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HOLY IN SPIRIT

Scripture

John 3:4–6 - “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him.“Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Romans 5:12 - “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

Slow Read (Sit With the Text)

Read John 3:4–6 slowly, twice.

  • First reading: Notice how Nicodemus responds to Jesus—literal, guarded, skeptical.

  • Second reading: Notice how Jesus redirects the conversation from physical to spiritual reality.

Now pause and sit with this phrase: “Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh.”

Allow it to unsettle you.

 

Heart Questions

  • Where do I try to understand spiritual things only through natural thinking?

  • What parts of my life still operate primarily out of the flesh—habits, reactions, desires?

  • Do I truly believe my old life must die in order for new life to begin?

Don’t rush past discomfort. Transformation begins there.

 Spiritual Insight
Jesus is not correcting Nicodemus’ biology—He’s exposing his worldview.

To be born of water is to be born physically—into sin, limitation, and death.

To be born of the Spirit is to receive new life that does not originate with you.

You don’t upgrade the flesh. You don’t educate sin away. You don’t outgrow your old nature. It must die. And only the Spirit can bring what the flesh never could: life.

Prayer

Holy God, I confess how often I try to fix spiritual problems with natural solutions. I try harder. I learn more. I manage behavior. But today, I admit what I cannot do for myself.  What is born of the flesh cannot become Spirit. I bring You my old life—my habits, my thinking, my desires. I release my grip on what must die so new life can rise. Spirit of God, do in me what I cannot do on my own. Make me new.
Amen.

WHOLE IN MIND

Name the Resistance
Take 2–3 minutes and answer honestly:
“What habit, thought pattern, or desire do I struggle to surrender?”

Don’t minimize it. Naming it is the first step toward releasing it.

HEALTHY IN BODY

The Reset Posture
Once today, pause for 5 intentional minutes.

  • Sit or stand still.

  • Place your hands open.

  • Slow your breathing.

 

With each inhale, pray: “Spirit, give me new life.”

With each exhale, pray: “I release the old.”

Let your body practice letting go.

 

Closing Posture
Nicodemus asked, “How?” Jesus answered, “The Spirit.”
New life doesn’t begin with effort. It begins with surrender.

Series Content
Make Yourself