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The gift of the Spirit and the Spirit's Gifts

A 30-day challenge for understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

A Christian without the Holy Spirit is like a sailboat with no sail—a paradox. However, when the Spirit empowers us to participate in kingdom work, we come truly alive and powerfully follow the plan God has for us.

Growing in our awareness, knowledge, and love of God, the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives only makes his presence more powerful, showing us what to look for and how to surrender to his will.

This study in the Holy Spirit will teach you, first and foremost, important truths about what it means to live a life emboldened by the power and authority of the Holy Spirit in us.

But it will also teach you how to use Logos for continued study. Throughout these 30 days, you’ll:

  • Thoroughly analyze a biblical passage
  • Learn how to do background research and word studies
  • Learn how to use the most important tools in Logos
  • Explore some of the best, most useful resources in your library
  • Gain new insights into foundational doctrines of pentecostalism

But most importantly, you’ll deepen your faith. You’ll come away with four notebooks full of your own insights on Acts 2, the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and spiritual warfare.

Jump in and get ready for a breakthrough—not only in how to use Logos but also in how to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Note: We’ve included screenshots from the Logos desktop app throughout this study; be advised that the web and mobile apps often look different than the desktop app.

Bible Reading

Day 1: Story of Pentecost (Acts 2)

Logos skill: Reading and notetaking

The best place to begin a study on the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts is Acts 2, which records the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the first believers. Here we see a new era dawning in the history of God’s people—an era we are still in today.

Start by reading Acts 1-2 in your preferred Bible translation. You can access all of your Bibles and other resources via the Library. Open the Library by clicking the icon of the three books in the top left of the app. Search for a Bible translation by name (e.g., “New King James Version”) or filter your library by type to show only Bibles by opening the navigation sidebar and selecting Type > Bible. When you find the Bible translation you’d like to use, set it as your default Bible by right-clicking it and selecting “Prioritize this resource.”

As you read, use the Highlight or Notes tool to take down what sticks out to you. Drag your mouse to select text, right-click, then select “Add highlight” or “Add a note” to capture what interests you.

Day 2: Pentecost from Multiple Angles

Logos skill: Comparing Bible translations

Acts 2 is one of the most important chapters in Scripture, especially for understanding the Spirit and the Church. Read it again, this time in other translations so that you see it in a new light.

To compare versions:

  1. Click Tools, then type "text comparison" in the search box.
  2. Select the tool, then enter Act 2:1–41.
  3. To add/remove versions, click the versions that are displayed and check the ones you want to compare.

Compare translations in the left-side window, then record your observations by making notes in your preferred Bible in the right window. To streamline the process, focus only on the verses or sentences that stood out to you or that you had questions about in step 1, and see how other versions translate them. Take notes about significant differences by right-clicking text in your preferred Bible and selecting “Add a note.”

Day 3: Outlining the Story of Pentecost

Logos skill: Highlighting and emphasis markup

Let’s get a sense for the basic structure of the story by focusing on transition words, like now, when, but, then, and so.

As you read through the passage, box important transition words (hint: look at the beginning of paragraphs).

To use the box tool:

  1. Open Tools > Highlighting.
  2. Under "Emphasis Markup," select Box.
  3. When that line lights up, select the down arrow to the right. Hover over "Shortcut key" and select an option

Now, to apply a box to a word, simply highlight it with your mouse and press the shortcut key.

When you’ve finished boxing the transition words, look over the chapter and jot down the outline or movement of the story. (Tip: Highlight the chapter number and click “add a note.” That will apply your note to the whole chapter.)

Digging Deeper into the Story

Day 4: The Words of Pentecost

Logos skill: Inline search and highlighting

Stories are made up of words, and some words are especially powerful. Think of your own life—what words are powerful for you? Maybe words like faith, Spirit, prayer, and vision.

Acts 2 has important, defining words, too, and one way to spot them is by focusing on repeated words. That can alert you to a passage’s main themes and emphasis.

As you read through Acts 2 one more time, use your preferred highlighting tool (Tools > Highlighting) to keep note of important repeated words (like “Spirit” or “filled,” not “and” or “to”).

You can also use Inline search to spot repeated words. To do that, select the magnifying glass icon right of the reference field, and limit the range of the search to Acts 2 by clicking the reference and typing “Acts 2.”

What important repeated words do you see, and how do they contribute to the point of this story? Write your answers in your notes on Acts 2.

Day 5: Summarizing the Story of Pentecost

Logos skill: Note organization

By now you’ve read the passage several times and noted important transitions, words, and variations in translations. Now let’s solidify what you’ve learned by bringing it all together.

Start by creating a notebook. Click Tools > Notes to open the Notes tool. Ensure the small binder icon next to the filter icon is selected, then press the plus button.

Name your notebook (I named mine “Pentecost Study”), and drag all your notes into it. (Your notes are automatically organized by book of the Bible, in canonical order. They’ll remain linked to the biblical passage as well.)

Now, create a new note in your “Pentecost Study” notebook (I named my note “Synthesizing days 1–4”) and begin writing through the following prompts. To consult your previous notes, I recommend opening an additional Notes tab so you can have two notebooks displayed at the same time.

Prompts:
Summarize the story in your own words.
What significant event happens in this story, and how do they relate to the Old Testament?
What does Peter, the one preaching, want his hearers to understand, believe, and do?

Day 6: Getting the Lay of the Land

Logos skill: Passage Guide

There is more than meets the eye in every story. Think of when you try to summarize your favorite story to someone. A summary can’t possibly create the same effect.

Likewise, there is more than meets the eye in Bible stories, and Acts 2 is no exception. The Passage Guide in Logos is a great way to dig deeper to see new details.

In Logos, open Guides > Passage Guide and type Acts 2 in the search bar. Wait a moment for a little red flag to appear, then click the passage.

Logos will load virtually all the relevant material from your library on this passage, including your own notes (under “Your Content”). Spend some time clicking around to get familiar with the tool. If anything sticks out to you, record it in your notebook.

Background and Context

Day 7: Background on the Book of Acts

Logos skill: Library learning

Studying context is like turning on lamps in a room—the more light you have, the better you can see. To truly understand any passage, you have to work with context, beginning with the immediate context of the book it appears in, then moving out to broader contexts.

Today is focused on introducing you to the book of Acts, such as why it was written and what it’s about. Generally, you can find quick introductions in the following resource types, all of which you have:

Now, you can see in your Passage Guide that you have two books with commentary on Acts. Open either and you’ll find an introduction to the book.

(To find the introduction quickly, click the navigation menu icon in the resource, and scan the Table)

You can also search your library for the Faithlife Study Bible, which has an introduction. Type “Faithlife Study Bible” in the Go box and press enter, then navigate to the introduction to the book of Acts (just before the entry on Acts 1:1). At the end you’ll see a link to the Lexham Bible Dictionary entry on Acts, which will provide even more context.

Assignment: Read one or two introductions. Record anything of interest as a note in your Acts notebook.

Day 8: The Geography of Pentecost

Logos skill: Passage Guide, Atlas, and Biblical Places

One of the reasons speaking in tongues is featured in this story is that people from all over the known world were there. It’s easy to gloss over the list of hard-to-pronounce places, but a few simple clicks in Logos will bring the list to life.

In the Passage Guide, navigate to the Atlas and Biblical Places sections. From there, click around to load maps and learn about these places from resources across your library. Focus on the map “Nations represented at Pentecost.”

Assignment: Reflect on what you learned in your Acts notebook. Read Acts 1:8 in light of Acts 2:5–11. How is Acts 1:8 already coming true, and who gets the credit for it?

Day 9: The People of Pentecost

Logos skill: Passage Guide, Biblical People

We’re just about done with context. We’ve looked at the literary context (Acts 1), historical context (day of Pentecost), and geographical context. Now let’s learn a bit about the background of the people involved.

In the Passage Guide (make sure enter Acts 2:1–41 in the guide’s reference bar), navigate to the Biblical People section, and click around, focusing especially on Peter, the Holy Spirit, the crowd, and David.

Assignment: How is your understanding of this story helped by knowing a bit about the main characters? Record your thoughts in your Acts notebook.

Pentecost in the Old Testament

Day 10: Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks

Logos skill: Parallel Passages, Search

Did you know Pentecost is not unique to the book of Acts? Pentecost is an Old Testament event first and serves as background for what happens in Acts 2.

The Parallel Passages section in your Passage Guide helps you see this. It reveals important Old Testament allusions and quotations. (Allusions are references to Old Testament events, themes, or figures.)

Spend some time exploring these passages.

After reading them, you may still wonder, what’s the connection? A simple search can show you more. Highlight “Feast of Weeks” in the Leviticus passage, right-click, and select “All resources.” Logos spins everywhere that phrase appears across your library, with the most relevant resources first. Click the link at the top to load the Lexham Bible Dictionary (LBD) entry on the Feast of Weeks.

Assignment: Read the entry and record pertinent insights in your Acts notebook.

Day 11: Digging Deeper into Pentecost

Logos Skill: Passage Guide, Biblical Events

Yesterday was just a foray into Pentecost. Today you’ll dive deeper into the feast/event to learn why Luke introduced Acts 2 by saying these events occurred on the day of pentecost.

The Passage Guide can help you here. Under the Biblical Events section, locate “Pentecost.” Click it, and the Factbook will load. The Factbook gives a quick introduction to events, people, and places in Logos. One of the most useful parts of Factbook is the Dictionary section. Click on either one (the Lexham Bible Dictionary entry is much more extensive) and read about the event.

Assignment: Answer this question in your Acts notebook: What’s the connection between Old Testament Pentecost and New Testament Pentecost?

Day 12: Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the epicenter of the Church. In fact, if you’re a Christian, Jerusalem is in some ways your spiritual home, because so much of biblical history occurred there. Acts 2 teaches us that the Church launched from there.

You may have spent some time exploring Jerusalem on day 8, but in case you didn’t, explore Jerusalem using the Factbook (you can quickly open it by clicking Tools > Factbook) or by finding it in your Passage Guide under “Biblical Events.”

Do some reading about Jerusalem, including the Lexham Bible Dictionary entry on it, to better understand its significance in the Bible and this story in particular. Record any significant insights in your notes.

Old Testament Quotations

Day 13: Old Testament Reference #1 (Joel 2:28–32)

Logos Skill: Parallel Passages

One of the marvels of Acts 2 is how much the Old Testament is featured in it. The Holy Spirit is unleashed on the believers, and Peter shows the people from Scripture how God promised this long ago.

The Parallel Passages section in your Passage Guide is a great way to see and explore these quotations.

Today, explore the connection between Joel 2:28–32 and Acts 2:17–21. Start by hovering over the links to see a preview. Click the Joel reference to load it in your preferred Bible, then read all of Joel 2 to learn more about the context. (When New Testament writers quote select portions of the Old Testament, they often have the broader context of those words in mind.)

Assignment: Jot down what you learned by reading Joel 2 in your Acts notebook. Why does Peter quote from this passage? What point is he making?

Day 14: Old Testament Reference #2 (Psalm 16)

Logos Skill: Parallel Passages

Peter quotes Psalm 16 extensively in his sermon to make a point about how Jesus fulfills God’s promises to David.

Using the Parallel Passages section, repeat with Psalm 16 what you did yesterday with Joel 2.

Assignment: Jot down what you learned by reading Psalm 16 in your Acts notebook. Why does Peter quote from this passage? What point is he making?

Day 15: Old Testament Reference #3 (Psalm 110)

Logos Skill: Parallel Passages

Psalm 110 plays a similar role to Psalm 16 in this story.

Using the Parallel Passages section, explore Psalm 110 like you did Psalm 16.

Assignment: Jot down what you learned by reading Psalm 110 in your Acts notebook. Why does Peter quote from this passage? What point is he making?

Studies in the holy Spirit

Day 16: Digging into Important Words

Logos skill: Word study

We say “filled with the Holy Spirit” quite often, and for good reason! It’s a biblical phrase, and a very important one. But what exactly does it mean?

With some simple searching in Logos, we can answer that question. We’ll be exploring this for the next three days.

Let’s start with a word study on the word “filled.” Open Acts 2:2, right-click, and select Bible Word Study.

Spend some time exploring the results. Click on different sections of the wheel. Even if you can’t read Greek, you can see that the wheel represents different Greek words that can all be translated “fill.”

Assignment: Find the three different words for “fill” that show up in Acts 2. What do you learn about each from how they are used elsewhere in Luke’s writing? Why do you think Luke may have used three different Greek words? Record your thoughts in a new notebook, titled “Filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Day 17: Digging into Important Words

Logos skill: Inline search

Yesterday we explored the word “filled.” Today let’s expand our exploration to the whole phrase, “filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Open Acts 2 in the English Standard Version. Next to the reference, click the little magnifying glass. We are going to search all occurrences of this phrase in Luke and Acts, which were both written by the apostle Luke.

Searching in Logos is powerful, and the better you know how to do it, the more precise you can be in gathering results.

We want to search both “Filled with the Holy Spirit” and “Full of the Holy Spirit” to see if they are different or basically interchangeable. But we want the results all together.

In the search bar, type “Filled with the Spirit.” Change the search type toggle from Bible to Morph, then back to Bible, and you’ll see this crazy looking code appear:

  • (([field bible, content] filled) AND ([field bible, content] with) AND ([field bible, content] the) AND ([field bible, content] spirit))

Go in and edit like so (feel free to copy-paste this):

  • (([field bible, content] full, filled) AND ([field bible, content] of, with) AND ([field bible, content] the) AND ([field bible, content] spirit)).

Now we’ve got some results.

Assignment: Read through the results, open up any verses to explore context, and note any difference between the phrases “Filled with the Holy Spirit” and “Full of the Holy Spirit.” What actions take place when someone is full of or filled with the Spirit? Are the phrases interchangeable? Why or why not?

Day 18: Digging into Important Words

Logos skill: Inline search

Although we’re most interested in seeing how Luke uses the phrases “filled with the Holy Spirit” or “full of the Holy Spirit,” we’re shifting now to explore the phrase on a theological level.

For that, we need to know what the whole Bible says about it.

So let’s search everything except what we searched yesterday. Repeat the steps you did yesterday, but instead of narrowing the Search to Luke–Acts, narrow it to Genesis–Mark; Romans–Revelation.

Assignment: Read through the results, open up any verses to explore context, and take down any observations in a note. What does today’s study add to yesterday’s understanding?

Theological Studies on the Holy Spirit

Day 19: The Holy Spirit

Now that we’ve done thorough work in the Bible on this topic, let’s broaden our perspective to see what others have said about the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s start by focusing on the most important part of that phrase: the Holy Spirit himself! Who is the Holy Spirit, and what is he like?

A good way to launch into this study is the Topic Guide. Open Guides > Topic Guide, and search “Holy Spirit.” You’ll see that the guide loads sections for the Factbook, Search option, Related verses, and Sermons (from Faithlife Sermons, an open-source database full of other peoples’ sermons).

Spend some time clicking around, especially checking out the “Key Verses” in the “Related Verses” section, and Bible dictionary entries on the Holy Spirit (especially in the Lexham Bible Dictionary).

Day 20: Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Logos skill: Topic guide

Let’s continue our study of the Holy Spirit, focusing now on how we receive the Spirit in the first place.

Open Topic Guide. Open Guides > Topic Guide, and search “Baptism of the Spirit.”

Poke around in the Topic Guide to learn more about the baptism of the Spirit. For a sneak peak of what’s to come, click the Search option:

This loads everything on this and related topics from your library, introducing you to some wonderful resources we’ll explore soon.

Assignment: After browsing around in the Topic Guide, jot down some thoughts on the subject in a new note called “Holy Spirit.”

Day 21: Filling of the Holy Spirit

Logos skill: Topic guide

Closely related but different from the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the filling of the Holy Spirit can be understood as an ongoing reality for Christians.

To study the nuances between the two, launch a Topic Guide study on “Filling of the Holy Spirit,” just like you did yesterday with “Baptism of the Spirit.”

To aid in your search, try running the inline search “filling of the Holy Spirit” in some of the resources you open, such as the book Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. By running that search, you’ll find a whole section called “Additional fillings of the Holy Spirit.”

The Life Application New Testament Commentary also has a good section on this, in its commentary on Acts 2:4. Here’s an excerpt:

  • In principle, the filling of the Holy Spirit can be distinguished from the term “baptism” of the Spirit. “Baptism” is the theological, objective term referring to the Spirit’s initial work in a believer’s life, beginning the relationship, and—like water baptism—is not a repeated act (Acts 11:15–16; Romans 6:3; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 2:12). The believer who has taken this initial step of Spirit baptism must, however, continue to take advantage of the Spirit’s active work in his or her life. That phenomenon is described in the New Testament as the Spirit’s filling (see Acts 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9, 52; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18).

Assignment: After browsing around in the Topic Guide and other resources, jot down some thoughts on this subject in your note “Holy Spirit.”

Spiritual Gifts

Day 22: Spiritual Gifts

Logos skill: Topic guide

A result of the baptism of the Spirit are spiritual gifts. All Christians believe in spiritual gifts, but people from the pentecostal and charismatic traditions tend to give them greater attention.

Search “Spiritual gifts” in the Topic Guide to launch a study and see what verses, sermons, and resources in your library speak to this topic, just as you did yesterday with “Baptism of the Spirit.”

Assignment: After browsing around in the Topic Guide, jot down some thoughts on the subject in your note “Holy Spirit.”

Day 23: Diving into the Spiritual Gifts

Logos skill: Library research

Now that we’ve laid a sturdy foundation—exploring the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 and different theological topics concerning the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives—we’re in a good position to dive deeper into the spiritual gifts.

Let’s start with more broad reading on the spiritual gifts. Go to your Library and type “Spiritual gifts” in the search box. You’ll see three resources appear.

Two are monographs (single books) and one is a systematic theology, which is a heftier, more comprehensive resource.

Poke around as you wish, and use the hamburger menu to reveal a table of contents for faster browsing.

Assignment: Find a summary portion to read—perhaps chapter three of Your Spiritual Gifts or chapter 6, part VI of Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Record any significant thoughts in a new “Spiritual gifts” note.

Day 24: Speaking in Tongues

Logos skill: Library research

Speaking in tongues is perhaps the best-known, most-discussed spiritual gift. It’s also the gift that was exercised in Acts 2.

There are several resources in your library you can use for a deeper study. Explore any of them by searching for them in your library. We recommend two specifically:

Assignment: Write down significant observations in your “Spiritual gifts” note. Do you think you have this gift? Why or why not?

Spiritual Gifts, Continued

Day 25: Words of Wisdom and Knowledge, Faith, Healing, and Miracles

Now let’s move on to the other spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12.

Ideally, the next three days will be instrumental in learning or reflecting more on your spiritual gifts. If your spiritual gift isn’t covered one day, think about those in your life whose gifts are discussed and how you might encourage them with what you learn.

Spend some time exploring the following gifts in your library, starting with their summaries in the Foundations of Pentecostal Theology:

Do any of these gifts stick out to you? Use your developing search skills to find more about them in your Logos library. Record any interesting observations in your “Spiritual gifts” notebook.

Day 26: Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Helps, Giving, and Showing Mercy

Let’s continue surveying the spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, then moving on to two in Romans 12.

Remember, if your gift isn’t mentioned, use the study to learn more about others’ gifts for the sake of encouragement.

Spend some time exploring the following gifts in your library, starting with their summaries in the Foundations of Pentecostal Theology:

Do any of these gifts stick out to you? Use your developing search skills to find more about them in your Logos library. Record any interesting observations in your “Spiritual gifts” notebook.

Day 27: Government, Ministry, Teaching, Exhortation, and Leading

Today is our last day surveying the spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. We’ll focus more on gifts traditionally associated with leadership.

If you haven’t come across yours yet, you should come across it today.

Do any of these gifts stick out to you? Use your developing search skills to find more about them in your Logos library. Record any interesting observations in your “Spiritual gifts” notebook.

Spiritual Warfare

Day 28: Ephesians 6:1–10

Now you’re in the driver’s seat. To finish out our 30 days in Logos learning about the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives, we’re ending with a study on spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10–20.

Open the Passage Guide (under Guides) and enter the reference. From there, the passage is yours to explore! Consider doing the following (with references to what day these skills were covered in this series)

  • Highlight important words, such as verbs, repeated words, and transition words like “for,” “therefore,” and “that” (Day 3)
  • Explore parallel passages and cross references (Day 10)
  • Consult commentaries (Day 7)

What are some insights you have from your study in spiritual warfare today? Record them in a new notebook titled, “Spiritual warfare.”

Day 29: Spiritual Warfare

Today is a free day to do what you’d like on this important topic.

Consider digging deeper into this passage through the Passage Guide, or launch into a topical study from the passage—for example, run an Everything search on “Spiritual Warfare.” This will kick up some great entries on the topic from your library.

What are some insights you have from your study on spiritual warfare today? Record them in your “Spiritual warfare” notebook. Can you identify seasons of your life where you experienced spiritual warfare? In retrospect, are you able to see Holy Spirit guiding you in the midst of the spiritual warfare?

Day 30

Today is the last day of our 30-day journey. Today, simply spend time reflecting on your biggest takeaway from the last month.

Consider starting a new note and writing answers to the following questions:

  1. What did the Holy Spirit reveal to me in the past 30 days about my faith?
  2. Are there areas of my life where God is calling me into greater obedience?
  3. What do I want to study more? Where in the Bible can I apply my new skills in Logos to answer questions I’ve always had about Christianity?

We hope you’ve enjoyed your journey into Scripture through Logos. May God empower you to know and follow him more and more each day.