Context matters! Years ago, a study was done on peer pressure. An unsuspecting person boards an elevator first faces the front. Then 3 actors follow him in but they all face the rear. The awkward moment of this person who is staring these actors in the face is too much and context takes its toll on logic. Without exception, every person facing forward ultimately turns around to face the rear. You can watch this at this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrTk6DsEJ2Q
Algorithms are these unseen contributors to conclusions we have, decisions we make and behaviors we see. Society is constantly providing these subtle cues for us to conform to the world’s way of thinking.
We have a Supreme Court Justice in our Nation who, when interviewed, couldn’t give us the definition of “a woman.” The world is a mess. We need to lead our homes, raise our children and serve God’s purposes in our everyday lives IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Today we celebrate Pentecost! "Pentecost" is derived from the Greek word for "fiftieth." It falls seven weeks and one day—fifty days—after the sabbath that occurs during the weeklong Feast of Unleavened Bread. Pentecost is also called the "Feast of Weeks" because that same period is seven weeks or "a week of weeks." After Passover, Pentecost is the next major feast for which Jews from all over the Roman Empire would come to Jerusalem.
The Feast of Weeks is the second of three feasts that include a firstfruits offering. When people came to Jerusalem for Pentecost, they were to bring the first of their grain as a free-will offering. On this Pentecost, Jerusalem offers a kind of free-will offering to God as three thousand people believe in Jesus (Acts 2:41).
Acts 2:1-6 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. NAS
The gifts of the spirit are for today. We want you to be filled with the Spirit, walking in God’s power as a way of life. If you have any interest in studying this deeper you can find several messages and blogs here where we’ve posted “The Not So Spooky Ghost Stories” messages: https://destinyokc.com/holyspirit
Very important for us to grow and mature in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. I want us to talk about the deeper narrative of God.
God’s been preparing your world for you as much as he’s been preparing you for your world.
The Day of Pentecost is an amazing moment in time at 9am in the morning where thousands of people responded to follow Jesus!
This was a moment prepared for generations. All the Jews scattered all over the place came together to Jerusalem and this narrative of the Messiah who would one day come already been deposited in their souls. They already knew the words of Isaiah of the one who would come.
Rushing wind and tongues of fire aligned with experiences God’s people had shared throughout the ages. God appeared to Moses in fire in Exodus 3 and guided his people wind pushing a pillar of cloud and fire by night Exodus 13. Moses encountering God on the mountain in Exodus 19 is marked by fire and smoke. God purposed to use these well-known precedents on the Day of Pentecost to cooperate and collaborate with a deeper narrative of eternal proportion.
There is this shallow narrative of society that will rob you of the eternal narrative of God if you don’t purpose to experience his presence, his promises and his people as your way of life!
The world is a mess. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to navigate through career decisions, relationship decisions, parenting decisions, financial decisions, etc and the Holy Spirit is here to guide you, direct you and awaken desires within you!
You’ve not just been given an assignment from God but you’ve been given a supernatural capacity that exists within you!
Give yourself to the deeper narrative of God where the treasures of his eternal purposes are revealed.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Explore the deeper narrative of God this week in places of prayer, reading God’s Word and connecting intentionally with God’s family.
ALGORITHMS: Deeper Narrative of Pentecost
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: As a church family we want to be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
Our 2022 New Year’s Revelation as a church family is EVERYONE IS CREATED FOR ABUNDANT LIFE!
Much will flow from heaven into our hearts and homes this year!
The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but realize the aim of death is not to kill you but to keep you from the fullness of life until you die. Distraction is destruction of what could have been in your life.
John 10:10b “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it over-flows].” Amplified
Jesus came demonstrating that true life is discovered in a willing death. When we die to ourselves we learn what it means to be alive in Christ.
God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with the first question:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Don’t move on to the next question until everybody who is willing to share has had the opportunity to give their perspective.
Philippians 2:1-13 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others…13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. NIV
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
2. Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words.
3. What do these verses teach us about God?
4. What do these verses teach us about people?
5. What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing?
6. Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Explore the deeper narrative of God this week in places of prayer, reading God’s Word and connecting intentionally with God’s family.