June 29, 2025 Sermon Notes

Your Presence is the Sermon (Galatians 5:1, 13-25)

It is a common misunderstanding to believe that spiritual growth happens

automatically just by attending church. But becoming like Christ is not an

accident; it is the result of a new life given to us by God. This new life brings

true freedom. Christ did not set us free so we could do whatever we want.

He set us free from the crushing weight of sin, guilt, and the exhausting effort

of trying to earn His approval. We are set free for one beautiful purpose: to

genuinely serve one another in love.

How is this possible? Not by our own strength, but by choosing to walk with

the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul warns that a life guided by our sinful nature

leads to destructive acts like hatred and selfish ambition. But when we live

by the Spirit, His fruit grows in us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness—these

are not just virtues we try to imitate. They are the very character of Christ

becoming part of our identity, changing who we are from the inside out.

I learned this profoundly as a student in Boston—tired, broke, and lonely. I

felt overwhelmed and was ready to quit ministry. As I sat in my office, lost in

despair, a church member walked by and simply said, "Hello, Pastor! How are

you?" That was it. No advice, no grand gesture. Yet, that simple greeting

breathed life into my spirit. His presence, filled with a faithfulness I could feel,

was the sermon that day.

This is the power of a Spirit-filled life. You don’t have to preach from a pulpit

to make an eternal difference. Your greatest ministry can be your very

presence. When you serve from the fruit of the Spirit, you bring peace to

your family and hope to your workplace, drawing people not to yourself, but

to Jesus. So, let us not just do church. Let us be the church, carrying the

fragrance of Christ into every room we enter.