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This week we are beginning a new newsletter series called, RENEWAL, based on the book “Movement Ready Church: a Blueprint for Multiplying Disciples” by Robby Gallaty & Vick Green – a book written for renewal in the church, but our take will be on our individual spiritual renewal.  

I don’t know for certain, but I suspect that you are a bit like me, that from time to time you are in need of a spiritual renewal. Perhaps you are even there now.   

Maybe, you sense that your life with Jesus is in need of an upgrade. It’s not Him; it’s you. Maybe you are finding yourself spiritually dry, stagnant; your life seems routine, rote, uninspired. You pray but don’t seem to get anything out of it. You do it because you know it is the right thing to do, but it just doesn’t seem to be working.  

Maybe you read your Bible, pick up the verse for the day, listen to podcasts, go to church and still believe; that’s not the problem. You just don’t seem to be flourishing.  

That could be any of us.    

Over the next few weeks, we are going to take a look at the idea of renewal, based on the following verse:  

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. - Ephesians 4:23 (NLT)  

What an encouraging verse. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, a group of people in need of renewal, specifically in their thoughts and attitudes. Sound familiar? 

The word “Renew” (ananeoo) describes a continuous, God-initiated change that restructures how a person thinks, feels, and views the world. It is not “self-help”, but Holy Spirit empowered.  

And that’s the key. It is Holy Spirit empowered. It's up to us to recognize where we are and what we are experiencing. It is up to Him to bring about the change.  

That’s what this series will be about – real change, real healing, real life that is life with Christ.  

God has a purpose for your inner life, and it is the Spirit who is to carry that out. The result of His work is called the “fruit of the Spirit”.  

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22, 23 

With the Spirit in our lives, these fruits will grow and transform us, causing us to experience a new interior life. Each fruit is life-giving and nourishing to our souls.  

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 

Take each one of these and try them on. Walk around in them one at a time. What would they feel like? What would you be like with that quality going full tilt in your life? How would you be different in each one of these qualities were thriving in you as you talked with people, went about your daily activities, spent time with God, just doing nothing?  

Take “goodness” and put it on. Let it fill you up, from top to bottom. Embrace it. How would you be different with goodness as a dominant quality. What would this do for your soul?  

How about love? What if you were filled with love? Joy? What would each day feel like if you were filled with joy? Would you look at your circumstances differently? Would you respond to your circumstances differently? Would you complain? Criticize? Get upset as much? Peace is one most people want. Greater peace in your life. The Holy Spirit wants to grow that in your life. Do you want Him to?  

Take time to do this with each of the fruit. Reflect on them. Make them a prayer as you go, “God, please grow this in my life. I want to be different. I want more of you in my life. I am ready for change. I am ready for renewal.”  

The Spirit produces each one of these in our lives as we walk with Him. It is a “fruit”, a result of simply being connected to Him, yielded to Him. They are not something we work on; they are some things we receive simply by being in relationship with Him. Each one is a quality of a renewed mind and attitude. They are what we will “look like” and “be like” as a result of the Spirit in our life. Our best move is to let the Spirit work – don't fight it or resist Him. Just let Him do what He does. That is what renewal looks like.  

So today, perhaps the best way to find renewal is to simply invite Him to work. Ask Him for more. Believe Him for more. Trust Him for more. Yield yourself to Him for more.  

That is step one.  

For the rest of this newsletter series, we will focus on the word, RENEW, developed by Robby Gallaty & Vick Green in their book, “Movement Ready Church: a Blueprint for Multiplying Disciples.” Their focus is renewal in a church. Our focus will be on renewal in us.  

Each week we will take a look at the following topics, one word at a time:  

R-E-N-E-W: Reliance - Expectancy – Necessity – Endurance – Wonder 

God has something for us in every season of our life. Let’s go on this journey together with Him.  

Praying for you as we go.