Big Idea

The Holy Spirit communicates with us, revealing and guiding us in the way of Jesus

Scripture

John 14:15-26, John 16:7-15

Opening Questions

1. In what ways were you able to B.L.E.S.S. others this week? Did you pray for, listen, eat a meal, serve, or tell your story to anyone this week?
2. What is the hardest thing about communication in your personal or work life?
3. Henri Nouwen once said, “God speaks to us not only once in a while, but always.” What do you think about the notion that God speaks to us always? Have you had an experience where you believed God was speaking to you in a big or small way?

Bible Discussion

4. Read John 14:15-26, 16:7-15. Make a list of the statements about the Holy Spirit. How would you summarize what is said?
5. What questions do these passages raise for you?
6. The Holy Spirit communicates with us. The Bible continually portrays God as a communicating person. What other passages contribute to the picture of God speaking?

Life Application

7. We can hear from the Holy Spirit through Scripture, circumstances, other people, and prayer. Has the Spirit ever spoken to you through any of these four modes of communication? What was your experience?
8. Let’s practice listening to God through a practice called Lectio Divina.

1. 1. Select a Scripture (Romans 8:35, 37-39 or Isaiah 57:15 or Galatians 4:4-7) and tell the group that you’ll be walking everyone through four stages of reading.
   2. Pray. Invite everyone to open themselves up to the Holy Spirit. Pray, “Come, Holy Spirit,” and give people 30 seconds of silence.
   3. Now say, “The first step in Lectio Divina is to ask ‘Lord, what does it say?’ I’ll read it slowly, give a few moments of silence, and then let’s talk about it.” Read the text slowly and ask the group to share their observations of the text.
   4. Say, “The second step in Lectio Divina is to ask, ‘Lord, what are you saying to me?’ I’m going to reread our passage. Listen for any words or phrases that jump out to you. Meditate on them asking God to speak to you.” Read the passage slowly and give two minutes for people to meditate on any words or phrases. After two minutes, check-in with everyone. Ask, “Would anyone like to share a word or phrase that spoke to you?
   5. Next, say, “The third step is to ask, ‘What do I want to say to God?’ Let’s take a few minutes for everyone to say a prayer to God. You might want to write out a prayer on your phone.”
   6. Finally, say, “The final step is to say, ‘No more questions are required.’ Let’s just be with God. I’ll read the Scripture one more time and then give a minute for silence.”
   7. End this exercise by debriefing it with the group, saying, “OK. Let’s talk about what we just experienced. What was that like for you?”

9. In what ways can you be more attentive to the Holy Spirit this week in your circumstances and your interactions with others?
10. In what ways do the B.L.E.S.S. practices keep us listening to God?