Coming Back to God: Know the Spirit

Oct 05, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Empty Chair Where Jesus Sits Beside You

The Holy Spirit makes Christ’s presence tangible even when life feels isolating. Like an empty chair at a family gathering, Jesus’ absence is an illusion—His Spirit dwells within believers, turning loneliness into communion. The Spirit’s indwelling isn’t conditional on emotional highs or moral perfection but secured by Christ’s sacrifice. This truth anchors weary hearts: the same power that raised Jesus lives in those who trust Him. When burdens feel too heavy, the Spirit whispers, You are not alone. [49:43]

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
(John 14:16–18, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt most alone, yet later realized Jesus was present? How might His nearness reshape how you carry today’s hidden burdens?

Day 2: Andy’s Name Written on the Bottom of Your Foot

The Spirit seals believers as God’s possession, marking them like a child’s name on a toy. This sealing isn’t a temporary emotional experience but an eternal guarantee—proof of belonging to Christ. The Spirit’s seal means no failure or doubt can erase your identity as God’s own. It’s a down payment of the full inheritance awaiting you in glory. [44:58]

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
(Ephesians 1:13–14, ESV)

Reflection: What insecurity or shame makes you question God’s claim on you? How does the Spirit’s seal answer that lie?

Day 3: When the Bible Feels Like a Text Message from God

The Spirit illuminates Scripture, turning ancient words into personal lifelines. He doesn’t speak apart from God’s Word but makes it resonate like a direct message to your circumstances. Whether in private reading or corporate preaching, the Spirit bridges the gap between ink and heart. Truth becomes alive, cutting through confusion or numbness. [56:25]

“No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
(2 Peter 1:20–21, ESV)

Reflection: When has a Bible passage suddenly “clicked” for you? How could you posture your heart to hear the Spirit’s voice in Scripture today?

Day 4: Fumbling the Gospel into Your Neighbor’s Coffee Cup

The Spirit empowers imperfect witnesses to share Jesus boldly. You don’t need eloquence—the Spirit works through stumbling words and quiet faithfulness. Your role is to point to Christ’s work, not your own competence. Every relationship, from coworkers to family, is a Spirit-appointed opportunity to glorify Jesus. [01:07:10]

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear your story of Jesus’ rescue? What fear holds you back, and how does the Spirit’s power disarm it?

Day 5: The Spirit’s Spotlight on Jesus, Not the Stage

The Holy Spirit’s ultimate mission is to magnify Christ, not Himself or human leaders. True spiritual experiences draw attention to Jesus’ glory, not emotional highs or mystical signs. A Spirit-filled life is marked by gratitude, unity, and sacrificial love—ordinary rhythms that make Christ extraordinary to others. [01:17:22]

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
(John 16:13–14, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you seek spiritual “spotlights” more than Jesus’ glory? How can you let the Spirit redirect your awe to Christ alone?

Sermon Summary

Jesus sends his Spirit to draw believers close to himself. John 16 names the Spirit “the Spirit of truth,” and Jesus says that the Spirit will not chase his own glory but will take what belongs to Christ and declare it to his people. The Spirit’s whole purpose is to make Jesus bigger, clearer, nearer, and more glorious in the life of the believer.

The Spirit makes Jesus’ presence known. Jesus promises that his followers will not be left as orphans, because the Helper will be with them forever and in them. The Spirit is not a distant force, a spiritual high, or a private experience reserved for a few. The Spirit is the presence of Christ with his people, especially in the darkest, heaviest, loneliest moments. That chair is not empty. Jesus is present through his indwelling Spirit.

The Spirit dwells permanently in those bought with a price. Paul says that believers are not their own, because Christ purchased them with his blood, and the Spirit now makes their bodies his temple. The Spirit also seals believers as God’s own, like Andy’s name on the bottom of Woody’s boot. God marks his people and guarantees that he will finally bring them home.

The Spirit baptizes every believer into one body, the church. This baptism is not a badge of spiritual superiority, an emotional experience, or a sign that somebody has reached a higher level. The Spirit gives a new identity that cuts deeper than ethnicity, class, interests, background, or personality. Christ becomes the unity of his people.

The Spirit makes Jesus’ teaching known by teaching truth and bringing Christ’s words to remembrance. Scripture is inspired because the Spirit carried along its human authors, and Scripture is illuminated when the Spirit applies God’s Word right where it is needed. The Spirit does not bring new revelation that contradicts or competes with the Bible. The Spirit leads believers to obey what God has already said.

The Spirit also gives gifts for the common good, empowers gospel proclamation, and fills believers for gospel demonstration. Spirit filling is continual guidance by the Spirit as believers walk in submission to Christ’s Word. Bitterness, wrath, anger, and slander grieve the Spirit because they resist the life Jesus commands. Gratitude, encouragement, service, bold witness, and love show that Christ’s Word is dwelling richly among his people.

The Spirit ultimately makes Jesus’ glory known. Real manifestations of the Spirit turn attention away from human experience, human platforms, and human greatness. The Spirit makes Jesus seen as glorious.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus never leaves his people alone The Spirit makes Christ’s presence real in ordinary weakness, grief, pressure, and isolation. Jesus does not leave believers to carry life’s weight as abandoned orphans. The nearness of Christ is not measured by a sudden feeling, but by his settled promise to dwell with those he has redeemed. [50:26]
2. Bought with a price, marked as God’s The Spirit dwells in believers because Christ paid for them with his blood, not because they cleaned themselves up first. The sealing of the Spirit means God has put his name on his people and will take possession of them forever. Holiness begins with belonging, not with trying to earn belonging. [44:58]
3. The Spirit teaches Christ’s written Word The Spirit illuminates Scripture so that God’s truth confronts sin, gives strength, and brings peace exactly where it is needed. Claims that God has spoken must be tested by the Word God has already given. The issue is not whether believers need more revelation, but whether they are walking in the revelation already received. [59:08]
4. Spiritual gifts serve the common good The Spirit gives gifts to build up Christ’s body, not to put gifted people on a pedestal. Visible gifts and hidden gifts carry the same purpose when they serve others in love. A gift becomes spiritually dangerous when it makes the recipient look great instead of making Christ’s church stronger. [61:53]
5. The Spirit exists to glorify Jesus The Spirit does not seek a Hollywood star moment or personal credit. Genuine work of the Spirit produces peace in suffering, truth rooted in Scripture, service that forgets self, and witness that makes Jesus known. Every true work of the Spirit leads the heart to ask, “How can I glorify Jesus?”

## [76:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:21] - One Hope in Jesus
[29:15] - Knowing God the Holy Spirit
[32:05] - The Spirit Draws Believers to Jesus
[33:39] - The Spirit Makes Jesus Present
[39:19] - Indwelt, Sealed, and Bought With a Price
[45:19] - Baptized Into One Body
[53:17] - The Spirit Makes Jesus’ Teaching Known
[55:17] - Inspiration and Illumination of Scripture
[60:07] - Gifts Given for the Common Good
[63:14] - Empowered for Gospel Proclamation
[68:18] - Filled With the Spirit
[75:16] - The Spirit Makes Jesus Glorious

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 16:13-15
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” [29:35]

John 14:16-18
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” [33:45]

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” [39:19]

Observation questions

In John 16:13–15, what does Jesus say the Spirit will do with what belongs to him, and what is the final result of the Spirit’s work? [01:15:45]
In John 14:16–18, what words describe how long the Helper will be with believers and where the Spirit will dwell?
According to 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, what two truths about believers explain why they are called to glorify God with their bodies? [39:19]
What contrast is made between the Spirit’s work of making Jesus known and the pursuit of an emotional high, spiritual status, or personal attention? [01:16:53]

Interpretation questions

Jesus promises that his followers will not be left as orphans. How does the Spirit’s indwelling presence make Christ’s nearness more than a comforting idea during loneliness, grief, or pressure? [50:26]
If believers were bought with Christ’s blood and are not their own, how should that reshape the way they think about their bodies, choices, and ongoing fight against sin? [40:25]
Jesus calls the Spirit the Spirit of truth. Why is it important that spiritual impressions and claims of “God told me” be tested by Scripture rather than treated as unquestionable? [58:48]
If the Spirit’s gifts are given for the common good, what makes a gift-serving ministry different from using spiritual ability to gain attention or influence? [01:01:38]

Application questions

Where have you recently felt alone, overburdened, or unseen? How might Jesus’ promise to be present through his Spirit change the way you carry that particular burden this week? [50:40]
Because you were bought with a price, what is one area of your life where you are tempted to live as though you belong only to yourself? What could honoring God in that area look like in a practical next step? [41:12]
Is there a specific command, encouragement, or promise from Scripture that you know but have not been putting into practice? What would it look like to ask the Spirit to help you obey what God has already made clear? [01:00:07]
What gift, ability, opportunity, or life experience could you use to strengthen someone in the church this week? Consider both visible service and quiet, unnoticed service. [01:02:27]
Think of one neighbor, coworker, friend, or family member who does not know Jesus. What is one simple, honest way you could begin a conversation or show the love of Christ to that person? [01:07:13]
Bitterness, anger, slander, and malice grieve the Spirit. Is there a relationship in which one of these patterns has taken root? What step toward repentance, reconciliation, or encouragement might God be calling you to take? [01:14:48]
When others look at your life, what tends to receive the most attention—your abilities, experiences, struggles, or Jesus? What would it look like for your words and actions this week to make Jesus look more glorious? [01:18:01]

Sermon Clips

32s

#NeverAloneWithJesus

“Now, we'll talk about this more in a moment, but this simply put, this means that you, brother or sister in Christ, who have been bought by Jesus by his death and resurrection, this means you are never alone. In the worst of moments, when no one understands, when it seems like everyone has walked away or everyone's abandoned you, when it seems like no one really understands what you're going through and the difficulty of your life, listen, Jesus is present. He doesn't leave you as an orphan.”

40s

#HearingGodThroughScripture

“Sometimes I hear people say, know, I just want I just want God to speak to me. And sometimes I always say, you know what? You know, why won't he just, like, audibly speak to me? I just want God to audibly speak to me. I'm sorry to say that's just not how God designed it to work. But it's interesting, those who say I want God to speak to me, this is how their Bible looks most of the week. Closed. But the truth is if you want to hear God, he wants to speak. He's given you not only his word, but he's given you the spirit to lead you, to teach you truth.”

41s

#SpiritWithin

“Now, there's a ton happening here. Now, again, we're not gonna go as deep as we could, but but look at what this says. It says that that those who were bought with the price, who who is that talking about? That's talking about the born again believer. That... That's talking about you. If you have trusted in Jesus and his death and resurrection, this is saying that the spirit comes and now dwells within you. Notice, it dwells within you not because you've earned it, not because you've you've cleaned your life up and you're no longer doing the bad things you used to do. It dwells in you because you were bought with a price.”

37s

#ServeTheBody

“This means that any spiritual gift given is not for the the the posturing of the person who is receiving that gift, but is for the benefit of the entire body of Christ. Spiritual gifting is meant to lead you into service of others, not exaltation of self. So when we have these gifts of, the spectacular gifts are highlighted where someone... Oh, look at look at... They they are, modern day apostle or a prophet. What does that end up doing? It ends up elevating that person. I just think that's really dangerous.”

21s

#GlorifyJesus

“Listen, the spirit is not looking for the glory. The spirit is not looking for a Hollywood star. The spirit spirit is not looking for credit. The spirit has one purpose. And listen. The spirit is really good at his purpose. His purpose is to glorify Jesus.”

42s

#ShareTheGospel

“Listen very carefully. The same is true of every believer in this room. I only need to start thinking about your neighbors who don't know Jesus right now. Try to get their faces in your mind. I want you to start thinking about your family members who don't know Jesus. I want their faces in your mind. Your coworkers, your friends, You you realize that you have sovereignly been placed exactly where you are in relationship to those people so that you, by the power of the spirit, can proclaim the gospel.”

42s

#BoughtWithAPrice

“You were bought with a price. The point that Paul is making here is that you were no longer your own. In fact, this is what he says. He says, you are not your own. And then he says these words, so glorify God in your body. You have, listen, you have the Spirit living in you, making it so that you are holy. The the spirit is leading you away from sin. He's leading you into Christ likeness. He's leading you to become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ day by day by day. This is this is his purpose within you. You were bought with a price.”

34s

#FilledWithTheWord

“Now isn't this amazing? Ephesians chapter five, it says, be filled with the spirit, and then it describes what that looks like. And then in Colossians chapter three, it says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, and then it describes what that looks like. And you know what the descriptions are? They're the same. So to be filled with the spirit means that you have the words of Christ dwelling in you richly. And having the words of Christ dwelling in you richly means that you're walking, you're living in accordance with Jesus, with his teaching, with who he is, and with what he said.”

Ask a question about this sermon

VCF Longview This sermon · AI assistant

How does the Holy Spirit make Jesus present?

What distinguishes spiritual filling from emotional experience?

Why are believers given spiritual gifts?