Connect Group Study Notes:  12 June 2022

Theme:   Living the Holy Spirit Life (Week 2)!

Readings:  Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 and John 16:12-15

Fellowship (10 min)

Begin with general conversation and sharing about how the past week has gone. Try not to go over time.

Worship and Prayer (15 min)

Click on the link below on your smartphone, Smart TV, or computer, to select songs to sing; and then spend a few minutes in song and prayer.

PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL SONG’S PLAYLIST:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbsAkwbV_S1vXdZVPkZ0_tQW5n9RqeZX0

And if you need to check on the Message for the week again, then click on:

PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL (MESSAGE): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU1X4YYw1KLpda1yGnqKgfw/videos

This time of worship and prayer will encourage you to move your thoughts from daily worries and pressures to our time of Bible study and prayer.

Read: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

What verse speaks the most to you?

Read:  John 16:12-15

Our scripture reading today is from the Gospel of John, and it comes near the end of Jesus’ time with the disciples. Before this, he has predicted his death (John 14), and after this, he will spend a lot of time in prayer for the disciples and others who will learn about him because of them (John 17). In our reading for this week, he makes a promise to them about what is going to happen as he leaves.

Discussion Questions (Approx. 30 min)

  • Sunday 12 May is known as Trinity Sunday, which is a church celebration of God as Trinity, traditionally known as “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” How does this passage of John mention the three persons of God? How do they relate to one another here?
  • In the NRSV translation, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Truth,” though in some translations, other words for the Spirit include “counsellor,” “advocate,” or “helper.” What do these terms suggest to you about how the Holy Spirit interacts with us?
  • Think about your own life. Can you tell us about a time when someone was a counsellor, an advocate, or a helper to you?

Based on Jesus’ words, tradition has linked the Holy Spirit not only with “truth,” but with “wisdom.” Read more about Wisdom in Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31. Some read this passage as a reference to the Holy Spirit while some read this as a reference to Jesus. Some people define wisdom as knowing what to do with knowledge (or truth). For example, as has been shared online many times, “knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put tomato into a fruit salad.”

In this season of Pentecost, we are emphasizing what it means to live in the Spirit. Part of that Spirit led life is growing in wisdom, and in knowing how to use knowledge and live in truth. We believe the Spirit teaches and inspires us; and then because of the Spirit, we teach and inspire others.

 

Faith Building (Approx.30 min):

  • Living the Holy Spirit Life – is both a gift of the Holy Spirit to us, and a lifelong commitment by us, to live guided by the Spirit, for the Father! How do you choose to live your life? May Truth lead you, and Wisdom guide you, in the choice you make.

Prayer (10 min). Share prayer requests and then pray together.

Sending Prayer (2 min). End by praying the following or a similar prayer:

Father, Son, and Spirit, we give you thanks that having to understand you, for you to love us, is not required. If it were, none of us would qualify. Your vastness, enormity, and love are more than we could attempt to comprehend or understand. Yet, we can also trust that you are a God of wisdom, truth, and love that has been shown to us in the person of Christ and that gives us life today through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have a great week.

God bless,

Tim.

Acknowledged and with thanks to: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/