At Grace Church we’re in a series looking at our convictions & aspirations when it comes to church & discipleship. It is about saying what we believe to be true and at the same time what we wish to be true for us (but may not always be the case).

1. a church with the Gospel in the centre
2. a people changed by grace

This third session looked at what we mean to be a church empowered by the Spirit. All Christians, in some sense, are Spirit-filled people. No one is a Christian without the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, no one grows in Christ-likeness on their own without the help of the Spirit.

We notice in the list of gifts in 1 Cor 12, Rom 12, Eph 4 and 1 Peter 4 three different types of gifts – gifts we have (say administration), gifts we receive (prophesying) and gifts we become (evangelist or apostle). I believe the church grows best when all its members use all three types of these gifts.

We want to be a church empowered by the Spirit for Christ’s mission and the glory of God.

For a full treatment of this I’d recommend Terry Virgo’s The Spirit Filled Church