The Power to Live an Abundant Life (Spirit at Work)
John 10:7-10

John 10:10   … I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

  1. What does this verse mean to you?

  2. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being high, how would you rate your experience of the abundant life?

  3. Describe what you think the abundant life "looks like."

  4. Is there more to the Christian life than what you and I are experiencing?
    Probably. Even the spiritually mature apostle Paul longed for a deeper and greater relationship with Jesus (Phil. 3:10). And he prayed that fellow believers would know Christ better and experience more fully the power of God's Spirit in their lives (Eph. 1:17-19).

  5. How does the Spirit express life in us?
    By causing our lives to be profoundly different from the hopeless world that surrounds us. Notice Paul's words in -
    Romans 15:13   "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
    In a world that is in mad pursuit of happiness, we can have joy by the power of the Holy Spirit. In a world that is crying out from the grief of constant conflict, we can have true peace. In a world that is filled with empty despair and a bleak future, we can have a bright hope. Why? Because the power of the Holy Spirit can equip us for life in a way that the world cannot grasp. His power can enable us to experience the things that the world craves and cannot secure, but are ours by the Spirit. This is the abundant life Jesus spoke of--a life that is full and rich and deep and lasting. A life that is lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. The hymn writer Thomas Chisholm expressed the joy of this when he wrote:
    Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
    Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
    Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow--
    Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
    Great is Thy faithfulness!

  6. What are some ways the Holy Spirit works in and through us?
    (Power to witness, power to hear God’s voice, gives us a heart like God’s heart, power to be holy, power to anticipate the future, help to pray, reminds us that we are children of God, the Spirit gives us fellowship & unity)

  7. How can we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us? What does this have to do with living life to the full?
    (Spiritual abundance is not about living a pleasant life but about living life richly. It is not primarily about intensity nor restricted to a few effects. We live richly when we surrender to God’s presence however it clamors for expression through us. )

  8. How can we encourage this surrender to God?
    (Die to self, be honest with God, allow questions to take you deeper, treasure the longing)
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