THE LINC COLLECTIVE

The Holy Spirit is God’s personal presence, but what does that mean? How does God plan to change the entire world through his Spirit?

(This fully animated series, presented by The Bible Project, traces key biblical themes from their first appearance through the entire narrative of the Bible. With videos ranging from 1-6 minutes long – you can work through the whole series with your group or choose from the playlist. Either way, we encourage you to open in prayer, facilitate conversation and make it practical. Read the Word together, ask questions of the text and see what God wants to say and do.

Click here for the full playlist of 25 videos walking you through key themes in the bible from Genesis to Revelation, or continue with the specific theme below.)

The Spirit is God’s personal presence:
The Spirit is a person and not merely a force. But when we start on page one of the Bible, before creation began, we see a depiction of the Spirit of God hovering over the dark, disordered waters of the Earth. In the Bible, any time we see a description of the Spirit of God, like what is depicted in the first few verses of the Bible, the Hebrew word ruakh is used. Ruakh can describe an invisible, powerful energy that is necessary for life, making it a fitting description for the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit has been empowering God’s followers from the beginning.

Jesus heals by the power of the Spirit:
The religious leaders of Jesus’ time saw his healing work as a threat, which eventually led to his execution. But God’s Spirit continued to work through Jesus’ sacrifice, raising him from death. The disciples said Jesus appeared to them after death glowing with the Spirit of God.

When Jesus appeared to his closest followers, he breathed the Holy Spirit into them, empowering them to spread God’s goodness throughout the world. Soon after that, God’s Spirit came over all of his followers. Today, through Jesus and the power he has given his followers, God’s Spirit continues to hover over a dark and chaotic world, slowly healing and working toward the day when it will be made new.

• Scriptures: Genesis 1:1-2; Acts 17:24-28; Genesis 40; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Luke 3:21-22; Romans 8:9-11; Acts 2:1-4; John 16:13-14; Revelation 21:1-5; Exodus 31:1-5

• Questions: Take a look at these helpful discussion questions if you’re needing further guidance.

• Revelation: What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through the text?
• Response: How does this revelation affect the rest of your life – i.e. what is your appropriate response/act of obedience?
• Prayer.

Want to dive deeper into this theme? Check out the study notes here.