Discipleship Content

1. WHO IS THE SPIRIT?

"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you."
Romans 8:9
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BIG IDEA

The Spirit is the personal and empowering presence of God.

Christ Connection

Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus brings us into the relationship with God for which we were made. He gives us his Spirit, God’s personal and empowering presence, to dwell in us. 

Discipleship Questions

Before you begin, share with the group what stood out to you from the passage or content? What did the Spirit stir in you?
Who is God?
Romans 8 reminds us that the Spirit is;
1. God
2. Personal
3. Powerful
Which of those realities do you tend to take for granted or minimise?
What Has He done?
What role did the Spirit play in the life (Luke 4:1), death (Hebrews 9:14), resurrection (Romans 8:11) and ascension (John 14:16-20) of Jesus?
Who Am I?
Our sin makes us unworthy to house the presence of God. What does God's plan to have his "Spirit dwell in you" (Romans 8:11) tell me about how God sees me in Christ?
Who Are We?
When the world gathers people together from different backgrounds or personalities, conflict and division tends to arise (just check social media!). How does/should the Spirit change how His Church gather and do life together? Discuss the power that makes this possible.
What Remains of My Old Self?
In what ways do I reduce or minimise the Spirit to an 'it' instead of a 'He' (Romans 8:26, John 14:16–17), and what affect does that have on my life?
What Flows Out of My New Heart?
Since the Spirit is a person who lives in me, how does that change how I relate to Him and to others? What does a greater awareness and enjoyment of the Spirit do to my life?
How Do I Live?
Open God’s Word and ask the Spirit to help you see Jesus more clearly.

Speak to the Spirit about your need for help, and thank him for his presence.

When a frustrating situation arises, depend on the Spirit’s power to give provide you with the mercy and grace you need for others.

Pray

Father, thank you for making us for a close relationship with you. Jesus, thank you for dying and rising again to bring us into that relationship. Holy Spirit, help us know and enjoy you as the person who lives in us. Help us see Jesus clearly through your Word. Teach us to depend on your power to love, forgive and get along with one another. When change is slow, help us recognise your work and keep responding to you. May our lives glorify the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. Amen.
Explore more: Acts 5:3-4, 2 Corinthians 3:17–18, John 14:16–20, Romans 8:16, Romans 8:26, John 14, John 14:16–17, Romans 8:6–11, Ephesians 3:16–20

2. BORN AGAIN BY THE SPIRIT

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus, from the law of sin and death..."
- Romans 8:2
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Christ Connection

Jesus bore our sin and condemnation on the cross and rose again victorious over sin and death. Through Jesus, God pours out his Spirit to wash us clean, give us new hearts and bring us into a life we could never produce for ourselves.

BIG IDEA

The Spirit brings us from spiritual death to spiritual life.

Discipleship Questions

Before you begin, share with the group what stood out to you from the passage or content? What did the Spirit stir in you?
Who is God?
What does Titus 3:4–7 tell us about the heart of God towards people who have resisted him?
What has he done?
Why does the phrase "God has done" from Romans 8:3 matter for Paul's understanding about how God works? What role does the Spirit play in what "God has done"?
Who Am I?
1 John 5:1 says belief comes from those who have the Spirit. Can you see the work of the Spirit in your life before you put you responded by putting your faith in Jesus? 
Who Are We?
Is there someone in your own life who doesn't yet know Jesus that you can see signs of the Spirit working in them to bring them from death to life? Who can you be praying for that the Spirit would bring to new life in Christ?
What Remains of My Old Self?
In what areas of my life am I reducing the deadness of sin to a sickness I can manage? What effect does that have on my relationship with Jesus and my understanding of the size of his grace?
What Flows Out of My New Heart?
In what areas of your life do you recognise that you have new desires that come with being born again? (e.g. desire to obey, know him better, turn from sin etc. Be specific).
How Do I Live?
Bring your sin and helplessness to Jesus, trusting what he has done to bring you to God.

Respond to your new desire to live for Jesus by hearing his Word and turning from what grieves him.

Share Jesus faithfully and pray for the Spirit to open people’s hearts to their need and the beauty of Jesus.

Pray

Father, thank you for your goodness, loving kindness and mercy towards us. We could never bring ourselves into life with you. Jesus, thank you for bearing our sin and condemnation and rising again to bring us to God. Holy Spirit, help us recognise the new life you have given us. Deepen our confidence in Jesus and our desire to know him, hear his Word and live for him. Help us love and welcome those who are still wrestling with faith. As we share Jesus, open their hearts. Thank you that the life you give leads to resurrection life with Jesus. Amen.
Expore more: Romans 8:1–11, Romans 1–7, John 3:2–8, Ezekiel 36:25–27, Ezekiel 37:13–14, John 6:63, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 John 5:1, Titus 3:4–7

3. ADOPTED BY THE SPIRIT

"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God..."
Romans 8:16
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Christ Connection

Through Jesus, we are welcomed into God’s family. The Spirit helps us know and enjoy this relationship, assuring us that we are God’s children and enabling us to cry, “Abba! Father!”

BIG IDEA

The Spirit moves us from slavery and fear into adoption as God’s children, teaching us to know and trust God as our Father.

Discipleship Questions

Before you begin, share with the group what stood out to you from the passage or content? What did the Spirit stir in you?
Who is God?
In Romans 8:14–16, what do you discover about the Father who has adopted us? What do you find hardest to believe about his relationship with you?
What has he done?
The Spirit is a moving Spirit: he has moved us from slavery to adoption. Looking at Romans 8:15, what has changed about our relationship with God, and why does that change matter?
Who Am I?
The Spirit bears witness that you are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Where in your life do you find it hardest to be sure that he is pleased with you? What would it mean to receive the Spirit’s assurance there?
Who Are We?
We share one Father, yet we bring very different experiences of earthly fathers. How can we help one another grow in knowing God as Father, while making room for those who find that difficult?
What Remains of My Old Self?
Are there ways you are responding to God in fear or shame because of how your father responded to you? Share only what you feel comfortable sharing.
What Flows Out of My New Heart?
Being “refathered” means letting God teach us what he is like as our Father. As you grow more confident that you are his child, how might the way you speak to him change - especially when you feel afraid?
How Do I Live?
Bring your fears to God, addressing him as your Father.

Name an expectation of God shaped by your earthly father, and hold it alongside what Romans 8:14–16 reveals.

Ask the Spirit to help you believe and enjoy the truth that you are God’s child.

Pray

Father, thank you for adopting us as your children and giving us your Spirit. You know how our experiences of earthly fathers have shaped the way we see you. Where those experiences have left us fearful or uncertain, help us learn what you are like. Holy Spirit, bear witness with our spirits that we are God’s children. Help us bring our fears to our Father and grow confident that we belong to him. Teach us to cry, “Abba! Father!” and to enjoy the relationship you have given us through Jesus. Amen.

4. SEEING BY THE SPIRIT

"The Spirit himself bears witness..."
Romans 8:16
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Christ Connection

Jesus saw us in our sin and loved us, bearing our sin and judgement at the cross and rising again for us. The Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to see the glory of that love, treasure Christ and be changed as we behold him.

BIG IDEA

The Spirit is the light that reveals Christ through his Word and into our hearts.

Discipleship Questions

Before you begin, share with the group what stood out to you from the passage or content? What did the Spirit stir in you?
Who is God?
In John 16:13–15, what does the Spirit delight in showing us? How does that shape what you expect from him?
What has he done?
What turns the cross from an ordinary scene of shame and suffering into a prism of light and glory where we see Christ’s glory and love?
Who Am I?
Read Galatians 2:20. When you think about how God sees you, what comes to mind? How does the cross shape that picture?
Who Are We?
How can the Spirit use fellow believers to help us see Christ’s beauty as we open his Word together? (See Ephesians 1:16-18)
What Remains of My Old Self?
Which danger feels more familiar: studying the Bible with little dependence on the Spirit, or seeking an experience of the Spirit while leaving the Bible closed? How does it show up in your life?
What Flows Out of My New Heart?
As the Spirit helps you see more of Christ’s beauty, how might that change the pull of money, approval or pleasure in a particular area of your life?
How Do I Live?
Open your Bible and ask, “Spirit, help me see Christ.”

Pause as you read to pray over what you are discovering about him.

Ask the Spirit to make Christ’s love real to your heart.

Pray

Father of glory, thank you for making yourself known through Jesus and giving us your Spirit so that we might see. Lord Jesus, thank you for seeing us in our sin, loving us and giving yourself for us. Holy Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts as we open your Word. Help us see Christ’s beauty and make his love real to us. Change what we treasure, strengthen us to resist temptation, and give us courage to share his light with our families, friends and colleagues. Amen.
Explore more: John 16:13–15, Ephesians 1:15–18, 1 John 1:5, 1 Timothy 6:16, Hebrews 1:3, Romans 8:16, 1 Corinthians 2:10, John 14:6, 2 Corinthians 4:3–6, 2 Corinthians 11:14, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Psalm 119:105-130, Psalm 34:8, Galatians 2:20, Luke 24:13–16,27–32.

5. FILLED BY THE SPIRIT

"those who live according to the Spirit..."
Romans 8:5
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Christ Connection

Jesus died for our sins and rose again, demonstrating his love for us. He fills us with his Spirit so that we can grasp that love more deeply, turn to him in repentance and enjoy his presence through life’s storms.

BIG IDEA

Living by the Spirit means living in the fullness of God’s presence: continually shaped by him, ready for his special empowering, and growing in communion with him and assurance of his love.

Discipleship Questions

Before you begin, read Ephesians 5:18-21 and share with the group what stood out to you from the passage or sermon content? What did the Spirit stir in you?
Who is God?
What does God's plan to fill his people with his presence tell you about the kind of God he is?
What has he done?
Read Ephesians 3:16-18. Why do we need the filling of the Spirit to grasp what God has done through Jesus?
Who Am I?
The Spirit engages your mind and shapes your desires as he fills you. Where can you recognise him helping you become more fully the person God created you to be? Read Galatians 5.
Who Are We?
Why does Paul emphasise the community component of the list of ordinary means of grace in Ephesians 5:19–21? Which of these ordinary practices can you give ourselves to more fully as a group?
What Remains of My Old Self?
As you consider Simon’s desire for power (Acts 8:18–19), where might you be more interested in what God can give you than in knowing God himself?
What Flows Out of My New Heart?
Think of a storm you are facing. As the Spirit fills you to make Christ’s love more real to you, what might change in the way you face that storm (Romans 8:38–39)?
How Do I Live?
Raise your sails: open your Bible and pray expectantly, trusting God with when and how he works.

Confess the sin you are protecting and take a practical step to cut off what feeds it.

Gather with God’s people to worship, pray and serve one another.

Pray

Father, thank you for loving us and making your home in us by your Spirit. Jesus, thank you for dying for our sins and rising again. Holy Spirit, help us grasp how deeply we are loved. Forgive us for seeking your gifts while neglecting you. Show us the sin we are protecting and help us turn from it. Draw us into prayer, your Word, worship and serving one another. Give us courage in our storms, and prepare us for whatever you call us to do. We want to know and enjoy you more. Amen.
Explore more: Ephesians 1:17–18, Romans 8:5–13, Ephesians 5:18–21, Galatians 5, Genesis 41:38, Exodus 31:3, Micah 3:8, Luke 1:41, Luke 4:1, Acts 4:8, 1 Corinthians 14:12, John 3:8, Acts 1:7–8, Acts 1:14, Acts 8:18–19, Ephesians 3:16–19, Romans 8:35–39.