In this teaching, we considered God’s promise to pour out the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ role in that plan. Below are some points from the message to help you in your devotions and discussions.

Point 1. The Gift of the Holy Spirit to Give Us New Hearts Was Always God’s Plan for the World

Here we considered God’s plan – long before Christ came – to give mankind new hearts through His Holy Spirit (see e.g., Deuteronomy 30:6-8, Ezekiel 36:24-29, Jeremiah 31:33, and Joel 2:28-29).

Read Jeremiah 31:31-34

• Why did the Lord need to work internal change in man’s heart?
• What is the foundation of this change from God’s point of view, i.e., what is God's heart attitude toward mankind in giving us the gift of this internal change?

Point 2. Jesus Came to Fulfill God’s Plan to Give Us New Hearts Through the Gift of the Holy Spirit

Read John 3:1-16

What needs to happen to a person before they can enter God’s kingdom?

When Nicodemus asked, “How can this be?” in verse 9, Jesus reproved him in verses 10-13. Then Jesus moved from explaining what must happen to a person and reproving Nicodemus, to explaining how this can be accomplished in verses 14-16. How would you explain Jesus’ words in verses 14-16? How does this line up with Jeremiah 31 and are there parallels you can see?

Point 3. We Experience the Holy Spirit as We Embrace Jesus Christ in the Gospel

• How is the Holy Spirit experienced in John 7:37-40?
• How is He experienced in Acts 10:39-43?
• How is He experienced in Galatians 3:1-6?
• What is the reason for Jesus becoming a curse for us in Galatians 3:14?

Do you want more of the Holy Spirit?

Read Luke 11:5-13

• How would you characterize the “kind of asking” God wants from you?
• What does God want you to ask for?
• How should you expect God to respond?

Considering all we looked at in Point 3, how do you think the Lord wants you to seek His Spirit specifically?  Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord to help you pursue and experience His Holy Spirit.