Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 1
Session 1
Discussion
Jesus emphasised the Spirit’s crucial role in enabling His followers to do more than talk about change, tell others to change or be limited to good intentions. The Spirit comes into our lives so we can experience God’s transforming power. You may have experienced this in your life when you became a Christian. Maybe you didn’t even know what was happening. Many people have stories of immediate change – and for others they’ll experience change over time.
The Bible is really clear that the Holy Spirit comes into our lives so that we can experience real and lasting change and have a capacity to live the life that God intends for us. The Bible is equally clear that this transforming change is increasingly within your reach if you learn to cooperate with the Spirit.
So we’re going to look at what the Scriptures say about how we can learn to cooperate and collaborate with the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We’re going to look at who the Holy Spirit is and what He does in our lives. We’re also going to talk about how He has uniquely shaped us so that we can really live as though we were created with a purpose.
What have you heard/read/experienced about the Holy Spirit?
Engage with Scripture
Read Galatians 5:16-25 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.Read John 14:16-17 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.
Further Study (Optional)
Read John 16:7-15 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.
Read Acts 1:1-8 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.
Session 2
Session 2
Engage with Scripture
There are times when we find ourselves saying to God: “I just want to do what You want me to do with my life. I want to be Your servant.”
For some people, the idea of servanthood is tied to thoughts of having to do the exact opposite of anything we actually like doing. But interestingly, when God talks about our servanthood to Him, the word He uses is “gift.”
Most of us have had the experience of opening a present – perhaps on Christmas morning – and the excitement that went along with that. With a bit of that sort of sense of anticipation, we’re going to look at what the New Testament says about the gifts of the Holy Spirit that can be part of our lives.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect an
d note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.Exercise
Find the different lists of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 to 14. Discuss together what these gifts look like in your church/community life.
Session 3
Session 3
Engage with Scripture
Read Romans 12:3-8 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.
Read 1 Peter 4:7-11 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.
Further Study (Optional)
Read Ephesians 4:7-13 out loud together. To help get a good understanding of the passage, try to describe what is happening or being said in your own words. Then take a moment to reflect and note down what stands out as important or significant, or really meaningful to you. Share your thoughts together.
Discussion
What experiences of spiritual gifts have you seen/had?
Project
Development, growth and change happen when we act on what we’re learning. Here is a project to help you engage with and discover your spiritual gifts.
Based on what you’ve been talking about here, we’re going to take our understanding of God’s character and attitude to spiritual gifts even further. There are a few different ways you can take your next step. So allow some time to talk it through together and work out a meaningful way to take what you’re learning further.
- Work through chapter nine of Mike Breen’s book “Building a Discipling Culture”. Then work through the questionnaire in the appendix at the end of the book. Discuss how you can take the next step in applying how God has shaped you.
- Work though a ministry shape tool with a mentor. Determine the next steps in using your spiritual gifts from that experience.
- Spend time together praying for God to release His gifts into your lives. As God starts to speak, plan together how you can use the gifts to help other people.