Church, how often do we ask God to guide us while quietly hoping He will approve the direction we have already chosen?
I think most of us have done that at some point.
This week, Ps Larry continued our Standing Strong series with a simple but powerful challenge: let the Holy Spirit lead the way.
Paul gives us a beautiful example in Galatians 2:2:
“And I went up by revelation…”
Paul didn’t simply decide what looked best and ask God to bless it afterwards. He had learnt to recognise the leading of the Holy Spirit. Ps Larry put it plainly: Paul had learnt to “allow the Holy Spirit to lead the way”.
That challenges me. Sometimes I want God to follow my plans. Yet discipleship calls me to follow His.
Sound Teaching Must Produce Sound Living
Paul later wrote to Titus, his spiritual son, whom he had placed in leadership in Crete.
His message was practical.
Titus 3:1–2 reminds believers to respect authority, be ready for good works, speak evil of no one, and live peacefully, gently and humbly. Ps Larry described the theme of Titus as “sound doctrine and sound living.”
That phrase stayed with me. Christianity cannot only be something we practise on Sunday.
As Ps Larry said:
“It’s the way I live my life every day.”
Our faith must reach our homes, marriages, friendships and workplaces. It should affect how we speak when someone irritates us. Faith must change how we treat people who disagree with us. Good teaching should produce godly change.
And here is the encouraging part: God does not expect us to manufacture that change through sheer willpower.
God Works in Us Before He Works Through Us
Titus 3:4–5 tells us:
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…”
We were saved by grace. Then the Holy Spirit began His transforming work.
Ps Larry explained that when we receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit washes, regenerates and renews us. Transformation does not start with us trying harder. It starts with God working inside us.
Then comes one of my favourite statements from Sunday:
“God works in you, then God works through you.”
That changes everything. We don’t serve to earn salvation, but because His grace has already changed us. And as we surrender, He continues changing us.
The Holy Spirit Wants Close Fellowship With You
Jesus said something extraordinary in John 16:7. He described the Holy Spirit as our Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby.
Then Ps Larry drew our attention to something deeply personal: the Holy Spirit wants to be in close fellowship with us every single day.
The question is never whether God wants to lead us — it’s whether we are actually letting Him. His leadership doesn’t always look like open doors. It comes in quiet whispers, gentle comforts, hard corrections, and sometimes, straight into the middle of the storm.
Ps Larry reminded us that being led by God does not mean we will never face conflict, opposition or spiritual warfare. Paul himself encountered challenges on the road God had called him to walk.
Standing strong is not living without storms. It is knowing Who leads us through them.
The Dove and the Fire
Scripture gives us several pictures of the Holy Spirit. Ps Larry introduced six: the dove, fire, oil, water, wind or breath, and the seal.
This week, he spent most of his time on the dove and fire.
The Dove
The dove speaks of purity, peace and comfort.
When Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. The picture reminds us of God’s gentle presence. There are times when the Holy Spirit leads through that quiet inner peace.
Ps Larry reminded us:
“God is with you.”
Whatever you are facing today — family pressure, financial challenges, uncertainty, fear or something nobody else knows about — you are not alone.
The Fire
Then there is fire.
Fire represents power, purification and boldness. And this part isn’t always comfortable. Ps Larry said salvation happens once, but sanctification is a process. There will be moments when the Holy Spirit lovingly puts His finger on something and says, “We need to deal with this.”
Perhaps it is:
- Unforgiveness.
- Pride.
- A destructive habit.
- Our words.
- Our attitude.
The fire may be uncomfortable, but God is not trying to destroy us. He is transforming us.
Sometimes God comforts us through the dove, and sometimes He burns away what needs to change through the fire.
What Does This Look Like This Week?
| When I need… | I can remember… | My response |
| Peace | The Dove | Slow down and listen for His voice |
| Change | The Fire | Allow God to deal with what must go |
| Courage | The Spirit of Might | Stop depending only on my own strength |
| Direction | The Helper | Ask before acting |
| Freedom | The Spirit of Life | Reject condemnation and walk in Christ |
| Purpose | God works in me, then through me | Look for someone I can serve |
That last point means a lot to us as a church.
Ps Larry spoke about our teams going into the community, sharing the love of Jesus and helping families who are hurting. He reminded us that God’s heartbeat is people and that the Church exists to win souls and make disciples.
That is also why projects such as the Endleleni Community touch us. We are building far more than facilities. We are investing in people and future generations.
You can stay connected with our church family through 3C South Coast on Facebook and catch our messages on our YouTube channel.
Church, Let Him Lead
Ps Larry closed with Romans 8:1–2:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus… For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
What a place to finish.
We are not walking this life condemned and alone. We have the Holy Spirit.
So this week, before making that decision, sending that message, reacting to that person or choosing the next direction, perhaps we should stop for a moment and pray:
“Holy Spirit, You lead. I’ll follow.”
And as South Africa prepares to vote…
There is another practical way we can live responsibly in the weeks ahead.
South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections will take place on Wednesday, 4 November 2026.
Church, if you are registered to vote, I want to encourage you to take that responsibility seriously. Pray. Consider the choices before you carefully. Then vote according to your conscience and convictions. We don’t need anger or division. Paul told Titus to be peaceable, gentle and humble. Those words carry weight in an election season too.
Most of all, let us pray for South Africa — for peace, wisdom, integrity, our communities, those who serve in public office, and those who will be elected to lead.
For official election information, visit the Electoral Commission of South Africa. Special-vote applications are currently open for qualifying voters until 12 October 2026 at 17:00.
And through it all, church, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus.
Stand strong. Stay humble. Pray for our nation. And let the Holy Spirit lead the way.
