Stonecroft Ministries Trinity Bible Study Where is the Holy Spirit Chichewa Guidebook Lesson 3 adapted for Pastors and women in Africa

(To be used to assist the translation into Chichewa)

Can the Holy Spirit
Help me Grow?

Purpose of the Lesson
• Learn more about the guidance and enabling of the Holy Spirit in
our daily lives
• Establish a personal plan for prayer and Bible study
• Realize freedom from the domination of sin by the power of the
Holy Spirit in our lives

Prayer

Father in Heaven, We recognize that we do not always have victory over sin in our lives. We know that we do not always act like we are Your children. Help
us to learn the things we need to know that will make a difference in our lives.
We pray in the name of Jesus, amen.

Guide’s Comments

The most complete description of the work of the Holy Spirit is given in
John 14-16. These three chapters are what Jesus told the disciples before they went to the garden where He was arrested. These were the chapters we read in the suggested readings this week.

Encourage several people to share the verses they chose in their Bible reading.

Weekly Bible Reading

(Use your Bible or Africa Bible Verse Handbook)

Read the Bible verses given below and copy the verse which you consider to be the most important in each reading.

John 14:1-14
John 14:15-31
John 15:1-17
John 15:18-27
John 16:1-15
John 16:16-33

What amazing things we have learned from our study about the Holy Spirit! He is called God, He has the attributes of God, and He performs the work of God.

Last week, we learned that the Holy Spirit is involved in our birth into God’s family.

What does the Holy Spirit do to help us know we need a Savior before we are born again? . . . . . (The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin before we are saved, read John 16:8.)

How is He involved after we became Christians? . . . . . (He enters our lives when we trust Jesus as our Savior and begins to perform His teaching and guiding role, read John 16:13.)

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are immediately given the assurance of eternal life with God. Salvation does not depend on our living a good life, but on the fact that Jesus died for our sins in our place. As believers, we are assured of entrance into heaven when we die.

The Holy Spirit is God’s mark of ownership, making us accountable to God. All believers are sealed, guaranteeing their salvation.

Today’s lesson shows us how the Holy Spirit lives in us and enables us to live an obedient Christian life.

The Holy Spirit in our Lives

As born-again Christians, we are no longer prisoners of sin. Satan was our cruel master, but now Jesus is our new Master and He loves us.

We now have new resources which make it possible for us to live a godly life. Do you know what those resources are? . . . . .

(Summarize their answers by naming these resources: the Holy Spirit’s presence, His guidance, God’s Word, and prayer.)

Our Christian lives develop as we obey the Holy Spirit. He helps us give up sinful habits, understand the Bible, and learn how to pray. The Christian life is a life of continual growth which begins when the Holy Spirit enters. There are many periods of temptation, disobedience, and rebellion. However, God’s Spirit in us is continually helping us make progress to new heights.

1. What does the Holy Spirit do for us to help us grow as Christians?

a. 1 John 2:27 . . . . .(He will teach us.)

b. John 16:13-14 . . . . .
(list two things)
(1. He will reveal truth about God.)
(2. He will bring glory to Christ, not promote Himself.)

c. Romans 8:14 . . . . .(God’s Spirit will lead you.)

d. Galatians 5:22-23 . . . . .(He will produce His fruit in our lives.)

e. Acts 1:8 . . . . .(He gives us power to be His witnesses.)

The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to make us Christlike by teaching us, revealing truth, glorifying Christ, leading us, producing fruit, and giving us power to be effective witnesses.

Prayer

Prayer is a vital aspect of becoming more Christlike. What do you suppose Christ’s prayer life was like? . . . . . A verse that gives us a glimpse of the prayer life of Jesus is found in Mark 1:35. . . . .

As a man, Jesus knew He had to spend time with His Father, talking to Him, seeking His will and His blessings.

2. How does the Holy Spirit help us to pray? Read Romans 8:26. . . . .
(He helps us in our weakness and prays for us in groans that words cannot express.)

God created people for fellowship with Himself. He made us in His image so that we would be capable of understanding and enjoying Him. We speak to God in prayer. He speaks to us through the Book He wrote—the Bible.

Turn to 1 John 5:14-15 . . . . .

Sometimes Christians are not really praying, they are only saying prayers. True prayer comes from our hearts. It connects with the heart of God, who communicates it to us through His Holy Spirit. Since Jesus has given us the right to pray to the Father in His name, we pray and God answers, because we are praying according to His will.

3 a. What did God tell us about when we should pray?
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17 . . . . . (Pray all the time.)

b. What attribute of God makes it possible for us to pray anytime and anywhere? . . . . . (He is everywhere all the time—omnipresent.)

4 a. What does God say about prayer in Matthew 6:5-6?. . . . .
(Don’t make a show of your prayer life. Pray in private to be alone with God.)

b. When did David say he would talk to God? Psalm 55:17. . . . .
(in the evening, noon, and morning)

c. If you do not already have a regular time to pray each day, establish a pattern for your prayer life. Write down how you plan to begin a daily time of prayer. . . . .

Bible Reading

As Christians, we have an advantage which we did not have before we became Christians. The Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us understand what the Bible says.
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18 . . . . . Most of us did not understand the Bible before we were Christians. Do you notice a difference when you read it now?. . . . .

5. Growing Christians need to establish a regular time to read the Bible. Try to discover the best time for you and share how you plan to accomplish it. . . . .

It may be necessary to get up earlier or stay up later to have a regular time to read the Bible and pray. But time for fellowship with God is necessary if we are to mature in our Christian life, as the Holy Spirit teaches us through God’s Word.

Fellowship with God is what makes the Christian life such a thrilling experience. Through prayer and what God brings to our attention when we are reading His Word, we approach the day with an awareness that God is in control of all that happens. Living under the Holy Spirit’s guidance means we are constantly growing in our relationship with God.

Obedience

6. What advice does God give about reading the Bible? Read James 1:22-25. . . . .
(Obey what you read; practice it.)

When we obey what we read in God’s Word, we can avoid making wrong choices and we will be blessed by God.

Obedience to God is what causes us to grow as Christians. Knowledge of God’s Word is necessary, but to know the Bible and not obey it is dangerous.

The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin in our lives before we become Christians. He continues to convict us concerning sinful habits, desires, and attitudes which hinder us from growing after we become Christians.

Read Galatians 5:17. . . . .

The fact is—we cannot obey God’s will on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to give us the strength and ability to do it!

As Christians, we are tempted to do things our own way rather than the way the Holy Spirit seems to be leading us. We plan to deal with temptation in our own way, which often seems to be easier. But God encourages us to stand firm with Him when we are tested, even when it is difficult. He gives us a promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 . . . . . This would be a good verse to memorize. Write it here.

7. How is it possible for us to make the Holy Spirit sad?
Read Ephesians 4:25-32 . . . . . (The Holy Spirit is sad when we disobey God.)

When we lie, become angry, insult others, become bitter, have hateful feelings, or are hard-hearted, we grieve the Holy Spirit. This happens because we ignore His warnings. Further spiritual growth is prevented until these matters are confessed and corrected.

Read Ephesians 4:30 again. . . . . This verse reveals another great truth. The indwelling Holy Spirit is evidence that God owns us. We are not our own.

We have been bought with a price. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 . . . .

8. You have been created to glorify God. The major role of the Holy Spirit is to enable you to live in a way that glorifies God.

a.List some of the areas in which the Holy Spirit is working in your life to make you more like Christ. . . . .

b.List areas in your life in which God has given you victory. . . . .

Turn to Galatians 5:16. . . . .

When the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives, instead of our own self-centered human nature, He makes us grow to be more like Christ.

The key to becoming more like Jesus is to spend more thoughtful time reading the Bible and more meaningful time in earnest prayer. When we want to get acquainted with a friend, we spend time together. To get acquainted with God, we need to spend time with Him, reading His Word and meditating on what He is telling us. The Holy Spirit will be faithful in teaching us, when we are faithful to do our part by listening to God and obeying Him.

Prayer is our response to what God says. Each morning, we can pray about our activities, asking God to reveal His plans for our day. We can ask Him to give us the wisdom we need to accomplish things His way.

As we live aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us moment by moment, life will take on new meaning. Each day we will see evidence of God working in us.

9. Consider your answer to Question 8 and write a prayer thanking God for the progress you can see in your life. . . . .

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to teach us and help us to understand the truths in Your Word. The desire of our hearts is to obey You. Thank You for helping us to grow as we obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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