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Summary
Hey Mama Bears! Today, we’re tackling some big misconceptions about the Holy Spirit. He’s not just a mystical force or a gut feeling — He’s a person, fully God, with wisdom, and power. And getting this right matters! A.W. Tozer and R.A. Torrey remind us that a faulty view of the Holy Spirit can lead to serious theological errors. So, let’s dive into Scripture — Acts, Romans, and Galatians — to see who He really is and what that means for us.
Now, what’s the real evidence of the Spirit at work? It’s not just spiritual gifts or dramatic experiences — it’s the fruit of the Spirit (yep, even patience in the middle of toddler tantrums). He’s our Advocate, Comforter, and the One who intercedes when we don’t have the words. And when we look at Stephen in Acts, we see the kind of bold faith the Spirit empowers — exactly what we want for our kids.
So, how do we teach our kids about the Holy Spirit? We’ll break it down into everyday conversations that make sense, tackling tough questions (like the “unforgivable sin”) with biblical clarity. Because theology isn’t just for scholars — it’s for mamas raising the next generation of disciples.
Main Points Covered
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Understanding the Holy Spirit through Scripture
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The Role of the Holy Spirit
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The Presence of the Holy Spirit
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How to teach our kids about the Holy Spirit
Unfamiliar Vocabulary
- Omnipotence: An attribute belonging solely to God. The property of being all-powerful.
- Omniscience: An attribute belonging solely to God. The property of being all-knowing.
- Omnipresence: An attribute belonging solely to God. The property of being ever-present.
- Blasphemy: To speak with contempt about God or to be defiantly irreverent.
- Unforgivable Sin: Complete hardening of one’s heart and rejection of God, belittling and mockery of the world of the Holy Spirit unto death.
People and Resources Mentioned
- Grasping God’s Word by Duvall & Hays
- Theology for Today by Elmer Towns
- Women of Faith Devotional
- Happy Lies – Melissa Dougherty
- Josh Howerton Sermon
- Acts 5:3
- Psalm 51:11
- Zechariah 4:6
- Psalm 139:7
- Genesis 1:2
- Psalm 104
- 1 Peter 1:2
- 2 Corinthians 13:14
- John 16:8
- 1 Corinthians 6:19
- Romans 8:26-27
- John 16:7
- Galatians 5:24-25
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
- 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
- Acts 6:5
- John 14:26
- Romans 8:14
- John 16:13
- Acts 13:1-4
- Acts 1:8
- John 15:26
- 1 Corinthians 12:11
Quotable Quotes
The Holy Spirit is not a ghost or a guiding voice like Jiminy Cricket; He is a person, fully God, with self-consciousness, emotion, and rationality. - Amy Davison Share on X True evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling is seen in the fruits of the Spirit—love, patience, and humility—not necessarily in dramatic manifestations like speaking in tongues. - Amy Davison Share on X Living in step with the Spirit helps us overcome temptation and develop a Christ-like character, a crucial strength for young people navigating today's cultural challenges. - Amy Davison Share on X
We are all in this together, so sometimes our posts are a bit of all of us.
Amy,
I get the few specific texts that are used to sustain the popular evangelical pneumatological model (ultimately derived from the later conciliar pneumatology) – and how attractive – and easy – it is to simply reference those few texts and leave happy.
I much more appreciate the challenge in developing a genuinely coherent pneumatology that takes into account ALL the text in the canon – rather than a few cherry picked texts that can be used to support our favorite pneumatology.
When you honestly read ALL the texts which reference the Spirit of God – the challenge becomes significant – and the likelihood of the popular model being that which was adhered to by either the writers of the TNK or the NT is – probably unlikely. They never saw Yahweh as some kind of tri-personal deity – they rather very consistently referenced HIS Spirit (note the possessive used over and again – but never the other way around) as something OF Yahweh – as the texts very naturally read.
We find Paul probably providing the closest formal description of the Spirit of God in ICor2.10-12 – in which the analogy is formally made to the human spirit in contrast to the human person. Now, ask yourself – is your human spirit a separate entity/person from you?? You and I both know the answer – No – it is not.
I can list 20 more issues with the popular pneumatology including Paul, Peter and John’s failure to identify in their greetings to all the church – a glaring and surprising omission if he was envision three happy persons in a single substance. The very surprising replacement of the Spirit by Angels in 1Tim5.21. And much, much more….
I would encourage a much more rigorous effort at developing a pneumatological model that coheres to ALL of the relevant texts from Gen1 to Rev22 including omissions – and push your model to see if they can honestly be reflect with each of these texts. Those who wish to teach are subject to the greater judgement….
Best wishes!