PASSAGE SUMMARY
In preparation for his departure, Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit—the Counsellor—who would dwell permanently within believers, allowing the life of God himself to be expressed through them. True discipleship, characterized by genuine love and obedience, is rooted not in outward rule-following but in the inward transformation resulting from Christ being formed within. This intimate indwelling allows believers to experience and reveal God’s presence personally and authentically in their lives.
The Holy Spirit, described as advocate, teacher, and enabler, facilitates deep internal transformation, distinguishing believers from the unbelieving world, which neither perceives nor receives him. Believers already recognize the Spirit through their relationship with Jesus; the Spirit's presence deepens this connection, creating a profound union wherein Christ’s character and nature are progressively formed within them. Thus, life in the Spirit signifies much more than communal fellowship—it represents an intimate, personal union with Jesus himself.
Through the Spirit, Jesus ensures his followers will never be left as spiritual orphans, isolated from divine presence. Rather, believers continuously experience Christ dwelling within, empowering them to live lives marked by intimacy and obedience, mirroring Jesus’ own relationship with the Father. This Spirit-empowered life grants believers spiritual insight, peace, and confidence, transforming their daily experience into an ongoing participation in the divine nature, through which the Father's love and life are clearly manifested.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
- What is the big idea or key question from the sermon?
- How does this impact how you think of life in the Spirit?
- What specific step can you take this week to live out the reality of this truth?
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace, passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.
SUGGESTED COMMUNITY DISCUSSION GUIDE
Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. No matter which campus you attend, these questions will help you open up a discussion in your group.
Opening Prayer: Pause for a moment, then open by praising God for the life that you now have in the Spirit. Give him thanks for calling you to himself and ask him to use your time together to make you more like Jesus.
Read the Passage: Take time to read John 14
Discuss:
- What stood out to you from this passage or the sermon?
- What do you believe the Holy Spirit wanted you to see from this passage and this message?
- How does what we just went through in Galatians and what we're talking about at Easter set the stage for this conversation about life in the Spirit?
- What changes when the resurrected Jesus lives his life through our lives?
- How have you experienced life in the Spirit up to this point in your life?
- How does understanding the Holy Spirit as God's own life within you reshape your view of what it means to follow Jesus?
- What does it practically mean to allow Christ to be formed within you, and how might this formation impact your daily decisions?
- How can believers practically experience intimacy with Jesus through the presence of the Holy Spirit?
- What specific steps can you take this week to live more intentionally from the reality of God’s intimate presence within you?
Closing Prayer: Break up into smaller groups of 2-3, unless you only have 6 people, and spend some time in prayer for each other and specific ways you can begin to live in the Spirit.
Practical Application:
- Life in Community: Find a more seasoned saint and ask them what their life has been like in the Spirit.
- Life with Jesus: Spend 1 hour this week, all at one time or broken out over a few days, in silence and solitude . Spend this time listening to God and then asking him to help you understand life in the Spirit.
- Life on Mission: Who is 1 person or couple you can invite to your house to encourage that doesn’t know Jesus?