Ascension Sunday

 

Opening Prayer

Lord

You know our thoughts and you still love us;

may our thoughts be good and true!

You know our actions and you still call us your own;

may our actions be loving and forgiving!

Make our thoughts and actions more like you

so we may go out and speak the Gospel!

Journal/Reflection Questions

Acts 1:1-11

• What gifts of the Holy Spirit do you have? Identify a time when you used each of them.
• How do you know the Holy Spirit is with you? Where does it come from?

 

Ephesians 1:17-23

• What do you hope for? What give hope?  Where does it come from?  How does it change ones perspective when they have it?
• What riches come from knowing God? What glory does God receive?

 

Mark 16:15-20

• What does it mean to you to be a Baptized Christian? Do you identify yourself as being baptized or having been baptized?  Is there a difference?
• Do you believe there is power in Jesus’ name? When have you experienced power in the name of Jesus?  What happened?  How were you changed?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• How can you call on the Holy Spirit more often in your life? What keeps you from doing so?
• Identify a person you know who is a witness of what the Holy Spirit does. What do they do that lets you know the Holy Spirit is with them or working through them?
• How do you show reverence to God? Do you do show it for God or for others to see?
• What does your body language say when you pray? When you gossip or lie?  How can you change your non-verbal communication to reflect honor of God?
• When you pray, do you ask God to fix things or remove things or give you things? How do you wait for God’s response to your prayers?  Does God answer?
• What signs and symbols say or show you are a Christian without your words or actions?
• Would someone know Jesus is important to you if they entered your home? Your work space?  Your car?

Closing Prayer

Leader:  May our hearts be filled with compassion;

ALL:  Fill us O, Lord!

Leader:  May our eyes be filled with acceptance;

ALL:  Fill us O, Lord!

Leader:  May our hands be filled with help;

ALL:  Fill us O, Lord!

Leader:  May our minds be filled with non-judgment;

ALL:  Fill us O, Lord!

Leader:  May our spirit be filled with generosity;

ALL:  Fill us O, Lord!

Challenge for the Week:   Make a list of 7 ways you can show honor and glory to God.  Better yet, make 30.  Then spend the next 30 days making a point to do one of these things.  It can be as simple as spending 5 minutes in silence giving God your undivided attention or more complicated such as doing some spring cleaning and getting rid of some of the excess in your life.  You decide how you will live out the Gospel in the coming days.