The Person S E S S I O N O N E A GENDA 1. Focus (10 minutes) 2. Key Question (20) 3.The Real World (15) 4. Journaling/Response (10) 5. Challenge (5) NOTES P u r p o s e S u p p l i e s Students will understand the unique identity of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the trinity. pencils large sheets of paper P r e p a r a t i o n Duplicate Truth Paper 1 (p. 15), Truth Paper 2 (p. 16), Truth Paper 3 (p. 17), and Quiet Time Guides for week 1 (pp. 40-41) to provide each student a copy. Enlist two students to act out the sketch May the Force be with You from Truth Paper 1. Give each a copy of the Truth Paper before the session so they can prepare. S e s s i o n 1 Focus Ask the two enlisted students to present May the Force be with You. After the sketch, ask: What is this friend talking about? (Students may have no idea, or they may suggest that he is talking about the Holy Spirit.) Explain that this study will focus on the Holy Spirit. Then ask: What is wrong with the description of the Holy Spirit in the skit? (He has gotten the Holy Spirit confused with Star Wars.) Do you think some Christians see the Holy Spirit as the person in the skit described? (Actually, many seem to.) Say: People seem pretty confused about who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does. A common thought is that the Holy Spirit is some kind of divine force that has power but is unpredictable. Many Christians are continually frustrated as they try to tap in to this power and harness its energy so that the force will be with them. Today we will focus on discovering the person of the Holy Spirit. Lead students in a brief prayer for God s guidance as you begin your study. 10 VITAL TRUTH: HOLY SPIRIT
NOTES 2 Key Question: Is the Holy Spirit an impersonal force? Divide students into groups of two or three. Distribute Truth Paper Q 1 and ask the groups to discuss Three s a Crowd? After a few minutes draw students back together. Ask: What would you share with Darnell to help him understand the Holy Spirit? Why do you believe these things are true? Encourage students to wrestle with this issue. Explain: The Holy Spirit is probably the least understood person of the Trinity. Let s take a look at what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. Use the following study to help students to understand characteristics of the Holy Spirit. 1. The Holy Spirit is personal. Explain: The Holy Spirit is not simply a mysterious force without personality traits or distinguishing characteristics.the Holy Spirit is a person. The Bible uses the personal pronoun, He, to describe the Spirit. Ask students: What differentiates a person from an impersonal force? (Possible answers: A person acts for a reason. A person relates to other persons. A force doesn t do these things.) Explain: The Bible attributes the qualities of a person to the Holy Spirit. Ask students to look at Personally Speaking on Truth Paper 1. Assign each verse to a volunteer to read. Lead the group to do the matching activity together. (Answers: 1 A; 2 D; 3 E; 4 B; 5 F; 6 C; 7 H; 8 G) Explain: The Holy Spirit certainly isn t human,but neither is He an impersonal force. He is a person who speaks, guides, teaches, corrects... and unfortunately can be ignored. Share the following story about Tony Campolo. Pastor Campolo was asked to speak at a small Christian college. Before the chapel service several of the faculty members took him aside to pray with him. The prayer time was quite lengthy; one of the faculty members prayed at length for a man named Charlie Stoltzfus who was about to abandon his wife and three children. He asked the Lord to send an angel to bring Charlie back to his family. He prayed very specifically, even reminding the Lord of where Charlie lived. He prayed Don t let that family be destroyed! You know who I m talking about, Lord Charlie Stoltzfus. He lives down the road about a mile on the right-hand side in a silver house trailer! Campolo thought to himself, God knows where he lives He was a bit annoyed with the man s prayer. He got in his car to head home. He was getting on the Pennsylvania turnpike when he saw a young man hitchhiking on the side of the road. Campolo stopped to pick him up and introduced himself. He said, Hi, my name is Tony Campolo. What s your name? The young man said, My name is Charlie Stoltzfus. Campolo didn t say a word. He drove down the turnpike, got off at the next exit, turned around, and headed back. The passenger looked at SESSION ONE: THE PERSON 11
NOTES him and said, Hey, mister! Where are you taking me?! I m taking you HOME! replied Campolo. Why? Charlie asked. Because you just left your wife and three children! Right? Campolo replied. The man leaned against the passenger door in shocked disbelief as the car pulled right into his driveway and stopped in front of his trailer. How did you know I lived here? Charlie asked. Campolo told him, God told me! Pastor Campolo was able to counsel with Charlie and his wife. He led them to put their faith in Christ and to be reconciled in their marriage. Charlie Stoltzfus went on to become a preacher. 1 Ask: Clearly something or someone was at work behind the scenes in this situation. Was it an impersonal force or do you see evidence of some person at work? What might lead you to believe that the Holy Spirit was more than some random force in this situation? (Possible answers include: The Spirit must have spoken directly to the heart of the professor as he prayed for Charlie. The Spirit must have spoken directly to Campolo s heart to guide him to pick up the young man on the side of the highway. The Spirit used the professor ahead of time to tell Campolo who the young man was and where he lived.) Ask students: Can you identify a time when the Holy Spirit worked in your life or the life of someone you know in a way that was specifically personal? Students may struggle to come up with a situation. Don t spend too much time here, but allow a couple of volunteers to share if situations come to mind. Emphasize that the Holy Spirit will speak and act, but also that, as a person, He can be ignored. 2. The Holy Spirit is present. Explain: Just as God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, so He is present among us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Believers can experience God s presence personally as the Holy Spirit works in their lives individually. Believers can also experience His presence as a group as the Holy Spirit works in the life of a church body. Distribute Truth Paper 2 and ask a student to read Historical Feature: The New England Awakening. Ask: How can you tell that the Holy Spirit was present in this situation? (Possible answer: The people were responsive; their hearts and lives were changed.) What accompanied the presence of God s Spirit in this town? (Answers might include: joy and tears, hunger for the Word of God) Explain: Through the Holy Spirit we have direct and unlimited access to God Himself. Ask a volunteer to read Psalm 139:7-10. Explain: David spoke of the Spirit s amazing presence in this psalm. God is present in every circumstance. 3. The Holy Spirit is active. Explain: The Holy Spirit is active in the lives of believers to empower them as witnesses of Jesus throughout the world;the Holy Spirit is the means by which God demonstrates His power and performs His work. He is our Helper who comes along side us to assist us in accomplishing 12 VITAL TRUTH: HOLY SPIRIT
NOTES God s will.through the Holy Spirit God is always at work in the world around us doing things that only God can do. Share the following story: The active nature of God s Spirit became very evident within one family in my church. The father asked our church to pray for his wife who was very hostile about his involvement in church. Over time we saw her give her heart to Christ; the couple began to pray for their children. One by one the miracles of God s active Spirit began to take place. One of their daughters was traveling in India in a search for truth while another daughter was attending university in Toronto and pursuing a ballet career. Still another child, a son, was living near his parents and attending college. Within the course of a few weeks the Spirit of God began to work powerfully in each of these children. First, the son began attending church and then gave his life to Christ. The daughter in Toronto began attending a Bible study on campus and ended up calling her parents pastor on the other side of Canada and was led to receive Christ over the phone. Almost simultaneously the daughter in India came to a point of surrender in her life as the Spirit of God brought conviction of her sin along with the promise of salvation. I remember hearing the mother share her family s testimony at our church as she read her daughter s letter from India which described her dramatic conversion. Our entire church tearfully rejoiced as we experienced the activity of God s Spirit which spread across Canada and India to unite a family together as believers. Direct students to look at the verses listed under Present and Active on Truth Paper 2. Ask a volunteer to read each verse aloud and ask the group to share insights from each verse regarding the presence and action of the Holy Spirit. Write significant points on a large sheet of paper. (Answers: 1. John 16:7-11 He will convict the world of sin and their need for righteousness. He will also offer counsel to believers. 2. John 14:16-18 He will serve as counselor and will reveal truth. 3. Acts 1:8 He will give power for sharing Christ.) 3 The Real World x Direct students to read the story of Zenobius and Zenobia on Truth Paper 2. Ask students how Zenobius and Zenobia experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in the awful situation. (According to the story, they were saved from awful torture by the Spirit.) Explain: This kind of miracle is something you don t see every day.but,you do see the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of believers. God is personal, present, and active even in extreme situations. SESSION ONE: THE PERSON 13
NOTES Ask: Do you think most Christian students are aware of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives? Distribute Truth Paper 3 and ask students to complete the Personal Evaluation. After several minutes, ask students what they discovered about themselves using the evaluation. Ask: Do you recall a specific time when you experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit? In what way would you like to strengthen your relationship with God through the person of the Holy Spirit? 4 Journaling/Response Give each student a journal or notebook. Explain that each week they will spend a few minutes of the session listening to God and writing their thoughts. Tell students that some of them will write more than others, however the focus is not on the amount of content in their journals but on developing a stronger relationship with God. Direct youth to Journaling on Truth Paper 3. Ask them to thoughtfully read the questions and respond as they feel led by God. After youth have completed the activity, invite volunteers to share any impressions they have from the activity. 5 Challenge Distribute Quiet Time Guides for week 1 and encourage youth to use them in the coming week. Ask the students to think about God the Father and what He looks like to them. Ask them to picture Jesus the Son. What is He like? Then ask them to envision God the Spirit and to picture where He is and what He is doing right now. Invite a few volunteers to share what each picture is like to them. Point students to The Holy Spirit Is... on Truth Paper 3. Help students to understand that the Holy Spirit is present in each believer s life and active in bringing people comfort, truth, and conviction. Tell students: This week,spend some time alone with God. Ask His Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you. Close in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to make Himself known to each member of the group this week. 1 Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You a Story (Nashville, TN: Word Publishing Group, 2000), 60. 14 VITAL TRUTH: HOLY SPIRIT
VITAL TRUTH: HOLY SPIRIT SESSION ONE: THE PERSON MAY THE Student 1: Student 2: Student 1: Student 2: Student 1: Student 2: Student 1: Student 2: FORCE I heard you became a Christian last week? Yeah, it s pretty awesome! I had no idea it would make such a difference in my life. That s great. I m really happy for you. I guess someone s already told you about The Force? What do you mean? I haven t heard of that. What is it? Well, it s kind of hard to explain; but it s really important and helps you to grow and develop as a Christian. It s kind of like God s energy for your life. That sounds important. How do I get this Force? It kind of comes like a wave at different times in your life and you simply have to ride it and let it do it s thing. I usually feel really good and it kind of overtakes my emotions and makes me feel all warm inside. Okay. I ll wait for the Force to show up. I hope I don t miss it when it comes. TRUTHPaper BE WITH YOU! 1 THREE S A CROWD Darnell is a new Christian who is trying to understand the Holy Spirit.What would you say to him in response to the following comments? Darnell: You: I understand that God is my Heavenly Father and that He sent His Son Jesus to earth in order to die on the cross for my sins; but where does the Holy Spirit fit in? I can understand a Father and a Son but not a Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit? I think the Holy Spirit is (Complete this statement.) PERSONALLY SPEAKING The following verses of Scripture describe the Holy Spirit in terms you might use to describe a person. Match each verse to the characteristic described in it which indicates that the Holy Spirit is a person. 1) Acts 5:3 2) Ephesians 4:30 3) Matthew 12:32 4) Hebrews 10:29 5) Acts 7:51 6) Mark 13:11 7) Luke 12:12 8) Acts 16:6 A) He can be lied to. B) He can be insulted. C) He Speaks. D) He grieves. E) We can speak against Him. F) He can be resisted. G) He forbids. H) He teaches. Permission is granted to photocopy this page only for group study of Vital Truth. No online or other duplication or use is permitted. 2002 LifeWay Press. All rights reserved.
VITAL TRUTH: HOLY SPIRIT SESSION ONE: THE PERSON TRUTHPaper 2 HISTORICAL FEATURE: THE NEW ENGLAND AWAKENING The great evangelist, Jonathan Edwards, wrote about some of the tremendous works of God that he witnessed. In the early 1700s, the Holy Spirit swept through New England to bring about what became known as the First Great Awakening. People repented of their sins, began to worship in a fresh way, and began to seek God. This is Edwards first hand account of what God did in one such revival: "In the spring and summer following 1735, the town seemed to be full of the presence of God as it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy, and yet so full of distress as it was PRESENT AND ACTIVE then Our public assemblies were then beautiful; the congregation was alive in God s service, every one earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister... The assembly [was] from time to time in tears while the Word was preached; some weeping with joy and distress, others with joy and love still others in pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors. Taken from http://azimuth.harcourtcollege.com/ history/ayers/chapter4/4.2.edwards.html What indications are there in these verses that the Holy Spirit is present and active? 1. John 16:7-11 2. John 14:16-17 3. Acts 1:8 ZENOBIUS AND ZENOBIA A.D. 285 History records an amazing story that illustrates the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of believers. In the third century, A.D., Christians in the region now known as Turkey were under dire persecution. In the face of such great persecution Zenobius, the Bishop of the Church of Aegaea, told his Roman tormentors, I love Jesus Christ more than all the riches and honor of this world. Death and the torments with which you threaten me, I do not consider a disadvantage, but my greatest gain. These words infuriated the Roman proconsul who had already enjoyed torturing five Aegaean Christians to death and was looking forward to tormenting the bishop. Put him on the rack! the proconsul ordered. We will see how much pain he can stand. While the executioners were busy with Zenobius, his sister Zenobia, came running in to confront the tormentors. She too was seized, stripped naked, stretched out, and placed beside her brother on a red-hot iron bed. The tyrant mocked the martyrs saying, Now let Christ come and help you, seeing you suffer these torments for Him. Zenobius replied: See, He is already with us, and cools, with His heavenly dew, the flames of fire on our bodies; though you, surrounded as you are with the thick darkness of wickedness, cannot see it. That made the proconsul furious. Throw them into boiling pots of water! he declared. According to the story, the boiling water did not kill the two believers, and they continued to praise the Lord Jesus. None of the other Christians had survived his torments like these two had. The executioners didn t know what else to do with their victims until they resorted to a form of death that was sure to work but seldom used on Christians because it was quick and painless. Zenobius and Zenobia were taken outside of the city and beheaded. Permission is granted to photocopy this page only for group study of Vital Truth. No online or other duplication or use is permitted. 2002 LifeWay Press. All rights reserved.
VITAL TRUTH: HOLY SPIRIT SESSION ONE: THE PERSON TRUTHPaper 3 PERSONAL EVALUATION Complete this simple exercise to rate your beliefs about the person of the Holy Spirit. Rank each statement using a scale of 1 to 4. 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often, 4 = Always I personally experience the Holy Spirit at work in my life. I am confident that the Holy Spirit is present and active in my life. I am more likely to think of the Holy Spirit as a force rather than as a person. I think about the role of the Holy Spirit in my life as a Christian. I find the Holy Spirit to be difficult to understand and to explain to others. JOURNAL ING What makes the Holy Spirit truly personal to you? How do you know the Holy Spirit is present in your life? What evidence is there in your life that the Holy Spirit is actively at work? Thank God for giving you His Spirit and for His presence in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you more aware of His activity in your life. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS... Personal, Present, and Active. Permission is granted to photocopy this page only for group study of Vital Truth. No online or other duplication or use is permitted. 2002 LifeWay Press. All rights reserved.