Sermon Overview & Discussion Questions: "Walk by the Spirit"

Overview of Sermon:
Continuing in his warning about licentiousness, Paul notes that the sinful desires of the flesh are directly opposed to the sanctifying desires of the Holy Spirit, and that one cannot pursue both their flesh and the Spirit simultaneously. Therefore, Paul writes, the solution for the believer to avoid gratifying their sinful desires is to simply walk in the Holy Spirit. In so doing, the Christian is freed from the constraints of the old covenant law and empowered to live in a particular freedom to pursue holiness known only to this side of the cross.

Discussion Questions:

1. What did Brian note as Paul’s main burden for the Galatians expressed in this passage?

2. Paul uses the analogy of walking in the Spirit to describe daily Christian life. What are some
specific examples of how a believer can walk in the Holy Spirit?

3. In humbly giving examples of how he walked according to the flesh in the past week, Brian
noted that his initial motivations were godly. However, his fleshly desires presented
themselves later as distractions, only after he had already set out on a task. What are
common situations you find yourself in where you are initially motivated to please the
LORD and find yourself later tempted in your task by your flesh?

4. How might this passage help encourage a believer who is weighed down by the continued
presence of sinful temptation in their life?

5. How might this passage better help you share the gospel with a non-Christian who views
themselves as a fundamentally good person?