{"id":302949,"date":"2014-02-25T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-02-25T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/who-is-the-spirit\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T13:39:30","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T18:39:30","slug":"who-is-the-spirit","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/who-is-the-spirit\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is the Spirit?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you under the influence?  Pastor Francis Chan reminds believers about their need for the Holy Spirit and calls on the church to be conduits of the Holy Spirit&#8217;s power and love.  As Chan points out, having the Spirit of God inside us should make a huge difference in the way we live.  If we aren&#8217;t living any differently than the world, we need to examine our faith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pastor Francis Chan reminds believers about their need for the Holy Spirit and calls on the church to be conduits of the Holy Spirit&#8217;s power and love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2014-02-25.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"23.22M","filesize_raw":"24343880","date_recorded":"2014-02-25 12:00:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822,2866],"tags":[4252],"podcast_series":[7708],"cwp_profile":[8813],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302949","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","category-spiritual-disciplines-essentials-faith","tag-holy-spirit","podcast_series-forgotten-god","cwp_profile-francis-chan","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/302949\/who-is-the-spirit","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302949\/who-is-the-spirit","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"qd673S8znb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/who-is-the-spirit\/\">Who is the Spirit?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/who-is-the-spirit\/embed\/#?secret=qd673S8znb\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Who is the Spirit?&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"qd673S8znb\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Pastor Francis Chan reminds believers about their need for the Holy Spirit and calls on the church to be conduits of the Holy Spirit's power and love.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2014-02-25.pdf","transcript_content":"<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>You can bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but it takes a work of the Holy Spirit for a child to trust Jesus. Pastor and author Francis Chan says it was not long ago that he and his wife were beginning to wonder if their daughter was actually a Christian.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Here I am, traveling the world, telling people about Jesus, seeing people come and fall in love with Jesus; and I can\u2019t make it happen in my own home! And so, after those times of prayer, there was a day when my daughter came in and said: \u201cDad, you were right. I wasn\u2019t a believer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>1:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>for Tuesday, February 25<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will talk today with Francis Chan about the person he calls the forgotten God. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n<p>And welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today. <\/em>Thanks for joining us. I saw a little twinkle, I thought, in your eye when we saw what we are going to be talking about today\u2014just a little gleam\/little glitter there; you know.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well it\u2019s a\u2014how should we say it? This is a controversial subject.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>It shouldn\u2019t be all that controversial\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It shouldn\u2019t be\u2014it shouldn\u2019t be, but we are going to talk about the missing member of the Trinity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Or as one person puts it, the forgotten God; right?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. Francis Chan joins us on <em>FamilyLife Today. <\/em>Francis\u2014<\/p>\n<p>welcome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Thanks Dennis. Good to be here.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Francis is a pastor and speaks, extensively, around the country at all kinds of popular Christian conferences\u2014catalysts, youth specialties. A lot of our listeners know of your first book, <em>Crazy Love, <\/em>which\u2014how many copies has that sold now?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Just over half a million.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s cool\u2014really is.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes, it was never the intent. I never thought it would be a bestseller. My whole intent in that book was just: \u201cLet me just encourage the people who are living radically\u2014let them know that they are not crazy.\u201d So, I was thinking: \u201cA small group;\u201d but\u2014amazing what God has done through it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>That\u2019s got to surprise you\u2014that that theme has resonated with so many people; doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Oh it totally does, which excites me because you would think: \u201cNo one wants to read this stuff.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one wants to get radical about Jesus. We are happy being comfortable;\u201d but I think the Holy Spirit is stirring people\u2019s hearts, going: \u201cThis isn\u2019t right. There has to be more\u2014there has to be more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, quite honestly, these are days when we need more and more folks getting radical about the Greatest One who has ever walked the planet.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well\u2014and now you have gone and done it\u2014to talk about getting radical. You talk about the forgotten God\u2014the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Is that something that, in your own walk with Christ, has been fresh for you in recent days?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>It really has been. I have been in ministry for about 20 years now. You do ministry a certain way for years, and it is fine. It\u2019s the way everyone else does it. You see more people come to church, you know\u2014you start speaking at different conferences, and there is some response; but every time you read the Scriptures you go: \u201cThere is more. There is more!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You start looking at everything you do and you realize: \u201cA lot of this could be explained by natural means.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201c<\/strong>A lot of the results I see could be happening just because it\u2019s a good band\/a good speaker\u2014and so some good things are happening. Some talented people are drawing a crowd.\u201d Yet, when I read the Scriptures, it was the <em>power of God<\/em>. People were stunned\/shocked by the power of God.\u201d Pretty soon you go: \u201cI want that. I got to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well it was Acts 1:8 where Jesus, as He was getting ready to depart the planet, spoke to His disciples and said, \u201cYou shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.\u201d And then, he began to talk about the influence they were going to have\u2014not only in Jerusalem\u2014but to the uttermost parts of the world. That\u2019s really why the Holy Spirit came\u2014He came to shake things up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes, totally. He tells His disciples: \u201cWait here. Don\u2019t go out there and try to change the world on your own. It\u2019s just not going to happen. Stay in this room and wait because this power is going to come upon you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>5:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So, they wait; they wait; they wait. When that power comes, sure enough, everyone\u2014it says they \u201cfelt a sense of awe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t you want to feel that?! Don\u2019t we all want that? Isn\u2019t that what this is about?\u00a0 For me to know that\u2014that wasn\u2019t just a clever speaker up there, or a great soloist, or a great band\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Or great doctrine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Exactly, exactly; but to know: \u201cI experience God,\u201d\u2014it\u2019s undeniable. I want to feel that sense of awe. I want to know that it is God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, I want to ask you a question that I asked some of my friends on Facebook<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I went online; and I said, \u201cGive me one word that describes the Holy Spirit to you.\u201d So while you are thinking, Francis, about the word you are going to pick, let me just tell you some of what my friends said on Facebook. Melanie said, \u201cTransforming.\u201d I really like that. I like what Peter said, \u201cSculpting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Wow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That was a good one. Cara said, \u201cGuiding.\u201d Marilyn said, \u201cConscience.\u201d Laurie cheated. She works here, at FamilyLife. She said: \u201cPower, source, comforter, counselor, helper, advocate, intercessor\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>That\u2019s not one word\u2014shame on her!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: \u201c<\/strong>\u2014strengthener, guide, and teacher.\u201d She knocked off about half a dozen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>I like the guy that wrote to you and said, \u201cIrresistible is my word;\u201d and then he said, \u201cBut that\u2019s because I am Calvinist,\u201d\u2014 so, you know. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Okay, what\u2019s your word?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Oh gosh; that\u2019s so hard.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>One word.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>I would go with \u201cPowerful\u201d\u2014I would. I wish I could say \u201cPowerful Leader.\u201d Is that Powerful\/Leader?\u2014-Leader?\u00a0 Maybe, because I think, a lot of times, when we think of the Holy Spirit\u2014I don\u2019t want people to think: \u201c\u2026just a power that I harness,\u201d you know, like Spiderman or something.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s this idea of a person that we follow\u2014that leads us and gives us this power. I think, sometimes, we neglect that thought. We think: \u201cWell, the Holy Spirit will come. He gives me this power that I can use at any time.\u201d But, \u201cNo\u2014He\u2019s a person that leads us and empowers us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>7:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>So is\u2014I guess the question I have for you: \u201cIs your relationship, today, with the Holy Spirit different than your relationship with the Holy Spirit was two or three years ago because, you know, you have been resident with the Holy Spirit ever since you came to faith;\u201d right?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes, I have.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So He has been with you\u2014He has been there\u2014and yet, there is something going on\u2014stirring in your soul\u2014related to that relationship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes. It\u2019s <em>totally<\/em> different now. A lot has to do with my <em>faith<\/em> in the Scriptures and believing Jesus\u2014taking his words literally and saying: \u201cNo, this is actually my advantage. This is better than having Jesus walk beside me. I have got the Holy Spirit of God inside of me,\u201d and to really believe that. Because of that faith, I expect something to happen\u2014real life change.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Take it down to your wife, Lisa, okay\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>8:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014because she is not up on a podium, giving a message to thousands of people, like you do. She is caring for your three daughters and your son. How does this apply to her life\u2014about expecting God to show up where she is living her life?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014as a mom.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Oh, yes\u2014it's huge, as a mom\u2014huge, as a mom\u2014because here\u2019s the thing\u2014we got to a point with our oldest daughter. We were really struggling and just wondering, \u201cIs this faith even her own?\u201d At one point\u2014just looking at her and going: \u201cI have never seen the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. You have been pretty obedient, here and there; but I\u2019m just wondering\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Did you say this to her?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes, I did. I\u2019m crying. I\u2019m sobbing because I can\u2019t make her fall in love with Jesus. Everything I see in the Scriptures, according to my theology, that\u2019s something the Holy Spirit has to do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So, I\u2019m crying, night after night, going: \u201cGod, I can\u2019t do this\u2014either your Holy Spirit comes into her\u2014and she will follow, she\u2019ll be convicted, she will fall in love with you\u2014or your Holy Spirit does not go into her. I can\u2019t do anything about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I can curb her behavior. I can just put tighter restrictions on her so she can\u2019t get into too much trouble, but I can\u2019t make her fall in love with God. I just remember agonizing and saying: \u201cGod, You\u2019ve got to do it. You\u2019ve got to do it.\u201d Here I am, traveling the world, telling people about Jesus, seeing people come and fall in love with Jesus; and I can\u2019t make it happen in my own home!<\/p>\n<p>And so, after those times of prayer, there was a day when my daughter came in and said: \u201cDad, you were right. I wasn\u2019t a believer. I did not have the Holy Spirit in me;\u201d and she goes: \u201cAnd I know it, and I am sure of it because He is in me now. So, I know the difference.\u201d\u00a0 And she goes: \u201cDad, I talk to Him like I talk to you now. God is that real to me,\u201d and we have seen it!<\/p>\n<p><strong>10:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It's like, \u201cWho is this girl?\u201d And the battle is real\u2014it\u2019s hers. There\u2019s a real relationship with God.<\/p>\n<p>So, with parenting, we don\u2019t have to take ourselves too seriously. We work hard\u2014work hard at parenting. At the same time, there is this supernatural element that you and I don\u2019t have control over. My wife, Lisa, sees that completely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>How do you counsel a mom and dad, who may be raising a son\/a daughter\u2014and like you, they look and they go, \u201cI just really wonder if this child is being obedient and compliant\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And by the way, just to allow some comfort to those who are feeling that. It\u2019s really not the responsibility of the parent to make their child love Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, it\u2019s like Francis said: \u201cYou can\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>It\u2019s impossible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It is impossible. I just wanted parents to make sure they weren\u2019t hearing us say there was something Francis did wrong or we have done wrong with our children. No, it\u2019s a matter\u2014this is a work of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>That\u2019s a great point because my wife even asked me, at that stage\u2014she goes: \u201cDo you feel like a terrible parent? Do you feel like you failed?\u201d\u00a0 I could look her in the eyes\u2014I go: \u201cNo, Lis. We are not perfect parents, but we have worked hard at this; and I think we are pretty good.\u201d\u00a0 I go: \u201cBut this is out of our control. So, I don\u2019t feel like a failure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If there is any failure it would be in, maybe, not praying as diligently as I should have; but I am going to get serious about it now. So, I\u2019m glad you brought that up because that was the first thing my wife thought: \u201cAm I not a good mom? Did I not do my job?\u201d\u00a0 I go: \u201cNo, Honey. Don\u2019t go there. You were a great, great mom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I have watched her. I don\u2019t want anyone else raising my kids. She did her job; but she cannot be the Holy Spirit\u2014nor can I\u2014because I am thinking: \u201cHey, I can speak. I can talk to her. I can talk\u2026.\u201d No one can do that. That is a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>As parents, we all <em>long<\/em> for our children to come to faith. Third John says, \u201cI have no greater joy than this, to know that my children are walking in the truth.\u201d If you wonder about a child, are you saying the best thing we can do is beg God to invade that child\u2019s life?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Absolutely, and be honest with your child and some of these concerns. You see, in Paul\u2019s letters, he tells you: \u201cTest yourselves. See if you are really in the faith.\u201d That was something we encouraged our daughter to do because she just assumes: \u201cWell, my dad is a pastor. My mom is in love with the Lord.\u201d So, there is just this tendency\u2014and, \u201cI am not doing anything horrible. So, I must be a believer, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Of course, maybe, we need to pull this back. Before Mom and Dad start begging God to make sure that the faith is authentic in their child, do we need to be making sure the faith is authentic in our own lives?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Absolutely. Look at your own life and say, \u201cHave I seen the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in my own life?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>What\u2019s that going to look like\u2014the supernatural work\u2014because you say that and I start thinking about the ability to perform miracles.<\/p>\n<p><strong>13:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes; yes. There are several things. Obviously, in Scripture, you have the fruit of the Spirit. Do you have a supernatural love?\u00a0 Do you have a supernatural joy, a supernatural peace, a supernatural patience? You will see that in parenting\u2014I mean\u2014a supernatural\u2014where the Holy Spirit has changed you. I had a lot of anger issues and things like that. It really is something I have seen the Holy Spirit supernaturally change over the years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>But let\u2019s just unpack that a little bit. You are not saying you don\u2019t ever get angry anymore.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Oh no, no\u2014not all; but again, there is a new creation element where\u2014you ask my wife. She goes: \u201cWow! He is a different guy than when I met him;\u201d and that\u2019s the Holy Spirit changing me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s interesting\u2014in Galatians, Chapter 5\u2014it talks about \u201cThe deeds of the flesh are evident.\u201d When it comes to talk about the work of the Spirit, it talks about fruit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>14:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well, if you know anything about fruit, it has to grow. It doesn\u2019t instantly pop out as a whole orange\u2014full, and ready to be taken off the tree, and eaten. It takes a season to develop. I could almost hear a mom or a dad going, \u201cPatience\u2014supernatural patience\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cI need some of that!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u201c\u2014I don\u2019t think I have the Holy Spirit because, I\u2019m telling you, these kids are driving me crazy!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, I used to love listing to Steve Brown pray. Steve Brown is a pastor in South Florida\u2014professor at Reformed Seminary. In all of his prayers, it seemed like\u2014as he was getting ready to preach, he would always pray: \u201cLord, we are not good, but we are getting better. I am not good, but I am getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s really\u2014you are not saying you arrive at some spiritual plateau. You are saying you can look back and say, \u201cI see transformation happening in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Oh yes. You want to be a different person than you were last year. That\u2019s the evidence of the Holy Spirit\u2014is this conviction\u2014this change.<\/p>\n<p><strong>15:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But it also goes beyond that to actual things that you do and the effect you have on other people. It's amazing how God does that in our lives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>One of the questions you ask in your book, that I thought was a great question\u2014you said, \u201cWho do you know that most exemplifies being filled with the Holy Spirit? I thought, \u201cThat really is a good question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>I didn\u2019t come immediately to mind?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Number two, Bob. [Laughter] Actually, you know what I thought? I thought, \u201cI wonder if anybody would put me anywhere on the list?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Show up on anybody\u2019s\u2014wow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It's a good question, I think, to ask: \u201cAre you so infectiously in love with Christ and walking with the Spirit that others around you go, \u2018He is different,\u2019\u201d because when the Holy Spirit shows up, you really are different.<\/p>\n<p><strong>16:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now, I want you to share with our listeners who you said is the person that most exemplifies being filled with the Spirit. Honestly, there is something about me that\u2019s going, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I would want to be this person, all of a sudden.\u201d\u00a0 Here\u2019s Francis, announcing this on national radio;\u201d but I think once you say the name, a lot of heads are going to nod.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Absolutely, and I just told her this last Sunday. It\u2019s Joni Eareckson Tada. When I was asked that question\u2014that just popped to the forefront because every word that comes out of her mouth\u2014it\u2019s life-giving\u2014it's joyful. Here, she\u2019s been a paraplegic for over 40 years and been through incredible pain in the last year-and-a-half. I am getting words of encouragement\u2014letters of encouragement. She calls me on the phone to encourage me.<\/p>\n<p>I cry just about every single time I talk to her because you just see a light about her: \u201cHow do you\u2026.?\u201d See, that\u2019s supernatural joy. You are stuck in a wheelchair, from a diving accident from when you were 15\/16 years old, and now she\u2019s changed the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>17:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is supernatural\u2014the impact she\u2019s had on the world with her Wheels for the World and everything else. I mean\u2014just the light\u2014you can't spend five minutes with her without her breaking into song, or quoting a Scripture, or just telling you how good her God is with a sincerity and joy on her face.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>As you mention her, I am reminded of a quote I heard John Piper make a number of years ago. He said: \u201cWhen things are going well for you and you say, \u2018Praise the Lord,\u2019 nobody in the watching world looks and goes, \u2018Oh well, I want to get to know that person\u2019s God because he says, \u2018Praise the Lord\u2019 when things go well for him.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 But he said, \u201cWhen you are going through the fire, and in the midst of that, you radiate love, joy, peace, patience\u2014but the watching world doesn\u2019t know how that can be possible\u2014and all of a sudden, your witness for Christ is on display in the midst of trial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>18:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Yes. And I was going to say, too\u2014with our relationship with the Holy Spirit\u2014what He does is\u2014He makes us more like Christ. I have to share this one story because a friend of mine was telling me about this pastor. He\u2019s a pastor in San Diego. He takes people over to Tijuana where he does a lot of ministry\u2014Pastor Von. He was describing this day that he spent with Von.<\/p>\n<p>He says: \u201cI went down to the dumps in Tijuana where he was helping the kids. He was giving them food. They would run up to him, all dirty; and he would clean them up, and parents were coming. He\u2019s feeding them\/loving them.\u201d And here is what my friend said: \u201cIt was eerie spending the day with him.\u201d He said, \u201cThe day I spent with Von was the closest thing I have ever experienced to walking with Jesus.\u201d\u00a0 He said: \u201cThe whole time I thought to myself, \u2018If Jesus was on the earth, this is what it would feel like to walk with Him!\u2019\u201d He goes, \u201cFrancis, it was eerie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>19:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When he told me that, I thought, \u201cThat is the greatest compliment you can give someone!\u201d Again, I ask myself the question: \u201cWould anyone, in their right mind, say that about me?\u2014the day they spent with Francis: \u201cIt was eerie. I felt like I was walking with Jesus.\u201d But that\u2019s what the Holy Spirit does in you\u2014He makes you like Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And that\u2019s why He showed up. He came to glorify Christ. He didn\u2019t come to glorify Himself. He came to glorify Christ.<\/p>\n<p>I think the real challenge for all of us\u2014whether you are a single listener, right now, and you are facing enumerable temptations and issues in your life\u2014whether you are married\u2014maybe, in a tough marriage, facing issues where you are at odds with your spouse\u2014maybe, raising some children that are struggling\u2014maybe, a prodigal or two. Or perhaps you are a grandparent. You are watching your adult children, and it's not turned out the way you expected. You ought to come back to the playbook, the Bible\u2014<\/p>\n<p><strong>20:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Francis: <\/strong>Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014Galatians, Chapter 5. If you haven\u2019t read it recently, I would commend it to you. It just contrasts the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>The way you get the fruit of the Spirit is you surrender. It's a simple relational issue of saying: \u201cLord God, I can't do it. You live in me because of Christ\u2019s finished work on the cross. You are the Master. I am the slave. The Holy Spirit can do this work in my life today. I want You to love that other person through me. I want You to forgive that other person through me. I want You to help me be patient with a two-year-old. I mean, help me in my weakness, oh, God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That surrender\u2014at that point, you can do what you talked about, Francis\u2014where you talked about: \u201cWhat does it look like when you are expecting God?\u201d You expect Him to show up and work in power.<\/p>\n<p><strong>21:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bob: <\/strong>I think there are lot of listeners who could probably use a refresher course on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. You called your book, <em>Forgotten God<\/em>. I think there are a lot of people who have backed away from really seeking to know and understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit\u2014His person, His purpose, what He is up to in our lives\u2014because we\u2019ve seen abuses of the understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>We have copies of your book in our <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>Resource Center. Again, it\u2019s called <em>Forgotten God.<\/em> It\u2019s written by our guest today, Francis Chan. If you\u2019d like to get a copy of the book, go to our website, FamilyLifeToday.com. You can order the book from us, online. Again, the website: FamilyLifeToday.com. The title of the book is <em>Forgotten God <\/em>by Francis Chan. You can also call to request a copy of the book. Our toll-free number is 1-800-FL-TODAY; 1-800-358-6329; that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then, the word, \u201cTODAY\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>22:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think there are listeners who might be listening today and thinking to themselves: \u201c<em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>is usually about marriage and family stuff. Why are you talking, today, about the ministry of the Holy Spirit?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Really, it\u2019s for two reasons. One is because we\u2019re committed, as a ministry, to talking about your relationship with God. We don\u2019t think your marriage and family can be all that it is meant to be unless your relationship with God is what it\u2019s supposed to be. In other words, for your [horizontal] relationships to be working right, your relationship with your Heavenly Father has to be working right.<\/p>\n<p>That really leads to the second reason we are talking about this\u2014because couples need to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives in order for their marriages to be all that God wants them to be\u2014in order for us to function, as parents, the way God intends for us to function. So, there really is a marriage and family purpose behind what we\u2019re talking about here today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>23:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I mention that just because so many of you, who invest in this ministry\u2014you really share with us this passion for this kind of conversation about the spiritual dynamic of marriage and family. That\u2019s what <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>is all about. We want to say, \u201cThanks,\u201d to those of you who have supported this ministry in the past. Today\u2019s program would not have been possible without that financial support.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you\u2019d like to make a donation to help support the ministry, go to FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the button that says, \u201cI CARE\u201d, and make an online donation. If you do, we\u2019ll say, \u201cThank you,\u201d by sending you a couple of CDs that feature a conversation we had recently with Mark and Grace Driscoll\u2014talking about real marriage and what that looks like\u2014some of the issues they\u2019ve faced in their marriage.<\/p>\n<p>You can also make a donation by calling 1-800-FL-TODAY. When you make a donation over the phone, ask for the CD from the Driscolls; or write us a note. Say you\u2019d like those CDs from Mark and Grace Driscoll. Include a donation and mail it to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. Our zip code is 72223.<\/p>\n<p><strong>24:00<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now, tomorrow, we\u2019re going to continue our conversation with Francis Chan about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We will talk tomorrow about what it means to be <em>filled<\/em> with the Spirit. I hope you can tune in for that.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas.<\/p>\n<p>Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2014 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/302949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302949"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=302949"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=302949"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=302949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}