Fearless Followers,
We have spent the last several weeks examining Jesus’ ministry and learning what it would have been like to follow Jesus then and what we must do to follow Him now. So many of you took advantage of the opportunity to engage fully by committing to daily readings, journaling, and weekly life group attendance. We had hundreds of people step into brand new life groups, many of which will continue after Easter! It’s been a tremendous season of growth for our Fearless Family, culminating with powerful Good Friday and Easter services!
Where do we go from here? Jesus told His disciples on the last night of His life that following Him would require a new helper.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)
Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit, which has been given to believers to help us connect with Jesus, be like Jesus, and do what Jesus wants us to do.
On April 7, we will begin Revolution, a four-week series on how the Holy Spirit moved in Jesus’ followers to “turn the world upside-down.” This is so relevant to you and me because the same Spirit that empowered the early church is now working in and through us to bring transformation. We will learn lessons from the early church leaders on how to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
- Week 1: How do we partner with the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus? What did Jesus say about the Holy Spirit before His death? So crucial is the Spirit’s work, which is why Jesus told His disciples that it would be good for Him to leave so the Spirit could come into them.
- Week 2: How does the Spirit’s power work in and through us? On the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit’s ministry is unleashed, He comes in overwhelming power, and the disciples are transformed. They speak with such boldness and influence that 3,000 skeptics are saved and baptized, and the church is launched.
- Week 3: How does the Spirit help us to stand in adversity? As the church grows, hostility and hatred toward the church grow from religious authorities. Finally, the rage boils over, and a church leader, Stephen, is arrested and threatened. To this bloodthirsty crowd, Stephen gives a courageous speech for the ages and erases any doubt that he stands for Jesus.
- Week 4: How does the Spirit guide me? Paul had clarity that he was called to travel throughout the Mediterranean world and reach people with the good news of Jesus. But times came when he needed guidance as to which opportunities to take and which to pass on.
I invite you to come and bring a friend to Revolution. If you thought Jesus’ biography was captivating, come and see how the Holy Spirit acted to transform the disciples and impact the first-century world, and how He’s continuing to act in and through us to do the same thing!
-Pastor Kevin
Sr Pastor
Fearless Family of Churches
