We continued our series "The Way" by exploring Ephesians 5:15-21, where Paul calls us to be filled with the Spirit rather than drunk with wine. Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesus, a city saturated with pagan religion, excess, and Roman imperial propaganda. In that hostile cultural environment, he urged believers to be intentional about how they lived.When Paul contrasts drunkenness with being Spirit-filled, he's addressing more than alcohol moderation. In the ancient world, people worshiped gods like Bacchus through intoxication, seeking transcendence by losing control. Paul is saying: don't let wine (or anything else) be what fills and controls you.We're all designed to be filled with something greater than ourselves. This God-shaped hunger was meant to drive us back to our Creator. But when humanity fell, that desire got redirected toward created things: money, success, relationships, consumerism, social media, political movements. Whatever fills that void will eventually enslave us. As N.T. Wright says, "You become like what you worship."Being filled with the Spirit isn't like refilling an empty cup. The Greek suggests immersion, like baptism. We're plunged into an infinite ocean, surrounded and saturated from the inside out and outside in.Paul gives us four practices of Spirit-filled living: encourage one another with psalms and hymns, worship through singing, practice thanksgiving in all circumstances, and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. These practices keep us immersed in the Spirit rather than controlled by culture. Worship is the greatest catalyst for growing in God's presence, realigning our hearts with truth and transforming our relationships, families, and communities.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship

Prophecy isn't fortune telling or a Christian version of psychic readings. At its core, prophecy is simply hearing what God is saying and repeating it. We serve a God who speaks directly into the lives of his people and community through individuals who submit themselves to the authority of the Spirit and the community.In the Old Testament, prophets stood at the margins of power, speaking truth to kings and calling people back to faithfulness. In the New Testament, this prophetic function was distributed throughout the entire body of Christ. After Pentecost, the Spirit indwells all believers and distributes gifts as he determines. According to 1 Corinthians 14:3, prophecy functions for "edification, encouragement, and comfort," primarily building up the local church.We need both Word and Spirit. Scripture serves as our tuning fork, the measuring stick that tests whether what we're hearing aligns with the character of Jesus. When someone shares a prophetic word, we ask: Does it resonate with Scripture? Does it confirm what God is already speaking? Does the character of the person speaking give weight to their words?The Spirit speaks through pictures, words, phrases, impressions, and highlighted scriptures. We don't have to act immediately on every prophetic word. God opens doors, and our job is to walk through them when he makes the way clear. Sometimes people get it wrong, and that's okay. We extend grace, test everything against Scripture, and stay open to God's voice.We're invited to eagerly desire spiritual gifts, stay grounded in Scripture, remain submitted to community, and practice humility as we learn to hear from God together.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship

We're continuing our series "The Way" by exploring the gifts of healing and what it means to pray for the sick. In 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul explains that spiritual gifts are given for the common good of the church, and healing is the only gift mentioned in plural form. We are the delivery system for God's healing gifts.The early church expected healing to be a normal part of gathered life. James 5 instructs believers to pray for the sick, anoint them with oil, and trust God for restoration. This expectation stands in contrast to two perspectives that hinder our prayer: cessationism (the belief that miraculous gifts ended with the apostles) and the idea that suffering is always God's tool for spiritual growth. While God can redeem our suffering, sickness was never part of His original design. We live in the tension of the "now and not yet" kingdom, where healing sometimes happens and sometimes doesn't, but we always pray with faith and expectation.Jesus demonstrated that healing was central to His ministry. Matthew 4:23-24 shows that He spent significant time healing every disease and sickness. When Jesus healed, He was revealing what reality looks like when God is in charge. He then commissioned His disciples to continue this work through the Holy Spirit's power.We can all pray for healing using a simple five-step model: locate someone who's sick, ask permission to pray, place a hand on their shoulder, pray simply in Jesus' name, ask for feedback, and repeat if needed. The goal is always to demonstrate God's love, whether physical healing occurs or not.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship