Before you start · for whoever is leading
Somebody well read may ask why this session’s Reflect puts so much weight on Jesus ministering in the Spirit’s power when He is God. It isn’t saying Jesus stopped being God. It’s saying the Gospels show Him working as a man anointed by the Spirit, and that is Peter’s own summary in Acts 10:38, which is printed right there in this session’s readings: God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. And that is exactly why the next sentence can be about us. If He worked by the Spirit, then handing that same Spirit to us is not a downgrade, it’s the point.
A man is carried to the same gate every day, and he asks for the one thing everybody walking past can give him.
Read what Peter says he does not have.
Then read what he gives instead, and whose name he says it comes in.
Acts 3:1-10
Tap a tool, then tap words. Highlight what gets your attention · underline what God is doing or saying · circle a repeated or unfamiliar word.
Read it aloud, then give everyone two minutes to mark it in silence.
Read the passage slowly. Notice what time of day it is, what the man asks for, what Peter says he does not have, and what happens to the man’s feet. What details stand out? What surprises you?
Mark it:
- Underline what God is doing or saying.
- Circle a word that repeats, or one you don’t understand.
- Highlight whatever gets your attention, even if you can’t say why.
NET Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. netbible.com
What stood out?
Go around the room. Each person reads one thing they marked. If you know why it stood out, say so. If you don’t, “it just stood out” is a complete answer. Nobody explains, nobody corrects.
Your markings are saved on this device and will be here when you come back.
Made to Walk with the Spirit
In the Gospels, Jesus healed, delivered, forgave, and restored. Jesus is fully divine, yet the Gospels also intentionally portray His messianic ministry as Spirit-anointed and Spirit-empowered. He receives the Spirit, follows the Father, and ministers in the Spirit’s power. That matters because Jesus not only saves us. He also shows us what faithful human life in dependence on the Spirit looks like. Scripture tells us the same Spirit now lives in us.
The Holy Spirit is not an optional part of the Christian life. He is essential. Through Him, we are invited to continue the ministry of Jesus in the world. We do not do ministry for God; we do it with Him.
Peter’s story is compelling. Just weeks earlier, he had denied Jesus in fear. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he became bold, compassionate, and ready to act. That same Spirit lives in us. God never meant for us to be spectators. He wants to partner with us in bringing healing and hope to the world.
God has always wanted to work through people, not apart from them.
He created you for a purpose and has already prepared good works for you to walk in.
The same Spirit that empowered Jesus empowers us today.
Partnership with the Spirit starts with availability, not perfection.
Read this one out loud.
Discussion questions
- What kinds of “Jesus-things” might the Spirit want to do through you?
- Think of a time when you sensed God nudging you to act. What happened, and how did you respond?
- What helps you recognize the Holy Spirit’s prompting in your life?
- What holds you back from believing God wants to partner with you?
- Where do you want to grow in courage, trust, or obedience?
Write it out.
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Let’s pray together
Ask for boldness to follow the Spirit’s leading.
Pray for freedom from fear or passivity.
Bless one another with courage, clarity, and joy to walk with the Spirit.
Closing prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for speaking to us. Fill us again with Your presence and power. Help us walk closely with You this week, saying yes to whatever You ask. We want to live lives that show the beauty of Jesus. Amen.
- “Where are you inviting me to partner with you this week?”
- “What fear or hesitation do you want to replace with trust?”
- “Who are you asking me to see with compassion and respond in love?”
Leave space for silence, listening, and Spirit-led prayer. If someone senses a word, a Scripture, or a picture for another, offer it gently and pray into it.
Let’s pray
Breakthrough is when God’s Kingdom breaks into your reality: His healing where there is pain, His freedom where there is bondage, His presence where there is loneliness. Jesus is King; His freedom, peace and purpose are available now. Pray from that Kingdom, not toward it.
Be still for a moment. Open your hands and simply pray: “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Ask the Spirit the same three questions and write down what comes: where He is inviting you to partner with Him this week, what fear or hesitation He wants to replace with trust, and who He is asking you to see with compassion. Then pray for boldness to follow His leading and for freedom from fear or passivity, and pray His closing prayer as your own.
You can pray more than once. Stay present, and trust that God is at work. Take your time; there is no hurry.
Choose one. Say it out loud so someone else hears it.
Next time you gather, share what you practiced and how God used it, not for pressure but for encouragement.
The reminder downloads as a calendar event. Open it and it lands on your calendar for tomorrow morning.
Done.
God wants to do beautiful things through your life, and He does it in partnership with you through the power of the Holy Spirit.