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Tuesday > 7/21
You are
not alone.
It had been an amazing ride for
the disciples, spending every day
with Jesus. They’d hung out together,
witnessed amazing miracles, and
reveled in the pleasure of asking
Jesus anything they wanted to know.
Then, Jesus told them He was going
back to the Father. This was actually
going to be a good thing, though,
because the Holy Spirit was coming.
The Holy Spirit, whom they couldn’t
see or touch. The disciples had to be
longing to keep Jesus with them, but
it wouldn’t happen. But it would be
for their benefit, or so Jesus said.
Read John 16:5-11. Ponder verse 8.
Why will the Counselor convict
the world about sin? About
righteousness? Judgment?
How have you experienced each of
these convictions in your life?
How would Jesus’ absence benefit
the disciples?
Why do you think Jesus considers
having the Spirit a benefit?
Has God ever allowed a blessing to
be taken from you, only to replace
it with something better? How did
it affect your relationship with
Him?
“When He comes, He will
convict the world about
sin, righteousness, and
judgment.” —John 16:8
When the Holy Spirit lives within us,
we get to have a one-on-one running
conversation with God. No one else’s
prayers ever interrupt ours. We have
a personal mentor to explain God’s
Word to us, and when we step out
of His will, He immediately lets us
know. He continues to keep us in
check, not because He’s out to get us,
but because He loves us and wants a
healthy, growing relationship with us.
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The Holy Spirit wants to talk to
you. Are you listening?
Wednesday > 7/22
You can hear him now.
Remember playing “GOSSIP” when you were a kid? Usually, the end
result was so different from the original message that it was barely
recognizable because someone paraphrased, couldn’t remember what they’d
been told, or just made up another message to be funny.
The Holy Spirit passes messages from God the Father to us, but He never gets
them wrong or changes them around just to mess with us. When He speaks to
our hearts, we can be sure we’re hearing exactly what the Father intends to say
to us.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into
all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He
will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to
you what is to come.” —John 16:13
Read John 16:12-15 and focus on verse 13.
What will the Spirit of truth do when He comes?
How do you think this happens?
How will the Spirit glorify the Father?
What truth has the Holy Spirit given you from the Father recently?
The next time you open God’s Word, sit through a sermon at church, or even
listen to your favorite music, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand God’s
truth. He never intended for you to have to figure it out on your own. You have
your own personal tutor available every moment of the day, but you can choose
whether or not to call for His help or pay attention to His voice.
It can be frustrating and confusing trying to recognize the Holy’s Spirit’s
voice, but don’t give up. Ask Him to help you hear Him better. And keep
practicing. The closer you pay attention and the longer you listen, the better
you will become at identifying His voice. He wants you to recognize it. He wants
to talk with you.
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How can you use your gifts for God?
Thursday > 7/23
You have gifts. Use them.
What are you really good at? You’ve probably heard that God gave
you that talent or ability, but if you are a Christian, there’s more. God has
given you at least one special gift for the purpose of benefiting the church. Just
like how only your fingers know exactly where to scratch that itch on your head
or how your nose is vital to breathing in the air your body needs to survive, the
gift(s) given to you help out the church, the body of Christ, in a unique way.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, stopping to read verse 7 aloud a few times.
From where do believers’ gifts come? Are there any exceptions?
For what purpose does God give
A manifestation of the
Spirit is given to each
person to produce what
is beneficial.
—1 Corinthians 12:7
What special ability has God given you?
How can you use that ability to benefit the church?
gifts to believers?
How do you honestly feel about
believers who are really different
from you? What might need to
change about your attitude toward
others?
What does God say about these
people and their gifts?
Do you know how God has gifted you? The same Holy Spirit who prays for you
with groaning too deep for words, the Spirit who knows you better than you know
yourself, has personally placed something in you. It’s alright if you haven’t figured
out what that is yet, but it’s not too early to begin trying. Check out some different
places to serve in your church. Make a list of things you’re good at and like to do.
Ask people who know you well what gifts they see in you. Above all, pray. Ask God
to help you discover what special gifts He has placed within you for the benefit of
the church.
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Personal Space
Friday > 7/24
Speak up!
If you were invited to a Bible
study where you thought the Holy
Spirit would show up in a powerful
way, would you go? Some people
wouldn’t want to miss it, while others
would stay away at all costs. Perhaps
they’re afraid, or they doubt that the
Holy Spirit’s power is alive and active.
What do you think? What happens
when He shows up?
When they had prayed,
the place where they were
assembled was shaken,
and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak God’s
message with boldness.
—Acts 4:31
Read Acts 4:29-31. Consider how
you would have felt had you been
present in verse 31.
What were the threats these
Christians faced? Look over Acts 4
if you’re not sure.
What threats, either real or
imagined, keep you from speaking
about Jesus boldly?
How did these Christians respond
to the threats they faced (v. 29)?
Why do you think they didn’t ask
God to remove the threats?
How do you think they knew the
Holy Spirit had come upon them?
Does this sound scary to you? Why
or why not?
Perhaps you’re in a difficult situation
at home or school. You might be
tempted to ask God to take you out
of it. Sometimes, that does need to
happen, but perhaps God wants to
give you strength, through His Spirit,
to speak about Jesus boldly in the
midst of difficulty. He just might
change the lives of those around you
through the bold words He empowers
you to speak. Next time you find
your faith threatened, ask Him for
boldness to speak His truth.
34 | jul 2009 ec magazine ec magazine jul 2009 | 35