Empowered | Part 1, Life In The Spirit
1. This week we began a sermon series on the Holy Spirit. In our discussion, we examined this quote from Jim Cymbala, “Many people find it easy to relate to God the Father and Jesus the Son, but when it comes to the role of The Spirit in their lives, they don’t have a clear picture of who He is or what He does.” Do you or anyone you know struggle with understanding who the Holy Spirit is and what He does?
Would you like to learn more about the Holy Spirit and His role in your life? From your knowledge of scripture and anything discussed in this week’s sermon, what is one thing the Holy Spirit does?
2. Please read Galatians 4:4-7 (NLT) But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵ God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as His very own children. ⁶ And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir. What stands out to you as you read these powerful verses? Our focus this sermon series is on the Holy Spirit, however, we should pause to consider all of what these verses teach us. One of the things that we see is a juxtaposition between slavery and freedom. Verse 5 reminds us that God sent Jesus to purchase our freedom, to ransom us. He purchased our freedom by giving His life. Verse 7 reminds us that we are no longer slaves. As you meditate on slavery vs freedom in Christ, what comes to mind? What do you think it means to have freedom in Christ? What does it look like in the daily life of a believer?
3. Let’s revisit this verse: Galatians 4:6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” I believe this verse reveals two important things about the Holy Spirit. The first, is that after we accept Christ, the Spirit is sent to live within us. How does it impact and remind you that The Spirit lives within you? 3. (Continued) SIDE NOTE from Pastor Tom: For me personally, it is incredibly encouraging to know that the Holy Spirit lives within me. This reminds me that He will never leave me. It reminds me that God’s Spirit is never far away; He is right here, living in me. Because He lives in me, He can inwardly guide me, speak to me, correct me, and comfort me. Verse 6 teaches us that the Holy Spirit prompts us to call out, “Abba Father”. This means the Holy Spirit allows us to have an intimate relationship with God, knowing He is our Father. I believe this verse reveals one of the roles of the Holy Spirit - to prompt us. To prompt is to remind or move to action. Tell a story about a time when the Holy Spirit reminded you of something or moved you to action. Would you like this to happen more often?
