Did you know that 2000 years ago Jesus, just having left this earth,
sent
a replacement for his visible physical presence? He said this
replacement was even better than having Him bodily stand by our side,
like he did with the disciples those three years. So who is it he sent?
The Invisible Holy Spirit.
The Spirit might be invisible, but he is real. If visibility was the
test for reality then so much we experience every day would not be real –
love and dreams for example - and the wind. Think about the wind. You
can’t see it, but you can see it’s effects (just look at the swaying
tree, the flapping flag), and more personally you can sense it on your
skin. So you know it’s real.
In the same way, the Spirit of Jesus is real. Just look at the effects
of his presence (the gospel advancing, people changed, churches
thriving) and listen to millions of stories of those who’ve experienced
his tangible, transforming, empowering presence. The big question is not
whether he’s real, but rather, since he is real…
Have you yet hoisted up your sails and started to tap into his
energizing power? Do you daily ask him to fill you, direct you, immerse
you in the love of God, transform you, do in you everything he wants to
do, take you wherever he wants to take you, and use you beyond your
wildest dreams?
Pity the Christ-follower who thinks they can pull it off in their own
strength. And pity the person who thinks that since they can’t see God
with their naked eye that he’s not there.
Join us for the five weeks in October while we learn to more fully
experience the Spirit Jesus sent – both in our personal lives, and as a
church. The future will never be the same because of these five weeks.
Our exploration during October takes on 3 components:
1) In Sunday meetings, we listen to 5 biblical messages about the Spirit.
2) In each of the five small group meetings, we’re watching a
short DVD-teaching about the Spirit, covering different material to the
Sunday message, followed by conversation and Spirit-imbued prayer.
3) Why not make use of the 7 personal studies at the bottom of this page - they will take you yet deeper.
The Topics we're exploring in this series...
3 October 2010
Sunday Message Topic: The Spirit at work in us (Acts 2: 1-18)
download mp3: Rigby
download mp3: Terran
Small Group DVD Topic: The presence of the Spirit
10 October 2010
Sunday Message Topic: The Spirit at work through us (Acts 1:4-8 and 2:16-22)
download mp3: Terran
download mp3: Rigby
Small Group DVD Topic: The power of the Spirit
17 October 2010Sunday Message Topic: Making sense of the experience of the Spirit
download mp3: Rigby
download mp3: Terran
Small Group DVD Topic: The fruit of the Spirit
24 October 2010Sunday Message Topic: Making sense of tongues and prophecy (1 Cor 14:1-5)
download mp3: Terran
download mp3: Rigby
download mp3: Kevin
Pdf: Explaining Tongues and Prophecy
Small Group DVD Topic: The miraculous gifts of the Spirit
31 October 2010Sunday Message Topic: Grieving the Spirit (Acts 5)
download mp3: Rigby
download mp3: Terran
download mp3: Christo
Small Group DVD Topic: Revival and the Spirit
Personal Studies on the Holy Spirit by Michael Eaton
Study 1:
The Person of the Holy Spirit and the Work of the Holy Spirit (pdf)Study 2:
The Holy Spirit in Scripture (pdf)Study 3:
The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Church (1 Cor 13, 14, 15) (pdf)Study 4:
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Life in the Holy Spirit (pdf)Study 5:
Gift of Tongues and the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer (pdf)Personal Studies on the Holy Spirit by Terran Williams
Study 6:
7-day exploration of and reflection on 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:3Study 7:
The Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit (pdf)