Sermon Notes:

Series: The Holy Spirit: Power-Presence-voice

June 21, 2026 "The Holy Spirit 101" 

By: Pastor Joel Philbrook


Consider this...


On page one of the human story, God took dust, shaped it into a body, and did something deeply intimate: He breathed His own Ruach, His breath and Spirit, into human nostrils to give us life. We are not just biological accidents; we are divinely animated temples.


The tragedy of human sin is that it acts as a structural withdrawal from that breath, leaving our souls gasping for air in a world filled with relational, spiritual, and emotional chaos.

But the good news of the New Creation is that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned the nest. Just like in Genesis 1:2, The Spirit is still hovering over the dark, chaotic, and formless areas of your life today. The Spirit of God isn't waiting to condemn you; The Spirit is waiting like a mother bird, full of creative excitement, ready to hatch new life, order, and beauty out of your chaos. You don't need to perform to earn His presence. You simply need to stop holding your breath, yield control, and let the Advocate do what He loves to do: make you more like Jesus.


  • Simple Daily Meditation Practice: "Spiritual Breathing"

    Because the Holy Spirit is as close to you as the air in your lungs, use this physical and spiritual rhythm every morning this week to practice being filled (pleroo) by His presence.

    Sit quietly for two minutes, slow your physical breathing, and pray these distinct movements:

    • The Exhale (Confession & Surrender): As you breathe out deeply, consciously release your self-reliance, your hidden anxieties, and any known sin. Pray silently: "Lord, I exhale my need to control. I let go of my worry, and I empty myself of my own agenda for today."

    • The Inhale (Receiving & Filling): As you take a deep breath in, welcome the personal presence of the Advocate to influence your mind and behavior. Pray silently: "Holy Spirit, I inhale Your life. Fill me afresh right now. Take control of my thoughts, my tongue, and my next meeting. Propel me into Your mission

  • Force vs. Person: If you are completely honest with yourself, do you subconsciously treat the Holy Spirit more like an impersonal "it" (a cosmic battery pack, an emotional goosebump, or a force to manipulate) or as a distinct, divine Person who has feelings, a will, and a deep desire to converse with you? How would your daily prayer life change if you treated Him like a real, present Friend?


  • Indwelling vs. Filling: Knowing that the Holy Spirit permanently lives inside you the moment you believe (indwelling), in what specific areas of your life right now is He not allowed to have total influence (filling)? Where are you still holding the steering wheel—your finances, a specific relationship, your career ambitions, or a private habit?


  • The Chaos Metric: Think about the most disordered, chaotic, or "dead" area of your life right now. Based on the academic truth that the Ruach of God specializes in hovering over formless chaos to bring forth beauty, what would it look like for you to invite the Holy Spirit directly into that specific mess today, rather than trying to clean it up before you ask for His help?

What's Coming Next in our teaching series on the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God, and He wants to be known by you personally. Many of us live with a disconnect between the mighty power of the Spirit we read about in Scripture and the subtle presence we encounter in our daily lives. Jesus promises that for those who believe, 'rivers of living water will flow from within them' (John 7:38). Yet, our souls remain spiritually thirsty.


This series, The Holy Spirit, exposes the 'spiritual saltwater' we turn to bitterness, worry, and power that only leaves us drier. We will first establish Who the Holy Spirit is, seeing His essential role from Creation to Christ as the divine thread uniting all of Scripture. We will then dive into the personal reality of His presence, revealing that God now dwells in us, not in a building, making every believer where heaven meets earth. This transformation is coupled with a call to power and trust (faith), showing us how the Spirit empowers us to enact goodness and redemption in a broken world. 


Finally, we will learn the vital skill of discerning His voice in the 'low whisper,' so we can stop drinking the world's salt water and follow the unmistakable, loving character of God. This is an invitation to move beyond confusion and truly know the person of the Holy Spirit.

  • Join us for...

    Week 1: 6/21 "Holy Spirit 101" by Pastor Joel Philbrook

    Week 2: 6/28 "By the Power of the Spirit"  by Pastor Kristi Cooper

    Week 3: 7/5 "In the Presence of the Spirit" by Pastor Joel

    Week 4: 7/12 "Hearing the Voice of the Spirit" by Pastor Allison Otwell


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