Beginning in mid-April, on Wednesday at 7 pm, we are talking about the Holy Spirit, using the book Forgotten God from Francis Chan.

Acts 4:13 (NIV) ¹³When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

If you are wondering if this study is for you, consider these questions, framed from the introduction of Forgotten God.

1. How do you react to this statement: “While no evangelical would deny His (the Holy Spirit’s) existence, I am willing to bet there are millions of church-goers across America who cannot confidently say they have experienced His presence or action in their lives over the past year” (p. 15)?
2. Chan says, “There is a big gap between what we read in Scripture about the Holy Spirit and how most believers and churches operate today. In many modern churches, you would be stunned by the apparent absence of the Spirit in a manifest way. And this, I believe is the crux of the problem” (p. 16). What kinds of manifestations do you think Chan is referring to? Are they missing? Why?
3. Chan asserts that the light of the American church is flickering and nearly extinguished, having largely sold out to the kingdoms and values of this world. Do you see that around you? If so, why is little being done about this?
4. Do you think that the “forgotten-ness” of the Holy Spirit is due to lack of theological teaching or are there other reasons the power of the Spirit is not evident?
5. Chan suggests that the holding back Christians have concerning the Holy Spirit is not based in a fear of getting too much of Him, but in a fear of giving ourselves to God. Why don’t Christians want to give themselves to God? How can we overcome such obstacles?
6. Paul said that his words to the Corinthians were not “wise and persuasive” but were “in demonstration of the Spirit’s power” so that their faith would not rest on the “wisdom of men” but on the “power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Does your faith rest on the power of God or on the wisdom of men?

“There’s more of the Spirit and more of God than any of us is experiencing. I want to go there—not just intellectually, but in life, with everything I am.” — Francis Chan, p. 22.

Join us in room 101 for a discussion on this book and a time of prayer Wednesdays at 7 pm.