This Weeks Text: John 13:31-35

Because people in our church are coming from a lot of different places (some are even coming out of a different Christian tradition altogether), it was really important that we address some of the essential truths of the faith. The first three weeks of our Summer Series 2019 takes a close look at the Trinity from the perspectives of our need to: Fear God; Follow Jesus; and Embrace the Holy Spirit.

During this part of the series we will ask questions like: What does it mean to fear God? As you examine your life, do you actually fear God? What evidence is there that you do or don’t fear God? How does fearing God change the way you respond to other these fears? Looking at your life to this point, how well would you say you’ve done at following Jesus? Would you say that following Jesus has been a consideration in how you

have set up or oriented your life? If you really began to follow Jesus in every area of your life, what (or who) would it cost you? What would it be like to have Jesus tell you that He wants to change the world, and He wants you to do it? What are your expectations of how the Spirit might choose to work through you? Why don’t you rely on the Holy Spirit as you seek to follow Jesus? Would you say you’ve relied on the Spirit in seeking to glorify God with this part of your life?

The last five week of the series will take up the challenge to reclaim our roll in the church as it is described in the Bible – as a member of a family of believers engaged in the Word, yearning to follow God’s will. This portion of the series speaks to those who have questions about their roll in the church and to those who may have lost interest in the church.

During this part of the series we’ll ask questions like: Do you tend to be individualistic and self-reliant? How does that individualism manifest itself in your life? How do is individualism affecting the church? If Jesus died to join you together with other believers so that you can all collectively serve as the temple of the Holy

Spirit, how should that affect the way you look at the Christians around you? Do we see other christians merely as separate individuals, or do see ourself as inseparably connected to them?