Jesus Promises the Helper
Month 5: Jesus — God With Us · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 14:16–18, 26
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. … 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
Memory Verse
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”— John 10:11 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Psalm 103; Psalm 104; Psalm 107; Psalm 108; Psalm 109
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 146 of 365 — "Bless the LORD, O my soul.")The Heart of It
The disciples were about to lose Jesus right in front of their eyes. Their hearts were sinking. So Jesus made them an amazing promise. He said the Father would give them "another Advocate to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth" (). An Advocate is a Helper. He is someone who comes alongside you to comfort you, strengthen you, and stand with you. And notice the word "another." Jesus means another Helper of the very same kind as Me. The Holy Spirit is not a smaller, lonelier substitute. He is God Himself. He is just as truly present as Jesus was. But now He would not only live with them. He would live in them. "I will not leave you as orphans," Jesus said. "I will come to you."
Jesus also told them what the Helper would do. He said, "He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you" (). The Spirit doesn't make up brand-new messages of His own. He points us back to Jesus. He helps us understand and remember God's Word. This is the heart of the Spirit-filled life. The same Spirit Jesus promised His friends lives in everyone who belongs to Jesus today. That includes your children. He comforts them when they're scared. He nudges their conscience when they're tempted. He helps them understand the Bible. He grows the fruit of love and joy and patience in them (). God did not just come to be with us in Jesus. Through the Spirit, He comes to live in us. Character grows first. The gifts and the power are always meant to serve, never to show off.
Around the Table
Jesus said, "I will not leave you alone." God's Helper, the Holy Spirit, lives right in your heart!
Let's do it: Put your hand on your heart. Whisper, "Holy Spirit, thank You for being my Helper."
The Helper teaches us and helps us remember Jesus' words. He also helps us be kind and brave.
Let's talk: When is a time you really need a helper? The Holy Spirit is even closer to you than that.
Jesus called the Spirit "another Helper." He meant another Helper of the very same kind as Himself. So the Spirit is fully God. He is not just a force.
Let's go deeper: The Spirit always points us back to Jesus and the Word. How does that help us spot what's not from God?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who is the first person you go to for help when something goes wrong? Jesus gave us a Helper who is with us every single second. He is never busy. He is never away.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some say the Holy Spirit is just a feeling, or some kind of "energy." But Jesus called Him "He," not "it." He said the Spirit teaches, reminds, and can be grieved (). Those are things only a person can do. The Helper is God Himself, personally with us.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Classic Pentecostal teaching takes with full seriousness. The indwelling Spirit is given to every believer. And Jesus later promises that this same Spirit will clothe us with power for witness (). But keep the order Jesus gives. The Spirit first abides, teaches, and reminds. He is the Spirit of truth who magnifies the Word. He is never a source of hype, and never a source of new revelation that competes with Scripture. As Robert Menzies stresses, the Spirit's empowering is for mission, and the Spirit always exalts Jesus. So the most important thing you can do for your kids is to live as a man who is visibly dependent on the Helper. Be quick to repent. Stay soaked in the Word. Ask the Father to fill you afresh () instead of running on your own willpower.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost; Derek Prince, The Holy Spirit in You.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for sending the Helper. He lives in us, and He never leaves. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit. Teach us Your Word. Make us more like Jesus. In Jesus' name, amen."
I am never alone. Jesus sent another Helper, God's own Spirit, to live in me.