Big Idea

Following Jesus in his way of being human means learning to live dependent on the Spirit like Jesus was dependent on the Spirit.

Scripture

John 1:29-34, Acts 10:37-38, John 14:16-17, Galatians 5:25

Ice Breaker & Opening Thought

What is one human experience you have a hard time picturing Jesus experiencing?

Opening Thought

1. If you were king for the day, what would you do? (This can be fun or serious)
2. Jesus has given us his Spirit to be at work in us, and we are called to live dependent upon the Holy Spirit in the same way Jesus was dependent on the Holy Spirit. Have you ever had to be dependent on another person? What was your experience and feeling toward that dependency?

Bible Discussion

3. Read John 1:29-34 (See also Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22). All four Gospels tell this story. Outside of the final week of Jesus’ life, there are few moments that all four Gospels record. What do you notice in John’s account?
4. Read Acts 10:37-38. Peter says that it was by the power of the Spirit that Jesus went around doing good. Now read the following quote from Gerald Hawthorne. What specifically stands out to you in these words?
5. “The Holy Spirit was the divine power by which Jesus overcame his human limitations [such as being limited in knowledge and bound by physical space and human strength], rose above his human weakness, and won out over his human mortality…[Jesus] needed the Spirit’s power to lift him out of his human restrictions, to carry him beyond his human limitations, and to enable him to do the seemingly impossible.” -Gerald Hawthorne

Life Application

6. Read John 14:16-17 and Galatians 5:25. John says we’ve received the same Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus, and later the Apostle Paul says, we must live by the Spirit. What would it mean for you to live every day keeping in step with God’s Spirit?
7. If Jesus is our teacher, then the Holy Spirit is our tutor, and the Spirit wants to remind us of the teachings of Jesus and apply them to our lives. If we’re going to live like Jesus, we must create space for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. Has there ever been a time when you thought you heard from the Holy Spirit?

Challenge

This week, let’s create regular time and space to listen to the Holy Spirit. A straightforward way to make space for God is to pray a short prayer saying, “Come, Holy Spirit.” This prayer is a shortened version of an old prayer asking the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. Try praying “Come, Holy Spirit,” and being silent for thirty seconds. You feel an overall sense of peace, or there might even be moments when you feel led or compelled by God in some way. Continue to pray this prayer throughout your day, especially when you have to make important decisions. Try praying when you wake up in the morning, before you eat a meal, or at any other time during the day that will help you keep in step with the Spirit. Then, next week, let’s talk about your experience.