Study guides from Spirit & Truth
[The Holy Spirit Series: Study 1]
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
This study guide starts with the basic question, “Who is God and what is he like?” Each of us have had different experiences that shape how we answer that basic yet difficult question. You have likely been shaped by personal encounters with God, interactions with other Christians, church culture, and more. In this study we want to examine some scriptures that teach about the Holy Spirit and introduce you to his character and work. We also want to help lead you into some simple action steps so that you can grow in your personal relationship with the Spirit, not just know facts about him. Subsequent studies will dive into the gifts of the Holy Spirit, learning to hear his voice, and more. For now, we start at the beginning. Who is the Holy Spirit and how does he work in the lives of believers?
[The Holy Spirit Series: Study 2]
Learning to Hear God’s voice
It’s quite a statement to say, “God speaks to me.” And yet that is a claim Christians have held true since the beginning of our movement. The pages of the Bible, from beginning to end, are full of stories of God communicating with his people. From the very start humans were made to be a people who walk and talk with God. Intimacy in any relationship requires communication and God desires intimacy with us. We serve a God who speaks! The question is, “Are we listening?”
There are many ways that God chooses to reveal himself and his will to us. In this study we will examine some of those ways and how to listen for God’s voice more intentionally. Whether through the pages of Scripture, the nudges of the Holy Spirit, or the witness of Godly community, the Christian life is fundamentally about learning to hear what God is saying and discerning how to respond. And just like anything in life, the more we practice, the better we get. Learning to hear God’s voice is essential if we want to live in everyday obedience to his will.
[The Holy Spirit Series: Study 3]
The gifts of the holy spirit
Every Christian has been called to ministry. That looks different for each person. For some that may include their primary vocation, like a pastor. For many that will include bringing the light of Christ into a secular workplace. For every believer it also includes serving the church and those in our hurting world in all sorts of ways. Regardless of what our particular calling may look like, none of us have the power we need to serve Christ in our own strength. We need more than what we can manufacture! But God never asks us to do things without the grace and power to do what he is asking. He is a good father who loves to give good gifts to his children. Every believer has been given gifts from the Holy Spirit for this purpose!
Spiritual gifts were common in the New Testament church and we see them referenced many places in the Bible. But how do those gifts still function today? And how do we discern what gifts we have been given so we can serve God faithfully in the ways he calls? That’s what this study guide is all about.
About the Holy Spirit series
This series of study guides will introduce the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Christians were never intended to live on their own strength or serve God solely by their own effort. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is active in creation and given to specific people (like prophets) at specific times and for specific purposes. Starting with Pentecost, God has poured out his Spirit upon all believers, bringing salvation, transformation, gifts, miracles, and so much more. The Christian life that Jesus invites us into is impossible apart from God’s indwelling presence. This series is designed to help you get to know the third person of the Trinity in a more intimate and active way. The Christian life you always wanted, and the life our hurting world needs, requires us to live in greater obedience to the Holy Spirit. We hope these back-to-the-basics study guides will be tools that help you discover in greater measure the fully-alive way of living that Jesus died to give you.