Holy Spirit - HOPE Singapore

Series: Galatians – Freedom in the Gospel
Title: Children of the Promise
Text: Galatians 4:21-31

In Christ, we are children born through God’s promise and born by the power of the Spirit. How does understanding who we are in Christ affect our resolve to resist the way of law and persist in the way of grace?

Perspective Questions:

In verse 21, Paul accuses the Galatians of wanting to be under the law. What are some reasons why believers would want to put themselves under some kind of law? What are the pitfalls of doing so?
Many people see the Christian faith as a set of rules and regulations. We know this is not true, why then do we give that impression? What then is the true heart of Christianity and how is it practised in our lives?

Application Questions:

Over the whole series, we have been tracing Paul’s argument that we can be right with God only by faith in Christ. Paul uses several approaches to make his case – he appealed to the Galatians’ experiences with God (Gal 3:1-6), scriptural arguments (Gal 3:7-14), relatable illustrations from daily life (Gal 3:15-4:7), his pastoral heart for them (Gal 4:8-20), and creative analogies from Scripture (Gal 4:21-31).

Which of these approaches are you most familiar with? How can you use some of these approaches to help believers in your community live more by faith?
How can we resolve to live as children of the promise i.e. to resist the way of law and persist in the way of grace?

Title: Breathe
Text: Various

Breathing is essential to living. But we never noticed our breathing until we are hit by a stale odour or gasping for air. Spiritually, we may realise we need some fresh air too. How can we change the air we are breathing this new year?

General Questions:

What do you look forward to in 2023? What are some fresh pursuits you may have?

Perspective Questions:

How does knowing that God gave us the breath of life shape our understanding of what it means to live purposefully?
We are created by God for God. Every breath we take is supposed to be for Him. What does giving yourself completely to Christ look like?

Application Questions:

As spiritual beings, we need spiritual oxygen in order to fully live. How can we ensure we are well oxygenated?
What can we do to move ourselves towards complete abandonment to Christ?

Series: The Forgotten Friend
Title: He Empowers My Mission
Text: Acts 4:31

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit who will help us, guide us, teach us and be with us forever. Discover how the Holy Spirit empowers us to live out God’s purposes for our lives.

General Questions:

How would you describe your relationship with your best friend? Do you consider the Holy Spirit to be your best friend? Why? What do you think it means to have the Holy Spirit as your best friend? In what way is He the same or different from the earthly best friends that you have?

Perspective Questions:

Why do you think Christ followers need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit? What is it like to be empowered by the Holy Spirit? Do you have personal experiences to share?
The Holy Spirit longs to be our close companion and assures us as we follow God. What are the habits or heart posture that we can have that help us to better flow with the Holy Spirit?

Conversely, what are the things that can hinder you from coming close to Him and receiving His assurance? Are there changes in your lifestyle or mindset that you need to make?

Application Questions:

How can you apply this message to experience more of Holy Spirit’s empowerment in your life? Do you desire to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit? If you are already baptised in the Holy Spirit, how do you think you can continually be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Reflect on your ministry and service to God. Have you neglected the partnership with Holy Spirit as you live out God’s purpose for your life? Are there specific areas that you want to partner closely with Him? How do you think you can change in the way you depend on the Spirit to serve others?

Series: The Forgotten Friend
Title: He Grows My Character
Text: Galatians 5:16-25

The Holy Spirit is often thought of as an impersonal power or influence, when He is actually a wise friend who walks us through our spiritual journeys. But on many occasions the Holy Spirit is like a forgotten friend. He is in our life but we neglect to walk by the Spirit. What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? Why is it important to walk by the Spirit?

General Questions:

Galatians 5:16-25 lists examples of acts of the flesh. For some of us, we may not be able to fully identify with these examples. What are some other “acts of the flesh” that may not have been listed?
What is the difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the gift of the spirit? Which one should we seek?

Perspective Questions:

Is it true that struggling with sin means that the Spirit is not able to work in your life? What can you do to allow the Spirit to work in your life in an increasing measure?
In the sermon, the list of sins were categorised into 4 sections: sexual sins, religious sin, relational sin, and intemperate sin. What are the commonalities of these sins? How do these sins negatively impact us?
Galatians 5:24 talks about crucifying the flesh. What do you think this means? What is the role that the Holy Spirit plays in this process? What are some practices we can put in place to grow our relationship with the Spirit?

Application Questions:

Which of the fruit of the spirit do you lack? What are some challenges stopping you from cultivating it? How can the LG support you in your growth?
Which of the fruit of the Spirit do you practice more? Is it a matter of personality? How did you cultivate it?

We are familiar and are close with God and Jesus. What about the Holy Spirit?

Just like a friend, the Holy Spirit journeys with us through thick and thin. But sometimes we forget that He is in our life. Get to know the Holy Spirit so you can grow your intimacy with Him!

Title: The Power of the Spirit
Passage: Acts 6-7

Often, we ask for power from God. But what do we want His power for? How does God intend the empowered life to be?

General Questions:

1) As a Christian, how would you define a supernatural life? According to the passage in Acts 6-7, what were some ways Stephen’s life could be considered supernatural, i.e. enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit?

Perspective Questions:

1) Clearly, Stephen led an empowered life. Why do you think many believers today are not experiencing the power of the Spirit as much? What might be some hindrances they face?

2) The Holy Spirit empowers us to grow to be more like Jesus, for example in calmness, boldness and graciousness. Think about your journey with God so far. What are some areas the Holy Spirit has empowered you in? Recall specific moments or incidents. What was the role that you played in your character growth then, given that empowerment comes from the Spirit?

Perspective Questions:

1) Clearly, Stephen led an empowered life. Why do you think many believers today are not experiencing the power of the Spirit as much? What might be some hindrances they face?

We may know that the Holy Spirit exists and that He is powerful. However many of us go about our day without depending on Him.

Join us for a 2-part sermon series where we unpack truths about the Holy Spirit and how His presence and power can make a difference in our lives!

Ever struggled to live out what we know is required of us as a Christ follower? Often times we find ourselves lamenting – the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Find out how can we tap on the Holy spirit to live out an empowered life!