The Presence of the Holy Spirit | Who is the Holy Spirit | Full Experience

Main message: The sermon teaches that the Holy Spirit’s presence in a believer’s life brings comfort, counsel, and conviction, and that we often sabotage those gifts by numbing pain, listening to the crowd, or rationalizing sin. The response is to submit to Jesus, listen to the Spirit, and receive the Spirit through repentance and baptism.

Key points:

• The Holy Spirit is an advocate/helper who comforts us in suffering; pain should be brought to God, not numbed with substances, sex, distraction, busyness, or other escapes.
• In trouble, prayer and Christian community are key ways the Spirit comforts and strengthens believers.
• The Holy Spirit counsels and guides into truth; believers should listen to God’s voice over the noise and opinions of the crowd.
• Staying in step with the Spirit often means going against popular culture and taking steps of faith without full certainty.
• The Holy Spirit convicts of sin; when conviction comes, believers should not rationalize or hide sin but confess and obey.
• A life filled with the Holy Spirit is able to withstand the pressures of the world; the empty life is easily crushed.

Scriptures mentioned: John 14:16, John 16:8, John 16:13, John 16:33, Romans 8:26, Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:25, Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 4:8