Join us for an hour on Wednesdays at 7 pm in Room 101 as we discuss the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone…. [We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost<\/em>. \u2014 A. W. Tozer in Of God and Men<\/em><\/p>\n 1. What is Tozer saying about his own generation? Does this apply to ours? What\u2019s the problem?<\/p>\n Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) 12<\/sup>For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n 2. Chan begins this chapter saying that Christians often approach the Bible with some \u201cpassively ingested\u201d beliefs that slant the way they look at Scriptures. These preconceptions can prevent us from actually hearing what the Bible is saying. Can you think of any examples of such beliefs?<\/p>\n Jesus says 7<\/sup>But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you<\/em> (John 16:7). It\u2019s easy to see this in the Bible. God\u2019s Spirit in Acts 2 brought an unparalleled spiritual awakening. And the Bible shows that this same Spirit gives us power to overcome sin, victory in Christian life, and gifting to do ministry.<\/p>\n 3. Do you feel like you are better off with the Holy Spirit living in you than you would be with Jesus here in the flesh? What does that say about you? Why would we feel that way? Can Christians get along without the Holy Spirit? Can a church?<\/em><\/p>\n Those of us who believe in Jesus would never deny the truth that we have the Spirit of the living God\u2026 living inside of us. I\u2019m just not convinced we\u2019ve internalized this truth\u2026. It seems like\u2026we have not owned it. \u2026[If] we woke up tomorrow and discovered that it is not true the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, most likely our lives wouldn\u2019t look much different. <\/em>\u2014 Francis Chan, pp. 34-35<\/p>\n 4. What can Christians who don\u2019t recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives do to see Him?<\/p>\n I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit\u2019s leading on a daily basis. Christ said it is better for us that the Spirit came, and I want to live like I know that is truth. I don\u2019t want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly<\/em>. \u2014 Francis Chan, p. 37.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Forgotten God, Chapter 1, by Francis Chan Join us for an hour on Wednesdays at 7 pm in Room 101 as we discuss the Holy Spirit. We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is … Continue reading