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FAITH IN ACTION
A 5 week journey to help you grow in your understanding of the Holy Spirit, his gifts, his fruit in your life and how to put all of this understanding in action. Faith in action!
DEEP IS DOING AND WE DO IT TOGETHER!
Sometimes, a journey is best made with friends. Why not reach out to someone close to you and ask them to take the journey with you. Encourage each other, spur each other on and celebrate together at the finish line.
WEEK ONE
Jesus knows that his time with the disciples is coming to an end, but he will not leave them alone. Just as Jesus has left the Holy Spirit to help them, we can be sure that the Holy Spirit has been left to help us. The gift of the Holy Spirit is crucial to every Jesus follower because we need him to help us live the life God has called us to live.
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” – John 14:15-21
SOMETHING TO WRITE
Start by S.O.A.Ping! Take the opportunity to start a new journal and practice S.O.A.P using the above scripture. Write out the verse, make an observation, how can you apply it to your own life? and write out your own prayer!
SOMETHING TO WATCH
You can also create a free Right Now Media account and access a whole heap of resources for Free courtesy of Eastlake. Try searching for… ‘BASIC Series: Who Is God? – Holy Spirit’ by Francis Chan
SOMETHING TO DO
Every week comes with a challenge and this week is easy! Don’t stop here! Commit to entire 5-week journey. Do the S.O.A.P journals, read, study and remember to share with someone and pray.
WEEKTWO
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
If walking in the Spirit means we’re moving, then our faith is a journey in which we’re always striving to make consistent forward progress. Every Jesus follower may walk at a different pace and in different ways, but we should all be moving forward—even if only a little bit at a time. We might stumble along the way—or hit roadblocks—but, with the Holy Spirit, we can eventually get up, brush ourselves off, and start walking again
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.” Galatians 5:16-18
SOMETHING TO WRITE
It’s time to S.O.A.P! Before you start your S.O.A.P take a moment to talk to Jesus. Ask him to speak to you through this passage above from Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
Questions?
- Does the Holy Spirit guide/change the way you live? What does that look like for you?
- Is there something in your life- a habit, a way of thinking, an addiction- that you need to surrender to the Holy Spirit today so that you can be free?
SOMETHING TO WATCH
SOMETHING TO DO
As a Jesus follower who do you want to become?
What is the next practical step you can take to be that person?
Examples:
I want to be more disciplined, so I am going to set aside 10 minutes each day to read my Bible.
I want to grow in gratitude, so I am going to start a gratitude journal and write one think I am grateful for every day.
Write one for yourself.
I want to be _________ so I am going to __________.
WEEKTHREE
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Fruit is the result of walking with the Holy Spirit over time.
Spiritual fruit is what we should desire as Jesus followers, because it’s evidence we’re allowing the Holy Spirit into our hearts, allowing Him to work within us.
The “fruit” metaphor helps us see our faith as a tree with branches that may or may not produce fruit, depending on how well we take care of the tree itself.
When we practice patience by not losing our temper, that’s walking in the Spirit.
When we show kindness, love, and concern for others’ needs, that’s walking in the Spirit.
When we hold to God’s values and standards, that’s walking in the Spirit.
When we stay faithful to God in the middle of a tough time, that’s walking in the Spirit.
When we’re gentle and loving to those around us, that’s walking in the Spirit.
When we have humility and grace, that’s walking in the Spirit.
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.” Galatians 5:22-26
SOMETHING TO WRITE
It’s time to S.O.A.P! Maybe it’s even time for a memory verse. Can you memorise the fruits of the spirit?
Questions?
- How has the “fruit” that you have seen in other Jesus followers shown you more about God?
- What fruit can you see in your own life that perhaps needs developing?
SOMETHING TO WATCH
SOMETHING TO READ
- “People of the Spirit” study series by Jack Hayford
SOMETHING TO DO
As a Jesus follower who do you want to become?
Write out this prayer and say it aloud each morning this week. It’s simple.
Dear Jesus, I want to become more _________. Help me Holy Spirit. Amen
WEEK FOUR
GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
Spiritual gifts are something every Jesus follower is given when they receive the gift of salvation. Just as the gift of salvation is by grace through faith, so are the spiritual gifts. Our God is so generous. He is constantly giving us things.
“Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us.” Ephesians 4:7
It’s His grace at work in our lives.
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
SOMETHING TO WRITE
It’s time to S.O.A.P!
Questions?
- What’s one way that you can use your God given gift to serve others?
- What is one way you have been blessed by someone else using their spiritual gift?
SOMETHING TO WATCH
You can also create a free Right Now Media account and access a whole heap of resources for Free courtesy of Eastlake. Try searching for… ‘What are your spiritual gifts?‘
SOMETHING TO DO
Complete this Easy-to-Use, Self-Guided
SPIRITUAL GIFTS SURVEY
WEEK FIVE
THE HOLY SPIRIT: OUR HELPER
Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit is referred to as our Comforter, Advocate and Helper
“When the Holy Spirit comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” John 15:26
The Greek word used here in reference to the Holy Spirit is Parakletos, which means one who is called to one’s side, especially to help. It also means an intercessor, an assistant, or one who pleads the cause of another before a judge.
A) The Holy Spirit helps us GROW
B) The Holy Spirit helps us to be HOPE TRAFFICKERS
C) The Holy Spirit helps our PRAYER LIFE
This weeks devotion and challenges are broken down into these three areas.
SOMETHING TO WRITE
A) The Holy Spirit helps us GROW
The Holy Spirit continues to work in the lives of Jesus followers to help us grow up and mature spiritually.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:16-19
B) The Holy Spirit helps us to be HOPE TRAFFICKERS
The Holy Spirit will always point us to Jesus. As a result of His work in us, we are convinced that Jesus is who he says he is, (John 15:26). This gives us the boldness to be Hope Traffickers.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
C) The Holy Spirit helps our PRAYER LIFE
The Holy Spirit helps us to pray. When we don’t know what prayer to pray and how we should pray, the Holy Spirit comes to help us by interceding before God on our behalf according to God’s will for our lives.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-17
SOMETHING TO DO
A) What next step can you take in growing closer to Jesus?
B) Who in your world could you share Jesus with or invite to church this week? Check out our this article on how to invite people to church.
C) Join a prayer crew!
SHARE YOUR JOURNEY!
We would love share your journey with others. In the hope that it might encourage them to put their faith in action too! This is also an opportunity to give us feedback on your journey. Is there more you would love to learn?