His Name Your Boot: Week 2

In one paragraph

This was the second week of a conversation-centered message at Tribe about identity and ownership. Brian Hunter picked up where last week left off, asking whose name is written on the bottom of your heart, and then traced that question through Ephesians 1 and into how the Holy Spirit actually works in a person's life. Last week's message established that if you belong to God, his name,...

Read together

1. 1 John (unspecified verse) God writes his name on the boot of every believer, discussed in the previous week's sermon as the basis for belonging to Yahweh
2. Ephesians 1:3-14 Read aloud by congregation members as the main passage; focused especially on verses 13-14 about the Holy Spirit as God's seal and guarantee
3. John 16:8 Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit who will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and coming judgment; used to discuss three operations of the Holy Spirit
4. 1 John (unspecified verse) He who has the Son has life, cited briefly while discussing the Holy Spirit engraving God's name on the heart
5. Galatians (unspecified verse) The works of the flesh are obvious, contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit, cited in answer to a question about distinguishing God-given traits from flesh
6. Psalms (unspecified verse) Search my heart O God, paraphrased as a prayer to invite God to examine one's life

Talk about it

1. Brian asked whose name is written on the bottom of the boot of your heart, and said the world would love to write its own name there instead. What are some of the names or labels the world tries to put on you, and how do you notice when that is happening?
2. The sermon described the enemy's mark as always external and outward, working to hide the image of God in a person and run his own agenda through them. Where in your own life have you seen that pattern play out, either in yourself or in someone close to you?
3. Brian laid out three operations of the Holy Spirit from Ephesians 1 and John 16: he engraves, he enlightens, and he empowers. Which of those three feels most real to you right now, and which one feels most out of reach?
4. Bethany asked how a person can tell the difference between the parts of themselves that are God-made and the parts that are flesh. Brian pointed to the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians and suggested asking the Holy Spirit directly. How do you personally try to make that distinction in your own life?
5. The closing bottom line was that if you belong to Yahweh, the optimal expression of his life is when you allow the Holy Spirit to express his life through you. What would it look like in a practical, everyday way for you to give the Holy Spirit more room to do that this week?