Lifegroup Guide – Week of 2/7/21

by | Feb 5, 2021 | Church Wide, LifeGroup Guide

LIFEGROUPS: WEEKLY DISCUSSION GUIDE

Week of February 7, 2021 

SERIES: Straight to the Heart      

Week #5: Spirit and Truth Empowerment    

John 14:12-17 

MESSAGE PREVIEW: 

Pastor Brian concludes our “Straight to the Heart” series this Sunday with a message of the value of Spirit and Truth Empowerment. 

 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:12-14 ESV

Jesus gives a farewell discourse, his final words, to the disciples. His words are not for them alone. These important words are for the disciples and for us, the church. It is a “we” passage. Jesus is announcing that He will be leaving to go and prepare a place for us. But we will not be alone. We will make it. In fact, we will do the same work that Jesus has been doing and even greater work in His name. 

How can this be? How will we do this? How can we do greater works than Jesus did while on earth? What kind of power will be needed to do this? 

We need Spirit and Truth empowerment. Let’s look more at what this means for us. 

WALKING WITH SPIRIT AND TRUTH EMPOWERMENT

  1. OUR PART: If you love me (Jesus) you will hear and obey me. 
    1. 1 John 5:3 ESV “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” 
    2. 2 John 6:6 ESV “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” 
      1. John is speaking of living life in such a way that we are walking out in all of what we see in and learn from in our lives. 
      2. We have to read his Word and do what it says. 
    3. Two problems with this in the church today: 
      1. Some people say they love God but they neither know His Word or obey it.
        1. Characterized by misplaced love (idolatry). 
      2. Some people know all the Words of God but don’t walk in the Spirit of Truth. 
        1. Characterized by rigidity and judgmentalism. 
        2. They sound like Jesus but do not walk like Jesus. 
        3. Matthew 7:3-5 ESV “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 
    4. Disciples of Jesus hear and obey Him because they love Him. They walk with Him and are becoming like Him. 
      1. John 15:4-5 ESV “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
  1. GOD’S PART: I will send you the Spirit of Truth. 
    1. Spirit of Truth: The Holy Spirt, Helper.
      1. We do not earn the Holy Spirit with our obedience any more than we earn our salvation. He is given. He comes alongside believers and dwells in us. He helps empower us to hear and obey Jesus.
        1. John 14:26 ESV “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
        2.  John 15:26 ESV “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”
        3. John 16:7 ESV “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
        4. John 16:13-15 ESV “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
        5. Romans 8:26-27 ESV “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
    2. Two problems with this in the church today: 
      1. Some would avoid the Holy Spirit all together out of fear of supernatural empowerment. 
        1. Characterized by a practical faith that says: Father, Son, and the Holy Bible. They have no power beyond what their own hands can produce. 
      2. Some separate the Spirit from the truth by thinking that their own feelings or premonitions are always from the Holy Spirit. 
        1. Characterized by sometimes being led by the Spirit, sometimes being led by other spirits, and sometimes making yourself god by listening to your own voice.  It can be weird, whacky, manipulative, and confusing. 
        2. But the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth – always pointing to Jesus. Always in line with the Bible. 

OUR RESPONSE

  1. We are people who are empowered by Spirit and Truth! 
    1. Yes, it’s supernatural. Yes, it can be both miraculous and mundane. This kind of empowerment discerns truth, does not give way to fear, follows Jesus in faith, lives on mission, and does even greater things that Jesus did in His ministry here on earth. 
    2. We NEVER separate the Spirit from the Truth or the Truth from the Spirit. We walk and worship in Spirit and Truth! 
  2. Question: Am I walking in Spirit and Truth empowerment? 
    1. Next Step: Read your Bible daily. SOAP it. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and obey what He says. 

ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS

During this series, we’ve been looking at important values. These values inform and direct who we are as a church and what we do.  We see these things mattering to Jesus and so they matter to us. As a church, they are central to our vision and ministry. As individuals, they should be central to our lives. 

Take a few minutes to answer the following questions as a group: 

  1. What are the five values we discussed over this course of this series? 
    1. (Leader Hint: Gospel Restoration, Kingdom Partnership, Hands-on-Service, Relentless Love, and Spirit and Truth Empowerment.)
  2. In your own words, briefly define what each value means. Give an example of how you see this value being lived out in the life and ministry of Bay Area Church. 
  3. Have you taken a practical step to live these values out in your everyday life? If so, tell the group more about this. 

These values are not just ideas to know, they are to be lived out. As we focus our discussion on the final value of Spirit and Truth Empowerment, take time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak through your time together. 

ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS

During this series, we’ve been looking at important values. These values inform and direct who we are as a church and what we do. They are things we see mattering to Jesus and so we want to make sure they matter to us. As a church, they are central to our vision and ministry. As individuals, they should be central to our lives. 

Take a few minutes to answer the following questions as a group: 

  1. What are the five values we discussed over this course of this series? 
    1. (Leader Hint: Gospel Restoration, Kingdom Partnership, Hands-on-Service, Relentless Love, and Spirit and Truth Empowerment.)
  2. In your own words, briefly define what each value means. Give an example of how you see this value being lived out in the life and ministry of Bay Area Church. 
  3. Have you taken a practical step to live these values out in your everyday life? If so, tell the group more about this. 

These values are not just ideas to know, they are to be lived out. As we focus our discussion on the final value of Spirit and Truth Empowerment, take time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak through your time together. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Ask and discuss the following questions.

Q: Read John 14:12-14. What did Jesus mean when He said we would do even “greater works” than He did? How are we able to do this? 

Q: Read 1 John 5:3. How does obeying God reflect our love for Him? How are the two related?  

Q: How do we “walk” in the commandments of Jesus? What can keep us from doing this? 

Q: Read John 15:4-5. What does it mean to “abide” in Jesus? According to Jesus, why is it so important to abide in Him?

Q: If someone asked you to explain the Holy Spirit, who He is and what He does, how would you answer? How do you see the Holy Spirit living out His role and identity in your life currently?  

Q: Why do some people avoid or resist the Holy Spirit? Have you ever found yourself doing this? What helped you overcome these things?   

Q: What might it look like to live for Truth but not walk in the Spirit?  What might it look like to live for the Spirit but not walk in Truth? What are the dangers of separating the Spirit from the Truth or the Truth from the Spirit? 

Q: How do we know we are walking in Spirit and Truth empowerment? What practical things can we do to help ensure we are?   

WRAP-UP

We are people who are empowered by Spirit and Truth. The only way to walk faithfully with Jesus is to be empowered in this way. It’s not an option, it’s a necessity. Let’s close with some important final questions. 

  1. What did you hear? 
    1. What is your one “take-away” from this week? 
  2. What do you think? 
    1. How did this passage and study affirm, challenge, or change the way you think about serving? 
    2. Are you walking in Spirit and Truth empowerment? 
  3. What will you do? 
    1. What is your next step? How will you obey these teachings of Jesus this next week? 

Have group members share their answers to the above questions. Close with prayer asking God to help us live in Spirit and Truth empowerment this next week.  

SCRIPTURES FROM THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE: 

  • John 14:12-17; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 6:6; Matthew 7:3-5; John 15:4-5, 14:26, 16:7, 16:13-15, and Romans 8:26-27. 

UPCOMING MESSAGES: 

Next Sunday, February 14th, Pastor Brian begins a new series called “Learning to Lament.” Get a head start of this important study by following the reading guide provided at www.bayarea.church/live. Click on the “Reading Plan” button to access the information.