In 2006, Pastor Jake and his wife embarked on a journey to adopt their oldest child from Rwanda, Africa.
Their stay in the country extended past seven weeks as they navigated the bureaucratic process to bring their child home.
While in Nairobi, Kenya, they taught their daughter how to swim in a hotel pool. One memory stands out for Jake: his daughter clinging to him as they ventured into the deeper parts of the pool.
Eventually, she learned how to swim on her own and found joy in exploring deeper water.
This memory parallels the journey of discovering the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like the depths of a pool—even though it may seem scary at first, it’s ultimately a beautiful place to explore.
Just as Pastor Jake's daughter eventually found joy in exploring the depths of the pool, we, too, can find joy in exploring our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.
Let us all strive to go deeper and experience all the Holy Spirit offers.
Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss your thoughts on how Acts 3-4 demonstrates "Living: The Spirit-Filled Life".
2. Have you ever experienced or witnessed a miracle? Share your experience.
3. Can you think of a time when you saw someone take a bold action for their faith? How did it impact those who witnessed it? Discuss how taking bold steps in faith, even in small ways, can influence others around us.
4. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to stand up for your beliefs or values, especially when it was unpopular or risky? What gave you the courage to do so?
5. How does prayer support you in difficult times, and how can we support each other in prayer as a group? How does prayer influence your actions and decisions?
Group Practice:
As a group, ask if anyone needs healing in any way, Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, or Spiritually. Take turns as a group gathering around each person that needs healing, ask if they are comfortable with people placing a hand on them; if so, put a hand on their shoulder or back, then pray simple, bold prayers, IN JESUS NAME for complete healing. This is not about the length of time in prayer or the "best" prayer… it's simply praying for healing in Jesus' name. The power for healing is in the name of Jesus!
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