Top Ten of 2023: Peace Comes From the Holy Spirit – #7

I hope fuzzy socks and a crackling pine scented candle are in your future. Or maybe that’s happening right now in the present. Whether you’re cozy or checking off your to do list, enjoy the 7th most downloaded episode in 2023… Peace comes from the Holy Spirit!

Special thanks to Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, for bringing us the Bible For Busy People this Christmas season!

Show Notes:

• Who Is Jesus? Let us introduce you!
• Have a prayer request? Leave it here.
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Transcription:

I hope fuzzy socks and a crackling pine scented candle are in your future or maybe that’s happening right now in your present, whether you’re cozy or checking off your to-Do list. Enjoy the seventh most downloaded episode of 2023. Peace comes from the Holy Spirit. Have you ever stood outside in the middle of a falling snow and just felt absolutely peaceful from head to toe? Or maybe you’ve sat beside a crackling roaring fire and you just felt so warm and safe and cozy and it was like somebody put a shawl of peace over your soul. Maybe for you it’s standing beside the ocean, just watching the waves roll in and out, and remembering that you are a soul and you have a body. There’s physical peace and then there is the mental peace that so often cannot be explained.

Hi, I’m Erica, and this is the Bible for Busy People. I believe God wants to fill your cup and my cup with peace every single day. Peace is always possible, so come with me on a journey to finding peace in the Bible. Today we’re going to be spending some time with the peace giver. His name is Jesus. The Bible says He is the prince of peace. So turn with me right now to the gospel of John. We’re going to be in chapter 14 and we’re going to pick it up in verse 22.

Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” 23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

Doesn’t that just give you a peaceful feeling right there?

Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Oh, did you catch that? We have the Holy Spirit, which means even in the midst of turmoil and tragedy and anxiety, He’s there to remind us of all the good things that Jesus said. Jesus goes on. We’re going to pick it up in verse 27.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. 30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.

Ah, just reading the words of Jesus out loud afford so much peace. You and I, we can have peace because we have the Holy Spirit. I want to go back to verse 23. Jesus said,

“All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

Jesus and the Father want to make their home in you and me. Isn’t that beautiful? The Prince of Peace wants to make his home in you and in me. Have you ever seen a flower growing out of a crack in the concrete? That’s what I picture, that Jesus and the Father are making their home in my heart and it’s this beautiful thing and it’s where the peace comes from. They are there. If you could trace it on a map, it’s straight back to your heart. The Lord is with us. We just celebrated Christmas and we heard the word “Emmanuel” over and over. It means God is with us. He is our peace, the Bible says. He is in us. He is with us. It’s such a relief, isn’t it? You and I are not alone and we never have to be, and I don’t know about you, but that fills my heart with peace. Alright, until next time, you are loved, really loved.

Thank you for making space to study the Bible with me today. If you feel something stirring in your soul, that’s the God who made you, saying, I love you and I want to know you. It’s what Christmas is all about. Jesus came for you so that your soul would know its worth. He came to bring joy to the world, and to your world. It’s the most beautiful love story ever written, and it’s true. It’s the greatest rescue mission in history, and it was for you. If you want to respond to that stirring in your soul, to know Jesus a little better, please take a moment and check out our show notes, where you’ll find lots of hope and encouragement for your journey.

The Bible for Busy people is brought to you this Christmas season by Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. Every day and every night, their team is on a mission to share the good news with our neighbors who are homeless. Like the angels who came on the night, Jesus was born. They make sure that every person who walks through the doors of the Mission knows that there is hope because Jesus came, and how much He loves them. Every person they meet on the street encounters the love of Christ through a friendly smile, a warm blanket, a cup of cocoa, and an invitation to take that next step toward healing from addiction or mental illness. If you want to be part of making sure every soul knows its worth in Seattle this Christmas, volunteer or donate at ugm.org. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

This podcast is one branch of a Christmas tree called Purposely, a network designed to connect you with life-giving conversations, and to inspire you to find and live out God’s purpose for your life. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose.