The Spirit Reminds Us Of Jesus
Month 1: Why We Trust the Bible · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 16:13-14
13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.
Memory Verse
“For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”— 2 Peter 1:21 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Mark 8-10
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Jesus tells His friends about the cross and welcomes little children to Him.)The Heart of It
The same Holy Spirit who "moved" holy men to write the Bible, which is our memory verse, is the Spirit who helps us understand it today. Jesus promised, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (). Notice what the Spirit loves to do. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (). The Holy Spirit is not interested in showing off. He always points us to Jesus, like a friend pointing happily at the One he loves. So maybe you read your Bible and suddenly a verse makes sense. Or your heart feels warm toward Jesus. That's the Spirit at work, not just clever reading.
This is so encouraging for a young disciple. You don't have to be the smartest person in the room to understand God's Word. You have a Teacher living inside you ()! Of course, we still use our brains. We ask questions and we learn. But we also pause and pray, "Holy Spirit, help me see Jesus here." The Bible is the Spirit's book from beginning to end. He inspired it long ago, and He opens it up for us now. The wind that filled the sails of Luke and Peter is the very same wind ready to fill your understanding when you open the Word with a humble, hungry heart.
Around the Table
The Holy Spirit helps us understand the Bible and always points us to Jesus, like a friend saying "Look at Him!"
Let's do it: Before reading a verse, pray together: "Holy Spirit, help me see Jesus!" Then read one verse and find Jesus in it.
Jesus said the Spirit "will glorify Me." Why is it good news that the Holy Spirit always points to Jesus instead of Himself?
Let's talk: Have you ever read a Bible verse and suddenly got it? That can be the Spirit teaching you.
The Spirit who inspired Scripture also helps us understand it. The same Author is opening up His own book. That's why prayerful reading is so different from just studying an old text.
Let's go deeper: You have the Spirit as your Teacher. How should that shape how you come to the Bible? Think about your attitude, your prayers, your humility.
💬 Conversation Starter
Who's the best teacher you've ever had, and what made them great? The Holy Spirit is a Teacher who lives right inside you!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
We don't trust the Bible only because of evidence outside it, though that helps. The Spirit Himself confirms its truth in the heart of a believer (). So when sharing faith, we can offer good reasons and pray for the Spirit to open hearts. And we do it all "with gentleness and respect" ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
There's a beautiful unity here worth grasping. The Spirit's work of inspiration is His breathing out the Scriptures through the prophets and apostles. His work of illumination is His opening our minds to understand them. Both come from the same Person. This is solidly Pentecostal ground. The Spirit is active and present, not locked in the past. Yet notice the guardrail in the text. The Spirit "will glorify Me [Jesus]," and "He will not speak on His own authority" (). So any teaching, impression, or "word" that draws attention away from Christ and the written Word should be held loosely. The Spirit and the Scripture never contradict each other. Lead your family to expect the Spirit's help when you open the Bible. Pray before you read. And keep Jesus at the center, not experience for its own sake.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Speaking in Tongues; and the classic Pentecostal emphasis on the Spirit as illuminator.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit. He teaches us, and He points us to Jesus. Open our eyes to understand Your Word. Let everything we learn make us love Jesus more. In Jesus' name, amen."
The Spirit who wrote the Bible lives in me to help me understand it. And He always points to Jesus.