There is something special about gathering with your home church to worship, open the Word, and make room to receive from God. Our morning at Generosity Church in Parkes was a reminder of how much we need the Holy Spirit—and how generously God gives.
I want to thank the whole church team for the morning service. To everyone who helped prepare, welcome people, lead worship, support the service, and pray with others: thank you. Your love and service helped make space for us to seek God together. Kate and I are grateful to be part of this church family.
Above all, thank You, God, for what You did among us. Thank You for Your presence, for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and for the opportunity to pray together and respond to Your Word. We give You the glory.
Watch the message
Join us for Baptised in the Spirit, including the teaching and Kate’s testimony.
The gift of the Holy Spirit
I began with a simple question: are we hungry for the things of God?
The Holy Spirit is not a distant idea. He is the Helper Jesus promised, and the message of His coming is good news for people who know they need God’s help.
In John 14:16–17, Jesus promises another Helper who will be with His disciples forever. In Matthew 3:11, John points beyond his own ministry to Jesus, who baptises with the Holy Spirit and fire.
The first part of the message followed that promise into the book of Acts. In Samaria, believers received the Holy Spirit as the apostles prayed and laid hands on them. In Cornelius’s household, the Spirit fell while Peter was preaching. In Ephesus, disciples received the Spirit when Paul laid hands on them.
These passages were central to the point I was making: being born again and being baptised in the Holy Spirit are distinct experiences, and we can come to God hungry to receive the fullness He wants to give us.
Scriptures to read: Matthew 3:11; John 14:16–17; Acts 2:32–33; Acts 8:12, 15–17; Acts 10:44–46; Acts 19:5–6.
Why do we need to be filled?
We need more than information about God. We need His strength to live out what He calls us to do.
During the teaching, I used the picture of a phone that needs charging. It may have plenty of capacity, but it still needs power. In a similar way, we need to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit rather than relying only on our own ability.
The slides also explored our spirit, soul, and body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 names all three, while 2 Corinthians 4:16 reminds us that our inner self is being renewed day by day. Caring for our spiritual life matters.
Prayer is part of that strengthening:
“building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit” — Jude 1:20
Romans 8:26 reminds us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness, including when we do not know how to pray. In 1 Corinthians 14:14–15, Paul speaks about praying and singing with his spirit and with his mind. Both featured in the message’s invitation to a richer prayer life.
The Spirit also empowers the church to serve. The examples in Acts show guidance, boldness, and God working through ordinary people. His gifts equip us to bring the ministry of Jesus to others—from teaching and encouragement to serving, giving, leadership, and the gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12.
Scriptures to read: Jude 1:20; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14:14–15; Acts 11:28; Acts 13:2, 9–12; Acts 8:39; 1 Corinthians 12:8–10; Romans 12:6–8; Ephesians 4:11.
Thank you, Kate
A special thank you to my wife, Kate Knighton, for sharing so wonderfully.
Kate spoke honestly about being raised in a Christian home and later coming to understand the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She described going forward for prayer, unsure of what to expect, but wanting to receive what God had for her.
Her testimony was about more than a moment at the front of a meeting. She shared how the experience brought a deeper assurance that God was real, new boldness to speak about Him, and a fresh life in the Word.
One of her strongest reminders was that the Holy Spirit is the same Spirit who worked in the early church—and that Jesus promised He would remain with us forever.
Kate’s testimony is deeply personal to me. When she returned to Sydney and told me about Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, it helped open my heart to the possibility that I, too, could be saved. I am thankful for her faith, her willingness to share, and the way God used her in my life.
Keep being filled
The invitation at the end of the message was not only for people receiving for the first time. It was also for those of us who have walked with God for years and know we need to be filled afresh.
“they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” — Acts 4:31
Ephesians 5:18 calls us to be filled with the Spirit. This is an ongoing invitation: keep coming to God, keep praying, and keep receiving His strength for the life He has called you to live.
We finished by making room for prayer. I was grateful to see our church family praying with one another and reaching out to God. I need that fresh filling too.
My prayer is that what God does in us will overflow into the lives of those around us—that we will carry His love and goodness into our homes, workplaces, and community.
Moments from the morning
Moments from our time of prayer and ministry at Generosity Church.
Download the teaching slides
Use the slides alongside the video to revisit the scriptures and three main themes:
- The gift of the Holy Spirit: Jesus promised the Helper and baptises us in the Holy Spirit.
- Why we need to be filled: the Spirit strengthens our prayer life and equips us to serve.
- Being filled with the Holy Spirit: we can receive afresh and continue living filled with Him.
Thank you again to our whole Generosity Church family, and to Kate for sharing her story. Most of all, thank You, Lord, for Your precious gift. Fill us afresh so that we can be a blessing to those around us.