Small Group Discussion Guide

Baptism & the Holy Spirit

Boot Camp Series — Week 2

A Note to Your Facilitator This guide is designed for 60–90 minutes. You know your group best — feel free to skip questions, linger longer, or follow the Spirit's leading. Every section includes time estimates to help you pace the conversation. Questions are numbered for easy reference. You don't need to cover every question to have a great discussion.

OVERVIEW

This week's message explores what it means to be a fully committed disciple of Jesus — not just believing the right things, but taking public steps of obedience and being empowered by the Holy Spirit to actually live the life Jesus calls us to. Pastor Josh walked us through Luke 3 and the baptism of Jesus to show us a pattern found throughout the New Testament: saved, baptized, filled with the Spirit. Each of these is a real experience God wants for every one of his children — not just for the disciples or for a special few.

Big Idea: A disciple of Jesus is baptized in water and continually filled with the Holy Spirit — and both matter more than most of us realize.

ICEBREAKER (5–10 minutes)

Before we dive in, let's get warmed up:

🧊 Question: Think about a time you went "public" with something important to you — a relationship, a decision, a commitment. What made going public feel significant or even scary?

[Allow everyone who wants to share a brief answer. This question opens the door naturally to the sermon's theme of going public with faith through baptism.]

SCRIPTURE READING (5 minutes)

Have someone read each passage aloud. Invite the group to listen for one word or phrase that stands out to them.

Luke 3:21–22 "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'"

Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

Romans 6:3–4 "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Ephesians 5:18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."

[Leader Tip] After the reading, ask: "What word or phrase stuck with you?" This simple question helps quieter group members engage without pressure and often surfaces rich conversation starters.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (30–45 minutes)

Work through as many questions as time allows. Questions are organized from lighter to deeper. You do not need to cover all of them.

PART 1 — Engaging the Message (Observational)

1. What was one thing from Sunday's message that surprised you, challenged you, or that you're still thinking about?

[This is a great opener — there are no wrong answers, and it helps you discover where your group's energy and questions are.]

[Leader Tip] If the group is quiet, share your own answer first to model vulnerability. You might also ask: "Was there anything that made you uncomfortable or that you wanted to push back on?"

2. Pastor Josh described John the Baptizer as a fearless, countercultural figure who prepared the way for Jesus. What qualities stood out to you about John — and why do you think God chose someone like him for such an important role?

3. The sermon used a vivid image: baptism is like a wedding ring — a visible symbol of an invisible relationship. In your own words, how would you explain what baptism is (and isn't) to someone who had never heard of it?

[Leader Tip] This question helps the group process the theology in accessible terms. If discussion stalls, try: "What does a wedding ring communicate to the world? What does baptism communicate?"

PART 2 — Going Deeper (Interpretive)

4. Pastor Josh made a distinction between baptism establishing your relationship with God versus baptism pointing to your relationship with God. Why does that distinction matter? How does it change the way we think about baptism?

5. The sermon walked through a pattern found repeatedly in the New Testament:

Saved → Baptized → Filled with the Spirit

Look back at Acts 2:38. Where do you see each of these three elements in that single verse? Why do you think all three appear together so often in Scripture?

Acts 2:38 — "Repent [saved] and be baptized [baptized], every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [filled with the Spirit]."

6. Pastor Josh said that Jesus himself — before performing any miracle, preaching any sermon, or healing anyone — was filled with the Holy Spirit. He then asked: "If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit for his life, how much more do you need the Holy Spirit for yours?"

What does it mean to you that Jesus lived his entire ministry in dependence on the Holy Spirit? How does that change the way you think about your own need for the Spirit?

7. Ephesians 5:18 commands Christians to "be filled with the Spirit" — and in the original Greek, it's a continuous command, meaning keep on being filled. Pastor Josh said, "We leak." What do you think causes us to "leak" — to lose our sense of the Spirit's presence and power in our lives? What tends to refill you?

[Leader Tip] This question often generates honest, personal sharing. Be ready to normalize the experience of spiritual dryness — this isn't a sign of failure, but a call to return. If helpful, share: "The command isn't 'be filled once.' It's 'keep being filled.' That's actually really good news."

PART 3 — Personal Connection (Reflective)

8. Pastor Josh shared a vulnerable story about a season of prayer where he cried out to God for a fresh encounter with the Holy Spirit — and described it as being "attacked by love." Have you ever had a moment where you were deeply aware of God's presence or the Spirit's work in your life? What was that like?

[Invite sharing, but don't pressure anyone. Some people may not have had a dramatic experience, and that's okay — the question isn't about intensity, but about awareness.]

9. The sermon addressed people who might think, "I already have the Holy Spirit, so I don't need anything more." It also addressed people who've been turned off to the Spirit by extreme expressions they've witnessed. Where do you find yourself in that spectrum — and what questions or hesitations do you still carry?

[Leader Tip] This is a safe question to ask because it validates both skepticism and hunger. Affirm that honest questions are welcome. You might add: "The goal isn't to land in the exact same place — it's to be open to what God wants to do in each of us."

10. Pastor Josh said: "If the world has the courage to come out of the closet for wickedness, disciples of Jesus Christ need to have the courage to go public for team Jesus." What makes going public with faith feel risky in your world — at work, in your neighborhood, in your family? What would help you take that step?

PERSONAL APPLICATION (10–15 minutes)

Take a few minutes for quieter, more personal reflection. You may want to give the group 2–3 minutes of silence to think before inviting anyone to share.

1. Baptism Check-In: If you've already been baptized, take a moment to remember that day. What did it mean to you then? What does it mean to you now? If you've never been baptized after placing your faith in Jesus, what has held you back — and is God nudging you to take that step?

2. Spirit Check-In: On a scale of 1–10, how aware are you of the Holy Spirit's presence and work in your daily life right now? What would it look like to move one step closer to a fresh filling of the Spirit this week?

3. Invitation Check-In: Think of one person in your life who doesn't yet know Jesus. How might your story — your baptism, your faith, your transformation — be exactly the invitation they need to hear? What's one step you could take toward them this week?

📌 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE (Choose one or more)

Option A — Take a Step: If you've never been baptized, text LIFE to 20411 this week and let the church help you take that next step.

Option B — Pray for Filling: Set aside 10 minutes each day this week to simply ask God: "Father, if there's anything you have for me that I haven't fully received, I want it. Fill me with your Spirit." Keep a simple journal of what you notice.

Option C — Tell Your Story: Find one person this week — a friend, a coworker, a family member — and share what your faith in Jesus means to you. It doesn't have to be a long conversation. Just go public.

Option D — Read and Reflect: Read Acts 2:1–4 and Acts 19:1–7 on your own this week. Notice the pattern. Ask God what he wants to say to you through it.

PRAYER FOCUS (5–10 minutes)

Close your time together in prayer. You can pray as a group, break into pairs, or have one person lead. Here are some suggested focuses:

Pray Together For:

• 🙏 Those considering baptism — that fear or hesitation would give way to courage and obedience
• 🙏 A fresh filling of the Spirit — for each person in your group, that God would pour out his presence in new and tangible ways
• 🙏 Freedom — for anyone in your group carrying a burden, habit, or struggle they haven't been able to break on their own
• 🙏 The people you love who don't yet know Jesus — that God would use your life and your story to draw them to him
• 🙏 Your church community — for those being baptized, for groups launching, for people taking their next steps in faith

[Leader Tip] Consider ending with a simple, open invitation: "Is there anything specific you'd like us to pray for you tonight?" Even if only one or two people share, it builds trust and community over time.

OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE (For Groups Wanting to Go Further)

Use these questions if your group has extra time, theological curiosity, or wants to explore the topic more fully.

D1. The Pickle Illustration: Pastor Josh used an ancient Greek pickle recipe to explain two different Greek words — bapto (a quick dip) and baptizo (a prolonged immersion that produces complete change). Using that image, what does it mean to be "pickled" by the Holy Spirit? What would that kind of deep, lasting transformation look like in a person's daily life?

D2. Three Experiences, One Journey: The sermon described three distinct experiences in the Christian life: being baptized by the Spirit into Christ at salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13), being baptized in water as a public declaration (Matthew 28:19), and being continually filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). How does understanding these as three separate-but-connected experiences change the way you think about your own spiritual journey? Which of the three feels most alive to you right now — and which feels like an area where God might be inviting you to grow?

D3. The Courage of John the Baptizer: John the Baptizer confronted a corrupt political leader — at the cost of his own life — because he feared God more than man. In what areas of your life do you feel the tension between the fear of God and the fear of people? What would it look like to live with John's kind of fearless, Spirit-filled boldness in your specific context?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE FOR FURTHER STUDY

For individuals or groups who want to keep exploring this week:

QUICK REFERENCE FOR LEADERS

A Final Word for Facilitators: Your job tonight isn't to have all the answers — it's to create space for honest conversation and the Holy Spirit to work. Some of the most powerful moments in small groups happen in the silence after a question, or when someone shares something vulnerable. Trust the process. Trust your group. Trust the Spirit. He's already here.

Lake Point Church | Boot Camp Series | Week 2 — Baptism & the Holy Spirit For questions about baptism, text LIFE to 20411. For prayer, text PRAYER to 20411.