This Sunday, we read the account of Acts 2 and celebrate the Day of Pentecost. It is an event of profound significance, serving as a reminder that the Holy Spirit rests on God's people and draws us into a deeper, transformative relationship with Jesus. It is not only a commemoration of the past but invites us to live expectantly, attuned to the Spirit in our here and now.

Scripture passage: Acts 2:1-21

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Respond together:

• Pentecost marked the birth of the church. The Spirit united diverse ethnicities, socio-economic standing, genders and ages into one people. How do we see the Spirit bridging divides in our own lives, in our own communities? How can we participate in this work of unity?

• Peter quoted Hebrew prophecy: God's Spirit would be poured out on all people, and they would prophesy. How do we see the Spirit at work in our own dreams and visions? What are some steps to take in obedience to God’s call?

• How is God calling you to repent, to change your way of thinking/orientation in life? Perhaps he is inviting you to join this new family of faith through baptism? How is the Holy Spirit empowering your daily life?

• After Peter's sermon, many in the crowd were "cut to the heart" and open for change. Peter was teaching what had already been revealed in the Scriptures. How does the work of the Spirit on Pentecost challenge or comfort us in regards to how we speak to people?

Our songs together:

• Come to the Altar - Elevation Worship

• Death in His Grave - John Mark McMillan

• King of My Heart - John Mark McMillan

• Fullness - Elevation Worship

Pentecost Sunday

One of the temptations of Pentecost Sunday is to honour the story as an event of the past. How can we begin to see and even anticipate Pentecost as a continual reality? In John 14, Jesus is speaking to people who are anxious about navigating an uncertain future, into that moment He promises to send the Holy Spirit. What are those moments where the Spirit has called us into new peace, postures, and possibilities?

Respond:

• The Acts 2 account is a foundational event for the church. If Pentecost celebrates new beginnings then perhaps we should learn to anticipate it as a recurring event.

  • How can you cultivate a deeper expectation for a filling of the Holy Spirit in your own life and story?

  • What are the moments (past and present) in your story where the Spirit has called you into a new and uncertain chapter?

• By the power of the Spirit, followers of Jesus will do “even greater things than these” What if we could take Jesus at his word? What if this is true?

  • Ask the Spirit - what is possible in and through our church family? What does creativity look like in our context?

• In the Scriptures, we see that the Holy Spirit rests on you, as a guide, a teacher, a helper, a strengthener, a comforter, an advocate and more.

  • What definition would use in your experience? What noun do you need in this season?  God is inviting you to ask the Spirit for what you need.