This Week’s Pewsheet & Service
The Ascension Season & Waiting
The sermon reflects on the period between Ascension Day and Pentecost, when Jesus had ascended and the disciples waited in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit.
Sharing Faith & Public Witness
Many struggle to speak openly about God or Jesus in everyday settings, yet Christian faith is meant to be lived and shared, not kept private.
Knowing God Personally
True knowledge of God means relationship—trust, prayer, and listening—not merely intellectual knowledge about theology or facts.
God's Initiative & Grace
God reveals himself to us and draws us to him; our relationship with God depends on his action, not purely our effort or understanding.
Jesus's Prayer for Protection
In John 17, Jesus prays for his disciples and all believers, asking the Father to protect and keep them through his name, presence, and love.
The Call to Waiting & Surrender
Before mission comes waiting, before speaking comes prayer, before action comes surrender—the church must remain open to the Spirit rather than getting lost in endless activity.
The Holy Spirit as Life-Giver
St Paul in Athens encountered two worldviews (Stoicism and Epicureanism) that saw life as either morality-based or pleasure-based, but both lacked meaning or spiritual connection.
God's Intimate Involvement
In contrast, Paul preached that God is actively involved in human affairs, loving and creative, and that Jesus Christ showed us the way to eternal life through his death and resurrection.
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Jesus promised his disciples the Holy Spirit as an advocate who would dwell within them, enabling them to love as Jesus loved and know his continued spiritual presence after his physical departure.
Receiving New Life
The disciples received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost like a "mighty rushing wind," which gave them new gifts, courage, and life to share Christ's love in their community.
Modern Relevance
The sermon calls listeners to pray for a fresh gift of the Holy Spirit to revitalize personal faith and equip the church to communicate Christ's love in a fragmented, isolated modern society.
