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Day 28 of 40 Day Discipleship Walk with Jesus Christ: Let the Spirit teach you
Saturday, December 28th, 2024
Blog link – https://www.otakada.org/day-28-of-40-day-discipleship-walk-with-jesus-christ-let-the-spirit-teach-you/
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Salvation Gift Link – https://www.otakada.org/how-to-be-born-again/
John 14:26
*But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.*
The Holy Spirit is our teacher. This is good news because he is always with us, he comes along side and he teaches us everything we need. When Jesus left he sent the Holy Spirit to take his place and he is universally present with his people. Jesus said that this was better than if he himself stayed. This means that our interaction with God is not just historical but it is continuous, in every moment and at all times. This is spectacular in scope and points to an ongoing intimacy and guidance that is personal and transformative. The Holy Spirit is everything we need, just in time, and in the right amount. We never need feel alone or forgotten. Our situation is always before his sight. He is already working around us and invites us to join in. Now that is learning from God.
Short Story on Guidance of the Holy Spirit
As I sat in my small, cluttered apartment, surrounded by piles of unpaid bills and unwashed dishes, I felt a sense of hopelessness wash over me. I had been struggling to find a job for months, and my savings were dwindling quickly. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of uncertainty, with no lifeline in sight.
It was then that I remembered a passage from the Bible that my grandmother used to quote to me when I was a child: “The Holy Spirit will teach you and guide you in all truth.” (John 16:13)
I had always believed in the power of the Holy Spirit, but I had never truly experienced it for myself. I decided to take a step of faith and ask for His guidance in my life.
I knelt down on the floor, closed my eyes, and began to pray. I asked the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth to me, to teach me and guide me in the right direction. I felt a gentle warmth spread throughout my body, and I knew that the Holy Spirit was present with me.
Over the next few days, I began to notice a change within myself. I felt a new sense of confidence and peace, even in the midst of my struggles. I knew that the Holy Spirit was guiding me, even when I couldn’t see the way forward.
One day, as I was searching for job openings online, I stumbled upon an ad for a part-time position at a local non-profit organization. It was the perfect job for me – it paid well, and it aligned with my values and passions. I applied for the job, and to my surprise, I got an interview the very next day.
The interview went amazingly well, and I could feel the Holy Spirit’s presence with me throughout the conversation. I left the interview feeling hopeful and confident, knowing that I had done my best.
A few days later, I received a call from the organization offering me the job. I was overjoyed, and I knew that the Holy Spirit had guided me to this opportunity.
As I began my new job, I realized that the Holy Spirit was teaching me valuable lessons about perseverance, compassion, and humility. He was using my struggles to mold me into a better person, and to reveal His truth to me in a deeper way.
Looking back on that difficult time in my life, I am grateful for the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance. He taught me that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope and light to be found. He showed me that with faith and trust, He can guide us through even the most challenging of situations.
And so, I continue to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and teaching in my life, knowing that He is always with me, guiding me towards truth and love.
*For Reflection:*
- Do you feel that the Holy Spirit is teaching you?
- What would you like to learn from the Holy Spirit?
*Make Life Count:*
- Ask God to remind you of anything you need to remember throughout the day. At day’s end, review what happened.
*Meet this week to discuss NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS: Days 22 to 28*
These two weeks of the 40 Days of Discipleship focusses on Nurturing relationships through learning to ask questions in community. Jesus said to build our house on the rock so that WHEN the flood comes we will be able to resist and stand firm. He didn’t say ‘IF’ the flood comes, but ‘WHEN’ it comes. There is a term to describe people who do not learn to build on the rock of Christ before flood time: they are called VICTIMS.
Maturing in Christ is no small thing. The people you encourage are looking to you for a living example of how to grow. You are Christ’s hands, feet, mouth and ears.’ Being with’ this person is more than studying passages. It is listening, learning together, laughing, crying, relaxing, dreaming, praying and serving. It is a journey together. It is practicing the one-another’s of loving, forgiving, supporting and the dozens of other ways this can be practiced.
The questions we can ask to nurture relationships require a context of trust. We need to earn the right to ask these by demonstrating our commitment to the person and not just an activity. We need to be trustworthy not to gossip what we hear.
We also need to be free to adapt the questions to our context. The principal is what do we see God doing, and hear God speaking and do we respond. How can we help each other to do that?
- Start with asking people what stood out from the readings this week?
- Include the questions to nurture relationships as they are listed in the lesson (Day 22).
- *How have you perceived the presence of God this week?*
- *How have you responded?*
- *What risks have you taken by faith?*
- *What are you learning?*
- *How can we help?*
- Do not be so focused in following the plan that you can’t listen to what God is saying through each other.
Reflect on the meeting afterward as you pray for the participants.
Shalom!
