The sermon "Powered By The Spirit," delivered by Garrett Bookout (minister at Oak Hollow church of Christ) on March 1, 2026, explores why the Holy Spirit often receives less attention than the Father and Son in Christian teaching, arguing that this reflects divine design rather than a problem. Drawing from Scripture, including John 16:14 and Ephesians 3:14-21, Garrett emphasizes the Spirit's role in glorifying Jesus and empowering believers inwardly. He urges the congregation to appreciate and rely on the Spirit's mysterious yet powerful work rather than minimizing or overcorrecting against misconceptions about Him.

In the introduction, Bookout observes that while Christians readily discuss God the Father and Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit is frequently "forgotten," as noted by Francis Chan in *Forgotten God* and echoed historically across Christianity—not just in Churches of Christ. He proposes this pattern is intentional: Jesus glorifies the Father, the Father glorifies the Son, and the Spirit glorifies the Son (without seeking glory for Himself), modeling divine humility. Using analogies like knowing one's hands (visible) versus one's heart (invisible but evident through effects), he compares the Spirit's mysterious, wind-like nature (John 3) to His tangible fruit in believers' lives (Galatians 5), suggesting fixation on Christ fulfills the Spirit's purpose.

Bookout identifies common pitfalls in discussing the Spirit: reactionary overcorrection against charismatic excesses, reducing the Spirit to merely the Word of God, discomfort with His mysterious aspects, and resulting silence. He contrasts these with the biblical call to acknowledge the Spirit's indwelling and transformative power. The core of the sermon examines Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21, where he kneels before the Father, asking that believers be strengthened by the Spirit in their inner being, that Christ dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they comprehend Christ's surpassing love—leading to being filled with God's fullness and glorifying Him beyond human imagination through the Spirit's power at work within.

- **Introduction: The "Forgotten" Spirit** — Acknowledgment of the Spirit's relative neglect in Christian thought (citing Francis Chan and historical patterns); question of whether this is a problem or divine plan; explanation of Trinitarian glory dynamics (Father → Son, Son → Father, Spirit → Son).

- **Analogies for Understanding the Spirit** — Hands vs. heart comparison; wind/breath imagery (ruach/pneuma); effects over direct visibility; fruit of the Spirit as evidence of His work.

- **Problems in How We Speak of the Spirit** — Reaction problem (overcorrection against charismatic errors); reduction problem (Spirit = Word only); discomfort problem (avoiding mystery); silence problem (avoiding discussion due to controversy).

- **Exposition of Ephesians 3:14-21** — Paul's prayer structure: bowing before the Father; request for Spirit-powered inner strengthening; Christ dwelling in hearts through faith; strength to comprehend Christ's vast love; being filled with God's fullness; doxology praising God's abundant power through the indwelling Spirit.

- **Application and Conclusion** — The church's potential exceeds human effort via the Spirit's work; call to reliance on God in prayer; invitation for response (prayer, study, baptism).