Splash Down | Crossland Community Church

Apr 20, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Tongues of Fire, One Purpose

The disciples huddled in Jerusalem, obeying Jesus’ command to wait. Suddenly, a roaring wind filled the house. Flames split into smaller fires, resting on each believer. Their mouths opened in languages they’d never learned. Strangers from distant nations heard God’s wonders in their mother tongues. The Spirit didn’t just visit—He moved in. [11:51]

This was the birth of the Church. The same Spirit who hovered over creation now filled ordinary people. Tongues of fire showed His power to unite diverse voices under one mission: declaring Christ. He didn’t make them perfect—He made them His.

You have that same fire inside you. The Spirit equips you to speak hope to your neighbor, coworker, or child. But fear often silences us. What language is He asking you to speak today—a kind word, a bold truth, a forgiving whisper? When did you last let His words flow through you instead of your own?

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
(Acts 2:1-4, ESV)

Prayer: Ask the Spirit to loosen your tongue today—to speak His love without hesitation.
Challenge: Text one person this phrase: “God put you on my heart today. How can I pray for you?”

Day 2: Breath Over Formless Depths

Chaos. Darkness. Emptiness. Then—the Spirit of God swept over the waters like a mother bird brooding over eggs. At His touch, formless matter became galaxies, mountains, hummingbirds. He didn’t just watch—He activated creation. With a word, God spoke light into being through the Spirit’s ready hands. [16:15]

The Spirit turns “nothing” into “something.” He hovered over your dead heart before salvation, preparing to ignite life. Just as He shaped stars, He reshapes addicts, liars, and doubters into Christ’s image. Your past chaos is His raw material.

What “formless” area of your life feels stuck—your prayer time, a broken relationship, a stubborn sin? The Spirit who carved canyons waits to sculpt holiness in you. Will you hand Him the chisel today, even if the process feels messy?

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
(Genesis 1:1-2, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area of chaos to God. Invite the Spirit to hover over it.
Challenge: Write the word “BREATHE” on your wrist. Each time you see it, thank the Spirit for His life-giving power.

Day 3: Clouds in the Holy Place

Solomon finished the temple precisely as God instructed. As priests carried the ark into the Holy of Holies, thick clouds swallowed the room. God’s glory filled every corner—so heavy the priests couldn’t stand. The same cloud that led Israel now claimed a permanent home. [20:22]

God doesn’t visit—He inhabits. Your body is His temple now. The cloud of His presence doesn’t float above you; it dwells within. Demons flee that glory. Brokenness bows to His weightiness. You carry the answer to every dark place you enter.

Where have you forgotten your “holy of holies”? The checkout line? Your social media feed? Your anxious thoughts? What would change if you walked into Walmart aware the cloud goes with you?

“When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.”
(1 Kings 8:10-11, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for His indwelling presence. Ask Him to make you aware of His glory in mundane moments.
Challenge: Silently pray “Your cloud is here” every time you walk through a doorway today.

Day 4: Power Before the Open Mouth

Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem. “You’ll receive power,” He promised. Not political influence or eloquence—Holy Spirit dynamite. When the explosion came, it didn’t destroy buildings; it demolished language barriers. Fishermen preached. Persecutors became pastors. Cowards faced lions. [23:43]

The Spirit’s power isn’t for show—it’s for witness. He doesn’t make you impressive; He makes you audible. Your story, paired with His energy, becomes unstoppable. The disciples didn’t memorize scripts—they overflowed with supernatural courage.

What conversation have you avoided? What apology have you postponed? The Spirit doesn’t give power in advance—He fuels obedience in motion. Where is He nudging you to open your mouth first, trusting Him to fill it?

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

Prayer: Ask for boldness to speak Christ’s name in a specific situation this week.
Challenge: Share one sentence about Jesus with a believer today (“He’s been teaching me…” or “I’m thankful He…”).

Day 5: Drunk on New Wine

Paul contrasts two intoxications: wine’s stupor versus the Spirit’s ecstasy. Drunkards stagger; Spirit-filled saints sing. Both alter speech and behavior—one numbs pain, the other heals it. The disciples at Pentecost seemed “drunk” to observers, but their joy had a source: the new wine of God’s presence. [38:09]

Being “filled” isn’t a one-time event—it’s daily reliance. Like manna, yesterday’s portion won’t sustain you today. The Spirit’s influence should be as obvious as a tipsy man’s slur—except instead of reckless words, you spill grace.

What do people assume about your “substance of choice” when stress hits—complaining, shopping, scrolling? What if they saw you pray before panic, worship before worry?

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
(Ephesians 5:18, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one coping mechanism you lean on more than the Spirit. Ask for fresh filling.
Challenge: Sing one worship song aloud today—in your car, shower, or living room.

Sermon Summary

The Holy Spirit arrives at salvation as an immediate, sovereign descent that transforms nothing into living, God-glorifying something. That same Spirit who hovered over the formless earth, filled the tabernacle and temple, and rested on Christ at his baptism now indwells every believer—taking up permanent residence, sealing and guaranteeing an eternal inheritance. Distinct yet complementary realities follow: indwelling secures a believer’s identity in Christ, while filling manifests the Spirit’s power in speech, witness, and service. Pentecost models how filling produces visible effect—sound, tongues, and corporate witness—so that the gospel draws the crowd and people are saved.

The Spirit brings several specific functions: empowerment for witness (Acts 1:8), distribution of spiritual gifts for the building up of the body, a sealing that secures salvation, and instruction that reminds and teaches believers the words and ways of Jesus. Human responsibility matters: Scripture calls for repeated, conscious filling because the Spirit’s power can be expended through sacrificial service and diminished by sin. Christians must therefore cultivate practices—prayerful requests for filling, regular engagement with Scripture, communal unity, and faithful use of gifts—that keep the temple of the living God bright and effective.

Salvation occurs through knowledge of the gospel, a change of mind about sin, conviction that Christ alone secures eternal life, and confession that Jesus is Lord. At the instant of confession the Spirit descends, indwells, and begins the work of making a believer into the image and purpose for which God created them. The lifestyle evidence of Spirit-control should be as obvious as intoxication is obvious—speech, actions, and priorities reveal who governs the heart. Believers are called to live wisely: apply Scripture rather than merely accumulate information, steward gifts for the church’s growth, and depend on divine power rather than human strength.

Key Takeaways

1. The Spirit descends at salvation The Spirit arrives the instant a person trusts Christ, moving from heaven into human life to indwell and secure a new heart. That presence changes status (from dead to alive) and begins the inward work that will outwardly manifest over time. This descent is both instantaneous and everlasting, guaranteeing identity and inheritance for those in Christ. [09:10]
2. Indwelling versus filling are distinct Indwelling establishes permanent residence in the believer; filling distributes empowering presence across circumstances. Pentecost shows filling as a visible, communal outpouring that enables witness, while indwelling secures salvation and resists spiritual invasion. Recognizing the difference clarifies prayer life: ask for filling without doubting the Spirit’s ongoing presence. [11:51]
3. The Spirit empowers and equips The Spirit supplies divine power for witness, equips believers with spiritual gifts, seals salvation, and functions as a down payment on future redemption. That empowerment allows human agency to accomplish God’s purposes without relying solely on personal strength. Gifts exist primarily to build the church, and faithful deployment of those gifts changes lives and communities. [23:25]
4. Be filled continually; guard against leakage Filling is a repeated command because power leaks through sin and drains through sacrificial service. Regular requests for filling, engagement with Scripture, and rest restore power rather than presence. Spiritual fatigue is different from burnout; replenishment keeps the work sustainable and joy-filled. [39:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - Series and Soteriology Overview
[02:06] - Pneumatology: Spirit in Salvation
[09:10] - Analogy: Artemis Splashdown and Descent
[11:51] - Pentecost: Filling and Manifestation
[16:15] - Old Testament Images of Descent
[20:53] - Spirit with Christ and Believers
[23:25] - Fourfold Role: Power, Seal, Gifts, Teaching
[33:12] - Wisdom: Apply Scripture Practically
[38:09] - Daily Filling; Avoid Burnout
[44:29] - How to Receive Salvation
[48:01] - Prayer, Invitation, and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)
"When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Observation Questions

What visible and audible signs accompanied the Holy Spirit’s filling at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)?
According to the sermon, what are the distinct roles of the Spirit’s indwelling versus filling in a believer’s life? [11:11]
How does Ephesians 5:18 compare being "filled with the Spirit" to being "drunk with wine"?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the Holy Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost included dramatic signs like wind, fire, and tongues? How might these signs relate to the Spirit’s purpose for believers today?
The sermon emphasizes that the Spirit’s indwelling is permanent, but His filling requires ongoing renewal. Why would God design these two realities to work together? [11:51]
The Spirit’s filling is compared to a power source that can be “drained” through service or “leaked” through sin. How does this analogy help explain the need for daily dependence on God? [39:34]

Application Questions

The Spirit’s presence in a believer should be as obvious as intoxication (Ephesians 5:18). What specific habits, words, or priorities in your life clearly reflect the Spirit’s control—and which ones might suggest you’re operating in your own strength?
The sermon warns that the Spirit’s power can leak through unaddressed sin. Is there a recurring attitude, thought pattern, or action you need to confess today to “plug the leak” and restore His fullness? [39:34]
How could you intentionally use your spiritual gifts this week to build up others in your church or community? What practical step will you take to start?
The Spirit’s filling is renewed through prayer and Scripture. What time and space will you carve out this week to ask, “Spirit, fill me again,” and listen to His guidance through God’s Word? [42:18]
If someone observed your speech, decisions, and relationships for a day, what evidence would they see of the Holy Spirit’s active presence in your life?

Sermon Clips

32s

#HolySpiritAlreadyHere

“This is where everything radically changed in the New Testament. He was no longer just available in the corporate environments. He's now going to individually enter people and be in you. The incarnation of Christ is God with us. The arrival of the spirit is God in us. That I know where he is. He's in each and every one of you that believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. He can't get any closer. Like, you never have to pray for the spirit of God to come. Don't do that. Waste of time. He's already here.”

49s

#SwiftGentleDescent

“As magnificent and mind blowing as it could be to go from 24 and a half thousand miles per hour all the way down to 16 miles per hour and land safely, that's nothing compared to the rapid descent of the spirit of the living God. He moves so fast it can't be seen. And he doesn't descend from the moon, he descends from the heavens. At an instantaneous arrival at the moment that you confess Christ, he has descended out of heaven and he is indwelling you forever and all eternity at a speed that is mind boggling. But he lands softly, and the reason he lands softly in your life is in order to make sure that you land softly in the next life.”

43s

#SpiritUnlocksPotential

“Because the matter will never matter the way it could matter until the spirit of God descends into it. And as soon as the spirit descends into it, we know what happens, and God said. A powerful word is spoken and explosively, all of that matter begins starts to become everything God ever wanted it to be. The same thing's true in your life. That what God created was potential, and every born again believer is full of endless eternal potential that will never be a reality without the descending presence of the person of the Holy Spirit. Okay? But when he gets there, watch out”

30s

#FromNothingToNewLife

“We always talk about this because you can't understand the entire Bible until you understand this passage. You can be saved, but you can't understand everything until you understand this. God made matter from nothing something. That's what we saw last week. A sinner is nothing because they're dead in their trespasses. Who can take nothing and make something? He can. Okay? And when you're made alive in Christ, when the nothing becomes something, God doesn't just leave it there, the spirit of God descends into it.”

33s

#UnityInvitesSpirit

“Because so often, we can be in one place and not altogether. And when it comes to the descending and continue filling of the spirit of God corporately amongst believers, that's why unity is so important. Unanimity is not something God wants. He wants unity of belief, unity of thought, and unity of faith. And when we're all together and in one place, powerful things begin to happen. And so what's happening is a holy commotion. The spirit of God is making a ruckus so that everybody in that area will hear it.”

38s

#SpiritDrawsTheCrowd

“So all of this, if you will, holy commotion and physical manifestations and demonstrations where communication could happen. Okay? That's what was happening so that the gospel could be preached. And those folks who came, they came because they heard a noise. They came and they saw something, and then they heard something, and 3,000 of them were saved. And you see, all of that is inaugurated, inspired, and empowered by a descending spirit who fills the place. Okay?”

34s

#SameSpiritWithin

“In the temple, it was a permanent structure, so the whole world would know that Israel really was the people of God, and then Christ to empower him because the next thing that happens is he's tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Why? Because he was gonna show the devil not everybody's disobedient in the wilderness. It's the same spirit that descended into you at the moment you were saved. That's got to affect you. That has got to impact your thinking about what's really going on, what really just happened.”

34s

#SpiritEmpowersMinistry

“This is more like Artemis than anything. You can imagine how fast the spirit descended and then finally just slowed down a little so everybody could see it. Gently landed on him to empower him for his ministry. It's imperative that you understand that that which descended into you is the same spirit that descended into creation and it became what God wanted it to be. The same one who descended into the tabernacle, so his presence could be with them everywhere they went.”

31s

#FilledAndIndwelled

“I mean, the spirit of God has completely taken over this space. Alright? That's what the filling of the spirit does. The indwelling is when he fully takes up residence in that space. Okay? At the moment of salvation, you'll see in a second, man, he takes up residence. Now, does he fill the whole space or not? That's based upon our activities as much as anything. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them, probably the one twenty.”

39s

#UnderstandToTransform

“And in the absence of understanding that, you're never gonna fully experience everything God saved you to experience. We experience the fullness of salvation because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Now you're gonna see there's a difference between indwelling and filling. Okay? You'll see that today. There is a clear differentiation. We're gonna talk more about the indwelling reality in a couple of weeks, but and it's really today too. And once you get this down, I believe this, I really do, that this information can lead to radical transformation that changes the way that you live until you get to see Christ.”

30s

#WhereSpiritIsCrowdsCome

“Won't have one, don't need one because wherever the spirit of God is, crowd gathers. And what you do is you continue to foster an environment where he feels welcome. When he shows up, watch out. Okay? That's all we've ever done. And he's drawing in a massive crowd. This isn't for the people in the house. This is for the people in the community. Alright? I know a large crowd comes because over 3,000 of them were saved that day. And so it's the spirit that's making a lot of noise that draws them to this location.”

37s

#SpiritBeginsChurch

“And when you and I see that that's what he does and has done and is continuing to do, when you begin to realize that this is what happened to you, this is the beginning of church. It's the same thing that happens at the beginning of being a Christian. Okay? It should begin to make you realize that from 24 and a half thousand miles an hour to 16 miles an hour to splashdown safely is quite a feat. But the spirit of God descending from heaven to indwell you and fill you and empower you to do what God originally created and called you to do,”

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