Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

254 / CORNERSTONE CURRICULUM STUDENT WORKBOOK

Searching for Clarity Carlos is a new believer in Christ who is trying to understand what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. He says, “It is easy for me to understand who Jesus is. I can read the stories about him in Scripture and know exactly what he said and did. When I put my trust in Christ for salvation, I felt just like Peter did when he told the Lord that he couldn’t go anywhere else because Jesus had ‘the words of eternal life.’ But the Holy Spirit seems very mysterious. I can’t seem to imagine what he is like and I amnot sure how I amsupposed to have a relationship with him. Can you help me figure it out?” How can you use Carlos’ current understanding of Jesus to help him understand the Holy Spirit? Leading Trinitarian Worship Many Christian churches follow the Church calendar, setting aside special days and seasons to emphasize important events in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. Suppose your church was celebrating Pentecost Sunday* for the very first time. In your tradition, are there songs, benedictions, actions, decorations, colors, symbols, readings, spiritual giftings, or other forms of worship that particularly focus on the person and work of the Holy Spirit? If you were put in charge of that Pentecost Sunday worship service, what things could you plan that would help your congregation joyfully worship and glorify God the Holy Spirit? *Pentecost Sunday is the 7th Sunday after Easter, and is traditionally a service which remembers and celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2.28-32) and the promise of Jesus (John 14.16-17; 16.7; Acts 1.8). The Holy Spirit is the Lord; the third person of the one Trinitarian God. He is a distinguishable person in the Godhead who thinks, acts, and loves as fully as the Father and the Son and who fully shares their Divine Nature. As Lord, he is given worship and glory along with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the Life-giver: the Creator and Sustainer of all life. He is given symbols and titles in Scripture which help us more fully understand his life-giving work. He is also the one who gives new life (regenerates); first through the new birth by which people are made new creations in Christ; and one day still future when he gives birth to a new heavens and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

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T heology and E th i c s

Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis