Pursuing the Holy Spirit: Baptism, Tongues, and Presence

Devotional

Day 1: Prioritizing God's Presence Over Our Own Plans

It is easy to become consumed with the logistics of growth and the desire to reach more people. However, the most vital question for any community of faith is how to ensure that God truly shows up in our midst. When His manifest presence is prioritized, He is the one who draws people to Himself. Our primary focus should be on creating a space where the Holy Spirit feels welcome and honored. By shifting our attention from our own efforts to His presence, we allow Him to do the work that only He can do. [03:00]

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:10 (NLT)

Reflection: When you look at your schedule for the coming week, which activities are driven by your own effort, and where can you create intentional space to simply invite God’s presence to lead you?

Day 2: Growing in Spiritual Authority Through Deep Intimacy

True spiritual authority is not found in titles, positions, or human recognition. Instead, it is forged in the quiet, private moments of intimacy with the Father. Without a deep personal connection to Jesus, our attempts to exercise authority are hollow and unrecognized in the spiritual realm. As we spend time in His presence, our relationship with Him deepens, and our authority naturally increases. We are called to be spirit-filled people who unseat darkness by lifting up the name of Jesus. This journey of intimacy is what empowers us to walk in the fullness of our calling. [06:02]

But the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”
Acts 19:15 (NLT)

Reflection: In your private prayer life, do you find yourself more focused on asking God for things or on simply knowing Him? How might you spend ten minutes today just resting in His love without an agenda?

Day 3: Receiving the Divine Power of the Holy Spirit

God has so much more for His children than just a decision to follow Him; He desires to clothe us with power. While being born again and water baptized are essential steps, the baptism in the Holy Spirit provides the divine strength needed for daily life. This power enables us to walk in divine communication, protection, and healing as we navigate a broken world. We should not be content to struggle in our own strength when the Father is eager to give good gifts to those who ask. By opening our hearts to this third baptism, we step into the supernatural life God intended for us. [15:56]

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
Luke 11:13 (NLT)

Reflection: Is there a specific area of your life where you feel like you are "treading water" or struggling in your own strength? How can you specifically ask the Father for the Holy Spirit’s power to help you in that area today?

Day 4: Using Spiritual Gifts to Edify Your Inner Man

The personal use of spiritual gifts, such as a prayer language, serves to build up the individual believer. When we pray in the Spirit, we are speaking directly to God, uttering mysteries that our natural minds may not fully comprehend. This practice allows the Holy Spirit to intercede through us in accordance with God's perfect will, bypassing our own limited understanding. It is a way to strengthen our inner man and prepare our hearts to hear God more clearly. As we edify ourselves, we become better equipped to serve and encourage the body of Christ. We are encouraged to eagerly desire these gifts as a means of deepening our walk. [27:43]

A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
1 Corinthians 14:4 (NLT)

Reflection: When you find it difficult to find the "right" words to pray about a complex situation, how might you lean on the Holy Spirit to intercede for you, trusting that He knows the Father's will perfectly?

Day 5: Living for God’s Approval Above All Else

Living with the fear of the Lord means caring more about what God thinks than what people think. It is a posture of the heart that prioritizes His pleasure and His presence over human traditions or opinions. When we are more concerned with God showing up than with maintaining our own comfort or reputation, we create a sweet aroma to Him. This holy reverence drives us to obey His voice, even when it requires us to change our schedules or face the disapproval of others. We must guard against letting our own opinions or the fear of man be exalted above the Word of God. Our ultimate goal is to be a people who are hungry for Him and completely surrendered to His lead. [55:52]

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
Luke 11:9 (NLT)

Reflection: Think of a recent decision where you felt pressured to please others. In that moment, what would it have looked like to prioritize what pleases the Lord instead, and how can you practice that shift this week?

Sermon Summary

Connection Point is called to a deeper hunger for God’s presence, authority, and power. The congregation is urged to pursue three distinct baptisms—into Christ, in water, and in the Holy Spirit—so believers move from merely professing faith to living with supernatural enablement: divine power, healing, protection, and prophetic communication. Speaking in tongues is reframed as two functional lanes—public tongues that require interpretation to build the church, and private tongues that edify the believer and sharpen spiritual sensitivity. This distinction protects the integrity of corporate worship while honoring the Spirit’s work in personal prayer life.

Spiritual authority is presented as rooted in intimacy with Jesus, not titles or posture. Principalities that influence regions are confronted not by theatrical commands but by unseating them through lifting Christ and raising Spirit-filled people who embody relational authority. Unity across the community is emphasized as the soil for outpouring: reconciliation, shared discipleship, and intentional partnership are prerequisites for sustained presence and power. Practical disciplines—fasting, prayer, faithful stewardship, and pursuing the gifts—are not ritual ends but means to foster hunger for intimacy and obedience.

The ethic of fearing God, not man, is central: an authentic reverence fuels obedience even when it disrupts comfort or popularity. Worship, altar responses, and partnership steps are presented as pathways for formation and maturation, not mere performances. Testimonies of encounters, instruction from Scripture (Mark 16; Acts; 1 Corinthians), and pastoral exhortation converge on one conviction: God desires to baptize, empower, and send a church that walks in both humility and authority. The invitation is clear—press into prayer, cultivate a heart for the Spirit, and make room corporately so God’s presence can transform the congregation and the city.

Key Takeaways

1. Pursue baptism in the Spirit The Holy Spirit’s baptism is presented not as an optional extra but as the empowerment for the mission—granting divine power, protection, healing, and fresh languages for communication with God. This baptism calibrates the soul to God’s heart and moves a believer from imitation to supernatural authenticity. Seeking it requires intentional asking, expectancy, and ongoing prayer formation rather than performance. [16:23]
2. Differentiate public and private tongues Tongues function in two lanes: public tongues with interpretation build and instruct the gathered church, while private tongues edify the individual and tune the inner man to the Spirit. Confusing the two damages communal worship or deprives a believer of intimate prayer life; proper order preserves both corporate clarity and personal formation. Discerning use of each lane increases spiritual fruitfulness and reduces misunderstanding. [18:26]
3. Seek God’s manifest presence The ultimate objective is not numerical growth but the manifest presence of God—an atmosphere where people are drawn by God rather than strategies. Corporate practices (fasting, partnership, unity) are means to invite that presence, and true success is measured by His arrival, not by program metrics. A posture of longing and obedience prepares the community to host divine encounters. [03:23]
4. Unseat strongholds with authority Regional principalities yield not to coercion but to being unseated—lifted out—by the presence and authority of Christ in Spirit-filled people. Authority grows from intimacy with Jesus and from communities that raise spiritually mature leaders, not from titles alone. Strategic prayer, repentance, and the raising of spiritually empowered believers dislodge entrenched powers and open territory for revival. [04:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Opening & altar night
[01:24] - Call to a “big boy fast”
[02:14] - Prayer requests and vision
[03:23] - Seeking God’s manifest presence
[03:47] - Principalities and spiritual authority
[08:12] - Mark 16:14–20 — signs explained
[13:03] - The three baptisms outlined
[16:23] - Pentecost: tongues and power
[18:26] - Public vs. private tongues
[24:23] - Love as the heart of gifts
[36:10] - Testimonies of receiving tongues
[47:32] - Worship and invitation to receive
[53:05] - Fear of the Lord and humility
[68:17] - Final reminders and closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 16:14-20 (NLT)
Later, he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

1 Corinthians 14:1-4 (NLT)
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

Observation questions

According to Mark 16:17-18, what specific signs are described as accompanying those who believe?
In Mark 16:14, what two things did Jesus rebuke his disciples for? According to verse 20, how did the Lord later work with them when they went out to preach?
Based on 1 Corinthians 14:2, when a person speaks in a tongue, who are they speaking to? Who understands what they are saying?
1 Corinthians 14:4 says that speaking in a tongue "edifies" or strengthens the person speaking. In contrast, what does the gift of prophecy do for the church?

Interpretation questions

The signs in Mark 16—divine power, communication, protection, and healing—are presented as things that should accompany believers. Why do you think these signs are not always seen in the lives of believers or in the church today? [09:43]
A distinction is made between two "lanes" for speaking in tongues: a public gift that requires interpretation to build up the church, and a private prayer language that builds up the individual. [18:26] How does this distinction help clarify the purpose and practice of this spiritual gift as described in 1 Corinthians 14?
Spiritual authority is not based on a title but is built through intimacy with Jesus. [06:02] How can pursuing spiritual gifts, like a personal prayer language, help build that intimacy and, in turn, our spiritual authority?
1 Corinthians 14:1 urges us to "follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit." How are love and the desire for spiritual gifts connected? Why is it dangerous to pursue the gifts if love is not the foundation? [24:51]

Application questions

We are called to have a deep hunger for God's manifest presence, not just for church growth or successful programs. [03:23] What does it look like for you, personally, to shift your focus from "how do we get people to come to church?" to "Lord, what do I need to do so that You show up?" in your own life and in our small group?
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is presented as the power source for our mission, not an optional extra. [15:56] Have you ever felt like you were trying to live the Christian life "without power"? What steps can you take this week to "eagerly desire" and ask for everything God has for you, including being baptized in the Holy Spirit? [35:53]
Praying in the Spirit helps us pray God's perfect will when we don't know what to pray for ourselves. [29:07] Think of a situation in your life right now where you feel weak or uncertain about how to pray. How could inviting the Holy Spirit to intercede for you change your approach to that situation?
Fearing God more than man means caring more about what pleases Him than what others think. [55:52] Is there an area of your life where the fear of what people might think is holding you back from full obedience to God? What would it look like to choose the "fear of the Lord" in that situation this week?
Unity is the soil for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. [07:04] Are there any divisions, big or small, in your relationships (in your family, this group, or the church) that might be hindering what God wants to do? What is one practical step you can take toward reconciliation and unity?

Sermon Clips

It says, follow the way of love. I do not find it to be a coincidence by the Holy Spirit that you have 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14, which a lot of us love to look at, and 1 Corinthians 13 is right in between, and it's all about love. Many times 12 and 14 are talked about, but 12 and 14 are the bread of the sandwich. 1 Corinthians 13 is the meat. If you're making a sandwich, you want to have the meat, and there are too many people that focus on 12 and 14, and they're harsh, and they're hurtful, and they've missed the most important part of it all, which is love. [00:24:48]

And it's an outward expression of what God does inwardly in our life. But I actually think it's even more than that. Something symbolic, yes. But also like the old you is going under the water. And just like the Egyptians chasing the Israelites and God closed the Red Sea. It's kind of like the old you goes under. And the new you comes up. [00:12:10]

But, I also know a lot of people that pray in tongues, and they tithe, that are the meanest people I've ever met in the entire earth. They're harsh. Why? Because they forgot. It's not like a badge I wear. It's a posture. It's just, I just want to hear God. I want to obey him. So why am I doing that? I'm building myself up. I want to hear. And then I have to obey. I have to respond. [00:34:34]

How do you remove them? You unseat them. What does that mean? If you ever had someone in a floaty before that's on the water, and you get up underneath them. Anyone ever done this before? And then they're off. That's how you unseat them. By lifting up the name of Jesus. And having people. So let's just say there's a religious spirit. A religious spirit based on the sins of the people. What is that? It focuses on rules over relationship. Busyness over intimacy. Positions over spiritual authority. So what do you do? You raise up spirit-filled people. And it unseats his power. [00:04:49]

I'm praying for an increase in spiritual authority. As I said, like titles. Yeah, titles and there's order and all that kind of stuff. But if you go into a place where you are binding up things, they're not like, what's your title? Oh, you're the lead pastor of Connection Point? You know, it's like, well, who are you? You know that story? Like, I know Paul and I know Jesus, but who are you? Like, you know, like, I don't know you. Why? Because you don't have intimacy. Authority is built in intimacy. I'm just praying for more authority. [00:05:38]

Question, what signs accompany those who believe? What does it say? It says they'll have divine power. Why? Because they're going to cast out devils. They're going to have divine communication. What? They're going to speak in tongues. There's going to be divine protection. Snakes and poison will not hurt them. There's going to be divine healing. They're going to lay their hands on sick and they will get well. [00:09:12]

The first baptism is that the Holy Spirit baptizes people into Jesus or into the body of Christ. The word baptism, full immersion, baptizo. And so what it means is that the Holy Spirit who draws all men unto him, he takes and he baptizes people into the body of Christ. He has a major role to play when someone gives their life to Jesus. So the Bible says Holy Spirit draws all men unto him. [00:10:45]

So it doesn't do any good for him just to have a moment of tongues, unless I bring some revelation or understanding or prophecy or word of instruction. Can I tell you, there are so many times I don't know what to pray, I don't know where to go, and as I spend some time just singing in the spirit or praying in the spirit or setting up the tone, then God brings revelation. I know exactly what to respond altar-wise. I know exactly where to go. [00:32:15]

If we just get around here, and all we do is just pray in tongues loud, even go read 1 Corinthians. People are going to think you are a nut job. But if you take a moment, I also, on the other side of the coin, believe that people need to hear it. And why? So again, it doesn't build anyone up. I'm just building myself up. But the atmosphere, something shifts in the room, and then we get revelation and understanding and prophetic prophecy and all these things that actually now leads to exactly where God wanted to go. [00:32:46]

Can I tell you, when it comes to tongues, the goal is not to speak in tongues. The goal is to hear God clearly, to obey him, walk in his power. However, the goal is to know him intimately. [00:33:19]

The third baptism is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. And Jesus baptizes us into the Holy Spirit. So we call baptism in the Holy Spirit. Many people say it different ways. Some say baptism of the Holy Spirit. I just learned this a long time ago. And so it's always been in the Holy Spirit for me. Because it helps me understand that Jesus is the one doing the baptizing in the Holy Spirit. [00:12:48]

Now let's look at the other lane. The other lane is the personal tongue. This is when I say I pray in the Spirit. I said, hey, last week I went upstairs at 3 a.m. on Thursday, and I literally prayed in the Spirit for five hours. What am I saying? I'm actually praying in my prayer language. I'm praying in tongues. I believe this gift is for everybody. Everyone can have this gift. [00:23:54]

Lord, let us not get stuck into religion. Let us not focus on rules. Let us not focus on legalism. No, God, we want intimacy. We want Holy Spirit. [00:57:15]

I actually think it's the wrong question. The right question is how do I get him to show up? What do I need to do, Lord, so that you show up in this place? And let me tell you, when God shows up, places grow because he draws people to him. They're drawn to his presence. [00:02:57]

And I'm just praying for unity, unity in this house. Psalms 133, the oil drips from the head, and it talks about being united. United, and the devil loves division. God loves unity. And I wonder how many times churches, through division, have missed out on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit because they're all over the place. [00:06:50]

What are you doing when you're praying in the spirit? The spirit is literally praying through you and he's praying exactly what he wants to pray. You're praying a perfect prayer, praying exactly what's on his heart. [00:29:27]

I just want to, like, fear of the Lord is, God, I care so much what you think. I care so much that you show up. I don't care if it makes someone mad. I don't care if it changes my world. I don't care if my schedule gets changed. Because that is what the Holy Spirit is telling me. [00:55:56]

And I feel like maybe for many people, yes, you made the greatest decision by giving your life to Jesus. But you're treading and going through, struggling over and over, trying to get this. And God has more. He has more. He wants to give you power, divine power, divine communication, divine protection, divine healing. [00:15:39]

But I do want to, I say that because so many people, they don't receive it one time. And they walk out and the devil beats them up. That they're some less of a Christian. That they don't have the Holy Spirit living inside them at all. That, and I just want to, like, something you said. I just want all of you, just keep going after him. And keep pressing it. Follow the way of love. Eagerly desire. Keep going. God, you're a good God. I want this gift. I want this gift because I want all of you. And sometimes in that whole process, there's some character development. There's some things that happen that are just game changer that it's like, that's why I didn't give it to you right away. I needed some, you to come after me some, you know. [00:41:07]

I want to take a little bit of time to teach us on kind of a controversial topic that I think many people are, they do not understand. And that is tongues. Anyone ever heard of the word like tongues? You know, like speaking in tongues, praying in tongues. I want you to think of it as two lanes, okay? [00:18:04]

I don't understand it, but I know in the spirit something's happening. Other passages of scripture actually talk about, hey, well, as you're praying, ask the Lord, what's happening? What are you praying for? I can't tell you how many times that I have been praying in the spirit, and again, revelation, understanding, I know where to go. I can't tell you how many times I've been praying in the spirit, and it's like, I know, this is warfare right now. Hey, this is worship right now to the Lord. He just wants me to love on him. Oh my goodness, I can't believe John just pops in my mind right now as I'm praying in the spirit. I believe I'm praying for him. I don't know what he's going through or what to pray for him, but I know as I'm praying in the spirit, I'm praying something that needs to be prayed for him. [00:45:48]

I think too often we walk in fear of man. We don't understand fear of Lord. Fear of the Lord is in I'm scared of him. Fear of the Lord is I just want to do anything for he to show up. I'm fearful that he doesn't show up. [00:55:14]

So this would be a tongue in a public setting like this, where someone feels like the Holy Spirit has come upon them, and they need to deliver this word to the people, but it doesn't benefit anybody because it's not done in the language that we understand. And so there has to be an interpreter, someone, why? So that the body can be built up, so then someone else who has, you know, they just, oh my goodness, I understand what they're saying. This thing rises up in my heart, and I need to share it to the body. And this is done really for a couple of things. I feel like one of the reasons is sometimes God wants to send out an SOS. God wants to send out, hey, there's something I just need to get across to the body. Or someone sitting in service, and they need to hear something. I've seen this before. We're going somewhere in the message and all of this, but someone literally is about to end their life if they go home. It's nowhere in how we're going, and so God just has, hey, I put it upon someone else. Someone interprets, and it's just, hey, like God loves you so much. God loves you so much. Keep going. And that person, the Holy Spirit, speaks to them, and it was like an SOS. [00:22:16]

I felt like God gave me a way to explain. So if you think of a language that nobody knows, and all of a sudden it comes on someone, the lane for the public. What's it like? Let's just, I don't know if anyone knows Russian. Let's just, I don't know if anyone knows Russian. Say it's Russian. Like, if you don't know it, you don't understand it. It's just these words. It's like, and remember language is really, it's sounds that we've all agreed upon and symbols. That's it. So we, I don't know those sounds and symbols, and it makes absolutely no sense. But God comes upon someone in a public setting, and they're speaking that language. And then someone understands what's happening, and he interprets, and he gets the word across. [00:45:01]

Can I tell you the personal tongue benefits who? What we learn, it benefits the individual. The personal tongue does not require an interpreter or interpretation to be beneficial to the individual. [00:30:57]

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