Holy Spirit 1: The Person

Intro:
What has been your understanding or experience of the Holy Spirit?

Read: John 14v15-21 (Note: Jesus is meeting his disciples for the last time before he dies.)
What does Jesus teach about the identity & character of the Spirit?

The original Greek wording for “another Counsellor” literally means “another counsellor of exactly the same kind” (v16). In other words, the Holy Spirit perfectly represents Jesus, and is fully God just as Jesus is.

What does Jesus promise the Spirit will do?
What did Jesus mean when he said “I won’t leave you as orphans” (v18)?
How might the disciples have felt after hearing this? Why?
What are the implications of the Holy Spirit’s presence in us:

a) In our attempts to obey God?
b) As we share our faith?
c) When we face difficulties?

Living the Christian life in our own strength is impossible. The only way to live as a Christian is for Jesus to change us, directing and empowering every aspect of our lives. He does this through the Holy Spirit.

True or False:
We can’t do a single thing of worth without the Holy Spirit.

Pray:
Thank God that he has given us the Holy Spirit. Ask him to help you grow in your understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Pray in pairs.

Action Point:
Read The Life booklet.

Digging Deeper:
Read the rest of John 14-16. What else does Jesus teach about the Holy Spirit?

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Holy Spirit 2: Being Filled

Feedback:
What was last week’s action point? How did you get on with it?
How are you doing in your personal evangelism? What’s been going well? What’s difficult?

Intro:
What’s been your experience of trying to live out the Christian life?

As Christians, we know that living God’s way simply by our own efforts doesn’t work. We need God’s help and his Holy Spirit transforming us from the inside out. Although all Christians have the Holy Spirit, not all Christians rely on the Holy Spirit to change them.

Read: Ephesians 5v8-21
In Ephesians, Paul reminded them of the wonderful new life that they have because of Jesus. He then gets practical about how to live in response to his grace.

What kind of lifestyle does Paul encourage the Ephesians to live in verses 8-17?
Why does Paul bring the Holy Spirit into this?
Why is the comparison made between drunkenness and being filled with the Holy Spirit?
What effect does being filled with the Holy Spirit have? What verbs are used?
What can we conclude from these verbs?
What does this passage teach us about being filled with the Spirit?

An Illustration: Spiritual Breathing
Exhale - We ‘breathe out’ by confessing sin to God as soon as we become aware of it.
Inhale - We ‘breathe in’ by surrendering our lives to Jesus again, trusting the Holy Spirit to fill us with his presence and power.

Spiritual Breathing is something we can do any time. However, we may not always feel different. Although experiences are great, they do not always define what is true. We are wise to trust God’s promises whatever happens.

True or False: The Christian Life is the Spirit filled life.

Pray: Take some time now to think seriously about some of these questions:
Do I want to give myself wholeheartedly to God? Am I willing to admit where I have sinned against God, and turn away from such attitudes, thoughts and actions? Am I willing to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit? Do I trust God to fill me when I ask him to according to his promise in the Bible (1 John 5v14-15)?
If these things are true of you, ask God now to fill you with his Spirit and he will.

Action Point:
Aim to practise ‘Spiritual Breathing’ regularly over the next week. Observe how you are changed as you honestly submit yourself to God.

Digging Deeper:
Read Ezekiel 47v1-12 and John 7v37-39. What is the connection between these two passages? What do we learn about the spirit filled life?

Agape Essentials 1.4

Holy Spirit 3: In Step

Feedback:
What was last week’s action point? How did you get on with it?
How are you doing in your personal evangelism? What’s been going well? What’s difficult?

Intro:
What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
What is the difference between having the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit?

In the last session, we looked at “Spiritual Breathing”, and how we can trust and follow Jesus more closely. Following Jesus will always lead to changes in our life.

Read: Galatians 5v16-26
What does Paul urge these believers do (16)? What do you think he means?

Note: in verse 16 the word sometimes translated “live” is the Greek word peripateo which literally means “walk”. Walking is one of the most common pictures for the Christian life in the New Testament.

What does it mean to “gratify” desires?
How would you describe the relationship between the Spirit and the sinful nature?
How have you experienced this in your life?
How do the Spirit and the sinful nature impact our lives (relationship with God, others)?
How does the metaphor of “fruit” help us understand how the Spirit works?
What do you think it means to “keep in step” with the Spirit?
How would you summarise what we’ve learned about the Holy Spirit?

True or False:
Producing fruit is hard work.

Pray:
In pairs, look at the fruit listed in Galatians 5. Which fruit is in short supply? Ask God, through the Holy Spirit, to help you to see more fruit (Godly character) in your life.

Action Point:
Think about areas in your life where you are most tempted to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Get together with a friend you trust and pray together for the Holy Spirit to help you overcome these temptations and produce fruit of the Spirit instead.

Digging Deeper:
The Bible describes three main enemies to living the Christian life: our “old” or “sinful” nature (Galatians 5v17), “the world” (1 John 16v33, 1 John 2v15-17) and the devil (James 4v7). We can overcome this opposition by being filled with the Holy Spirit and follow his leading.

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