Pray: ask God to speak
Read Passage Aloud: Acts 2:1-21
Re-tell the passage in your own words

General Questions:
What do you like about the text?
What do you find challenging about the text?
What does it reveal about God?
What does it say to us?
Specific Questions:

1. Try and re-imagine that first encounter Jesus’ disciples had with the Holy Spirit. How do you think you would have responded to the commotion they generated on the streets?
2. According to the promise of Joel, what did the outpouring of the Holy Spirit signal (verse 17) and what benefit would the Spirit be to the community of believers?
3. What has your experience of the Holy Spirit been like in your faith-walk with God? How would you describe it?
4. What has frustrated you or excited you about the activity of the Spirit?
5. We identified 5 activities of the Holy Spirit on Sunday. The Spirit orders (Genesis 1:2), comforts (Romans 8:26), prompts (I Samuel 11:6), heals (Acts 3:6), and convicts (John 16:8-9). Which of these Spirit ‘actions’ do you most readily identify with in your life?
6. What does it mean to ‘walk in the Spirit’? How can we better make room for the activity of the Spirit at New Community?
7. Why is learning to walk in God’s Spirit even more necessary in the culture in which we live?
8. Finish by asking a growing understanding and experience of God’s Spirit in our lives and New Community.

Pray: ask God to speak
Read Passage Aloud: Gal. 5:16-25
Re-tell the passage in your own words

General Questions:
What do you like about the text?
What do you find challenging about the text?
What does it reveal about God?
What does it say to us?
Specific Questions:

1. This week we explored the person of the Holy Spirit by suggesting that one of the most powerful actions of the Spirit is to transform the inner self. Do you agree or not? Why?
2. Can you name an inner dimension of your life that was transformed when you received the Holy Spirit?
3. Why doesn’t the Spirit seem to perfect us the moment we believe? What does this suggest is required of a Christian?
4. Galatians 5:16-17 suggest that there is a struggle between these two ‘forces’ as though they are equal and opposing. In light of Gal 5:24, how might you moderate this conclusion (i.e. which is stronger or in control of the Christian?)
5. Verses 22-23 suggest that the Spirit produces fruit. The critical question becomes: How can individuals cultivate Spiritual fruit?
6. A ‘descriptive’ vs ‘prescriptive’ approach is critical to grasp when it comes to understanding the source of fruitfulness? Agree? Disagree?
7. How does someone go about switching out ‘old’ fruit with ‘new’? 
8. How might the two suggested ‘blocks’ (control due to hurt; blame due to pride) prevent change?
9. Formulate a list of activities that cultivate the Spirit’s action in the inner dimensions of our lives. Now determine what you will do about them and pray for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit in your lives and across New Community.

Pray: ask God to speak
Read Passage Aloud: John 14:1-31
Re-tell the passage in your own words

General Questions:
What do you like about the text?
What do you find challenging about the text?
What does it reveal about God?
What does it say to us?

Specific Questions:
This week we discussed the presence of the Holy Spirit in a follower’s life.
Describe a time when you experienced the presence of God’s spirit more tangibly in your life. What was that like?

1. What strikes you most about these very personal words of Jesus?
Idea: The context for these words begins in the chapter before where Jesus gives them ‘bad’ news. He tells them that he is going to leave them. He begins this by referring to them as ‘children’ (Jn 13:33).
2. Why do you think Jesus refers to them in this manner?
3. How would you explain verses 15-16 to someone who has always viewed God as being a distant judge?
There are various translations of Greek word for ‘advocate’ (v. 16). Share which word your bible uses to translate this.
4. How do you see the activity of the Spirit playing a role of helper, or encourager, or advocate?
Idea: Jesus says that he leaves them with his peace and that his peace is given unlike the world gives.
5. How is Jesus’ gift of peace different to the world’s peace?
Idea: When Jesus says ‘do not let your hearts be troubled,’ you can bet he knew they would be!
6. How can a Christian really access this peace of God? (this is the question that will only go as deep as you are prepared to be open and transparent).

Pray for each other and for fresh understanding and encounter.
Action: We are starting an Alpha at the end of the month. Would you please pause and ask God who you might invite.

Pray: ask God to speak

General Questions:
What do you like about the text?
What do you find challenging about the text?
What does it reveal about God?
What does it say to us?

Specific Questions:
We defined ‘praying in the Spirit’ ( Ephesians 6:18) as being ‘prompted’ or ‘led’ by the inner activity of God’s Spirit in our prayer lives.
1. What do you find helpful about this way of thinking?
2. Can you describe times you have experienced the nudge of the Spirit and your response has been validated?
Megan and Troy shared about their own personal experiences of learning to listen to the nudging of God’s Spirit. 3. Was there some examples that you related to more than others? Why?

Ian Cross in the video interview described the Spirit as always being active but that busyness and clutter in our lives preventing us from hearing.
4. Would you agree? If so, discuss openly about what ‘noise reduction’ is required in your life to tune into the Spirit.

Read 1 Corinthians 14:1-19

Here, Paul is describing speaking in a Spirit language. He says it is encouraging for him to pray this way but that he doesn’t understand what he is praying. He also says that in a public setting he wants everyone to benefit so if he speaks in a tongue it should be interpreted or if not, use the prophetic gift ( because it will be in their native language).

5. how can praying in the Spirit language be a positive experience if he doesn’t understand what he is saying?
6. Troy described becoming in tune with the Spirits activity bubbling up inside as opposed to being told over many years that he was   “Over analysing”. How might this be a more helpful way of responding to the activity of the spirit and learning to express the “voice” of the spirit?
7. Ok so what will we do about this theme of “praying in the Spirit?”

Pray: ask God to speak
Read Isaiah 61 out lout.
General Questions:
What do you like about the text?
What do you find challenging about the text?
What does it reveal about God?
What does it say to us?

Specific Questions:
IMAGINATION: the action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts. To be creative or resourceful.
1. What passages or visual ideas from the Bible stand out to you that spark imagination? Share.
2. Is there a time that God has spoken to you through imagination? Share.
3. Is using your imagination easy or difficult, does it feel normal or forced? 
3. How might you make room for God to speak this way? Share.
4. New Community celebrated 21 years last Sunday. People were invited to finish this Phrase: This is the church where ..... What comes to mind for you?
5. Spend some time quietening yourselves and inviting God to speak through your imagination: consider these four questions.
-As NC moves into the future, God, who do you say that you are?
-God, how can I pray for NC in the future?
-God, what do you want me to be or do as part of the NC family?
-What hope can we hold onto for NC in the future?
6. Share some of what you have heard with the group. Or if you were present on the Sunday morning, what you may have heard then.