The idol of ‘SELF’ is a danger to the life that Jesus saved us into. It opposes God and seeks its own glory, comfort and benefits. But Jesus points us to a better way...the crucified life! In this message, we dig into an often-neglected aspect of the Christian experience – dying to self and living in Christ. This is a key to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS & QUESTIONS: 1. Consider John’s example in John 3:30. How can you personally apply that same attitude in your walk with Jesus? 2. In what ways have you experienced “getting in the way” of what God wants to do in and through you? How are you able to discern this when it happens? 3. Read Matthew 10:38-39. Discuss what Jesus means by us taking up our cross and following Him. Why does He call us to lose our lives and how does this enable us to truly find it? 4. Read Galatians 5:24-25. How do you apply the call to “crucify the flesh”? What process is involved here in order to walk in the Spirit? 5. Paul points us to the purpose of our new life in Christ. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. When you were born-again, what difference did you notice immediately and what have you been noticing in the process of growing into your new nature? 6. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. This is a very significant Scripture on this topic. What do you think gets in the way of a Christian living the victorious, Christ-like, Spirit-filled life? What part does “you do not belong to yourself” play in this? 7. In Paul’s example of traveling to Jerusalem, being warned in the Spirit that trouble and persecution awaited him (Ref: Acts 20:22-25; Acts 21:4; Acts 21:10-12; Acts 21:13-14) how was he able to abandon fear and embrace faith? In the interactions Paul had, who heard correctly from the Holy Spirit? 8. How is your reaction to what God says affected by your commitment to either live a comfortable and cozy life OR a compelled and costly one? Pray into this. 9. Pray that Galatians 2:20 will be your lived experience.

Join us for a very special video as Guest Pastor Richard Doherty speaks about examples of how we can position ourselves for the purpose that God has laid out before us. If you are interested in more, please join us at thelivingroom.church and get connected!

Resurrection Sunday is a major highlight in the Christian calendar. But why confine it to a single day, once a year? The truth of what Jesus accomplished in His resurrection points us to a lifestyle that reflects His nature. In this message, we are reminded of what Jesus did in those hours between His death and resurrection and how His nature now shapes our reality. SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS & QUESTIONS: 1. Read and reflect on the following portions of Scripture: 1 Peter 3:18,19,22 (read this in the NLT, TPT, NIV); Ephesians 4:9; Colossians 2:15. Discuss the significance of what Jesus accomplished by going to Hades. 2. Read 1 Peter 3:22 and Paul’s declaration in Galatians 2:20 (in the TPT). How does the resurrection life of Jesus impact your everyday life? Your identity? Your expectations? 3. Read Romans 6:5. What does living, “...in the likeness of His resurrection...” mean? 4. Read Romans 8:11. If this statement is true (yes and amen!), why don’t we see evidence of this more frequently in the people of God? Why is the power of Jesus’ resurrection not more common today? How can this change? 5. Read 1 John 4:17. What does it look like to live “As He is...” in this world? If the cross is the entry point and the resurrection is the lifestyle, how will you adjust your life to give Jesus what He paid for? 6. Spend time praying together for an increased level of experiential faith and a lifestyle that gives clear evidence of Jesus’ resurrection power in and through you.

Resurrection Sunday is a major highlight in the Christian calendar. But why confine it to a single day, once a year? The truth of what Jesus accomplished in His resurrection points us to a lifestyle that reflects His nature. In this message, we are reminded of what Jesus did in those hours between His death and resurrection and how His nature now shapes our reality. SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS & QUESTIONS: 1. Read and reflect on the following portions of Scripture: 1 Peter 3:18,19,22 (read this in the NLT, TPT, NIV); Ephesians 4:9; Colossians 2:15. Discuss the significance of what Jesus accomplished by going to Hades. 2. Read 1 Peter 3:22 and Paul’s declaration in Galatians 2:20 (in the TPT). How does the resurrection life of Jesus impact your everyday life? Your identity? Your expectations? 3. Read Romans 6:5. What does living, “...in the likeness of His resurrection...” mean? 4. Read Romans 8:11. If this statement is true (yes and amen!), why don’t we see evidence of this more frequently in the people of God? Why is the power of Jesus’ resurrection not more common today? How can this change? 5. Read 1 John 4:17. What does it look like to live “As He is...” in this world? If the cross is the entry point and the resurrection is the lifestyle, how will you adjust your life to give Jesus what He paid for? 6. Spend time praying together for an increased level of experiential faith and a lifestyle that gives clear evidence of Jesus’ resurrection power in and through you.

Not only are we saved, but we are also called—called to co-labour or partner with God to make an eternal difference. But how do we fulfil our part of this partnership in a mission that is humanly impossible? In this message, we look at how God rests upon a person and how He empowers them to do the “impossible.” A life consumed by the Holy Spirit is our promise. It equips us for our purpose and assures that the fruit of our lives is beyond human. SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS & QUESTIONS: 1. Refer to Moses’ example and interaction with God at the burning bush (Exodus 3 and 4). Why do you think Moses was reluctant to surrender to God’s agenda? 2. What were some of Moses’ excuses? Can you relate to any of them? 3. Refer to Judges 6 where God called Gideon into an “impossible” mission. Read Judges 6:34a. How was Gideon able to do the “impossible”? 4. What does the Hebrew word “LABESH” mean in the context of Judges 6:34a? 5. How did God “come upon” or “rest upon” the Old Testament saints? Compare how He interacts with us today...what is the difference? 6. Is it possible to live the normal Christian life without being filled, baptised and consumed by the Holy Spirit? What happens if we are not filled? 7. Spend time together praying for the Holy Spirit to consume every single person. Address any honest comments or fears about this.

What sets the Church apart from any other group of people that gather together? What is the difference between the Church and the local social club? Since the birth of the first Church, the difference was always meant to be the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit! In this message, we dive into the beauty and the wonder of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and why it is necessary that we all be prepared for His fire to fall and continually consume us. SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS & QUESTIONS: 1. Read Acts 2:1-4. Discuss what it means to be prepared (like kindling) for God’s fire to fall. How were the disciples prepared for His fire? 2. What insights about God have you received that have led you to encounter Him personally? 3. Read Ephesians 3:19. Paul writes that he desires his readers “...to be filled with the fullness of God...” What does this mean to you and why is it so important? 4. The Bible refers to the infilling of the Holy Spirit as a continual need to be filled and re-filled. It is not a one-time event (see Acts 4:31 – the disciples were filled again) Why do we need refilling? 5. If the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an issue of salvation, why do we still need Him in this way? What is the point of the Holy Spirit Baptism? 6. Spend time together PRAYING for a renewed desire for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. If you’re unsure about whether or not you’ve been Baptised in the Holy Spirit, position yourself with an open heart and pray for His fire to consume you.

God the Holy Spirit has been described as “The Forgotten God”. But how much can we know of this mysterious member of the Trinity? In this message, we dive into the absolute necessity of being a Christian in whom the Holy Spirit dwells and rests upon. We embrace the truth that we cannot live the normal Christian life without Him. SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS & QUESTIONS: 1. How would you describe the Holy Spirit in relation to your personal experience? How do you become aware of His presence? 2. Read John 14:11-12. When Jesus described the wild idea that we will do the “same works...and even greater works” that He has done, what does He mean by saying that it will be possible because He is, “...going to be with the Father”? 3. Read John 16:7 and John 14:26. Why is the Holy Spirit described as our “Helper”? What other descriptions of Him awaken our faith in Him (read how The Amplified Bible expands on the title of “Helper”). 4. Is it possible to live the normal Christian life without an ongoing reliance upon, and relationship with, the Holy Spirit? How do you protect yourself from making it about something else (i.e. your own efforts, religious rules and relying upon others)? 5. Discuss the difference between the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Why is it important that the FRUIT of the Spirit fuels the GIFTS of the Spirit and not the other way around? 6. What does this statement mean to you, “Don’t let your spiritual gifts take you to where your character cannot keep you”? 7. Bill Johnson writes, “The Holy Spirit lives in me for my sake. But He comes upon me for the sake of others, to release the Spirit to them.” Discuss the difference between the Spirit in you and the Spirit upon you. Why do we need to be aware of both? 8. How are you honouring and hosting the Holy Spirit in your life (i.e. how are you living with awareness of the dove resting upon you)?