In Step With The Spirit | Galatians 5:13-26

·31 min·3 clips

A pastor asks what you do with freedom after tasting it, like getting your driver's license at 16.

The episode is a sermon delivered at Citylight Lincoln Church, focusing on Galatians 5:13-26. The speaker opens with relatable stories about experiencing freedom, like obtaining a driver's license at 16 or the independence of college freshman year. He frames the central question: what do you do with your freedom? The sermon is structured around three shifts in understanding freedom. First, there is a new ruler: believers are freed from the tyranny of self to Christ's rule. The speaker explains the Greek term 'sarks' (flesh) as our sin nature and desire to be our own god, tracing it back to Adam and Eve. Second, there is a new reward: freedom is not for pursuing sin but for life in the Spirit. He tells the story of Ali, a young Iraqi man who mistakes access to brothels for freedom, illustrating how chasing counterfeits leads to bondage. The speaker references C.S. Lewis and Psalm 16:11 to emphasize that only God provides true satisfaction. Third, there is a new rhythm: believers are freed from works of the flesh to walk with the Spirit. The speaker describes an internal civil war between fleshly desires and the Spirit's desires, using examples like rest versus laziness or love versus manipulation. He explains that walking by the Spirit involves a pace of daily surrender, not running or idling. The sermon includes a personal anecdote about signing up for a race but not running it, humorously highlighting the idea of pace. Later, he contrasts two dogs—Shay, who needs a leash and bolts after deer, and Harlow, who walks freely beside him—to illustrate the difference between living under law and walking in step with the Spirit. The speaker then details the works of the flesh from Galatians 5:19-21, including sexual immorality, idolatry, relational breakdown, and addictions. He warns that a life defined by these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, he discusses the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—emphasizing that this is singular fruit produced by the Spirit, not human effort. He uses a gardening analogy: believers can cultivate their lives like a garden, but only the Spirit can produce the fruit. The sermon concludes with a call to crucify the flesh and keep in step with the Spirit, ending in a prayer of gratitude for Jesus' rescue and a request for daily remembrance of freedom.

As heard by us

A grounded sermon on freedom, desire, and learning to follow the Spirit in ordinary life.

The episode brings Christian freedom down to the level of ordinary life: a plastic license card, a child leaving for college, and the push and pull of desire. Freedom is not treated as permission to drift, but as something that still needs direction, coaching, and trust.

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Why you'd press play

Want a sermon that turns a driver's license, college freedom, and Galatians into a question of who is directing your desires?

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