Why a Series on the Holy Spirit?

We will be giving special focus in this season after Pentecost to the subject of the Holy Spirit – seeking a deeper understanding of the Spirit and a greater experience of the Spirit's power in our lives. I'm bursting with excitement about this upcoming series, and I hope you will be too! THIS SERIES WILL BE PRACTICAL One of my goals in this series is to apply the teachings to our personal lives. This has always been a goal in my preaching, but I'm going to be very intentional about making this series of teachings on the Holy Spirit more than simply imparting information. For this series, I'm planning to include a note page in the bulletin to encourage everyone to follow the message outline and take notes. THIS SERIES WILL BE PERSONAL Through this series, I'll be sharing my personal faith journey and experience of growing in my own knowledge of the Holy Spirit. I want these messages to touch something deeply personal in each of us – as we each come to discover more about the reality of the Holy Spirit and how the Spirit fills us, comforts us, empowers us with spiritual gifts, and transforms us to be more like Jesus. THIS SERIES WILL BE PRAYERFUL We will be giving space in our worship for prayer, inviting us to realize how the Spirit helps us to pray and speaks to us as we grow in communion with Him. And I encourage everyone to pray throughout the week with anticipation – asking the Holy Spirit to speak through the preacher, and asking the Holy Spirit to become more real in each of our lives. AND, I PRAY, THIS SERIES WILL BE POWERFUL I don't mean to suggest in a prideful way that the sermons or the preacher will be powerful. What I mean is that as we focus on the Holy Spirit and prayerfully invite the Spirit to move within and among us, we are bound to experience more of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit – hope-filled power that is often lacking in churches and in our personal lives. We are bound to become more empowered for God's Kingdom Life! And I believe this could be a powerful season in the life of Venice Presbyterian Church. So, let's buckle up for this exciting ride together with the Holy Spirit!