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Who is the Holy Spirit?
What do you think of when you hear the words, “Holy Spirit”?
A:___________________________________________________Many people think of the Holy Spirit as a “what”, but in reality the Holy Spirit is a “who”! The Holy Spirit is a real person. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit entered your life and He is enabling you to do God’s work! Without the Holy Spirit, living for Christ is impossible. With Him, you can do anything and everything! Many people think of the Holy Spirit as a “what”, but in reality the Holy Spirit is a “who”! The Holy Spirit is a real person.
The Bible teaches that God is actually “three-in-one”–God the Father, Jesus who is God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father created and sustains the world. Jesus came to earth in bodily form and saved all of mankind from their sin. And God the Holy Spirit actually lives in each believer helping them to accomplish all that God the Father has for them to do! When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit entered your life and He is enabling you to do God’s work! Jesus said in John 13:16-17, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me” (NLT).
What truth do you think God might be currently trying to speak into your life through the work of the Holy Spirit?
A:___________________________________________________The Bible teaches that God is actually “three-in-one” –God, the Father, Jesus who is God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. When you invited Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit actually entered your life–and He will be with you forever. The Holy Spirit is invisible, but He is a real person. The Holy Spirit is the one who directs and controls us. God’s plan for you is to mold you into the image of Christ. This life-long process is the work of the Holy Spirit …as you allow Him to control your life.
Jesus was giving his disciples final instructions before He went back to his Father. They were all totally ready to follow Him after His resurrection … and ready to give up everything to follow Him.
But Jesus knew they were not ready. Even after three years of Jesus training them, the disciples still didn’t have the necessary strength to live the life He had called them to live. Jesus knew they would fail miserably if they tried to live for Him in their own strength! Jesus knew they needed His power. He told them: “But you are to be given power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8, NLT).
When Jesus actually left the earth after his resurrection, He told his disciples to wait for the “promise” He would send them from his Father. In Luke 24:49 He said, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised” (NLT). The Holy Spirit is called many things in the Bible, but his main role in your life is to be your “Encourager” and “Comforter” as you embark on your new journey with Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, living for Christ is impossible. With Him, you can do anything and everything!
What in your life are you currently trying to accomplish for God?
A:___________________________________________________
How might allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you make a difference?
A:___________________________________________________ When you invited Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit
actually entered your life–and He will be with you forever. Imagine that–the Spirit living inside you!
You will never be alone! Ephesians 3:16-17 tells us, “God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love” (CEV).
The Holy Spirit is invisible, but He is a real person. In John 14:16-17, Jesus said, “Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you” (CEV).
Imagine that–the Spirit living inside you!
In My Heart, Christ’s Home, Robert Munger wrote about having Christ control each “room” of a person’s life. Envisioning what it would be like to have Jesus come to the home of our hearts, Munger goes from room to room considering what Christ desires for us. In the living room we prepare to meet Christ daily. In the dining room we examine what appetites should and should not control us. Mungar even helps us explore the closets in our lives that Christ can help us clean out. Think about what it would mean to give Christ control over all of your life! As your invited guest and Lord, Jesus desires to “settle down” in each “room” of your “house”. Christ lives in you through the person of the Holy Spirit and He will take each area of your life which you commit to Him and help you to live for God.
As you consider this concept of your life being like a home, which “room” comes first to your mind as needing to be under the Holy Spirit’s control?
A:___________________________________________________
Read the following verses to learn more about the Holy Spirit:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.” (CEV)
This verse teaches me that ______________________________________
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Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NIV)
This verse teaches me that ____________________________________
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Galatians 5:16: “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” (NLT)
This verse teaches me that _____________________________________
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The Holy Spirit is the one who directs and controls us. Each one of us is like a basketball player who voluntarily puts himself under the control of his coach. The basketball player listens to the coach so he can perform to the best of his ability. The player is not a robot, but he freely chooses to let his coach direct him, because he wants to play well.Additional Study: Read the booklet, “My Heart, Christ’s Home” by Robert B. Munger. You can access this publication at http://mckeesportalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/My-Heart-Christs-Home.pdf
God’s plan for you is to mold you into the image of Christ. This life-long process is the work of the Holy Spirit … as you allow Him to control your life. The Holy Spirit will gradually conform us into the image of Christ as we submit ourselves to Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 encourages us with these words, “And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (NLT).
Application:
In what ways is having the Holy Spirit working in your life making a difference?
A:___________________________________________________
What can you do to allow the Holy Spirit to have more control over your life?
A:___________________________________________________
