Head, Heart & Life Change
To know we are in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit and can experience the power of God in our daily lives. To feel comforted by the peace Jesus gives us through his Holy Spirit.To obey God’s commands in our everyday lives, empowered by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
What is the best meal you have ever had? What made it the best?
Great food overloads our senses—the smell, taste, texture, the way it looks on the plate, and even the atmosphere all combine to create a beautiful experience. Even great company can elevate a meal from a passing snack to an extraordinary experience.
When we read the Bible, we find a description and invitation to experience God, much like a menu invites us to experience a meal. In this session, Francis shows us how God has made himself available to us through his Spirit and how his presence changes our everyday lives.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. – John 14:15-31 ESV
Francis started this session by encouraging us to seek more from our Bible study. We shouldn’t simply be looking for facts about God; we should desire to know him, experience the Holy Spirit’s presence, and live in his truth. In what ways do you try to relate to God or experience his presence in your everyday life?
When we talk about experiencing God, our minds might assume that means feeling God in an emotionally unique way. While that may be part of knowing God, Jesus explains it in much more active terms. Read John 14:15–24. According to Jesus in verses 21, 23–24, what is the proof of our love for and relationship with God?
We often want to feel God’s presence. But Jesus doesn’t tell us what it is like to feel God in our lives. Instead, he tells us to follow God in obedience. In what ways do you think we experience God through obedience to his commands? Do you feel like obedience is the sort of experience you want from God? Why, or why not?
In this passage, Jesus promises to send his disciples the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls him the Spirit of Truth and our Advocate. While we may not always recognize it, every time we learn something about God, grow in our faith, or feel conviction of sin, the Spirit is at work in us. In what ways has the Holy Spirit been active in you recently?
One of the primary blessings of the Spirit is his role in teaching and reminding us of truth. What is one new truth you have learned about God through this study? What would it look like to thank and praise the Holy Spirit for opening your eyes to this truth?
The Spirit guides us in truth and reminds us of Jesus’s commands in a variety of ways: through Scripture, prayer, encouragement and accountability from friends, and by reminding us of truth when we are faced with tough decisions. Our responsibility as disciples of Jesus is to trust him and to follow where he leads us. What is the Holy Spirit teaching you in your current season of life?
Talking about obedience is easy, but actually doing what God calls us to can be difficult. Obeying God can feel like an inconvenience, make us anxious, or even seem like an unusual way to live. What worries, concerns, or excuses can keep us from obeying God? What specific excuses are keeping you from going where the Holy Spirit is leading you?
In the midst of our worry, Jesus gives us another promise. In verse 18, he promises that he will not abandon us, but he also goes a step further. Read John 14:27–28.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. – John 14:27-28 ESV
Where in your life could you use some of God’s peace?
The world can only offer us circumstantial peace, which distress and fear can easily derail. But Jesus’s peace overcomes our distress and gives us courage regardless of our circumstances. According to verses 18 and 28, what assurances does Jesus give us that allow us to be at peace?
Knowing the end of the story can help us live well today. Even in situations where God feels far away—in chaos, unrest, and pain—we can trust that Jesus will not abandon us and is coming back for us. In what ways does trusting in Jesus’s promises give you peace in your current circumstances?
After promising us peace, Jesus showed his disciples what it looks like to love God. Read John 14:29–31.
29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. – John 14:29-31 ESV
Jesus’s obedience showed the world that he loved the Father and was meant to help the disciples believe in him. Likewise, when we obey God, it shows a watching world that we love God. How could your obedience reveal your love for God to others?
Obedience can also help others believe in God’s goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. In what ways does your life reveal God’s goodness?
Jesus followed the Father’s plan, which ultimately led him to the cross. His active trust revealed his love for the Father. What would it look like for you to actively love the Father this week, despite your feelings?
Francis challenged us to experience God by knowing and obeying him. Through this, he said that we would do the “greater works” Jesus told his disciples about. Today, our challenge isn’t to go and perform a miracle but to simply be faithful to God. What is one small step of faithfulness you need to take today?
LAST WORD
Jesus has not left us to figure out life by ourselves. We don’t have to struggle through trial and error to find truth. We have the Holy Spirit in us, revealing truth and guiding us. But are we willing to trust him?
The path to knowing and experiencing God is through simple obedience. It isn’t flashy, but faithfulness to the Holy Spirit is the way to a rich life with God.