The word "Inspiration" can conjure up many ideas. We talk about artists and great thinkers as being inspired. We describe the Bible as God's inspired word. A particularly meaningful quote or movie can be inspirational. 

So, what do we mean at Southridge when we talk about a lifestyle of inspiration?

Well, we believe that an inspired lifestyle is one of the ways we participate in the story of God. To understand that more fully, we need to go back to the beginning of the story.

Genesis 2:7 describes how, when God created the first human, He "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life". The Hebrew word translated "breath" literally means "spirit". Humanity life was intimately connected with the Spirit of God. Having been created in His image and infused with His breath, the first humans lived in perfect harmony with God, enjoying His immediate presence and face-to-face friendship.

As the story goes, however, sin created a barrier between them and God. Choosing independence from God meant they would never again experience His immediate, face-to-face presence. 

For thousands of years, God continued to relate to humanity, primarily through His chosen people Israel, primarily through prophets, kings and priests as they gathered to meet with Him at the temple, where His Holy Spirit resided. 

When Jesus was born, He restored God's face-to-face presence to the human experience, functioning as the living, breathing temple of God where the Holy Spirit dwelt. During His crucifixion, the temple veil that had once acted as a barrier between God and humanity was torn in two, unleashing God's presence on the entire world. After His resurrection, Jesus breathed on His disciples, reenactingGenesis 2:7, and urged them to "receive the Holy Spirit".

This is what we mean when we talk about “Inspiration”. To be inspired by something literally means to be filled with the spirit of that thing or to be in-spirited. If you are an inspired musician, it means that the music has overtaken you and consumed your mind and heart. It drives your motivation and fuels your passion. It’s not just something you do externally; the music has gotten into your soul and lives inside you, constantly seeking expression.

That's exactly what God wants to do in each of us. He wants to inspire us, to breathe the breath of life – His Spirit – into our bodies and awaken us to real life. As we inhale His life and presence, He fills our thoughts, feelings and actions until we can’t imagine life without Him. As our lives are united with His, we become inseparable, indistinguishable and irrevocably changed.

When you show up here on Sunday mornings, we hope you find the experience inspiring. But more importantly, we hope that you are in-spirited by God as you worship, pray and learn from His word. It is our prayer that every person who participates in the life of our church would be filled with the real life that only comes when God breathes His living Spirit into our mortal bodies.