In the Netflix show “Stranger Things,” we join a little group of nerdy teenage friends on their adventures as they are drawn into a world of parallel dimensions, fearsome monsters, and a mysterious girl named Eleven, who has supernatural powers.
Their experiences remind us of ordinary heroes in the Bible and even of ourselves as we follow Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit to turn the world upside down just as Jesus promised his disciples in John 14: “You will do even greater (and stranger) things than these!”
OVERVIEW
WEEK 1: ORDINARY HEROES
What does it take to be a hero? Most of us spend a good bit of time watching actors play heroes, but what if God is calling us to do more than watch? What if He is calling us to BE heroes in our daily lives? Like the kids in the Netflix show Stranger Things, God is calling us out of our ordinary day-to-day existence to do the extraordinary, by the power of His Spirit, and with the courage that His presence brings to us.
WEEK 2: UPSIDE DOWN
When the disciples first answered Jesus’ call and started following him, their lives were turned upside down. They had their eyes opened to a whole other dimension of spiritual reality they never knew existed. We too need to have our eyes opened and be accompanied by the Holy Spirit so that we can walk in victory over the powers of darkness. Wherever we go, we are invited to join forces with what God is doing in turning the world upside down and replacing darkness with light.
WEEK 3: EMPOWERED
After Jesus returned to God, the promised Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost. Instantly they went from people hiding in fear to bold proclaimers and displayers of God’s kingdom. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we receive supernatural boldness and other gifts from God. These gifts enable us to minister to others in extraordinary ways. God urges us not to keep these gifts to ourselves, but to give them away generously, as He has given them generously to us.
WEEK 4: SIGNS AND WONDERS
Why does God do what He does? Throughout the Bible and even in our lives today we see amazing displays of God’s power at work. These signs and wonders point us back to the source of everything that God does in our lives—His extravagant love for us. Sometimes we can get distracted by the excitement of what God does and forget about why He does it in the first place. Whenever we experience the signs and wonders of God, it is up to us to always remember to look back to Him and point others to God’s love.
