

Cos i know how hard it can get
But you've gotta lift, you've gotta lift
And sometimes that's how it is
But I know you're stronger

Stronger than this
You've gotta lift
You've gotta lift

When you can feel your
Whole body's aching
What's left of your heart
It won't stop breaking

You've got to let go you took a hit
Time to pick up now move on from this

LIFT! - Random "Spirit-Fullness" Thoughts from Ps Jack Hayford

I am really enjoying Jack Hayford's book, Living the Spirit-Formed Life.

He has some great thoughts. Like this one....

It is God’s desire that all believers answer to the call to live the Spirit-filled, Spirit-formed life. This is "the normal Christian life as conceived by Jesus."

He also writes in many other books.

Check some of these quotes out:

Nothing in the believer’s life is more essential in becoming a replication and representative of Jesus Christ than being daily empowered by the Holy Spirit.

From Pentecost until our Lord’s return, the Church’s commission is to receive “power from on high, do business until I come, go into all the world,” and experience “the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs” (see Luke 24:49; 19:13; Matt. 28:18-20).

The full mandate is only possible through being baptized in the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:5-8; 2:1-4), being continually filled afresh with His love and power (see Rom. 5:6; Acts 4:8; 7:35; 13:52; Eph. 4:18-20), and abiding in the fullness of the Spirit (see also Acts 1:13,14; 2:11).

Then this.....

The Lord did not give us spiritual language as a point of argument but as a resource to capacitate the Church.

Then this.....

Jesus makes clear, however, that there is a difference between the indwelling Holy Spirit and the overflowing Spirit. In John 4, He tells the woman at the well, who needed saving grace, that the water He had to give would become in her a fountain springing up unto everlasting life. Then, in John 7, speaking about the Holy Spirit who would later be given, He says, “Those who believe in Me, out of their inner being will flow rivers of living water.” Jesus distinguishes between coming to receive eternal life at the well of salvation, and rivers of living water that not only refresh us, but also flow out of us in ministry to other people by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then this.....

I will never argue against the idea that tongues are an evidence of the baptism of the Spirit, because I think there is sufficient evidence for that. But the Lord did not give us spiritual language as a point of argument for the Church. He gave it as a resource to capacitate the Church. The Holy Spirit, who has come to dwell in us, wants to overflow every one of us and, in that overflow, to release His spiritual language.

Thanks Ps Jack Hayford!

I can't wait for our new L.I.F.T! teaching series - living in fullness today!

LIFT! - Live in Fullness Today! - New Series

I get pretty excited about new series artwork!!

(Remember my post here when I released the My Work Matters series?)

In the last 3 months or so I have been captivated by the word "fullness" in the Bible. Just put the word "fullness" in any electronic bible commentary and "presto!"

Here is a sample - what a cracker .........

Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:19 (MSG)

This is a series about living in the fullness of all that God has prepared for us... living in the fullness of His Spirit.

Check out some of the key series thoughts underneath the series artwork (below).

I'll also post a link soon to one of the songs we will be using ... any guesses??

The series starts Sunday 2 August 2009 10am - see you there!

It is God’s deep desire that all believers answer to the call to live the Spirit-filled, Spirit-formed life... “to live in the fullness of God.”

This is the normal Christian life as conceived by Jesus.

It is the kind of life, experience and witness that is described in the book of Acts. The steps forward to the Spirit-formed life are set out in the Bible:

1. Be Spirit-born by repenting for your sins and by putting faith in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, verifying the commitment by obeying Jesus Christ as Lord and being baptised in water (see Acts 2:38,39)

2. Be Spirit-filled by receiving the promise Jesus gave that His followers will receive power – power to move in new dimensions of worship, praise, prayer, service and witness (see Acts 1:5-8; 2:1-4)

3. To “walk in the Spirit” or be Spirit-formed by recognised that the entry door of new birth and the birthright blessing of Holy Spirit fullness are only beginnings – both calling us a believers to growth in Christ likeness and discipleship under His lordship (see Rom 12:1,2; Acts 2:42,46,47).


(Thanks to Ps Jack Hayford for guiding some of my thoughts in this vital area.)

This series will be a gateway for those looking for full-dimensional spirituality ... true Spirit-fullness!

The series starts Sunday 2 August 2009 10am - see you there!