Sermon Summary:
Pastor Greg shares a powerful personal dream about prayer ministry and God's presence, drawing parallels to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The sermon explores the concept of spiritual suffering as a means of purification and growth, emphasizing the need to rid ourselves of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, and envy through dependence on God. The pastor discusses two bookends of spiritual suffering: being "slain in the spirit" (dramatic divine intervention like Saul's conversion) and "resting in the spirit" (gentle, nurturing spiritual growth). The central message encourages believers to groan in the Spirit, bringing their unholy desires and struggles before God, trusting that He knows exactly what each person needs for healing and transformation. The sermon announces a transition in the church's prayer ministry approach, to be discerned at an upcoming visioning retreat.
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5-Day Devotional: Groaning and Growing in the Spirit
Day 1: The Dream of Sincere Love
Reading: 1 Peter 1:21-22; Romans 8:26-28
Devotional: God calls us to an impossible standard: to love our neighbors as ourselves. This cannot happen through our own strength. Like a newborn completely dependent on its mother, we must acknowledge our utter dependence on God's grace. The Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding with groans too deep for words. When you feel anger, envy, or bitterness rising within you, pause and breathe deeply. Groan before God, naming these struggles honestly. He doesn't demand perfection but invites you into a relationship where His love flows through you to others. Your inability becomes the very place where God's power is perfected.
Reflection: What unholy desire keeps rising in your heart? Bring it to God today through wordless groaning.
Day 2: Ridding Ourselves of What Hinders
Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-11
Devotional: "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander." This command seems overwhelming until we understand the method: we are like terrible two-year-olds in God's lap. We cannot rid ourselves through willpower alone. Like that newborn colt instinctively seeking its mother's milk, we must crave pure spiritual milk. God disciplines those He loves, sometimes through spiritual suffering that reveals what needs purging. The very struggles that frustrate you may be God's loving discipline, drawing you closer to dependence on Him. Don't resist the process. Surrender to the loving Parent who knows exactly what you need to grow.
Reflection: Where is God's loving discipline at work in your life right now?
Day 3: Slain and Resting in the Spirit
Reading: Acts 9:1-19; Psalm 34:18
Devotional: God meets us in our brokenness with exactly what we need. Some, like Saul on the Damascus road, need to be slain in the Spirit—dramatically stopped in their tracks. Others need gentle resting in the Spirit, like that newborn colt wobbling toward its mother's milk. God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit. Whether you are broken relationally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually, the Lord draws near. He will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick. Your brokenness is not a barrier to God but an invitation for His presence. He is the great "I Am," meeting you precisely where you are.
Reflection: Are you broken today? Let God draw near to your crushed spirit.
Day 4: The Power of God's Presence
Reading: Exodus 3:1-15; Isaiah 41:10
Devotional: When Moses asked God's name, the response was profound: "I AM WHO I AM." God declares, "I will be who I will be to meet your needs." This is not a distant deity but an intimately present Father who knows whether you need discipline or comfort, correction or encouragement. God promises His presence, strength, and help in our time of need. The dream God has for His church is not about programs or performance but about people encountering His overwhelming presence. Like the pastor frozen in his chair, unable to speak or move, sometimes God simply wants us to be still and know that He is God, allowing His presence to fill and overflow from us.
Reflection: Stop striving today. Simply rest in God's presence and let Him be who you need Him to be.
Day 5: Craving Pure Spiritual Milk
Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-12; Matthew 5:3-12
Devotional: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. That newborn colt didn't know where to find what it needed, but instinct drove it forward until the scent led it home. You have that same spiritual instinct—a holy hunger for God that nothing else can satisfy. When you feel distant from God, keep seeking. When you cannot find words to pray, groan in the Spirit. God is not hiding from you; He is drawing you closer through your very hunger. The broken, the crushed, the struggling—these are the ones Jesus calls blessed. Your spiritual poverty creates capacity for God's kingdom to fill you completely.
Reflection: What are you truly hungry for today? Let that hunger drive you to the Father.
Closing Prayer: Gracious and heavenly Father, as we complete this journey of groaning and growing in Your Spirit, we come as we are—needing Your touch, Your discipline, Your comfort. You are the great I AM, and You know exactly what each of us needs. Lead us as we groan in the Spirit, bringing our unholy thoughts and desires before You. Show us the way to love, to live, and to serve one another humbly. May Your presence fill us and overflow from us to a broken world. In Christ's name, Amen.
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Small Group Guide: "I Have a Dream - Groaning and Resting in the Spirit"
Opening Prayer (5 minutes)
Begin by inviting the Holy Spirit to guide your discussion and open hearts to what God wants to reveal during this time together.
Ice Breaker (10 minutes)
Share a time when you felt God's presence in an unexpected or powerful way. How did that experience change you?
Key Scripture
1 Peter 2:1-12 (Focus verses: 1-2)
Romans 8:22, 26-28
Psalm 34:18
Sermon Summary (5 minutes)
Pastor Greg shared a powerful dream in which he was in God's presence while attempting to pray for someone. In this dream, he was physically lifted up and filled with God's presence to the point where he couldn't speak or move. He interpreted this as God redirecting the church's prayer ministry and calling us to a deeper understanding of "groaning in the Spirit" - bringing our unholy desires, anger, envy, malice, and brokenness before God for purification and healing.
Discussion Questions
Understanding the Message (15 minutes)
The Dream Experience: What stood out to you most about Pastor Greg's dream? Have you ever experienced God speaking to you through a dream or vision?
Two Bookends of Spiritual Suffering: Pastor Greg described two types of spiritual encounters:
"Slain in the Spirit" (John Morant, Saul/Paul) - dramatic, disciplinary encounters
"Resting in the Spirit" - gentle, nurturing encounters
Which resonates more with your own spiritual journey? Why?
The List of Inner Struggles: Read 1 Peter 2:1 again. Pastor Greg mentioned malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Which of these do you struggle with most? Why do you think these particular sins are so persistent?
Going Deeper (20 minutes)
Groaning in the Spirit: Pastor Greg described his experience of groaning before God when he felt unexplained anger.
What does "groaning in the Spirit" mean to you?
Have you ever experienced this kind of wordless prayer?
What prevents us from being this vulnerable before God?
The Terrible Twos Analogy: Pastor Greg said our relationship with God keeps us somewhere between infancy and age four - particularly like "terrible twos" when it comes to our sinful desires.
How does this analogy help you understand your spiritual journey?
In what areas of your life do you feel most like a "terrible two" with God?
Craving Pure Spiritual Milk: Like the newborn colt instinctively seeking its mother's milk, we're called to crave pure spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2).
What does "pure spiritual milk" look like in practical terms?
What distractions keep you from craving God's word and presence?
How can we cultivate this instinctive craving for God?
Personal Application (15 minutes)
Broken and Crushed in Spirit: Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
In what area of your life do you feel most broken right now (relationally, emotionally, physically, spiritually)?
How does knowing God draws near to the brokenhearted change your perspective on your struggles?
The "I Am" God: God told Moses, "I am who I am, and I will be who I will be to meet your needs."
What do you need God to be for you right now?
How can this group help you experience God's presence in your specific need?
Key Takeaways
Spiritual suffering is purposeful - God uses our struggles, both internal and external, to purify our hearts and draw us closer to Him.
We cannot rid ourselves of sin on our own - We must groan before God in total dependence, asking Him to work in us what we cannot accomplish ourselves.
God meets us where we are - Whether we need to be "slain in the Spirit" or "resting in the Spirit," God knows exactly what we need.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted - Our brokenness is not a barrier to God's presence; it's an invitation for His nearness.
We must crave pure spiritual milk - Like newborn babies instinctively seeking nourishment, we should instinctively seek God's word and presence.
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Practical Applications
This Week's Challenge:
Practice Groaning in the Spirit
Set aside 10-15 minutes each day this week for silent prayer
Use deep breathing (breathe in through your nose, exhale slowly)
As thoughts, feelings, or sins come to mind, lift them up to God without words
Simply bring your anger, envy, resentment, or brokenness before Him
Trust the Holy Spirit to intercede for you with "wordless groans" (Romans 8:26)
Specific Action Steps:
Create a "Groaning List": Write down the persistent sins or struggles from 1 Peter 2:1 that you battle most. Bring this list before God daily this week.
Identify Your Distractions: What keeps you from craving "pure spiritual milk"? Make a list and choose one distraction to limit or eliminate this week.
Share Your Brokenness: With a trusted friend or accountability partner, share one area where you feel broken or crushed in spirit. Ask them to pray with you and check in throughout the week.
Practice Dependence: Each morning this week, pray: "God, I cannot make it through this day without Your presence and power. I depend on You completely."
Closing Exercise (10 minutes)
Group Prayer Time:
Have each person share (if comfortable) one area where they need to "groan before God" this week
Pray for one another, asking God to:
Purify hearts through obedience to His word
Create a deep craving for His presence
Draw near to the brokenhearted in your group
Be the "I Am" each person needs right now
Optional: If appropriate for your group, consider having a time of silent prayer where members can practice "groaning in the Spirit" together, bringing their struggles wordlessly before God.
Looking Ahead
Pastor Greg mentioned an upcoming visioning retreat where the church will discern together the next steps for prayer ministry.
Pray for:
Wisdom for church leadership
Unity in discernment
Openness to however God wants to move
The courage to follow God's leading, even when it's different from what we expect
Additional Resources
Recommended Reading:
Romans 8 (entire chapter)
1 Peter 1-2 (full context)
Psalm 51 (David's prayer of repentance and purification)
Hebrews 12:1-13 (God's loving discipline)
For Further Study:
Research the stories of John Morant and George Whitefield during the First Great Awakening
Study the conversion of Saul to Paul in Acts 9
Leader's Note: Be sensitive to the vulnerability required in this discussion. Create a safe space where people feel comfortable sharing their struggles without judgment. Remind the group of confidentiality and grace. Some members may be experiencing deep brokenness - be prepared to offer additional prayer support or pastoral care as needed.
