Colossians 1:9-14 - Paul continues his message of hope by telling the Colossians what he's praying for them. He doesn't pray that they'll be healthy or wealthy or have an easier go of it. What he wants most for them, and so what he asks God for them, is that they would know God's will, that they would live a life worthy of Jesus and that they would have God's strength for staying in the game for the rest of their lives. It makes one think about what we want most for ourselves and for those in our lives.

Colossians 1:1-8 - The church in Colossae faced cultural pressures that challenged their hope in Jesus. When Paul heard about this from prison, he wrote this hope-filled letter to encourage these new believers that Jesus is all they need. Gospel hope is true, certain, life-changing, and unstoppable.

Revelation 22:12-21 - The Bible ends with an exchange between lovers: the Groom, Jesus, saying that he's coming soon, and the Spirit and the Bride - believers worldwide- saying "We can hardly wait!". The whole Story of the Bible has been a romance! The longing of God's heart brought to fulfillment. The longing of our hearts finally satisfied. The 'special sauce' that makes all this come together is the Holy Spirit! He's the setup guy, matchmaker, bride-protector, best man and much more.

1 Corinthians 13 - In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul writes a lot about the Holy Spirit and his gifts to the church. The main thing he wants to talk about is love. Love, not gifting, is the benchmark for spiritual maturity. Love is a way of life, not an emotional experience. And love is our future. It's permanent!

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - Paul wrote to the church in Corinth so they could understand some basic stuff like leadership, sex, married life and self-discipline. As part of 'basic training', he also taught about spiritual things. How does the Holy Spirit help us sort out the spiritual realities of life? Not surprisingly, Jesus is at the very centre of the conversation. There's more!

Galatians 5:16-26 - The Holy Spirit caught everyone off guard, both the convinced and the curious. The early Church was thrilled by stories of healings and rescues. Over time, as they paid attention to what was going on in each other's lives, they realized that they were each becoming more like Jesus! They attributed that to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was on them for powerful deeds and words, and the Spirit was in them, making them more like Jesus.

Acts 2:1-21 - The long-awaited gift of God's Spirit given to ordinary women and men finally touched down! A few unlikely believers huddled together in an upstairs room were the first recipients. This story unlocks the plan that the Spirit of Jesus has for us all.

Luke 4:14-21 - Jesus announced that the Spirit of the Lord was on him to proclaim the good news. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for his mission. And Jesus gives us the same Spirit for the same mission.

Joel 2:28-32 - This week, we begin a seven-week study on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit shows up in the first verses of the Bible, "hovering over the waters," in the last verses of the Bible: "The Spirit and the Bride say 'Come'". The Spirit shows up in many of the verses in between as well. And yet the Holy Spirit feels elusive, unpredictable and mysterious. Today, we enter that mystery by looking through the Old Testament and how the Holy Spirit showed up in those early days of faith.