The Spirit student handbook

THE

SPIRIT 10 lessons on the significance of the Holy Spirit and how he is the giver of life

STUDENT HANDBOOK |

Written by Edward Surrey

A book by Christian Education Publications Published December 2015 Copyright © Edward Surrey 2015 This book is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism and review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any process without the express permission of the publisher.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc. Christian Education Publications PO Box A287 Sydney South NSW 1235 AUSTRALIA P +61 2 8268 3344 E sales@cepstore.com.au W cepstore.com.au National Library of Australia ISBN: 978-1-92-504163-7 Managing editor: Cassandra Cassis Theological editor: Guangyao Un Images: shutterstock.com/unsplash.com

Read this

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Stop and reflect Group discussion

CONTENTS Chapter 1 Worship the Spirit as God Almighty 4 Chapter 2 The Spirit is about Jesus with intensity 8 Chapter 3 You can be saved for eternity 11 Chapter 4 Christians are loved with security 14 Chapter 5 The Bible is speaking with clarity 20 Chapter 6 Ask God for things without timidity 25 Chapter 7 Tell others about Jesus with sincerity 31 Chapter 8 Go to church with unity 36 Chapter 9 Use your gifts to serve with humility 40 Chapter 10 Fight sin to reach maturity 45

2 THE SPIRIT IS ABOUT JESUS WITH INTENSITY

GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT OF THINGS

g g gg g g g g

1. Try to work out what these jobs are, based on their titles.

Gumologist

Snake Milker

Cup Keeper

Face Feeler

Face Feeler

Gumologist

Cup Keeper

Snake Milker

RECAP The Holy Spirit is ___________________ Draw arrows describing the

WHERE Father sequence ofIS GodTHE revealing SPIRIT FROM?

his truth to the world.

We have worked out who the Spirit is. Now we need to see where he’s from.

Spirit

M

READ JOHN 14:16–17.

Who ends up benefitting

from the Holy Spirit’s work in the Trinity?

2. What does each member of the Trinity do here?

The Son __________________ the Father.

....

Us

Son

The Father __________________ the Spirit.

READ JOHN 14:26.

3. Complete this sentence: The __________________ will send the __________________ in the name of the __________________.

READ JOHN 15:26.

4. We see all the members of the Trinity at work in this verse. Fill out what each does:

dd

The Son __________________ the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is like the floodlights at a large sporting event or the theatre. The point of the lights is The Spirit __________________ Father. so we can see the action in front of us. We aren’t to look around and watch the lights and say ‘Oh my, what a bright If we do that the lights The Spiritlight’. __________________ Son. have failed in their mission, and we failed in our understanding.

The lights mean we can see the action, so keep looking at the action. Every time we look at Jesus, the 5. Both the Father and the Son send give the Spirit, thea Spirit is willing Holy Spirit is doing his work.

If we and talk about Jesus, we’reand doing Holy Spirit thing.to go. What does that tell you about the three members of the Trinity?

THE SPIRIT p.21

2. THE SPIRIT IS ABOUT JESUS WITH INTENSITY

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g g g

g g g g

Feeler

Gumologist

WHAT DOES THE SPIRIT DO? Cup Gumologist Keeper

Face Feeler

Snake Milker

6. TIME Magazine (May 20, 2013) describes your generation as ‘the me me me generation’.

Why do you think it’s called that?

g

Cup Keeper

Snake Milker

7. You’re a reporter writing for a newspaper and you have been asked to write a short article about the Holy Spirit’s job. READ JOHN 16:14–15 in pairs to help you.

Draw arrows describing the sequence of God revealing his truth to the world.

Father

Spirit

M

8.

Who ends up benefitting DrawHoly arrows the from the Spirit’describing s of God revealing work insequence the Trinity? his truth to the world.

M ....

Who ends up benefitting from the Holy Spirit’s work in the Trinity?

....

Us

Father

Us

Son

Spirit

Son

This shows that God loves to give and to make known what he is like. But he is not selfish. Each member of the Trinity glorifies and gives to the other. Therefore, the Spirit does not want us to look at him. Instead he wants us to look at Jesus. This is so refreshing in a ‘me, me, me’ generation.

The Holy Spirit is like the floodlights at a large sporting event or the theatre. The point of the lights is so we can see the action in front of us. We aren’t to look around and watch the lights and say ‘Oh my, what a bright light’. If we do that the lights have failed in their mission, and we failed in our understanding.

The lights mean we can see the action, so keep looking at the action. Every time we look at Jesus, the Holy Spirit is doing his work. If we talk about Jesus, we’re doing a Holy Spirit thing.

The Holy Spirit is like the floodlights at a large sporting event or the theatre. The point of the lights is so we can see the action in front of us. We aren’t to look around and watch the lights and say ‘Oh my, what a bright light’. If we do that the lights have failed in their mission, and we failed in our understanding.

The lights mean we can see the action, so keep looking at the action. Every time we look at Jesus, the Holy Spirit is doing his work. If we talk about Jesus, we’re doing a Holy Spirit thing.

THE SPIRIT p.21

dd 9. How is the Spirit like a floodlight at a game or a spotlight at a theatre from 1 John 4:2?

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10. Is this a new idea for you? Do you agree?

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THE SPIRIT p.21

6 ASK GOD FOR THINGS WITHOUT TIMIDITY

GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT OF THINGS

i

i

1. Tick which of these prayers you’ve said, or been close to saying or thinking.

PLEASE HELP ME PASS THIS EXAM.

i PLEASE HEAL MY FRIEND.

IF YOU DO THIS THING FOR ME, I’LL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU LATER.

i ARE YOU OUT THERE?

i WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?

RECAP The Holy Spirit is ___________________ and is all about ______________________.

Because he is at work, we should be ______________________ again, and then have lots of ________________________ because the Holy Spirit is an ___________________.

Through the _________________________ and the ________________________, he wrote the _______________________ and is _______________________ today.

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KIDDING AROUND 2. Think about the people that raised you (parents, carers, grandparents, etc.). List all the privileges you have with them that the average person on the street doesn’t.

3. Being a child of God is one of the greatest ways of describing what it is to be a Christian. Look over Romans 8:10–17 below and write the correct verse(s) that match with all the privileges of being a child of God.

€ Romans 8:10–17

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. 12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.

And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

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Reign with Jesus

Righteousness from Jesus

Ruled by Jesus

Request because of Jesus

Resurrected like Jesus

dd 4. Discuss with a partner which of those seems most unbelievable to you. Write down which is most appealing to you.

6. ASK GOD FOR THINGS WITHOUT TIMIDITY

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7 TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS WITH SINCERITY

GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT OF THINGS

dd 1. Guess what each of these phobias are. Tick any that apply to you.

Xanthophobia Turophobia Somniphobia Coulrophobia

Omphalophobia

Omphalophobia

i

Nomophobia

Xanthophobia

i i Nomophobia

i i Turophobia

Somniphobia

i Coulrophobia

dd 2. Discuss what phobias you have and why.

RECAP The Holy Spirit is ___________________ and is all about ______________________.

Because he is at work, we should be ______________________ again, and then have lots of ________________________ because the Holy Spirit is an ___________________.

Through the _________________________ and the ________________________, he wrote the _______________________ and is _______________________ today.

The Spirit makes us __________________ of God so we can ________________ to him.

THE SPIRIT IS EMPOWERING, SO BE BOLD We’re going to trace the work of the Spirit through various people in the Bible to see just what the Spirit does.

Moses had led God’s people, the Israelites, out of Egypt into the desert and he wanted to spread the load of his leadership a bit.

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READ NUMBERS 11:24–29.

3. Imagine you are Joshua. What is your reaction to what God does? (vv 24–28)

4. In contrast to Joshua, what does Moses want? (v 29) What does this tell us about the Spirit?

Samson was a really strong guy who was in charge of Israel for a while.

READ JUDGES 14:6.

5. Where did Samson get his strength from? What does that tell you about the Holy Spirit?

David, before he killed Goliath, was anointed to be king.

READ 1 SAMUEL 16:13.

6. What did the Spirit do to David?

Mary has just been told she will fall pregnant, even though she is a virgin. Naturally she’s nervous!

READ LUKE 1:34–35.

7. How was Mary comforted?

Jesus is kicking off his ministry, having just come back from being in the desert for 40 days.

READ LUKE 4:14–15.

8. What ministry does Jesus do, and how do people respond? How is he able to do all this?

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9. The Spirit gives people _______________________.

7. TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS WITH SINCERITY

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