Sermon Discussion Guide 1-25-26

Sermon Discussion Guide
The Book of John | John 14:15-31

Gathering Question
What is one way you’ve experienced God in your life this week?

Gathering Prayer
Father, by Your Spirit, would You guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen.

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read John 14:15-31

Who is the Holy Spirit?

• Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another advocate” (v16-17). What does this teach us about the relationship between Jesus and the Spirit?
• Different translations use different words for “the Advocate”: Helper, Counselor, Friend, Comforter. Which of these most resonates with you and why?
• Jesus consistently refers to the Holy Spirit with the personal pronoun “he”. The Holy Spirit is a “who”, not a “what’. What practical difference does it make to remember that the Holy Spirit is personal, not impersonal?

What does the Holy Spirit do?

• Read verses 26-27. What specific things does Jesus say that the Spirit will do? How does a Christian practically experience the work of the Holy Spirit? 
• In this passage, why does Jesus repeatedly connect love, obedience, and the Holy Spirit (vv. 15, 21, 23-24)?

The Almost Christian vs The Altogether Christian

• The Almost Christian leads a moral, upright, religiously active life; but lacks a lived experience of God’s love. The Altogether Christian is marked by the love of God dwelling in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. 
• Why do you think an Almost Christian life might look convincing from the outside?
• When do you feel the most tension between outward faith practices and inward spiritual life?
• When you examine your inner life, what words best describe it: love, peace, and joy…or anxiety, striving, and restlessness?

How do we receive the Holy Spirit?

• How does the promise that the Spirit “abides” or “makes his home” with believers change how you think about your daily life?
• Why is it important to remember that the Spirit is a gift? 
• When you think about your life, in what areas do you feel that you need the Holy Spirit’s help the most: guidance, comfort, conviction, peace, or transformation?
• Do you feel that you’ve been trying to live the Christian life through effort, rather than dependence?

Closing Prayer