August 27th.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume VII, Issue 1, 1 July 1916, Page 9

August 27th.

(Tenth Sunday after Trinity.) Subject — GOD THE HOI A" GHOST. THE GIVER OF LIFE AND STRENGTH. Reference : The Nicene Creed. I believe m the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from, etc. The lesson on Whitsunday was about the coming of the HolyGhost. To-day special emphasis will be laid on His work mi n Creation as Giver of Life and Strength. What a marvellous thing ,l life " is. Contrast the life of a plant, of an animal, of a man, of an ang-el, of God Himself. Compare a dead body with a living body, a dead tree with a live tree. Life varies m degree and m kind. Without the Holy Ghost there would be no life at all. Picture a dead world : even that could not exist without God. Genesis I. tells us that 4l the Spirit of God " brought order out of chaos. The highest kind of natural life is that of man— the new-born baby is full of human life, but the Holy Ghost m baptism gives us a higher life • still. lt We are born again ' to newness of life," and become the children of God. This mw life gives power to overcome sin — <l a death unto sin " ; sin no longer 41 reigns " m us. Confirmation gives us a further, gift of the Holy Spirit — to strengthen, confirm, or comfort us. The Holy Spirit givfes new life to us when we confess our sins and are forgiven. He gives a wonderful Life, which .we cannot

see to the Bread and Wine m the Holy Communion. The Body of Jesus was raised from the dead, and ours will be also by the SPIRIT of GOD Who dwells m us (see Romans viii.). The Holy Spirit gives life to the Church. Inspired the prophets. Teach hymn 156. Speak of Ordination to the various offices of the lriinistry ; compare John xx. 22. "Catechism : ' 4 I learn to -believe thirdly m God the Holy Ghost," etc. See lesson for Whitsunday.