<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
>

<channel>
	<title>DeanSweetman.com &#187; Holy Spirit</title>
	<atom:link href="http://deansweetman.com/category/holy-spirit/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://deansweetman.com</link>
	<description>Sermons, Podcasts and Teachings to Live Your Best Life</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:23:50 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<!-- podcast_generator="Blubrry PowerPress/1.0.8" mode="advanced" entry="simple" -->
	<itunes:summary>Dean Sweetman is Sr Pastor of the C3 Church with a campus in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He also serves as Executive Regional Overseer for C3 Americas. The Sweetmans moved to the USA in 1996 for the sole purpose of planting the Lawrenceville church. C3 Church currently serves the Atlanta community in a unique way through itÃ­s technology and charity work. Last year, Dean and Jill planted the C3 Church in Studio City, California. As Sr Pastors of both churches, they split their time between Atlanta and Studio City and have homes in both cities. Dean is a sought-after speaker in both church and business settings and an emerging author. His passionate and uncompromising preaching will inspire the most on-fire believer as challenge those who lack the fervor required to serve God.</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:author>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:author>
	<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:image href="http://audio.thec3church.com/podcasticon.jpg" />
	<itunes:owner>
		<itunes:name>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:name>
		<itunes:email>webmaster@christiancitychurch.com</itunes:email>
	</itunes:owner>
	<managingEditor>webmaster@christiancitychurch.com (C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA)</managingEditor>
	<itunes:subtitle>C3 Atlanta Online with Dean Sweetman</itunes:subtitle>
	<image>
		<title>DeanSweetman.com &#187; Holy Spirit</title>
		<url>http://audio.thec3church.com/podcasticon.jpg</url>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/category/holy-spirit/</link>
	</image>
	<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality">
		<itunes:category text="Christianity" />
	</itunes:category>
	<itunes:category text="Health">
		<itunes:category text="Self-Help" />
	</itunes:category>
	<itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality" />
		<item>
		<title>The Holy Spirit</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2010/07/11/theholyspirit/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2010/07/11/theholyspirit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:20:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bible-based Teachings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experiencing God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature of God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature of Jesus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship with God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Nature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deansweetman.com/?p=294</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Luke 1:35 (NLT):  “The angel answered, &#8220;The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
The best thing you can do for your growth is to be open for the Holy Spirit to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>Luke 1:35 (NLT):</strong>  “The angel answered, &#8220;The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”</em></p>
<p>The best thing you can do for your growth is to be open for the Holy Spirit to move in your life. The Holy Spirit is an integral part of the trinity. While he is not the Father who created us, or the Son who came to die for us, he still is God. <span id="more-294"></span>The Holy Spirit comes upon us and speaks into our lives. When we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives, he regenerates us. He lives inside of us, and becomes a part of who we are, making us holy in the sight of God the Father.</p>
<p>It is God’s will for the world that none should perish. His will is not being done on this earth; people perish every day. If we do not get with his plan, then people will continue to perish. Position yourself for the plan of God. Jesus promised us that we would do bigger and better things than he did. The Holy Spirit helps us do that.</p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2010/07/11/theholyspirit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://media.blubrry.com/c3church/audio.christiancitychurch.com/2010-07-11.mp3" length="13085648" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<itunes:subtitle>Luke 1:35 (NLT):  âThe angel answered, &quot;The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.â - The best thing you can do for your growth is to be open for...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Luke 1:35 (NLT):  âThe angel answered, &quot;The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.â

The best thing you can do for your growth is to be open for the Holy Spirit to move in your life. The Holy Spirit is an integral part of the trinity. While he is not the Father who created us, or the Son who came to die for us, he still is God. The Holy Spirit comes upon us and speaks into our lives. When we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives, he regenerates us. He lives inside of us, and becomes a part of who we are, making us holy in the sight of God the Father.

It is Godâs will for the world that none should perish. His will is not being done on this earth; people perish every day. If we do not get with his plan, then people will continue to perish. Position yourself for the plan of God. Jesus promised us that we would do bigger and better things than he did. The Holy Spirit helps us do that.
</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>13:38</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Freedom</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2010/07/04/freedom-2/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2010/07/04/freedom-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:35:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bible-based Teachings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Making Room for God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship with God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Powered Churches]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deansweetman.com/?p=292</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT): For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 
John 20:22 (NLT): Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 2:20 (NLT): My old self has been crucified with Christ.It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)</strong>: For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. </p>
<p><strong>John 20:22 (NLT)</strong>: Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.</p>
<p><strong>Galatians 2:20 (NLT)</strong>: My old self has been crucified with Christ.It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.</em></p>
<p>The House of God is a place to come to be refreshed.<span id="more-292"></span> It is a place where the Holy Spirit moves; to convict where conviction is needed; to bring change where needed; and to refresh the believers. When we make room for the Spirit, He moves on our behalf. </p>
<p>There are four aspects of the House where one can encounter God and His Spirit:<br />
&#8211;Fellowship: God moves in friendship; no one can truly survive the trials of life alone, we need friends to walk beside us and hold us up.<br />
&#8211;Worship: We encounter God in worship. The worship leaders worship; they lead us into worship, and it is there that we encounter God.<br />
&#8211;The Word: the Word is preached in this church. No matter who is speaking, they are speaking from the Word. The seed is scattered, and when it hits your heart and takes root, your world will change.<br />
&#8211;The Alter: The supernatural happens on the alter. Healing, repentance, freed&#8211;it all happens here. </p>
<p>Now, the Spirit of God empowered Jesus. Wherever Jesus went, the Spirit went with Him. W have a spirit in us&#8211;upon conception, something eternal was created in the physical. It is part of being made in the image of God. That spirit part is the part that will never die. The human body will die, but the spirit will live on. When we are born in the physical, we are born into a fallen world; God waits for us to come to Him for a rebirth into the supernatural. This happens upon accepting Jesus&#8217; sacrifice. When we come to that point, we encounter the Holy Spirit and are filled with Him!</p>
<p>Jesus was reunited with the Holy Spirit upon His baptism. From then on, Jesus and the Holy Spirit worked hand in hand to reach the World. Jesus would withdraw to pray. He, The Holy Spirit, and God would be one for a little while, then Jesus would return to perform the miracles growing inside of Him. The Holy Spirit would work through Him to change people&#8217;s lives. And when Jesus died the physical death on the cross, it was the Spirit that brought Him back three days later. </p>
<p>Then, in John 20:22, Jesus imparted the Spirit to His disciples. It was like receiving a new toy; they weren&#8217;t certain what to do with it, but they went for it anyway! They followed Jesus example: they went to pray. And when they prayed, the Spirit showed up! (The Spirit is in us; the Spirit fills the room around us.) Then, Peter&#8211;the disciple known for sticking his foot in his mouth&#8211;stood and preached! He was a fisherman! yet, when the Spirit came upon him, he did something he had never done before&#8211;he spoke with power, eloquence, authority, and theological accuracy! When the Spirit comes upon you, you do things you never would have done before! And what&#8217;s more, Peter already had boldness; the Spirit used his boldness to bring honor and glory to God! The Spirit takes what you already have and magnifies it for use in the Kingdom! He takes you into things you&#8217;ve never done and uses the gifts you already have! It is all for the benefit of the Kingdom!</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit is powerful! And He empowers us to perform miracles! He is in us! In every aspect of who we are. Paul said it in Galatians. It is no longer we who live, but Christ&#8217;s SPIRIT lives in us. He is in our hands, our minds, our hearts, and our feet. Where we go, He goes. And where the Spirit goes, there is also freedom! The Spirit brings freedom.    </p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2010/07/04/freedom-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://media.blubrry.com/c3church/audio.christiancitychurch.com/2010-07-04.mp3" length="25930363" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<itunes:subtitle>2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT): For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  - John 20:22 (NLT): Then he breathed on them and said, âReceive the Holy Spirit. - Galatians 2:20 (NLT): My old self has been crucified w...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT): For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

John 20:22 (NLT): Then he breathed on them and said, âReceive the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 2:20 (NLT): My old self has been crucified with Christ.It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The House of God is a place to come to be refreshed. It is a place where the Holy Spirit moves; to convict where conviction is needed; to bring change where needed; and to refresh the believers. When we make room for the Spirit, He moves on our behalf. 

There are four aspects of the House where one can encounter God and His Spirit: 
--Fellowship: God moves in friendship; no one can truly survive the trials of life alone, we need friends to walk beside us and hold us up. 
--Worship: We encounter God in worship. The worship leaders worship; they lead us into worship, and it is there that we encounter God.
--The Word: the Word is preached in this church. No matter who is speaking, they are speaking from the Word. The seed is scattered, and when it hits your heart and takes root, your world will change.
--The Alter: The supernatural happens on the alter. Healing, repentance, freed--it all happens here. 

Now, the Spirit of God empowered Jesus. Wherever Jesus went, the Spirit went with Him. W have a spirit in us--upon conception, something eternal was created in the physical. It is part of being made in the image of God. That spirit part is the part that will never die. The human body will die, but the spirit will live on. When we are born in the physical, we are born into a fallen world; God waits for us to come to Him for a rebirth into the supernatural. This happens upon accepting Jesus&#039; sacrifice. When we come to that point, we encounter the Holy Spirit and are filled with Him!

Jesus was reunited with the Holy Spirit upon His baptism. From then on, Jesus and the Holy Spirit worked hand in hand to reach the World. Jesus would withdraw to pray. He, The Holy Spirit, and God would be one for a little while, then Jesus would return to perform the miracles growing inside of Him. The Holy Spirit would work through Him to change people&#039;s lives. And when Jesus died the physical death on the cross, it was the Spirit that brought Him back three days later. 

Then, in John 20:22, Jesus imparted the Spirit to His disciples. It was like receiving a new toy; they weren&#039;t certain what to do with it, but they went for it anyway! They followed Jesus example: they went to pray. And when they prayed, the Spirit showed up! (The Spirit is in us; the Spirit fills the room around us.) Then, Peter--the disciple known for sticking his foot in his mouth--stood and preached! He was a fisherman! yet, when the Spirit came upon him, he did something he had never done before--he spoke with power, eloquence, authority, and theological accuracy! When the Spirit comes upon you, you do things you never would have done before! And what&#039;s more, Peter already had boldness; the Spirit used his boldness to bring honor and glory to God! The Spirit takes what you already have and magnifies it for use in the Kingdom! He takes you into things you&#039;ve never done and uses the gifts you already have! It is all for the benefit of the Kingdom!

The Holy Spirit is powerful! And He empowers us to perform miracles! He is in us! In every aspect of who we are. Paul said it in Galatians. It is no longer we who live, but Christ&#039;s SPIRIT lives in us. He is in our hands, our minds, our hearts, and our feet. Where we go, He goes. And where the Spirit goes, there is also freedom! The Spirit brings freedom.    </itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>27:01</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Prophetic in Your Life</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2010/06/27/the-prophetic-in-your-life/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2010/06/27/the-prophetic-in-your-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:32:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bible-based Teachings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Church Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experiencing God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kingdom of God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Powered Churches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deansweetman.com/?p=288</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Joel 2:28 (NLT): Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.
As God is three in one&#8211;God, Jesus, Holy Spirit&#8211;so, too, is humanity. We are created with a body, a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Joel 2:28 (NLT):</strong> Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.</em></p>
<p>As God is three in one&#8211;God, Jesus, Holy Spirit&#8211;so, too, is humanity. We are created with a body, a soul, and a spirit. All three parts are sanctified when we accept Christ as our Savior. We commune spirit to Spirit with God through the relationship established by Jesus&#8217; sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. It is in our spirit that we feel God the most.<span id="more-288"></span> However, there are days when we don&#8217;t feel particularly spiritual. That is when we engage all three parts to seek God again. </p>
<p>All things of God engage all three aspects of who we are. The human body struggles to submit to the spirit. The soul is the battle ground where we battle our broken sin nature with its corrupted thoughts and propensity to lean towards the ungodly with the new nature God gave us upon Salvation. These two aspects of who we are, the parts we sometimes feel is what makes us less godly, are parts that have also been sanctified by God. And when we feel less spiritual, we engage these two parts to stir the spirit: We go to our God Zone. </p>
<p>The God Zone is prayer. We pray. We physically take ourselves to a place of solitude. We pour out our souls before God. We pray and seek Him; we seek His will. And our spirits are revived. God said in Joel that He<br />
would pour His spirit out on all people, and they would Prophesy! In the God Zone, we engage that gifting. All three aspects of humanity come together in prophesy. The spirit stirs&#8211;whether upon hearing bad news or seeing something tragic or whatever else&#8211;and the body and soul engage. </p>
<p>Prophesy is speaking out truth into your world or into the worlds of others. You literally speak. The power of God manifests in speech. God <em>spoke</em> and the world came into being. When we speak, we change our worlds. Good or bad; believer or non-believer; as long as you have faith in what you are saying, it will happen. This principle goes across the board. Imagine what would happen if you align your words and belief with God&#8217;s Word? The Word of God is the Power of God. When we align ourselves with His Word and speak HIS truths into our worlds, great things happen. What He promises comes to pass. </p>
<p>When you speak His truths over your world, your world is changed. You can speak His truths over the worlds of your family and friends, over your situations, over your finances, over everything! That is prophecy. Speaking into the future changes the future for the better! Speaking GOD into your future opens the doors for HIM to do what He does best: Be Awesome! He will go above and beyond your expectations! So, speak out in faith! Believe it! Engage your body, soul, and spirit, and let God move.  </p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2010/06/27/the-prophetic-in-your-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://media.blubrry.com/c3church/audio.christiancitychurch.com/2010-06-27b.mp3" length="39328900" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<itunes:subtitle>Joel 2:28 (NLT): Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. - As God is three in one--God, Jesus,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Joel 2:28 (NLT): Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

As God is three in one--God, Jesus, Holy Spirit--so, too, is humanity. We are created with a body, a soul, and a spirit. All three parts are sanctified when we accept Christ as our Savior. We commune spirit to Spirit with God through the relationship established by Jesus&#039; sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. It is in our spirit that we feel God the most. However, there are days when we don&#039;t feel particularly spiritual. That is when we engage all three parts to seek God again. 

All things of God engage all three aspects of who we are. The human body struggles to submit to the spirit. The soul is the battle ground where we battle our broken sin nature with its corrupted thoughts and propensity to lean towards the ungodly with the new nature God gave us upon Salvation. These two aspects of who we are, the parts we sometimes feel is what makes us less godly, are parts that have also been sanctified by God. And when we feel less spiritual, we engage these two parts to stir the spirit: We go to our God Zone. 

The God Zone is prayer. We pray. We physically take ourselves to a place of solitude. We pour out our souls before God. We pray and seek Him; we seek His will. And our spirits are revived. God said in Joel that He   
would pour His spirit out on all people, and they would Prophesy! In the God Zone, we engage that gifting. All three aspects of humanity come together in prophesy. The spirit stirs--whether upon hearing bad news or seeing something tragic or whatever else--and the body and soul engage. 

Prophesy is speaking out truth into your world or into the worlds of others. You literally speak. The power of God manifests in speech. God spoke and the world came into being. When we speak, we change our worlds. Good or bad; believer or non-believer; as long as you have faith in what you are saying, it will happen. This principle goes across the board. Imagine what would happen if you align your words and belief with God&#039;s Word? The Word of God is the Power of God. When we align ourselves with His Word and speak HIS truths into our worlds, great things happen. What He promises comes to pass. 

When you speak His truths over your world, your world is changed. You can speak His truths over the worlds of your family and friends, over your situations, over your finances, over everything! That is prophecy. Speaking into the future changes the future for the better! Speaking GOD into your future opens the doors for HIM to do what He does best: Be Awesome! He will go above and beyond your expectations! So, speak out in faith! Believe it! Engage your body, soul, and spirit, and let God move.  </itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>40:58</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Power of God</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/18/the-power-of-god/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/18/the-power-of-god/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:48:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bible-based Teachings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experiencing God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God's Gifts and Calling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Having Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kingdom of God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Making Room for God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature of God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Powered Churches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vision]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deansweetman.com/?p=241</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[John 1:3-5: (NLT) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Vision is what drives us. If we don’t have vision, we go nowhere. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>John 1:3-5: (NLT)</strong> Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.</em></p>
<p>Vision is what drives us. If we don’t have vision, we go nowhere. As a man thinks, so he becomes.</p>
<p><span id="more-241"></span>You can only go so far without Divine power. Man’s wisdom only goes so far. When we reach our limits, and don’t want to accept defeat, we need to go to prayer.  The only thing that can do anything is God, and we have his power inside of us when we give our live to Christ. There is nothing more powerful spiritually than when you give your heart to God.</p>
<p>The doorway into the power of God is the understanding of the promises of God- the Bible. If you don’t understand the words of God, then you will not understand the power of God. It is our job to get into the Bible, and get to know what God says about our lives. Stuff is going to happen in our lives; we are going to get challenged. We need to put the promises from the Bible into practice in our lives. When we step over into the supernatural, we are unstoppable. </p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/18/the-power-of-god/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://media.blubrry.com/c3church/audio.christiancitychurch.com/2010-04-18.mp3" length="23702232" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<itunes:subtitle>John 1:3-5: (NLT) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>John 1:3-5: (NLT) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Vision is what drives us. If we donât have vision, we go nowhere. As a man thinks, so he becomes.

You can only go so far without Divine power. Manâs wisdom only goes so far. When we reach our limits, and donât want to accept defeat, we need to go to prayer.  The only thing that can do anything is God, and we have his power inside of us when we give our live to Christ. There is nothing more powerful spiritually than when you give your heart to God.

The doorway into the power of God is the understanding of the promises of God- the Bible. If you donât understand the words of God, then you will not understand the power of God. It is our job to get into the Bible, and get to know what God says about our lives. Stuff is going to happen in our lives; we are going to get challenged. We need to put the promises from the Bible into practice in our lives. When we step over into the supernatural, we are unstoppable. 

</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>24:41</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>In the Tomb</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/04/in-the-tomb/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/04/in-the-tomb/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Apr 2010 16:30:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bible-based Teachings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discipleship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experiencing God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kingdom of God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Light to the World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature of God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature of Jesus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Redemption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship with God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Resurrection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Nature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deansweetman.com/?p=233</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Easter Sunday
John 20:1-18 (NIV): “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, &#8220;They have taken the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>Easter Sunday</p>
<p>John 20:1-18 (NIV):</strong> “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, &#8220;They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don&#8217;t know where they have put him!&#8221; <span id="more-233"></span>So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus&#8217; head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead) Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus&#8217; body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, &#8220;Woman, why are you crying?&#8221;  &#8220;They have taken my Lord away,&#8221; she said, &#8220;and I don&#8217;t know where they have put him.&#8221; At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. &#8220;Woman,&#8221; he said, &#8220;why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?&#8221; Thinking he was the gardener, she said, &#8220;Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.&#8221; Jesus said to her, &#8220;Mary.&#8221; She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, &#8220;Rabboni!&#8221; (Which means Teacher). Jesus said, &#8220;Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, &#8216;I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.&#8217; “Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: &#8220;I have seen the Lord!&#8221; And she told them that he had said these things to her.”</em></p>
<p>Let’s take a trip into the tomb for a minute. The tomb is place where you die with Christ. When you die with Christ, your eyes are opened to the spiritual atmosphere around you. There are things going on around our lives that we have no idea about. As Mary Magdalene ran into the tomb to make sure that Jesus was gone, her eyes were opened to the things inside of the tomb that the disciples had overlooked.</p>
<p>There were three things inside of the tomb, in addition to the Angels sitting in reverence and praise at the head and foot of where Jesus had lain. The first of these things were the strips of linen that Jesus’ body had been clothed in. This means that as Jesus rose from the grave, he donned new garments. For those of us dying with Christ, this means that we become new people. We have the same person inside of us, but we are now clothed with the King of all Kings, with the best of the best. Our attitudes in life are radically changed, and people notice that.</p>
<p>The second thing that is found in the tomb is the burial cloth, the face cloth that covered Jesus’ face as his body lay in the tomb. For us, this means that we will be washed clean of our past, not forgotten, but washed clean. It is a brand new day; the freshness of God is on our lives. We have the brightest of futures to look forward to.</p>
<p>The third thing we find in the tomb is Mary’s humanity. She falls down on her knees and weeps, begging for her savior to be given back to her, to know where his body lay. She died to herself, wanting nothing more than her savior. As she realized who was standing before her, she wept with joy, not sorrow. As we ourselves die with Christ in the tomb, our humanities are also stripped away. As we die to ourselves, we turn around and find our lives in the hands of our savior. Joy floods into our lives, replacing the sorrow.</p>
<p>It is hard to believe what Jesus says sometimes, but his promises are true. Visit the tomb- so that you can die with Christ and come alive with a new life. The same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead is also alive within us. Take a hold of that, and don’t you ever let go.</p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/04/in-the-tomb/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://media.blubrry.com/c3church/audio.christiancitychurch.com/2010-04-04.mp3" length="22634341" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<itunes:subtitle>Easter Sunday - John 20:1-18 (NIV): âEarly on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple,</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Easter Sunday

John 20:1-18 (NIV): âEarly on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, &quot;They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don&#039;t know where they have put him!&quot; So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus&#039; head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead) Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus&#039; body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, &quot;Woman, why are you crying?&quot;  &quot;They have taken my Lord away,&quot; she said, &quot;and I don&#039;t know where they have put him.&quot; At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. &quot;Woman,&quot; he said, &quot;why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?&quot; Thinking he was the gardener, she said, &quot;Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.&quot; Jesus said to her, &quot;Mary.&quot; She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, &quot;Rabboni!&quot; (Which means Teacher). Jesus said, &quot;Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, &#039;I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.&#039; âMary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: &quot;I have seen the Lord!&quot; And she told them that he had said these things to her.â

Letâs take a trip into the tomb for a minute. The tomb is place where you die with Christ. When you die with Christ, your eyes are opened to the spiritual atmosphere around you. There are things going on around our lives that we have no idea about. As Mary Magdalene ran into the tomb to make sure that Jesus was gone, her eyes were opened to the things inside of the tomb that the disciples had overlooked.

There were three things inside of the tomb, in addition to the Angels sitting in reverence and praise at the head and foot of where Jesus had lain. The first of these things were the strips of linen that Jesusâ body had been clothed in. This means that as Jesus rose from the grave, he donned new garments. For those of us dying with Christ, this means that we become new people. We have the same person inside of us, but we are now clothed with the King of all Kings, with the best of the best. Our attitudes in life are radically changed, and people notice that.

The second thing that is found in the tomb is the burial cloth, the face cloth that covered Jesusâ face as his body lay in the tomb. For us, this means that we will be washed clean of our past, not forgotten, but washed clean. It is a brand new day; the freshness of God is on our lives. We have the brightest of futures to look forward to.

The third thing we find in the tomb is Maryâs humanity. She falls down on her knees and weeps, begging for her savior to be given back to her, to know where his body lay. She died to herself, wanting nothing more than her savior. As she realized who was standing before her, she wept with joy, not sorrow. As we ourselves die with Christ in the tomb, our humanities are also stripped away. As we die to ourselves, we turn around and find our lives in the hands of our savior. Joy floods into our lives, replacing the sorrow.

</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>23:35</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>In the Spirit and in Power</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2010/03/23/in-the-spirit-and-in-power/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2010/03/23/in-the-spirit-and-in-power/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:21:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bible-based Teachings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Experiencing God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship with God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirit Powered Churches]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deansweetman.com/?p=225</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Luke 4:1-14 (NLT): Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, &#8220;If you are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>Luke 4:1-14 (NLT)</strong>: Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, &#8220;If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.&#8221; Jesus answered, &#8220;It is written: &#8216;Man does not live on bread alone.&#8217; &#8220;<span id="more-225"></span> The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, &#8220;I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.&#8221; Jesus answered, &#8220;It is written: &#8216;Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. &#8220;If you are the Son of God,&#8221; he said, &#8220;throw yourself down from here. For it is written: &#8216;He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. “Jesus answered, &#8220;It says: &#8216;Do not put the Lord your God to the test. When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.”</em></p>
<p>Everyone has choices to make. Even Jesus had to make the right choices regarding temptations. We must choice, daily, to go with the right choice, or the wrong choice. Only you can make that choice for yourself. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Bible comes alive within you- not only written on the pages, but living inside of your heart. The Holy Spirit leads you into truth.  He is there to help you make the right choices.</p>
<p>The power to make the right choices, get bold, and get confidence is found in your greatest trial. In the midst of the battle comes the power- when you tap into the supernatural of God’s strength. Know what the Bible says about you and be able to find where it is. In knowing what is said about you, and being able to quote it, you are able to make the right choices for all temptations sent your way.</p>
<p>God wants to anoint you with things and He has assignments to give you. Your job is to get in that assignment and do what God has appointed you to do. Get up off your butt, and use your gifts. Use your gifts to change the world you live in. if you do that, then your world will fall together.</p>
<p>When you came to Christ, you stepped into a new world, but don’t stop there.  Keep marching on, through that great trial that seems impossible. You will come out greater than ever.</p>
<p>Get filled with the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, it’s all love. Love for people, love for God, and love for yourself.  It’s all about love. </p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2010/03/23/in-the-spirit-and-in-power/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://media.blubrry.com/c3church/audio.christiancitychurch.com/2010-03-21.mp3" length="33243414" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<itunes:subtitle>Luke 4:1-14 (NLT): Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Luke 4:1-14 (NLT): Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, &quot;If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.&quot; Jesus answered, &quot;It is written: &#039;Man does not live on bread alone.&#039; &quot; The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, &quot;I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.&quot; Jesus answered, &quot;It is written: &#039;Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. &quot;If you are the Son of God,&quot; he said, &quot;throw yourself down from here. For it is written: &#039;He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. âJesus answered, &quot;It says: &#039;Do not put the Lord your God to the test. When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.â

Everyone has choices to make. Even Jesus had to make the right choices regarding temptations. We must choice, daily, to go with the right choice, or the wrong choice. Only you can make that choice for yourself. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Bible comes alive within you- not only written on the pages, but living inside of your heart. The Holy Spirit leads you into truth.  He is there to help you make the right choices.

The power to make the right choices, get bold, and get confidence is found in your greatest trial. In the midst of the battle comes the power- when you tap into the supernatural of Godâs strength. Know what the Bible says about you and be able to find where it is. In knowing what is said about you, and being able to quote it, you are able to make the right choices for all temptations sent your way.

God wants to anoint you with things and He has assignments to give you. Your job is to get in that assignment and do what God has appointed you to do. Get up off your butt, and use your gifts. Use your gifts to change the world you live in. if you do that, then your world will fall together.

When you came to Christ, you stepped into a new world, but donât stop there.  Keep marching on, through that great trial that seems impossible. You will come out greater than ever.

Get filled with the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, itâs all love. Love for people, love for God, and love for yourself.  Itâs all about love. </itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>34:38</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Enter: The Holy Spirit</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/enter-the-holy-spirit/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/enter-the-holy-spirit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:15:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deanandjill.com/2008/12/05/enter-the-holy-spirit/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mark 1: 9-11 (NLT): One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mark 1: 9-11 (NLT): One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”</p>
<p>This moment in history is very significant in the plans God has for the earth. Jesus has come to the earth. This is the beginning of the formation of the New Covenant. God made the first covenant&#8211;the Old Covenant&#8211;with the people of Israel, binding them to Him and placing upon them the Law. The presence of God was limited to the Tabernacle. Within the Holy of Hollies, God&#8217;s presence resided. Only the High Priest could enter. None had access. In this time, Jesus comes.</p>
<p><span id="more-96"></span></p>
<p>Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River. This is the same river that the Children of Israel crossed over in order to enter the promise land. Before they crossed the river, the Children of Israel were slaves. They cross the River into freedom. We all reach that river that we must cross in order to leave our lives of slavery to sin and enter the Promises of God. </p>
<p>Now, Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River, and the sky is <em>torn</em> open. The Spirit descends and fills Jesus. From that moment on, Jesus moves in the Spirit. Miracles are performed. The Religious crowd is being rubbed the wrong way. They could not control Him. Religion seeks to control. The Spirit brings freedom. The Holy Spirit has empowered Jesus, and He moves. All man, all God; God With Us; Emmanuel; God comes in the form of the Son to walk with humanity, and the Spirit falls, the Power of God! He manifests in many ways, and people are changed from ordinary to supernatural. The Holy Spirit unleashed the Power of God inside of Jesus. </p>
<p>The Holy Spirit causes us to be different. He takes hold of our world! Jesus saves us. We worship and submit and have faith in Him, the Head of the Church. He is the Supreme Being of the Universe! But the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, that empowered and filled Christ. And this same Spirit who filled the first believers, the ones the Religious crowd hated because they were not educated, is here, empowering us. </p>
<p>Communion is about access. It is having access to the presence of God, that one thing that was closed off to the masses. Remembering through the bread and the cup is about access to God! Communion is a gathering of believers eating and enjoying each other&#8217;s company. Communion was birthed from the Passover Meal. Jesus is eating with His friends. At the end of the meal, He breaks the bread and passes the cup and asks them to remember Him whenever they did this. Jesus knew what was coming. The Old Covenant was about to end, and the New Covenant, forged by His blood, His sacrifice, His broken body, the New Covenant of Access to God is about to come. </p>
<p>Mark 15:33-39 (NLT): At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!” Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” </p>
<p>One of the most terrifying moments in the Bible happens on the cross. Jesus cries out, &#8220;My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?&#8221; Jesus, the second member of the Godhead, is being seperated from God. As He is dying, He feels God withdraw. His Father, who has been with Him from the beginning, who He talked to every night; the Spirit that had empowered Him, something was stirring on the inside. As all of this is happening, He feels like He is drifting away from God. He cries out, &#8220;Why? Why are you forsaking me in this hour?&#8221; He is hanging on the cross, and His Spirit&#8230;the Holy Spirit&#8230;</p>
<p>Jesus utters on last loud cry, and He <em>breathed</em> His last. As He breaths His last, the Holy Spirit leaves His body. When He breaths His last, the Veil in the Temple, separating the presence of God from the world, is <em><strong>torn</em></strong> from top to bottom! Now, nothing separated God from His people, from His world.  </p>
<p>And a Roman Soldier is the one who says, &#8220;Surely, this was the Son of God.&#8221; A Gentile sees what so many missed.</p>
<p>The Presence of God is released. The barrier is torn, the same as the sky over the Jordan when Jesus was baptized. The Holy Spirit tore the veil. He removed the barrier between God and Man. Jesus begins to descend, to pay the price. The Holy Spirit and God stand aside to wait while the Son goes to defeat sin, hell, death, and the grave. Three days pass, and then, God tells the Holy Spirit to go!. Romans speaks of how the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. He sets Jesus free. Jesus comes back, encourages and empowers His friends, and then leaves. He instructs them to wait. The Spirit is coming to live in you!</p>
<p>The Spirit comes as a rushing wind on the day of Pentecost. The same Spirit who empowered Jesus now filled His disciples. The same Spirit who empowered the disciples to live a supernatural life is filling us, here, in 2008, and empowering us to live a supernatural life. Every area of creation, He was there. He was there in creation. He was there throughout the age of the Old Covenant, anointing a select few to do His will. And in the New Covenant, He was released to live in us. Paul says, &#8220;This is the mystery. Christ in You.&#8221; The Spirit in you. The Kingdom in you. The Holy Spirit empowering you to fulfill this call. </p>
<p>When we come to God, we come to love Jesus. And then, things begin to change. Things begin to shift. Our lives begin to more to a higher level, and we don&#8217;t understand how or why it is happening&#8230;THAT is the Holy Spirit. He begins to speak and teach and show us the Truths of God. He empowers us to live a supernatural life. He is the one who walks with us day by day by day. Gives us the courage to live boldly the same as the disciples. </p>
<p>Get to know the Holy Spirit. He is the final member of the Godhead. You do not truly know God until you know His Spirit. &#8220;I baptize you in water, but He will baptize you in fire.&#8221; From Jordan to Calvary, the Spirit was involved in every step. How can you ignore Him and say that He was only for the Christians in Acts? Oh no, the Spirit will fill any who is willing to step out of their comfort zone and see where God wants to take them. He says, &#8220;It is by my Spirit!&#8221;  </p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/enter-the-holy-spirit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Calling of God</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/the-calling-of-god/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/the-calling-of-god/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:31:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deanandjill.com/2008/12/05/the-calling-of-god/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Acts 13: 1-2 (MESSAGE): The congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers: Barnabas, Simon, nicknamed Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, an advisor to the ruler Herod, Saul. One day as they were worshiping God—they were also fasting as they waited for guidance—the Holy Spirit spoke: &#8220;Take Barnabas and Saul and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Acts 13: 1-2 (MESSAGE): The congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers: Barnabas, Simon, nicknamed Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, an advisor to the ruler Herod, Saul. One day as they were worshiping God—they were also fasting as they waited for guidance—the Holy Spirit spoke: &#8220;Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit speaks through the prophetic. These men were worshiping God, and the Holy Spirit began to speak through the people there. This is how He speaks today. Apart from us knowing and hearing God&#8217;s voice ourselves, He will speak to us through the people He was put around us. When you are joined with other people, there is a high probability of hearing from God through these people. </p>
<p><span id="more-95"></span></p>
<p>A teachable, humble spirit hears God when He speaks. A teachable spirit hears God through the words of a child! God will bring someone you never imagined would talk to you about your world to speak to you. He will get to you exactly what He wants you to get. </p>
<p>The more Spirit filled you are, the more normal you are. The more you submit to the Spirit, the more you find yourself more relatable to the world. Reaching the world is one of God&#8217;s primary concerns. Churches, in an attempt to be more spiritual, have become less relatable. C3 is different. The more Spirit-filled we are, the more relatable to the world we are. This doesn&#8217;t cause us to hide the Spirit, no. We know the function of the Spirit. He moves outside the church. We know the Spirit wants to get to us and talk to us about our calling. He wants us out in the world, reaching them; He moves through us to reach them.</p>
<p>Primary goal: God redeeming the world. Jesus opens the door, the Spirit empowers, and we go out into the world. The Spirit reveals to us who we are, how we fit, and what our function is within the Kingdom. He reveals our calling within the Body of Christ. As long as we function as a body, we find that the Spirit has a roll for every single person to play. Part of a leader&#8217;s roll is to help you find your place. Meaning comes when you begin to serve in the House of God and search for your place. God has given you a roll, a calling, and a set of giftings to help you in your calling. Everyone is gifted for a function from God. Something incredible happens when you flow in the gift and in your function. </p>
<p>The anointing is a powerful tool that enables us to do things we could never do in the natural but can do in the supernatural. We have an anointing from God that will mix with our giftings, and when that happens, we will find our meaning, our context, and our place in the House. Every single person has an anointing. Everyone has the ability to tap into God&#8217;s supernatural power in order to fulfill the calling placed upon your life.</p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/the-calling-of-god/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Holy Spirit: The Helper</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/the-holy-spirit-the-helper/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/the-holy-spirit-the-helper/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:52:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deanandjill.com/2008/12/05/the-holy-spirit-the-helper/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hebrews 11: 3 (NLT): By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God&#8217;s command. He spoke, and there it was. What we see now was born [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hebrews 11: 3 (NLT): By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.</p>
<p>By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God&#8217;s command. He spoke, and there it was. What we see now was born from something we can&#8217;t see. When the earth was a chaotic mass, the Spirit was brooding and moving over it all, creating an atmosphere and an environment for God to move. </p>
<p><span id="more-94"></span></p>
<p>The Spirit is within us. We are carriers of God&#8217;s presence. Also, as we carry God&#8217;s presence, His presence can overflow into the world around us. We have the ability to change the world around us. The Spirit will effect the world around us. He convicts people. He reveals the truth to them. He brings the will of God to all people. The Holy Spirit wants to get involved in all aspects of life, from salvation and beyond. The path to salvation was heavily influenced by the Holy Spirit. When we first felt that twinge of thought that our lives were wrong, that was the Holy Spirit. When we began to search and be drawn to God, that was the Holy Spirit. When we chose to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit was there. He is always there, ready to help in each and every crucial decision we make in our lives.</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit stays in our lives every step of the way. We will never know how life is going to turn out. Only Jesus knows. Life is not pre-destine. Nothing is laid out. We make decisions every moment of every day that effect, shift, and change our futures. When we come to major decisions in our lives, the Holy Spirit is there to lead us down the path God would have us take. Each decision effects the path. If we submit to God, the Holy Spirit&#8217;s direction will be clear.</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit is here to help us. In what? How does He help us? He is not just out there cheering us on (though He does do that); He wants to help us accomplish our tasks and live our lives. He lives in us for a reason. He lives and fills our being, and He has an opinion, an idea. He reveals truth to us constantly. He has a purpose for our lives. He is able to prevent stuff from happening in our world that we don&#8217;t want to happen. He can get us out of situations that we don&#8217;t want to face, situations that are beyond our control and out of our ability to fix. He is there to get us out. Either we create these situations or something happens that forces us into the situation, the Holy Spirit is there to help.</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit will take us and guide us down the road of life. He will reveal to us God&#8217;s truths on how we should live. He interprets the perfect will of God for our life. If we allow Him to, He will tell us. However, if we take our lives into our own hands and don&#8217;t listen to Him, life will take a less than pleasant turn. When we begin to think we know better, trouble is bound to happen. When we submit to God and acknowledge that He knows better than we do, things will get better. All Hell may be breaking loose, but when we submit, we know we will get to the other side. And the Holy Spirit is always there through it all; always talking, always teaching, and always guiding us into truth. </p>
<p>If you make a wrong choice, go back to the place you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt,that God was speaking to you. According to your revelation, the Spirit will speak. He will involve Himself as far as you allow Him to be involved. If you want Him to tell you how to eat, He will. If you want His help in buying a car, He&#8217;ll help. But, in order to learn to walk on your own, you can make minor decisions on your own. The Holy Spirit would perfer you think for yourself. However, on major, life-changing issues, having His counsel is crucial.</p>
<p>Now, we have the power to shift our world through the words we speak. As we speak, we create our future. The life we have today is the sum total of the words spoken yesterday, and our future will be shaped by the words we speak today. We are in the same class of being as God. WE ARE NOT GOD, but we are made in His image. We have the same ability to create through speech. We can make choices and dictate our future and transform our world; however, we tend to create a life that is not of God. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. He moves into our world and reveals to us what God would have us do. </p>
<p>The Holy Spirit is God&#8217;s presence. He is a person. He has feelings and opinions. He goes where He is invited. If you are a control freak, you will have trouble with the Holy Spirit because He wants to be in control. He won&#8217;t take control from you, but if you give it to Him, He will take it and shift your entire world. He wants to be heard. He wants to be able to speak into our world. If we don&#8217;t heed His warnings, we stray from the path. But the Holy Spirit brings us back when we submit again, admit we were wrong, and listen to His guidance.</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit is always speaking. He is always leading and guiding. We just need to find the frequency and hear Him. It may come through softening your heart. It will come through the words of the people in your world. The words of your leaders are a main tool the Holy Spirit uses to speak to you. Friends, family, people you are submitted and connected to, and even strangers are used by the Holy Spirit to reach you. He will do everything necessary to reach you. When you submit to Him and align yourself with Him, you will find yourself being used in much the same manner. The Holy Spirit will speak through you in order to reach someone else. As you live a life sensitive to the Holy Spirit, He will speak to you and speak through you. </p>
<p>Before God has someone else talk to you, He will tell you first. If you don&#8217;t listen, He goes to someone else. If you don&#8217;t listen to that person, He&#8217;ll have more people tell you. If you ignore them, He will reveal it to you in His Word. He will keep going through as many venues as possible to reach you&#8211;the Bible, friends, spouse, family, Himself, the pastor, your leaders. The list goes on. God will do everything He, but if you continue to ignore Him, He will withdraw until you turn back around and realize how far off the path you went. Just, don&#8217;t blame Him when you fall down. He never abandoned you. He tried to get your attention many many times. He is a God of the second chance, but honestly, you can get it right the first time if you listen.</p>
<p>Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.  </p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/the-holy-spirit-the-helper/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An Introcution to the Holy Spirit</title>
		<link>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/an-introcution-to-the-holy-spirit/</link>
		<comments>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/an-introcution-to-the-holy-spirit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:45:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://deanandjill.com/2008/12/05/an-introcution-to-the-holy-spirit/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[John 16: 12-15 (NLT): “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>John 16: 12-15 (NLT): “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit, first and foremost, is a <em><strong>person</em></strong>. He is not a feeling. He is not mist. He is not goosebumps on your arms. He is a person with thoughts and feelings. The Holy Spirit manifests in whatever way He feels like&#8211;a dove, wind, fire&#8211;, and you may feel His near when the atmosphere is charged, but He is a person. He is always here because He is welcome. We create an atmosphere through worship and the reading of the Word, but before we even come to the meeting, He is here, walking around the room, connecting with us. The Holy Spirit does not go anywhere that He is not welcome or invited. He goes where He is welcome; He is the presence of God on the earth from the Book of Acts until now. We love the presence of God in this church. The Holy Spirit is welcome here at C3.</p>
<p><span id="more-93"></span> </p>
<p>The Holy Spirit will go with you everywhere you go. He is the presence of God on earth, and He goes everywhere He is welcome. As He goes with you, He reveals TRUTH. God is truth. Everything He says is truth. We need not doubt anything that God says, for everything He says is truth. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of God to you. The Holy Spirit reveals God&#8217;s truth so it can be applied to your life. Jesus says in verse 13 that the Spirit will guide you into God&#8217;s truths. </p>
<p>Environment effects how we all act. Being raised in poverty or negativity or anger will train you to lean towards aspects of poverty, negativity, or anger. These and other aspects like this train people to live in error. The trouble with error is that people think it is truth. Even if you are a Christian, you can be in error. You live in error while assuming you are in the right, and then your life blows up. Why? Because you were deceived (and you never know you were in error, that is what it means to be deceived) into living in error. How do you get out of it? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides you out of error and into Truth.</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit will minister to you in the way you need. In &#8220;The Shack,&#8221; God manifests to the main character in the way that He needs. The ministration of the Spirit happens when the Spirit is welcomed. When you welcome Him, you begin to build a relationship with Him. Through time, intimacy is developed. You begin to know and understand the wants and needs of the Spirit. You go deeper than knowing about the Spirit; you go into knowing Him on a deeper level. You understand His nature, His character, and His desires. It is in this intimacy that healing comes, liberation comes, and change comes. There is a process; the Holy Spirit is always preparing things. He sets things up. He gets deep into everything. He gets in and around our lives and does things that we may never know about until we are in Heaven. Spend time with the Holy Spirit; develop that relationship; and see what happens!</p>
<p>The Will of God is found in Intimacy of the Spirit. The Spirit has no agenda. Everything He says is something He was told from God and Jesus. He is passing along their words to you. He will whisper God&#8217;s will into your life. </p>
<p>A relationship with the Holy Spirit means He is inside of you. It means that no matter where you go, He is with you! He goes where you go. The Presence of God goes into every place you go. And you will find yourself thinking differently. All the old thoughts will die away and be replaced with new, freeing thoughts born from the truths of God.</p>
<p>The Holy Spirit is the Creative Force of God! In the beginning, before the creation of the world, there was chaos. Over all of that, before God spoke into the chaos, before God spoke the world into life, the Holy Spirit was brooding over the chaos. He was dreaming the world before God spoke. And when God spoke, the Holy Spirit moved. God&#8217;s authoritative words were spoken, and the Holy Spirit began to create. We have the same authority. We can speak into our future; we combine our faith with the Holy Spirit and the truths He has told us, and we speak it into our lives, we will create our lives. Speak according to what God has spoken, and the Holy Spirit will move to see it done. That is why you need to get to know Him. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth, and when you are in truth, all that is left to do is for you to breath for all the Jesus wants to do in and through you.       </p>

<!-- start wp-tags-to-technorati 1.01 -->

<!-- end wp-tags-to-technorati -->
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://deansweetman.com/2008/12/05/an-introcution-to-the-holy-spirit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
