Not Alone / Foundations

Weekend Service for April 26Scripture Readings: Acts 2:1-4,42-47 / Galatians 5:16-25The Holy Spirit lives within believers and supplies spiritual power for daily life. Scripture scenes from Genesis, Jesus breathing on the disciples, and the Pentecost account in Acts establish the Spirit as present from creation onward and active in the life of the community. Galatians draws a clear contrast between the cravings of the sinful nature and the Spirit’s desires, calling for a life shaped by the Spirit rather than by self-centered impulses. The Spirit does not act as an invisible, optional accessory; the Spirit produces observable fruit in character and relationships when people yield and follow his guidance.Following the Spirit requires both individual surrender and mutual engagement. Personal decision to follow Christ matters, but faith matures most fully inside a committed community. Illustrations from the redwood forest show how interwoven roots enable towering growth; likewise, shared practices of teaching, prayer, meals, and resource-sharing in Acts 2 demonstrate how community sustains and expands spiritual life. Practical examples—Bible study, sports teams, childcare partnerships—show how regular time together cultivates mutual knowledge, accountability, and the opportunity to live out and defend faith with both heart and mind.Obedience to the Spirit produces clear moral and relational change. Galatians lists the acts of the sinful nature as well as the Spirit’s fruit, inviting a life that seeks love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those virtues do not come from human effort alone; they flow from allowing the Spirit to direct choices and interactions. The call is to invite the Spirit, start or join a small group, cultivate vulnerability, and use the church’s gathered life to care for neighbors and respond to practical needs. The final appeal centers on an intentional shift: prioritize time with Scripture, embrace community, and yield personal wants so that the Spirit’s fruit becomes the evidence of a Christ-centered foundation in everyday life.[00:00] Welcome[00:14] Illustration: phone and power[01:43] Need for spiritual charging[03:34] Pentecost and the Spirit[04:51] Spirit present from creation[06:48] Galatians: Spirit versus flesh[08:07] The fruit of the Spirit[10:20] Redwood roots and community[11:53] Acts 2 community practices[16:51] Practical community examples[24:24] Invitation to yield to Spirit[26:28] Closing prayer