The Wednesday evening class for adults for the 2019 Fall quarter will clearly and prayerfully examine one of the two gifts Peter promised in his ground-breaking sermon on the Day of Pentecost, just a few weeks after the disciples had buried Jesus and been amazed at His resurrection. Peter promised forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit as gifts to those who responded in faith to the good news (gospel) about Jesus’ solving our sin and guilt problems.

While most believers enthusiastically accept the forgiveness of sins, many are hesitant and unsure about the Holy Spirit. The very idea of having a Spirit Being living (dwelling) in us is counter to our intellectual culture. He is mystical, mysterious, cannot be analyzed scientifically and does not communicate with us in any physical way. As a result, many believers go through life with minimal spiritual energy, certainly not enough to power consistent, successful resistance to temptation, nor to make the positive life changes in our values, priorities, attitudes and character that Jesus expects.

We will look at the activity of the Spirit described in scripture from creation to the second coming of Jesus. A close examination of what Jesus taught His followers, including you and me, about this Helper He promised to send us after He left planet Earth is central to the study. Paul wrote much about the Holy Spirit and the personal effects His entrance into our lives can and must have on our lifestyle, purpose in life and relationships. He also tells us the effect that the Holy Spirit will have on a church populated with Spirit-filled members. 

The Bible has much to say about how one accesses the promises God has made to His people over the centuries and, specifically, how we take this forgotten gift out of the box and release its phenomenal power in our lives.

Charles Shelton has studied this subject for 50 years but never more intensely than in preparation for this class. He will be the facilitator for the class, sometimes lecturing but also eliciting discussion, answering questions and pointing the way to appropriating this gift which is, in truth, an indispensable asset to the believer. Steve Neville has agreed to assist Charles in this endeavor.