Discussion Questions
1. What are a few things that you've learned about the Holy Spirit during the last two Life Group discussions?
2. Take a moment to read and discuss the following descriptions of the Holy Spirit. Take a moment to read some of the scripture references out loud as a group, then discuss what your are thinking about after each statement.
a. The Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not an impersonal force or thing. Many people refer to the Spirit as an “it,” but the Bible consistently describes the Spirit as a Person (for example, see Matthew 28:19 where the Spirit is an equal member of the personal Godhead or Ephesians 4:30 where He is said to have emotions). Rather than using the Spirit as an energy boost or tapping into Him like an electric current, we actually talk to Him, relate to Him, cooperate with Him, and make ourselves available to Him. Give an example of how this difference between Person and thing should affect the way we live.
b. The Holy Spirit is God. He is not less than the Father or the Son; He is consistently presented as equal (Matt. 28:19). Just like the other members of the Godhead, the Spirit is sometimes referred to simply as “God” (Acts 5:3–4). How do you think this ought to change the way we relate to Him?
c. The Holy Spirit has His own mind and will. He thinks and acts according to His own will and the will of God the Father (Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 12:11). The Spirit strategically enables and empowers us to fulfill our mission here on earth. How should the thought that the Holy Spirit has His own mind and will affect the way you think and plan?
d. The Holy Spirit has emotions. Paul tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). When there is disunity and lack of love, whether with other people or with God Himself, we cause the Spirit to grieve. We rarely think about the effect our sin has on God, but He is clearly saddened when we fail to honor Him as we ought. How should understanding that the Spirit can be grieved affect our attitudes toward sin?
e. The Holy Spirit is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. In Zechariah 4:6 God calls His people to rely on the power of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, Paul not only says that the Holy Spirit knows everything, but that He reveals truth to us. And in Psalm 139:7–8, David tells us that the Spirit is everywhere, and we cannot escape His presence. How do these three truths affect the way we look to the Spirit?
3. Spend some time in prayer. After looking through these Scriptures about who the Holy Spirit is and what He does, there are bound to be a number of things that you need to begin applying to your life. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit so that the world around you will see His power.