I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Holy Spirit is_________
The Holy Spirit is the powerful personal presence of God who orders our chaos.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2
When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed
Luke 4:18
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
What is the Holy Spirit?
– The One who resurrected Jesus
– Author of Scripture
– Convicter of sin
– Deposit that dwells in believers
– Teacher
– Spirit of Truth
– Counselor
“If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.
John 14:15-17
The Holy Spirit is the powerful personal presence of God who orders our chaos.
And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit
Ephesians 5:18
What are common misconceptions people hold about the Holy Spirit? How might people either ignore Him or misinterpret emotion or other forms of spirituality?
Considering your prior knowledge about and experience with the Holy Spirit, what immediately comes to mind and what do you associate with the Holy Spirit?
Read Genesis 1:1-2 (and perhaps verses 26-27 for good measure). What was the world like before and after the God’s purposeful work? What did the Spirit do in creation of the world and in the creation of people?
Considering texts like Matthew 3:16-17 and Acts 1:8, how is the Holy Spirit essential to the ministry of Jesus and the (early) church?
Read Ephesians 5:18. As this verse speaks to being filled by the Holy Spirit, consider what it generally means to be full of the Spirit (see Galatians 5) and what specifically you could do to be filled by Him right now.
