When my kids were little, they often wanted to help

me. "Daddy, can I help you with that project you're working on?"

Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVED that my kids wanted to help me.

But, I always sighed a bit when they offered. I realized that, with

their "help," it was going to take a LOT longer to accomplish my

task. By the end of it, I had to ask: "Were my kids helping me, or

was I helping my kids?" As we've worked our way through the Gospel

of John, we've been noticing how Jesus is slowly introducing us to

the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called our "Comforter,

Advocate, or Helper." If the Holy Spirit is our helper, what is He

helping us do? Is He our helper, or are we His helpers? It's the

same question that I asked about my kids. In John 16, Jesus assigns

an incredible job to us and to the Holy Spirit. In order to

accomplish this task, we have to understand our role and the role

of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we might be tempted to have "role

reversal." If you have a moment, read John 16:5-15 to prepare your

heart to receive the message of God's Word. As always, I can't wait

to see you on Sunday! P. Dave