Moving Others to a Spirit-Filled Life
Foundational Principle:
Teaching others the Spirit-filled life is the first step to empower Christians to impact their corner of the world.
Scripture to Begin:
Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
John 14:15-16
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”
Learning
We want to teach you how to help someone understand the blessings of a Spirit filled life. Start by asking someone what words they would use to describe their current experience as a Christian. Then, focus on these four key aspects:
Lordship
Confession
Reliance
Abiding
Guiding someone toward a Spirit-filled life
LORDSHIP
To follow Jesus as Lord, He must be in control of every area of our lives. One way you can teach this concept is to draw a floor plan of a house and assign different areas of life to each room. For example, the living room is assigned to what they watch or listen to, the bedroom represents their relationships, etc.
Then ask, “What room would Jesus feel most at home in?” and “Which room do you keep to yourself?”
Emphasize that being fully empowered by the Spirit means seeking to put each of these areas under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Withholding areas of their lives will severely impact their relationship with God.
CONFESSION
To confess means “to agree with God.” We must also acknowledge that we need His Spirit to fill and direct us. Take a moment to confess your need to God, your emptiness, brokenness, and sin.
Ask the person you’re guiding, “What could it look like to regularly embrace confession in your life?”
RELIANCE
Reliance is turning to God for enablement and empowerment. A good illustration is our phones. Research shows that we look at our phones 144 times a day on average. We all depend greatly on the technology in our pocket. What if we depended on God in the same way?
God wants us to naturally turn to Him throughout the day for comfort, empowerment, wisdom and direction. This constant reliance on the Spirit keeps us intimately connected to the Lord and allows our thirsts to be met by His “living water.”
ABIDING
Abiding in scripture literally means “pitching a tent”. It is the picture of making ourselves at home with God. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
God gives us His Spirit so we can experience intimacy with Him. The essence of the Christian life is what God does in and through us, not what we do for God. We are filled with the Spirit by faith, enabling us to experience intimacy with God and enjoy all He has for us. Ask these three questions:
- Am I ready to surrender control of my life to Jesus?
- Am I ready to confess my sins?
- Do I sincerely desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit?
Reflection
As you read through this lesson ask yourself the same questions and do the spiritual breathing exercise. Connect with God’s Spirit as you prepare to share this with someone else.
Applying What We Learn
Think of one person or group of people you can share this lesson with. Make a plan to meet with them soon.
GUIDE MAP
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