THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD AND EMPOWERS US TO LIVE LIFE
Omar recently became a follower of Christ, but lately he’s been having a hard time in his relationship with God. He feels thankful that God has forgiven his sins, and he wants to keep growing spiritually. But he feels like he’s hit a wall. He’s struggling because he wonders if he has what it takes to be the kind, loving, unselfish person he believes God wants him to be. He keeps struggling with the same sins and can’t seem to make himself be the person that he wants to be. In what ways can you relate to Omar’s experience?
Who is the Holy Spirit? is he a who? Is he a what? Is he a ghost? When Jesus left the earth, he said that he had to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come. Why is this Holy Spirit so important? The Bible says the Holy Spirit is the power source to our spiritual life. It’s like the electricity to a lightbulb. Without electricity, the lightbulb is powerless and useless. In the same way, without the Holy Spirit guiding our lives, a Christian will have no power to live the kind of life God calls us to live. He will just feel defeated and always kinda stuck. Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit and why he is so important to our lives.
According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit is God who lives inside of every Christian and empowers us to live the Christian life.
1. Read 1 Corinthians 2:10. How does God’s Spirit help us experience God’s plans for us?
2. Read John 14:15-17 and John 16:13-14. Based on these verses, what are some of the ways you would expect God’s Spirit to work in your life as you trust in him?
Three Types of People
3. NATURAL PERSON - Read 1 Corinthians 2:14. How does this verse describe people who don’t have God’s Spirit?
4. SPIRITUAL PERSON - Read 1 Corinthians 2:15-16. How do these verses describe people who have God’s Spirit “on the throne” of their lives, filling, controlling, and empowering them?
5. WORLDLY PERSON - Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. How do these verses describe worldly people who have God’s Spirit but remain “on the throne” of their lives?
6. As you consider the people described in 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:3, (the circles) which one best describes you and why?
7. Which kind of person would you like to be and why?
8. So, how do you get from one to the other? Putting Christ back on the throne of your life is also called “being filled with the Spirit”. You are filled with the Spirit in the same way that you become a Christian in the first place - by faith. If you would like Christ to, again, sit on the throne of your life, take a moment now to silently:
9. Think of a situation you’re facing that calls for God’s power. As you pray and ask God to fill you with his Spirit (be “on the throne”), how would you envision him showing up in this situation based on today’s discussion?
Find more resources and ideas for teaching this study online at thrivestudies.com/holyspirit or cru.org/highschool
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