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What’s the Role of the Spirit in our Lives Today? (Acts 2:14-21)
Talking Points:
- Today we’ll look at part one of Peter’s first-ever sermon in the church age. It begins to answer the question: What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today?
- In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was given to select individuals for specific tasks. In Moses’ day God shared his Spirit with 70 elders of Israel to help Moses with the burden of ministry. Numbers 11:16-17
- Moses longed for the day when everyone could receive the Holy Spirit. Joel prophesied that this day would someday come. Numbers 11:29, Joel 2:28-29
- Peter’s sermon declares that this day had finally come! The Holy Spirit was poured out on every believer, changing forever the way God relates to his people. Acts 2:14-21, Ezekiel 36:26-27
- The Holy Spirit’s ministry is threefold: he convicts non-believers, guides believers, and glorifies Jesus. John 16:8, 13-14
Discussion:
- Read the talking points above as a group, including scripture references. What are your initial thoughts about these points or about the podcast lesson (see audio above)?
- How would you have answered today’s question before listening to the podcast? What about after?
- Put yourself in the shoes of the onlookers, the eye-witnesses. After physically seeing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, how do you think you would have reacted to Peter’s sermon?
- In Acts 2:17, why do you think God describes the referenced time as “the last days”?
- How did the individual tongues of fire represent the Holy Spirit’s new role in our relationship with God? How does this compare to the Old Testament examples?
- Read Ezekiel 36:26-27. Explain this idea of a “new heart”. How have you experienced it in your own life?
- Read John 16:8. What does it mean to be “convicted” by the Holy Spirit? In what ways have you been convicted in the past?
- Is Speaking in Tongues Biblical?
- What Is Baptism with the Holy Spirit? (Acts 2:1-13)
- What’s the Best Way to Wait on God? (Acts 1:12-26)
- Is it a Sin to Watch an R Rated Movie?
- Is it a Sin to Gamble?
- Is it a Sin to Smoke Tobacco or Marijuana?
- Is it a Sin to Drink Alcohol?
- What Does God Really Think About Women?
- If God Is Good, Why Does Evil Exist?
- Does God Still Speak Through Prophets?
- Is the Bible Just Another Book?
- Is There Only One True Church?
- How Good is Good Enough?
- Resurrection Sunday (Mark 16)
- The Seven Questions of Pilate (Mark 15:1-15)
- The Identity of Jesus on Trial (Mark 14:53-65)
- Are You Giving God Lip Service? (Mark 14:43-52)
- How Should You Pray in Your Hour of Need? (Mark 14:32-42)
- How Jesus Kept Peter on Mission (Mark 14:27-31, 66-71)
- How Do You Know If Your Faith Is Authentic? (Mark 14:12-26)
- What Is the Story of the New Testament?
- How Judas Handled the Hard Sayings of Jesus (Mark 14:1-11)
- What Is the Story of the Old Testament?
- Harnessing Your Grief
- How Do I Read the Bible?
- How To Come Back From the Burden of Shame
- What Is the Structure of the Bible?
- Harnessing Your Fear to Build Your Faith
- How To Harness Your Anger for Good
- Where Did We Get the Bible?
- Resilience and the Power of Emotions
- The Advent of Joy
- God’s Grace: Prevenient vs. Irresistible
- The Advent of Peace
- The Advent of Hope
- Jesus’ Saving Work: For Everyone or for Some?
- Watch for Jesus (Mark 13:28-37)
- Divine Election: Conditional or Unconditional?
- Signs of the End (Mark 13:14-27)
- Human Nature: Inability or Free Will?
- Are We Living In The End Times? (Mark 13:1-13)
- An Introduction To Calvinism and Arminianism
- How To Spot a Spiritual Fraud (Mark 12:38-44)
- Son of David (Mark 12:35-37)
- Here’s How to Love a Teen
- What is Systematic Theology?
- How Well Do You Know Your Bible? (Mark 12:28-34)
- The Meaning of “Strength” in Hebrew
- What Will Eternity Be Like? (Mark 12:18-27)
- The Teen Brain and What to Do About It
A
- Abortion (4)
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- Addiction (Porn/Sex) (36)
- Angels/Demons (12)
- Anger (13)
- Anxiety/Fear (26)
- Apologetics (48)
- Atheism (3)
B
- Baptism (18)
- Bible (Investigate) (22)
- Bitterness (4)
- Blended Families (7)
- Boundaries (14)
- Budgeting (16)
C
- Calvinism/Arminianism (6)
- Church History (13)
- Communication (41)
- Communion (4)
- Conflict (11)
- Creation (10)
D
- Dating (36)
- Debt (7)
- Depression (13)
- Divorce (24)
E
- Emotions (27)
- Entertainment (16)
- EQ (22)
- Evangelism (34)
F
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- Fatherhood (14)
- Forgiveness (36)
- Friendship (19)
G
- Gender/Sexuality (26)
- Gender Roles (4)
- Giving (27)
- God (50)
- God's Will (10)
- Gossip (5)
- Grace (19)
- Grief (36)
- Guilt/Shame (11)
H
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- Heaven/Hell (44)
- Holy Spirit (14)
- Honoring God (37)
- Humanity/Sin (8)
I
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- Immigration (6)
- Investigate (Christianity) (37)
- Investigate (God/Jesus) (34)
- Islam (3)
J
- Jesus (105)
M
- Making Disciples (32)
- Marriage (Communication) (27)
- Marriage (Love) (28)
- Marriage (Trust) (30)
- Military (9)
- Miracles (15)
- Mormonism (26)
O
- Occult (7)
- Old Testament (63)
P
- Parenting Kids (89)
- Parenting Teens (100)
- Politics (18)
- Poverty (7)
- Prayer (38)
- Preaching (9)
- Premarriage (24)
- Proverbs for Men (31)
R
- Racism (9)
- Relationships (23)
- Retirement (3)
S
- Sabbath (1)
- Salvation/Atonement (65)
- Serving (14)
- Sex (24)
- Sexual Abuse (9)
- Sin (92)
- Social Media (21)
- Spiritual Disciplines (46)
- Spiritual Gifts (6)
- Spiritual Warfare (13)
- Sports (33)
- Suicide (4)
- Systematic Theology (17)
T
- Theological Distinctives (42)
- Training (Mentoring) (47)
- Training (Small Groups) (31)
- Training (Worship) (21)
- Trinity (18)
- Trusting Jesus (27)
U
- Universalism (11)
W
- Word Studies (23)
- Worldviews (43)
- Worship (14)
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