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All Nations Church Life Group Study
In the Power of the Holy Spirit
Week of May 15th, 2022
All scripture from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
Study by Wayne Arcand
“To God be the glory, great things he hath done”, are not just the words of a great old hymn. “To God be the glory”, is acknowledging that it is God who works in us and through us in the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish his purposes. All that we have, all that we are and all we will become is by the grace of God our Saviour. In this study we will look at a few verses with a focus on the power of God in our lives.
1. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to those who love him: John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
a. How do we show we love Jesus?
i. Who is the Spirit of Truth?
b. Why did the Father give us the Spirit of Truth?
c. Considering Jesus words in John 14:15, what is the implication when we make a conscious choice not to keep God’s commands?
i. What are some ways we try to justify ignoring God’s commands? In considering this question, how often have we said or heard “it seems to me”, or “it doesn’t seem fair”?
ii. Consider the promise of Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
1. How do these promises relate to John 14:15?
2. How does this help us when faced with a situation where we don’t understand what God is doing, or why he is allowing something to happen? For further consideration see Isaiah 55:8-9 and 1 Corinthians 1:25.
2. Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
a. What does it mean to ‘repent’?
b. What is our motivation for repentance?
c. What does God promise to those who repent?
d. Why is verse 39 important?
3. Discuss how John 3:16-18 relates to Acts 2:38-39 above. John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
4. There is a wonderful connectivity in scripture. Read Psalm 1:1Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
a. What truths do you learn in Psalm 1 that are reflected in the New Testament scriptures studied in this lesson?
b. What does the phrase, “which yields its fruit in season”, suggest to you?
For Reflection:
All who believe in Christ as the risen Saviour have the power of the Holy Spirit alive in them and working through them. Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit is primarily to transform our character, to make our life reflect the life of Christ. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” We all have areas of our life where the fruit of the spirit may be just budding. Pray and ask the Spirit to show you those areas of your life that need to mature and ask that he guide you as you journey through this life.
