Enjoy a Spirit-filled journey this Pentecost

Pentecost is the season of the church year when we read of the Spirit, coming as ‘a sound like the blowing of a violent wind’ and appearing like ‘tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them’ (the Apostles). Luke tells us that ‘all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them’ (Acts 2:2–4).

Can you imagine witnessing this amazing event? Talk about God putting on a light show, which gathered a crowd and was the perfect platform for Peter to address the crowd of Jews, leading to about 3000 baptisms. Wow!

And yet we know that in our baptism, we are Spirit-filled. How do we reconcile the day of Pentecost with what, at times, appears to be our ordinary everyday lives?

In the text, Spirit Filled: Normal Christian Living, Steen Olsen and Noel Due give us the answer – and more! They share that being filled with God’s Spirit is not a special blessing locked up for the select few but the normal experience God has planned for all Christians.

In Spirit Filled, it is a joy to read of the work of the Holy Spirit, who is active in and through our daily lives, in and through our normal Christian living. Spirit Filled explores life in the Spirit and, by extension, our living relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. It reveals a Spirit who brings us to God personally and in community (who calls and gathers us), a Spirit who fills us with joy and hope (who enlightens us), and a Spirit who leads and guides us (who sanctifies us).

Spirit Filled is written in plain language for ordinary Christians. While it is perfectly designed for group use, it can be equally enjoyed as a book in its own right. It is both a textbook on the Holy Spirit and a study guide. It takes you to the word of God and, most importantly, to the Father, Son and Spirit.

Grab a small group of people and enjoy a Spirit-filled journey, for the Father is ‘making all things new’.

Spirit Filled is available for a $5 download or as paperback text at www.newandrenewingchurches.org.au/books