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

We continued our exploration of the Holy Spirit by examining a vital truth: Jesus operated not merely as God, but as a Spirit-filled human being. This distinction transforms everything because it means Jesus becomes our model, not just our object of admiration.

When Jesus read from Isaiah 61 in Luke 4, declaring "The Spirit of the Lord is on me," he revealed his mission statement. Theologians call this kenosis: Jesus voluntarily set aside the independent use of his divine attributes. He didn't stop being God, but he chose to live as a human in complete dependence on the Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is why he could promise in John 14:12 that we would do the works he did and even greater things.

The book of Acts proves this promise. Peter, John, and Philip (a table server!) all performed the same miracles Jesus did through the same Spirit's power. The early Moravian community demonstrated this reality in the 1700s when 300 people committed to 100 years of continuous prayer. Their intimacy with God produced extraordinary power and sent over 100 missionaries worldwide, influencing movements like Methodism and modern missions.

We explored three pathways to experiencing this power: growing in intimacy with God through consistent prayer and worship, pursuing holiness by dealing with sin and keeping short accounts, and taking risks in faith by stepping out when prompted. The parable of the talents reminds us that God commends those who risk, not those who play it safe. The same Spirit who empowered Jesus is available to us today.

SERMON SUMMARYWe find ourselves in a tension. We read Scripture and encounter people who had wild, transformative experiences with God, yet many of us settle for something less. We develop explanations for the gap between what we read and what we experience, normalizing something that was never meant to be normal.At the Feast of Tabernacles, as thousands gathered to watch the priest pour water on the altar and sing about the coming Spirit, Jesus stood and declared: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink" (John 7:37-39). He was claiming to be the source of the living water the prophets promised, the one through whom God's Spirit would flow like rivers.The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force we tap into or a mystical energy reserved for spiritual elites. The Spirit is a person we can grieve, walk with, and keep in step with. We see throughout Acts a distinction between having the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit. There are defining moments of filling, and there's the continuous, daily invitation to be filled again and again.We've polarized into Bible churches and Spirit churches, but these were never meant to be separated. The kingdom operates as both/and: Bible and Spirit, truth and experience, teaching and power. We want to understand what God has said and experience what God is doing.The invitation remains simple: believe, come, and drink. Thirst is honest awareness of need. Jesus promises that rivers of living water will continuously flow from within those who come to him. Our Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13).URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship

SERMON SUMMARYWe find ourselves in a tension. We read Scripture and encounter people who had wild, transformative experiences with God, yet many of us settle for something less. We develop explanations for the gap between what we read and what we experience, normalizing something that was never meant to be normal.At the Feast of Tabernacles, as thousands gathered to watch the priest pour water on the altar and sing about the coming Spirit, Jesus stood and declared: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink" (John 7:37-39). He was claiming to be the source of the living water the prophets promised, the one through whom God's Spirit would flow like rivers.The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force we tap into or a mystical energy reserved for spiritual elites. The Spirit is a person we can grieve, walk with, and keep in step with. We see throughout Acts a distinction between having the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit. There are defining moments of filling, and there's the continuous, daily invitation to be filled again and again.We've polarized into Bible churches and Spirit churches, but these were never meant to be separated. The kingdom operates as both/and: Bible and Spirit, truth and experience, teaching and power. We want to understand what God has said and experience what God is doing.The invitation remains simple: believe, come, and drink. Thirst is honest awareness of need. Jesus promises that rivers of living water will continuously flow from within those who come to him. Our Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13).URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship

We explored what total transformation looks like in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, where Paul prays that God would sanctify us "through and through." This isn't about becoming boring or religious. Sanctification means becoming the most fully alive version of ourselves.Paul wrote to people in Thessalonica who had already experienced complete transformation once before. They had pledged total allegiance to Caesar, reorganizing every part of their lives around imperial loyalty. When Paul preached about Jesus as King, he was calling for that same comprehensive devotion, but directed toward a crucified rabbi instead of the emperor. This was revolutionary and dangerous.Paul's prayer covers three key elements: comprehensive scope (spirit, soul, and body), the goal of blamelessness (completeness and integrity), and a timeline that bridges now and future. The transformation God wants isn't compartmentalized. Physical existence matters. Our sexuality, health, work habits, relationships, and how we care for our bodies all fall under God's transforming agenda.We face a tension: Is sanctification God's work or ours? The answer is both. God does the transforming work through his Spirit, and we cooperate through intentional choices and spiritual practices. Like wind and sails on a boat, both are essential for movement.The spiritual disciplines create space for the Holy Spirit to work. They're not about sin management but character formation. We're called to identify areas needing growth, repent where necessary, and ask God to reveal our blind spots. God isn't trying to make us miserable but fully alive. The one who calls us is faithful, and he will complete what he started.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship

Jesus deliberately chose twelve diverse disciples who would naturally clash with each other, demonstrating that God's kingdom unites people who would never choose each other naturally. From Luke 6 and Acts 2, we see that following Jesus means embracing both the beauty and messiness of authentic community. The early church devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer, yet they also faced conflicts and divisions.We are called to work out our salvation together with commitment and faithfulness rather than perfection. Spiritual formation happens primarily in community through long-term relationships that serve as crucibles for growth. At The Upper Room, this happens through Sunday gatherings and Table Groups where we practice being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did.The sermon challenges us to grow in two specific areas. First, hospitality - becoming hosts rather than guests in our church community and extending welcome beyond our immediate circles. This builds the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17. Second, mission - not as an activity we do, but as our identity as sent ones. We live as people sent into every ordinary moment of our lives.Each Table Group is encouraged to regularly pray for specific people far from God, asking to be used in their lives. The message concludes with the church community walking together to consecrate new land for kingdom expansion, emphasizing that buildings are tools for making disciples, not ends in themselves.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship