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Purpose of This Study: To understand the concept of the Holy Trinity, a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith, so that we can trust the role Holy Spirit plays in our everyday lives. Key Themes: One True God, Tri-unity, Adorable Godhead Read The Following Chapters in Tools For Mentoring: Holy Spirit Baptism Chapter 2 - "Experience All Three Persons of God" Discussion : Read Romans 8:15-17 NLT together. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Question : What do you notice about the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) in this passage? Read 1 Corinthians 12:1- 11 NLT together. Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. Question: How can the evidence of the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to his people help us personally experience God? How might these gifts help the world understand more about our God when the people of God exercise their spiritual gifts? What spiritual gifts have you experienced? Tell us about your experiences. Why do you think that many Christians across the world are comfortable with calling the Father and Son God, but have a hard time calling Holy Spirit God? What would you do if you learned what spiritual gift has been given to you? Prayer Points: Pray for each other that they will begin to experience God in His full reality, as the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Pray that we each have peace and trust, that the scriptures can be trusted concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit over God's people.

Purpose of This Study: To understand the concept of the Holy Trinity, a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith, so that we can trust the role Holy Spirit plays in our everyday lives. Key Themes: One True God, Tri-unity, Adorable Godhead Introduction: As evangelical Christians, we understand that Jesus is the Messiah that was foretold centuries ago through the Prophet Isaiah, among others, who would come and redeem mankind from our sin and brokenness. The confession (Romans 10:9) compels us to understand the fullness of God through the Son, Jesus, as we read in the scriptures. The concept of "the One True God" is foundational for every Christian's journey of discipleship because the Bible explains that God is 3 distinct persons who are in unity as "One". God the Father, the first expression of the creator we read about in Genesis, expresses one side of the Holy Trinity, while God the Son, Jesus, gives us another vantage point of the redemptive nature of our good God. The third aspect of the Holy Trinity is the Holy Spirit, the very same Holy Spirit that Jesus tells his disciples to "wait for" and expect in John 16. John 16:5-15 NLT - Jesus speaking The Work of the Holy Spirit 5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. 12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ By understanding the concept of the Holy Trinity, and the Godhead being 3-in-1, we can begin to grasp more clearly the plan that God has had since the fall of man to redeem us, mankind, when we were lost. In the same way that we have accepted God the Father, and Jesus the Son as God, we must also do the same in response to Holy Spirit being God himself as well. Take a moment to discuss some key definitions about the Godhead, and ask Holy Spirit, who reveals all truth, to show you just how much his love for you is real and still needed to follow Jesus as a disciple. One True God The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Key Scriptures (Read Together): Deuteronomy 6:4 Isaiah 43:10,11 Matthew 28:19 Luke 3:22 The Adorable Godhead The terms "Trinity" and "persons" as related to the Godhead, while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the Being of God, as distinguished from "gods many and lords many." We therefore may speak with propriety of the Lord our God who is One Lord, as a trinity or as one Being of three persons, and still be absolutely scriptural. Matthew 28:19 2 Corinthians 13:14 John 14:16-17 Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are never identical as to Person; nor confused as to relation; nor divided in respect to the Godhead; nor opposed as to cooperation. The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son as to relationship. The Son is with the Father and the Father is with the Son, as to fellowship. The Father is not from the Son, but the Son is from the Father, as to authority. The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son proceeding, as to nature, relationship, cooperation and authority. Hence, neither Person in the Godhead either exists or works separately or independently of the others. Matthew 28:16-19 NLT The Great Commission 16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Discussion Questions: Why is the theology of the Holy Trinity so confusing? Are there any other examples of something "One" being made up of other things (many in one)? If the Holy Spirit is God in full, just as the Father and Son are, how should we respond to Him in our daily lives? How important is it that we understand with deep conviction the Godhead being 3-in-1? How does this understanding affect our daily lives? Explain. Prayer Points: Pray for each other that we commit to understanding the Holy Trinity Pray that Holy Spirit will reveal the truth found in the scriptures about God's plan to send the Holy Spirit to the church for empowerment and guidance. Pray for a longing to be filled with God's Holy Spirit just as he expected us to be according to Acts 1 & 2. Sources: https://ag.org/Beliefs/Statement-of-Fundamental-Truths#2

Purpose of This Lesson: To give a working understanding of the definition of "sin", and how sin has changed everything. Read Galatians 5:16-26 together: Living by the Spirit’s Power 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19 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. Discussion Questions: What does Paul mean when referring to our "sin nature" in these passages? How can we identify when we are being directed by our sin nature? Discuss what other "sins" might be categorized as "like these" in verse 21? Does this mean that sin is prescriptive, or explicit only? What could we do identify sin in our own lives? How does community help us overcome sin? What does prayer do for our sin nature? Where does temptation land in these moments over us everyday? Prayer Points: Pray for sin to be revealed in our lives so that we can humbly and intentionally repent as we chose to follow Christ today. Pray that we no longer want to sin as we follow the Holy Spirit and let him lead our lives.