Did you know that, in the Bible, Jesus said it would be “better for us” for Him to leave earth so that we can receive the Holy Spirit? It’s true!

The Holy Spirit has carried me through so much. It’s no secret that I’ve experienced some challenges in my life over the last 10 years—my marriage went through a very dark season, I battled breast cancer, one of our children has severe mental health challenges, the ministry I led for 24 years closed its doors, and my father, who I was very close with, passed away. I can’t imagine going through all that without God leading, guiding, and comforting me through the person of the Holy Spirit.

As I have helped and counseled others through their own difficult circumstances, it’s become evident to me that not everyone understands the work of the Holy Spirit. So I am welcoming a very special guest on today’s episode to help us better understand who the Holy Spirit is.

Max Lucado is a best-selling, inspirational author with more than 145 million copies of his books sold. (How crazy is that!?) He also is the teaching minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. His latest book, Help Is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit, provides some great insight into our topic today.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The role of the Holy Spirit and how that relates to who God is overall
• Where we should turn when feeling stressed and out of control
• What the Holy Spirit’s role is in our lives
• The two primary ways to learn from the Holy Spirit

I believe this will equip you to better understand how God connects with us in our everyday life!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Max Lucado’s Website
• Connect on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Help Is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit by Max Lucado 
• As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.

Note: if you purchase Max’s book using the link above, it is an Amazon affiliate link. That means our ministry will earn off of your book purchase at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our ministry! 

My Key Takeaways:

1) The role of the Holy Spirit is to help us. The Holy Spirit is one of the three “persons” of God that make up the Trinity and each has a distinct role. God the Father is our protection, God the Son (Jesus) is our Savior and rescuer, and God the Holy Spirit is our teacher and comforter. The Holy Spirit is the one that helps us grow in our faith, receive wisdom, and experience comfort through difficult circumstances.

2) The Holy Spirit speaks to us. There are two ways the Holy Spirit can communicate with us: the verse and the voice. I loved this distinction Max made! The verse is the Bible. The more we read the Bible, the more we understand about God and the truth He desires for us to live by. The voice is what you may have heard others refer to as “the prompting of the Holy Spirit.” This may be a feeling you get, but it may also be the wisdom of a friend, counselor, or even an inner voice. A good test for the Holy Spirit’s voice is to compare what you think the Holy Spirit is speaking to you against Scripture; the voice of the Holy Spirit will not contradict the Bible. 

3) The best way to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit is by treating it like a friendship. Whether you are a new Christian or have been one for a while, you may be asking how you can start a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit. Well, a good first step is to treat it like you are meeting a new friend for the first time. You have to introduce yourself, invest time to get to know them better, and listen to them. Why not take some time this week to re-introduce yourself to the Holy Spirit? This can be through audible words or even in your own head. God does not ignore His children and He has given the Holy Spirit to us for the purpose of being in relationship with His people.

About Max:

Max Lucado is a pastor, speaker, and best-selling author whose books have sold more than 145 million copies. Max has been dubbed “America’s Pastor” by Christianity Today, and “The Best Preacher in America” by Reader’s Digest. He is passionate about delivering one message to the hurting, the guilty, the lonely, and the discouraged: “God loves you; let Him.” Max lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Denalyn. They have three grown daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren.