“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:25-27
Is your tree put away? Are you back to work or school? Now is when most Christians and Church leaders seek a theme, a goal, or a focus for the new year - 2025 is here already!
In the passage above, Jesus is preparing his disciples for a time when he would no longer be with them. That must have been a daunting idea – navigating a fallen world without the presence of Jesus. He encourages them by stating he would ask God to send the Holy Spirit to be among them, teach them, and provide them with peace. I want to suggest we would be wise to focus this year on growing as people who listen to the Holy Spirit.
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our “Advocate,” the Greek word here is parakletos. It means “one called to the side of another,” and “one who pleads another’s case before a judge.” It means the Holy Spirit is our counselor, our comforter, the third person of the Trinity who indwells each believer and, in a very real sense represents the empowering presence of God in our everyday lives.
It’s an amazing and inspiring idea – the Holy Spirit coming alongside me, defending and advocating for me as I strive to be more like Christ in a confused and crazy world. It makes me feel safe and secure. We are not alone. He is walking with us, speaking with us.
Are we listening?
It’s sad, but the idea of listening to the Spirit’s direction in our lives and in our churches can mean so many different things today, the whole concept can be pretty confusing, with so many offering ideas (sometimes conflicting ones) of what it means. I would like to offer five simple principles that can help us develop a posture of listening to what the Spirit might be saying.
Slow Down
This may seem like a strange place to start, but I belong to a denomination that holds evangelism and action as high values, which I’m grateful for. The downside is that we can be in such a hurry to convert people and grow that we can miss some of the more subtle things the Holy Spirit may be trying to teach us.
My early ministry mentor put it this way: “As a fellowship of churches, we have an unfortunate need for speed! That may make a good movie title, but in ministry it can be disastrous, causing us to miss lessons and make mistakes.” Growth goals are good, but can easily become an idol. We should desire for our ministries to grow but include enough margin in our lives that we don’t miss the still small voice of God amidst the loud hurry of doing the Christian life.
Church members – make spiritual disciplines your greatest priority in 2025. Be devoted to using your time, talent, and resources in the church, just make sure you have the time to give careful attention to your inner life. It’s where the Spirit resides and does His work. What good is it if you win the world for Christ but fail to be a close, personal friend of Jesus?
Church leaders – be faithful and ambitious, and call people higher. Just be careful not to confuse a robust church life with a hurried one. Truth is, deeper, more spiritually grounded people are the most happy and fruitful. Find ways to invest in their spiritual formation, and make it equally important as church growth. Speaking of that, let’s also admit that our growth goals are things we have made up and should be open to adjusting! I’m convinced God’s view of our growth may be much different than we draw it up in our conferences or staff meetings, and that’s a good thing. Let’s just be humble about who decides what good growth looks like.
Above all, let’s slow down enough to be faithfully attentive to what the Holy Spirit is telling us in a very complex world.
Immerse yourself in God’s Word
I recently asked a young leader what was needed today among church members. He responded, "We need a renewed obsession with God's Word." He's not wrong.
Reading the Bible is a crucial way God reveals His will to us.
In Psalm 119, the author repeatedly states that without God’s words, he would be lost. He delights in the decrees of God (v.16), he rejoices in the commands of God as one “rejoices in great riches” (v.14), he asks God to turn his eyes “away from worthless things,” that his life may be preserved (v. 37) and reminds us that God’s words are the only eternal thing in a temporary world (v. 89). These are just a few of many things he says as he exclaims the wonder of God’s statutes and commands.
Jesus says the Holy Spirit will "guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13). When we read scripture, the Spirit illuminates our hearts, allows us to understand it, and teaches us through it.
The Holy Spirit also allows us to put it into practice. James says:
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
James 1:22-25
God's word changes us and transforms us into more Christ-like people. In the end, it gives us freedom in a world full of sin and bondage. It's incredible what God can do when we read His word, study it, meditate on it, and put it into practice.
You know, being immersed in the Bible also allows us to distinguish the Lord’s voice from the multitude of alternative voices trying to convince us of truth. The world offers a steady stream of counterfeit truths through entertainment, social media, podcasts, and books. How do we really know what is true? We test them by filtering all ideas through God’s word and asking for wisdom and discernment.
In today’s world, this has to be a serious and regular practice.
By the way, if you’re looking for a simple and powerful book for 2025, consider Taking God at His Word, by Kevin DeYoung. It upholds a high view of scripture, offering some really good insight into the ongoing transformative power of the Holy Scriptures.
Devote Yourself to Prayer
I recently heard a popular author say the average Christian prays about 15 minutes per week. I believe it. And if that is true, I wonder how effective we are in what the Bible calls a deeply spiritual battle. I honestly question whether we understand the nature of the battle we’re engaged in. We don’t fight Satan with church attendance or sharing our faith, by volunteering more or writing larger checks. These things are a part of our Christian lives, but without prayer, they can lead to self-sufficiency within a battle where only God’s power can prevail.
The battle we’re engaged in is spiritual, and Paul reminds us that the tangible weapons of this world we tend to rely on hold no power in it. On the other hand, the power available from God, accessed through things like prayer, fasting, and reliance on the Holy Spirit, is divine (from God), and can demolish strongholds (deeply entrenched ideas that keep us in bondage) and any argument/idea that sets itself up against God (2 Cor. 10:4-6). In our current post-Christian society, one that has boldly set itself up against the ways of God, the battle is about strongholds and dangerous ideas, not the things or people we see in front of us.
Acts 2:42 tells us the early church was devoted (giving constant attention to) prayer. Prayer being a core value to them makes so much sense. They were building a community to represent Christ in a dark world and being a light that draws people to the life-changing power of the gospel. How can they accomplish anything like this without vibrant prayer lives?
They were taking their cues from Jesus, who would routinely interrupt the business of ministry by retreating to solitary places to pray (Luke 5:16), and we even read he once spent the night on a mountainside praying to God (Luke 6:12). Why was he so devoted to prayer? It had to be because he was convinced his power to affect change in this world while sharing in our humanity came directly from God.
If Jesus feels he needs ample time for prayer in order to adequately carry out his mission, how do we feel about 15 minutes a week? I pray this question doesn’t lead us to guilt, but inspires us to greater depth.
Can we make a commitment in 2025 to emulate Jesus and the inspiring prayer practice of the early church? Doing so will go a long way to helping us hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Walk in Close Community
Let’s face it, the local church has taken a beating in the last several years. From de-churching to deconstruction (more articles coming on these things), too many people have lost faith in the church. The church today is often spoken of with pessimism, skepticism, and outright disgust. So many anti-church articles and podcasts exist that it is possible most people walking through the doors of a church already have a baked-in notion of its flaws. I believe the overall goal is to remove community from the Christian faith and make it an individual and personal journey, which would match the ethos of our day.
It’s a huge mistake.
In Life Together, Deitrich Bonhoeffer offers a rich and beautiful description of the community of believers called the church. Writing in an “underground seminary” in Nazi Germany, he explores the power of the Christian community, suggesting that the communal aspect of the church is a main driver in the individual growth of a Christian. Biblically, the two go hand in hand. I could not agree more.
Listening to and following the Holy Spirit is tough to do alone. In the community of Christ I have perspectives that differ from my own (we still need those, right?). I am around people who can hear my sins and shortcomings, and not only relate to them but offer a tangible expression of God’s grace and forgiveness. I am surrounded by people who can call me higher, which I desperately need. Other believers have gifts I lack and experiences that can save me from having to learn life the hard way. So much more…
The Bible is full of scriptures that call me to be present in the lives of other believers, and for them to be present in my life. I don’t want to downplay church hurt or trauma, but no matter how many mistakes people in the church have made, it does not change the fact that Ephesians portrays the church as God’s crown jewel on earth, offering a glorious display of the gospel power in a world that is committed to division and is increasingly tribal.
I agree with Bonhoeffer when he says, “It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians."
I pray you can experience the joy of listening to the Spirit while living within the beautiful and often messy confines of the church.
Invite New Discoveries
Writing an article about listening to the Spirit is a challenging idea. Did I miss something? Probably. Are there other things involved? For sure, a lot of other things! I’ll pray the Spirit allows you to discover all the stuff that an article like this misses.
In fact, that really is the goal of attentively listening to the Spirit – discovering how to please God and be more Christlike each and every day.
What is God inviting you to become this year? Remember, this isn’t entirely up to us, we have an advocate and defender! What new thing is He hoping you add to your leadership competency this year? How is He desiring you to grow personally and as a vital part of His church? What discovery is there for your marriage, your family, at school, and in the workplace?
All good questions - are we listening?
Daren Overstreet
Daren Overstreet is a Senior Leader at
Anchor Point Church in Tampa, Florida. He has
Been in ministry for nearly 30 years, and holds a Master’s Degree in Missional Theology
You can contact him at