Building a Spiritual Life (Pr. Paul Hohman)

Building Spiritual Life Overview

In this powerful message from NTC Ministries, Pastor Paul Hohman delivers a timely and practical teaching on what it truly means to build a strong spiritual life. Drawing from Matthew 6, James 4, Genesis 1, 2 Chronicles 7:14, and 1 Peter 5, he challenges believers to move beyond self-reliance and New Year’s resolution thinking into a daily, intentional pursuit of God. Using the relatable analogy of failed resolutions and sugar cravings, Pastor Paul illustrates how the flesh constantly wars against the spirit and why feeding our spiritual man must become a daily discipline. He unpacks Jesus’ command to seek first the kingdom of God, showing that when we prioritize our relationship with God, worry, anxiety, and fear lose their grip. Rooted in James 4:7, he calls listeners to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to the Father every single day. The message is both pastoral and personal, as Pastor Paul openly shares his own morning prayer habits and the joy of seeing God move through prayer at the church food pantry. This sermon is an essential resource for anyone longing for deeper faith, greater peace, and a spiritually grounded life.

Building Spiritual Life Outline

• 00:00 – New Year Resolutions and the Problem of Self-Reliance: Pastor Paul opens by connecting the familiar experience of failed New Year’s resolutions to the broader challenge of trying to change in our own strength, setting the stage for why spiritual building matters.
• 06:30 – Matthew 6: Worry, Fear, and Little Faith: Reading from Matthew 6:25-34, Pastor Paul addresses the disciples’ anxiety and explains how worry reveals a lack of confidence in God’s ability to provide and care for His people.
• 14:00 – Seek First the Kingdom of God: An in-depth look at Matthew 6:33, exploring what it means to seek God first in every area of life, including work, family, relationships, and daily decisions, rather than seeking Him only when convenient.
• 22:00 – Created in His Image for Dominion: Turning to Genesis 1:26, Pastor Paul reveals that humanity was made in God’s image and likeness with a purpose and plan, challenging believers to see themselves as God sees them.
• 30:00 – James 4: Submit, Resist, and Draw Near: A careful walk through James 4:1-8 covering the three essential steps of building a spiritual life: submitting yourself to God, resisting the devil, and drawing near to the Father daily.
• 38:30 – God Opposes the Proud but Gives Grace to the Humble: Pastor Paul unpacks the danger of pride and self-sufficiency, showing that any time we think we have a better way than God’s Word, we are positioning ourselves in opposition to Him.
• 45:00 – 2 Chronicles 7:14 and the Pattern of Spiritual Growth: Connecting the Old Testament promise to the New Testament call, Pastor Paul shows that humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God’s face, and turning from sin is the timeless pattern for experiencing God’s blessing.
• 51:00 – Practical Daily Habits of a Strong Spiritual Life: Pastor Paul shares personal disciplines including morning prayer, staying in the Word, attending midweek prayer, and maintaining constant awareness of God’s presence as the practical foundation of spiritual strength.
• 55:00 – 1 Peter 5 and Casting All Your Care on God: A closing exhortation from 1 Peter 5:5-11 reminding believers that God will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle them as they humble themselves and cast every care upon Him.

Scripture References

Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 6:33, Genesis 1:26, James 4:1-8, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Hebrews 13:5-6, 1 Peter 5:5-11, Psalms 27:1-3, John 12:46

Key Takeaways

• Seeking God first every single day is the foundation upon which every other area of your life, including health, finances, and relationships, can be built and sustained.
• Worry and anxiety are not just emotional struggles but spiritual symptoms of a lack of trust in God’s ability, and they are overcome by consistently feeding on His Word.
• Submitting to God, resisting the devil, and drawing near to the Father are the three daily actions James 4:7-8 identifies as the core practice of a strong spiritual life.
• God created you in His image and likeness with purpose and dominion, meaning you were never designed to live in fear, defeat, or spiritual weakness.
• Pride and self-reliance are not just personality flaws but spiritual positions that cause God to resist us, while humility opens the door to His grace and favor.
• Building spiritual strength is not a one-time decision but a daily discipline of prayer, Bible study, church fellowship, fasting, and continual awareness of God’s presence.
• God will never leave nor forsake you, and casting every care on Him is not a sign of weakness but an act of faith that releases His supernatural provision and peace into your life.

Building Spiritual Life Notes

Flesh Versus Spirit in Daily Living

Pastor Paul opens with a surprisingly practical observation: the same reason most people abandon New Year’s resolutions within weeks is the same reason many believers stagnate spiritually. The body cries out for what it has been fed, and without discipline, the flesh will always win. Just as fasting starves the flesh and builds the spirit, daily spiritual disciplines deprive the carnal nature of its fuel. The insight is simple but profound: you cannot build a strong spiritual life on willpower alone. The strength must come from within, from Christ living through you, not from human determination or positive thinking.

What Jesus Taught About Worry and Trust

In Matthew 6, Jesus is not speaking to unbelievers but to His disciples, which tells us that worry and anxiety are real struggles even for committed followers of God. Pastor Paul emphasizes that when Jesus says ‘Oh you of little faith,’ He is not criticizing but diagnosing a lack of confidence in God’s ability. The remedy Jesus prescribes is not positive thinking but a reorientation of priority: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things that cause worry will be provided. Faith grows when we stop seeking what we need and start seeking the One who provides.

Three Steps That Change Everything

James 4:7-8 provides one of the clearest action plans in all of Scripture for spiritual growth. Pastor Paul breaks it down into three steps: submit to God, which means voluntarily placing yourself under His authority; resist the devil, which requires active refusal of fear, temptation, and compromise; and draw near to God, which is the daily practice of prayer, worship, and time in the Word. These are not sequential steps to complete once but a continuous rhythm of the spiritual life. Every day presents new opportunities to submit, resist, and draw closer to the Father who jealously longs for fellowship with His children.

Humility as the Gateway to God’s Grace

One of the most repeated truths in this message is that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Pastor Paul makes clear that pride is not limited to arrogance or boasting but includes any attitude that says ‘I have a better way than God.’ Skipping church for personal preferences, neglecting prayer for busyness, or trusting worldly wisdom over Scripture are all subtle forms of pride. Humility, by contrast, is not weakness but the posture of a believer who knows their need for God and acts on it. Putting on humility daily, as 1 Peter 5 commands, is what positions us to receive God’s unmerited favor.

Prayer as a Daily Spiritual Vitamin

Pastor Paul draws a vivid comparison between morning prayer and taking a vitamin shot of B12. Just as physical supplements energize the body, consistent prayer energizes the spirit, sharpens the mind, and aligns the heart with God’s purposes for the day. He describes his own practice of greeting the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each morning before his alarm even goes off, expressing gratitude for the gift of a new day and inviting God into every relationship and encounter. This is not a religious ritual but a living relationship, and it produces supernatural strength, clarity, and fruitfulness that no amount of self-effort can replicate.

You Were Made for More Than Survival

Drawing from Genesis 1:26 and the names of God including Jehovah Jireh and Jehovah Rapha, Pastor Paul reminds believers that they were not created to merely survive each day but to exercise dominion, walk in divine health, and see God’s hand at work in every circumstance. The righteousness of God in Christ Jesus is not a distant theological concept but a daily identity to confess and live from. When we seek first His kingdom, the desires that once consumed us begin to fade, and we find ourselves naturally walking in the freedom, health, and abundance that God always intended for those made in His image.

Frequently Asked Questions