Holy Spirit - Pt.1

Teacher. Guide. Convicter. Comforter.

If there’s anything Christians should actually be talking about more, it’s the Holy Spirit.

Not the spooky version people made up.
Not the “ghost floating somewhere in the rafters” theology.
But the real Holy Spirit Jesus promised, the Person who lives in us, walks with us, teaches us, convicts us, and guides us.

And before we even talk about what He does, we have to understand something:

The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” He is a He.
A Person. A Being. God in us.

Jesus Himself used the word He over and over.
You don’t call a force “He.”
You don’t call a cloud “He.”
You don’t call an energy “He.”

You call a Person “He.”

So now let’s look at three roles of the Spirit every believer needs to know.

TEACHER

John 14:26

Jesus said:

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.”

Let me translate that:

If you belong to Jesus, your Teacher is not your favorite pastor, not TikTok theology, not Instagram sermons
Your Teacher lives inside you.

You ever heard people say:

“They don’t teach me anything at church.”
“They don’t explain the Bible right.”

(Probably not here at The Hill… maybe somewhere else.)

But Jesus already solved that problem.
You have a Teacher called the Holy Spirit.
He teaches you when you open the Word.
He highlights Scripture.
He brings things back to your memory.

But here’s the catch:
He won’t chase you.
You have to show up to class.

It’s like wanting to be a doctor but never attending medical school.
Don’t blame the professors if you never signed up.

GUIDE

John 16:13

Jesus said:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.”

Guides don’t shout at you from a distance.
They walk next to you.
They show you the path.
They redirect you gently.
They help you when you’re confused.

But here’s the truth nobody likes saying:

You can hear God’s voice and still choose not to follow it.

Ask Jonah.

God said, “Go to Nineveh.”
Jonah said, “Nah, I’m going to Tarshish.”
He ran so far he boarded a ship full of professional fishermen — guys who knew the ocean, the weather, the seasons.
And Jonah’s disobedience almost sank the whole crew.

Sometimes the storms we’re in aren’t “attacks.”
Sometimes they’re consequences of running from the voice of the Guide.

Jonah finally said, “Alright, throw me overboard.”
And the moment he unfollowed his own desires, God sent him a Holy Uber (aka a giant fish) to take him exactly where he was supposed to be the whole time.

CONVICTER OF SIN

John 16:8

Conviction isn’t God punishing you.
Conviction is God loving you.

Condemnation says, “You’re done.”
Conviction says, “You can do better, come back.”

You know that nudge you feel?
That tug?
That little voice like:

“Hey… you shouldn’t have said that.”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Time to apologize.”
“Time to get back up.”

That’s not guilt.
That’s not shame.
That is the Holy Spirit reminding you who you really are.

Let me tell on myself.

I was at a kids birthday party, watching these kids go wild on trampolines. Then this grown man a little hefty puts on socks that barely fit him. On his first jump he lands wrong, hits the floor, and starts yelling in pain.

His family laughs.
The worker laughs.
But I could tell the dude was actually hurt.

I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Go help him. Pray for him.”

But my flesh said, “He’s sweaty. Someone else will help him.”

I started walking toward him, then stopped myself.

And later the Holy Spirit said, “You forgot who lives in you.”
That was conviction not condemnation.
A moment where God said, “You missed it… but I’m still teaching you.”