– The Holy Spirit Series –
HOLY SPIRIT . EMPOWER . LOVE BY FAITH . TELLING OTHERS
THE STUDY
LAUNCH
Keisha has a passion to dunk a basketball on a 10-foot rim. So she’s been working out her lower body, wearing ankle weights, and practicing every time she gets the chance. But she’s only 4-feet 10-inches. So it doesn’t seem like she’ll ever be able to dunk. How would you feel if you were Keisha? How is this like what we sometimes feel in our relationship with God when we try to follow him but feel like we don’t have the power to do so?
EXPLORE
1. Read Ephesians 5:18. What two things does the writer talk about in this verse?
2. How does being drunk affect a person’s thinking, speech, and actions?
3. Why does this verse say not to get drunk?
4. Why do you think it’s God’s will for us to be filled with his Spirit?
5.Just as people think, say, and do things we normally wouldn’t when drunk, we think, say, and do things we normally wouldn’t when we’re filled with the Spirit. Read Ephesians 5:19-21, Galatians 5:22-23, and Acts 1:8. What are some of the things we should expect to see in our lives when we’re filled with the Spirit?
6. The picture at the top of the pages is of a child running into the scary ocean with a parent. It’s something that child may not have done if the parent’s presence didn’t empower them to do it. How is this like our relationship with the Holy Spirit?
7. Read 1 John 5:14-15. Based on these verses, how do you think God will answer if we ask him to fill us with his Spirit since we know from Ephesians 5:18 that this is his will?
APPLY
8. Take a minute for silent prayer. If you’d like to have Jesus in control of your life, ask him to fill you with his Spirit right now.
9. We all get off track with God every day. How do you think “Spiritual Breathing” (“Exhaling” by confessing our sin to God as soon as we become aware of it and “Inhaling” by asking Jesus to fill us again with his Spirit) can help keep Jesus at the center of our lives consistently?
10. How should we handle it if we don’t feel any different after asking God to fill us with his Spirit?
If we are flying in a plane we need to place our faith in the trustworthiness of the plane and pilot. Our feelings of confidence or fear don’t affect the ability of the plane to transport us, but they do affect how much we enjoy the flight. In the same way, we don’t depend on feelings or emotions to tell us if we’re filled with the Spirit; we place our faith or trust in the trustworthiness of God and the promises of his Word.
11. Think of something happening in your life right now that’s really important to you. What’s a specific way you’d like to experience his power to change you in this area and know him better as you trust him to fill you with his Spirit?
What ideas do you have that could improve this study? Are there creative things you do to bring this topic home to your students? Please share with the community clicking the FEEDBACK button or leaving a comment below.
