Before Jesus left earth and returned to Heaven, He promised His disciples in Acts 1:8 that the Holy Spirit would come in power to help His followers live the Christian life. Soon after, Acts 2 describes the moment when Jesus’ promise was fulfilled, and the Holy Spirit came to live among the first believers. What was true for the very first believers is also true for us today. If we have placed our faith in Christ, we, too, have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us and walk with us as we seek to live lives that honor God. Before Christ, we lived according to our flesh, our sinful nature. After placing our faith in Christ, Scripture teaches that we no longer live for our sinful nature. Instead, we live life according to the Holy Spirit. The question is, will we live according to the new lives in the Spirit that we have been given, truly leaving behind our sinful nature and flesh?
What is one change that the Holy Spirit brought about in your life after you placed your faith in Him?
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1. Read Ephesians 1:13-14. What does this passage of Scripture reveal about the Holy Spirit?
Ephesians 1:13-14
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
2. Why do we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, according to this passage of Scripture?
3. Read Romans 8:5-9. Compare life according to our flesh, our sinful nature, and life according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:5-9
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
4. Look back at verse 5. What is the connection between how we live and what we focus our minds on? How have you found this connection to be true in your own life?
1. The Holy Spirit is described in Scripture as an advocate or helper. In what area of your life do you need the Holy Spirit’s help right now?
2. What holds Christ followers back at times from living life according to the Holy Spirit?
3. What is tempting you or holding you back from fully living life according to the Holy Spirit instead of your sinful nature?
When it comes to living life in the Spirit rather than according to our sinful nature, we were reminded during the weekend message that we must daily surrender to God’s will. What do you need to surrender to Him in order to be fully devoted to following Him, living according to the Spirit instead of our sinful nature? Share your answer with your group, and commit to taking a step toward surrendering everything to Him this week. After everyone has shared, pray together. Ask God to help each one of you as you seek to surrender everything to Him in order to live life according to the Spirit.
Throughout Scripture, we read about the power of the Holy Spirit. During the weekend message, we were reminded that the same power we read about displayed throughout the New Testament is at work in us if we have placed our faith in Christ. For the next few minutes, take a few moments to read about the power of the Holy Spirit displayed in the New Testament to gain a deeper understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit that is also at work within us today.
The first place we see the power of the Holy Spirit on display after Jesus returned to heaven is, of course, the moment when the Holy Spirit came upon believers. The coming of the Holy Spirit was so dramatic that those observing what was happening could not deny God’s power at work.
1. Read Acts 2:1-13. Describe the power of the Holy Spirit at work in this passage of Scripture.
Acts 2:1-13
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. 13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
2. How did hearing the believers speaking in other languages impact those listening to them speak in this passage of Scripture?
3. Read Acts 2:37-41. This passage of Scripture takes place immediately after Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, responded to the crowd who had observed the coming of the Holy Spirit. How was the Holy Spirit at work in this passage of Scripture?
Acts 2:37-41
Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
4. What was the result of the Holy Spirit’s power at work in this passage of Scripture?
5. Who are you praying for and sharing the hope of Christ with? How does this passage of Scripture encourage you in your endeavors to make Christ known?
The Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of believers after coming upon Christ followers in Acts 2 is seen throughout the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully in the lives of believers in the early church and accomplished more than humanly possible through them. The power of the Holy Spirit gave believers great boldness as they set out to make Christ known.
1. Read Acts 4:23-31. This passage of Scripture takes place right after Peter and John were arrested, jailed, tried before religious leaders in Jerusalem, and, finally, freed but warned not to preach in the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:23-31
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? 26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ 27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
2. Why did the believers respond in the way that they did in this passage of Scripture?
3. What evidence do you see of the Holy Spirit’s power on display in this passage of Scripture?
4. How did the believers respond to the Holy Spirit’s power at work in their lives?
Jesus described the Holy Spirit as a helper who comes alongside Christ followers, helping us as we seek to honor God and make Christ known all around us. Most notably, the Holy Spirit works in us and helps us become more and more like Christ, developing traits such as patience and peace that do not come naturally to us on our own. Make no mistake, these traits are nothing short of a miracle that the Holy Spirit grows in us as we walk through the Christian life.
1. Read Galatians 5:19-26.
Galatians 5:19-26
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
2. Based on this passage of Scripture, what is evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
3. Describe a time the Holy Spirit produced fruit in you and led you to respond differently than your old, sinful nature would have responded?
4. Look back at Galatians 5:22-23. Which of the fruits of the Spirit do you need to grow in?
Take some time now to reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you today if you have placed your faith in Christ. Take a few moments to answer the questions below as you remember that the life-saving and life-changing power of the Holy Spirit is at work within you.
1. What step of faith would you take if you fully trusted that the power of the Holy Spirit is at work within you?
2. What would it look like to take a small step of faith in that direction this week?
After everyone has shared, pray together. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of every single believer. Commit to taking the steps of faith that you all shared, and ask for boldness and help from the Holy Spirit as each one of you takes those steps.
©2026 Sagebrush Church
