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We have a helper
Annie, Neil and Luke
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About this weeks teaching.
The podblast is back! Link is below. During the last three weeks we thought about the words we use to communicate our story and Gods story. We now move on to think about the role of the Holy Spirit.
We have a helper
I wonder if the upper room disciples knew what hit them (figuratively speaking). Beyond Jesus saying that he would send one like himself who would be with them I'm not sure they really knew what that mean't, what it would look like or how life would be with this comforter, guide and helper. Life hadn't really gone according to how they'd imagined it. They were in survival mode so it may not have been at the front of their minds to work out a theological framework for the Holy Spirit. As it turned out, they encounter the Holy Spirit and as they go out with Him, first to Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth they start to work out who He is and how He is (note I didn't say how He works, He is more than the sum of action).
So we will follow the same model. We start with the stories of people who talk about the Holy Spirit as a perfectly normal aspect of day to day life. Its interesting they don't really describe the Holy Spirit directly but you can't help but be aware that their stories would neither exist nor strike a chord with us but for the Holy Spirit.
In the last few weeks it has become more obvious that evangelism is not always easy, it can be difficult to know where to start and the truth that we really can't do this on our own. We need help. The good news is that we have help. In the next three weeks we will be thinking about the Holy Spirit. We won't be thinking about the Holy Spirits work in the church but rather in the day to day world we are in outside church. We want to see and hope for the Holy Spirit in us, working ahead of us, coming behind us and in fact be the one who is speaking from us to the people around us, to the one in front of us. For too long christians have engaged evangelism as duty or obligation. It has been a set presentation that eventually wears us out. It truly is God at work in and through us. He begins it, he finishes it and our part is to say Yes Lord, use me.
The videos below are your teaching this week. I say teaching, really they are the stories of those who are simply trying to see and to hear and then to go with whats happening with the desire to release value. It is their Yes Lord use me. They are a blend of us sharing and the Holy Spirit doing the work that is deeper and beyond us.
The resource is shorter than normal. After you watch why not use the podblast to respond. Rather than try to assess why or why not 'its your thing' or you could or couldn't do it that way (that leaves the emphasis on us, it keeps it our work and we'll just exhaust ourselves), take time to being available to be present with the Holy Spirit. Talk to him, ask Him questions, listen to what He says.
I recommend headphones for video one. Annie speaks softly and in places the sound drops. Headphones will significanlty improve hearing her.
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At the time of recording Annie lived and worked in London leading a missional community and supporting others doing the same. She now lives and works in Cape Town.
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A story of church planting that started with a very simple practice of prayer walking.
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Luke is an Australian living in London who did Xplore a few years ago.