Power is complicated.

Most of us have seen what happens when power is abused. We’ve experienced it in institutions, workplaces, families, churches, and sometimes even in ourselves. We know how easily power can become control, self-protection, image management, or the ability to get our own way.

So what happens when Jesus tells his followers, “You will receive power”?

This week, we explored the surprising contrast between the power we know and the power of the Holy Spirit. From Babel to David to Rome to Pentecost, Scripture tells a story about power that gathers, controls, and protects itself - and a radically different power that moves toward vulnerability, shared responsibility, and love.