27 September 2020 - 7pm Service
Journeys: Walk in The Spirit
This Sunday, we continue our preaching series Journeys: People of the Way with a message from April Ballard.
The Christian life is a journey. It has a beginning, a destination, and things to do, accomplish, and grow in on the way. The early Church was called ‘The Way’ - it implies a way of life, not just a once in a lifetime decision. What does The Way look like?
You will find discussion notes below to help you go deeper with this topic during the week.
DISCUSSION NOTES
Introduction:
At the start of 2020 Rob Scott-Cook felt prompted to share as a prophetic word for the year, 'Keep in step with the Spirit'. In our series on Journeys we ask what does that mean in practice? How do we keep in step with the Spirit?
Read Ephesians 4 & 5 and Galatians 5:16-26.
The language of the Spirit in the New Testament gives us clues to the challenge of walking in the Spirit. The Spirit is compared to the wind that blows where it wills (John 3:8), to a Dove that could take flight at any time (John 1:32-33), to a fire that can be quenched (1 Thess 5:19) and to a person who can be grieved (Ephesians 5:30). Which of those images relate to your experience of the Spirit? What does the bible context of these verses tell you about how to keep in step with Spirit?
How do you relate to the personhood of the Holy Spirit? Why is it important to recognise that the Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force or energy to be used?
What do you think grieves the Spirit?
Can you think of any biblical characters or stories where people failed to keep in step with the Spirit? What can we learn from them?
Is there a tension between 'fanning into flame' the life of the Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6) the 'annointing' of the Spirit, and the downpayment deposit guarantee of the Spirit that 'seals' our Salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22)? Can you keep some aspects of your life in the Spirit while losing others?
What do you need to do, risk, change in your life to keep in step with the Spirit?