Main Thought
Jesus Christ died, rose again, and ascended on high. He left the was the earth - but He didn’t want to leave us empty-handed! Jesus interceded on our behalf, and God the Father sent His Holy Spirit to us. The Holy Spirit is here to help us on our journey through life. It’s the Spirit who helps us to become God’s children. The Holy Spirit also helps us to be empowered witnesses for Jesus. A witness is someone who shares what they’ve experienced; God wants to empower us as we share what we’ve experienced in God with others. The Holy Spirit wants to abide with us, both in our lives and in our ministries, forever.
Main Passages
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.
- John 14:16
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
- John 20:19-21
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- Acts 1:6-8
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you in last Sunday’s sermon, the Main Thought, or the Main Passages above?
What do you think it means to be empowered by God to be a witness? Have you ever experienced God’s empowerment?
How can we abide in the Holy Spirit’s presence?