Chapter Four
Discussion Questions
You likely fall into one of four categories with regard to the Holy Spirit:
1. You have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.
2. You know there is a Holy Spirit but have pretty much decided you do not want anything to do with Him.
3. You are willing to lay claim to some of the benefits of the Holy Spirit but not all of them.
4. You believe you are completely submitted to the Holy Spirit and His work in and through you, regardless of what people might think.
In which category would you place yourself and why?
You will not even come close to being and doing all God has called you to if you live your live inside a box labeled “The Way Most Everyone Else Does It.” Have you found yourself living in that box? In what areas? What steps might you take to break out of that box?
When is the last time you truly submitted to someone who is in spiritual authority over you? Remember, true submission can only occur in the presence of disagreement.
Are you truly letting the Holy Spirit “fly” in your life? Would others say you exhibit the fruit of the Spirit? (Be careful on that one, because the first fruit, love, is what the majority of this book deals with. You may want to wait until you finish this book before you tell yourself you love others just fine.) Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? If not, why not? Is it a lack of understanding? Is it fear over what others will think? Is it the desire to be self-sufficient? Are you yielding to a tendency to play things safe? Jesus said that if anyone is ashamed of Him and fails to acknowledge Him, Jesus will be ashamed of that person and not acknowledge him or her in front of the Father (Mark 8:38). With that in mind, if Jesus does not acknowledge before the Father those who are ashamed of Him, what penalty might there be for those who are ashamed of the Holy Spirit?
Are you stretching yourself beyond your human ability such that you have to allow room for the Holy Spirit to move unhindered in your life? What are you doing that you could not do on your best day of human ability? Would it be obvious to others that God’s power is on your life, or could they explain your accomplishments within the scope of your own human power? Do you even need the Comforter in your life? Do you even need the Helper in your life? Are you more like Peter, who was willing to venture out of the boat, or are you more like the others who chose to remain where they felt safe?
Additional Resources
Suggested Reading:
Forgotten God by Francis Chan
Music:
Are you sure you’re listening to the Holy Spirit? Maybe your “hearer” has been desensitized due to small compromises in your life and you don’t even know it. It is the little foxes that spoil the vines. It’s a subtle progression; a slow fade…
Mark Hall of Casting Crowns – Slow Fade teaching; Casting Crowns – Slow Fade
