Jesus Tells About the Holy Spirit Jesus Tells About the Holy Spirit Lesson 12 Bible Point The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. Bible Verse And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death (Romans 8:2). Growing Closer to Jesus Students will n discover characteristics of the Holy Spirit, n explore ways the Holy Spirit helps them, and n affirm each other as children of God. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Jesus tells about the Holy Spirit. John 16:5-16 At this point in Jesus life, his disciples had been with him for nearly three years. They had seen his miracles and marveled at his teachings. They just knew that he was the Messiah and that he was going to free the Jewish people from Roman oppression. So when he started talking about leaving them, they had a tough time dealing with it. That s why they were very sad. But Jesus wanted them to see how having the Holy Spirit living in them would be better than having Jesus living with them. Why did Jesus have to leave for the Holy Spirit to come? Jesus didn t really explain it, but we can understand from his teachings that Jesus death on the cross had to happen before God would send the Holy Spirit to live in his people. This is not the first time Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit. In John 14:16, he also refers to the Holy Spirit as the Counselor literally, one who is called alongside. Jesus was encouraging his disciples by letting them know that the Holy Spirit would be there to comfort them as he had. The Holy Spirit s role is varied, as this passage tells. He will expose sin in our lives, but he will also guide us into truth. Even now, 2000 years after Jesus walked the earth, we have the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply what Jesus taught his disciples. We tend to think of how much better it would have been to actually live with Jesus as the disciples did, but what Jesus tells us is that with the Holy Spirit we have it better than they did! Other Scriptures used in this lesson are John 14:25-26; 15:26; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:2, 15-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14; and Ephesians 1:13. Prayer Read John 14:16-17. What difference does the Holy Spirit make in your life? Pray: Lord, send your Holy Spirit to work in my students in a special way. Help them to 131
Lesson 12 Before the Lesson n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed on the chart. n Make photocopies of the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your students. n Pray for your students and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance Attention Grabber Bible Exploration & Application What Students Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies What Direction? Find the right direction by listening to a guide. What s in a Name? Invent new names for items, and explore the names for the Holy Spirit found in John 15:26; Romans 8:15-16; and Ephesians 1:13. Bibles, newsprint, marker, pencils, paper, tape Closing Popping Partners Blindly pop critter poppers with the assistance of a helper, read John 16:13-15, and discuss how the Holy Spirit guides them. Light the Way Look for a message with help from a special marker, and read Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26-27; and 1 Corinthians 2:9-14 to discover how the Holy Spirit can guide them. Holy Spirit Help Tell partners how they need the Holy Spirit s help, read Romans 8:2 and 16, and receive birth certificates to understand that as children of God they have the Holy Spirit s help. Prayer for Guidance Read John 14:25-26, and pray for the Holy Spirit s guidance. Bibles Bible, bookmarks, flashlight, black garbage bags, masking tape Bibles, Child of God (p. 139), pencils Bibles 132
Welcome Jesus Tells About the Holy Spirit As kids arrive, ask them about ways they put last week s lesson into action. Ask questions such as Did you try an ACTS prayer? and How did Jesus example help you talk to God? Tell the kids that whenever you sound the hand groan tube, they are to stop talking, raise their hands, and focus on you. Explain that it s important to respond to this signal quickly so the class can do as many fun activities as possible. Attention Grabber n What Direction? SUPPLIES: none Clear the center of the room by pushing chairs and tables to the walls. Say: I m going to give the hand groan tube to someone. That person will be the guide. The rest of us will scatter around the room so that we re not standing close to anyone, and then we ll close our eyes. The guide will stand someplace in the room and turn over the hand groan tube once so it makes a sound. The rest of us will turn in the direction of the guide and carefully take two small steps. Since we ll have our eyes closed, we ll all have to be careful and move slowly. If anyone is going in the wrong direction, the guide will gently turn that person in the right direction. Then the guide will quietly go to another place in the room and sound the hand groan tube again. We ll turn to the guide and carefully take two more steps. After the guide has had two turns, he or she will give the hand groan tube to someone else. Give several kids a turn as the guide. Then have kids form a circle, and ask: What went through your mind when you heard the sound? (I was listening to which direction the sound came from; I was trying to follow the sound.) How was being guided by the sound like being guided by God? (Sometimes God speaks softly, and we really have to listen closely to hear him; if we go the wrong way, God will gently correct us.) What are some ways God guides us? (Through the Bible; through older Christians; through prayer; through the Holy Spirit.) Say: Today we re going to learn more about the Holy Spirit, the special helper God sent to guide us. We ll learn how the Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. Let s start by learning more about who the Holy Spirit is. Put the hand groan tube away for later use. As you lead discussions with your class, ask open-ended questions. Rather than rephrasing questions as statements and asking children to agree, wait for kids to answer on their own. Pretend you don t know the answers, and let the kids teach you. You ll be surprised how much they know! It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point again and again will help kids remember it and apply it to their lives. 133
Lesson 12 This is a good opportunity to use different translations of the Bible. Try to have each member of the trio use a different version to get as many different interpretations as possible. Bible Exploration & Application n What s in a Name? SUPPLIES: Bibles, newsprint, marker, pencils, paper, tape Before class, write the following Scripture references on a sheet of newsprint: John 15:26 Romans 8:15-16 Ephesians 1:13 Have kids form trios, and give each trio a sheet of paper and a pencil. Display the Learning Lab items so everyone can see them. Say: Sometimes the name of an item helps you know more about it. For example, the heart locks are locks shaped like hearts. Let s see how well you can name things. In your trios, write new names for as many of the Learning Lab items as you can. The new names you invent should tell something about those items so the other teams can guess which gizmos you are referring to. You might describe what the item looks like or what it does. For example, you might call the bendable noodle a fuzzy snake because it s fuzzy and it looks like a snake. Or you might call the hand groan tube a giggling noisemaker because you can make it sound like giggling. See how many new names you can invent before you hear the signal. Give trios a minute or two to brainstorm about their new gizmo names and write them down. Then sound the hand groan tube, and wait for kids to respond. Say: I ll call on a trio to read one of its new gizmo names. Then I ll call on another trio to guess which item that group is talking about. Call on teams to present new names and to guess. After all the teams have shared new names, congratulate students for their creativity and quick thinking. Collect the gizmos, paper, and pencils. Then ask: How did you come up with these new names? (We thought about what the gizmos did; we thought about what they looked like.) How did you know which items other trios were describing? (Their names described what the gizmos did; the names described what the gizmos looked like.) People are called by different names, too. Who can tell us another name that you might go by? How did you get that name? (Junior, because I have the same name as my dad; Curly, because I have curly hair.) Say: The Holy Spirit has more than one name, too. Let s take a look at some of those names to see what they tell us about the Holy Spirit. Make sure all kids have Bibles. Tape the newsprint to a wall. Have each trio member find and read one of the verses on the newsprint. When you see that most trios are finished, sound the hand groan tube. Then ask: What other names did you find for the Holy Spirit? (Counselor; Advocate; Friend; Spirit of truth; God s Spirit; Comforter; Spirit of God.) What do these names tell you about the Holy Spirit? (The Holy Spirit is a helper and a friend; the Holy Spirit comforts us; the Holy Spirit always tells the truth.) From what you ve learned so far about the Holy Spirit, what other names do you think would describe him? (Super Spirit; Wise One; God-for-Me.) 134
Jesus Tells About the Holy Spirit How do all of these names help you understand the Holy Spirit? (They help me understand that the Holy Spirit is good and helpful; they help me understand that the Holy Spirit will help me do what s right.) Say: The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. That s just part of who he is and what he does. The more we get to know the Holy Spirit, the better we ll understand how he guides us. n Popping Partners SUPPLIES: Bibles Before class, place two chairs at one end of the room, about 6 to 8 feet apart. Have kids form two teams, and have each team line up about 6 feet in front of a chair. Give the first person in each line a critter popper. Say: The object of this game is to pop your critter popper across the floor to the chair, pick up the critter popper, and race back to the next person in line. The team that finishes first will win. To make this even more exciting, you must pop the critter popper with your eyes closed! Fortunately, we ll give you a little help. The next person in your line will come beside you and help you stay on course. That person can talk to you and touch you but can t touch the critter popper. Any questions? Let s go! Sound the hand groan tube to have the first two kids begin, and make sure they keep their eyes tightly shut. Cue the next people in line to assist their teammates. When one team finishes, have team members sit down and wait for the other team. When everyone is seated, collect the critter poppers, and ask: What was difficult about this relay? (I couldn t see my critter popper; my helper couldn t touch the popper.) How did your helper help you finish your part of the relay? (My helper told me where my popper was; my helper showed me the way and led me to my popper.) What would the relay have been like without your helper? (I never would have been able to find my critter popper with my eyes closed; I would have needed somebody to help me.) Say: Your helper in the relay was a lot like the Holy Spirit in real life. Let s check out John 16:13-15 to compare the two. Distribute Bibles, and have a volunteer from each team read the Bible passage aloud while others follow along in their Bibles. Have kids discuss these questions in their teams and then share responses with the rest of the class: How is the Holy Spirit like your helper in the relay? (The Holy Spirit is a helper and guide; the Holy Spirit shows us the right way to go, just like the helper did in the relay game.) Your helper came along to help you go in the right direction. In what way does the Holy Spirit help you? (The Holy Spirit helps me do what s right; the Holy Spirit helps me do what God wants me to do.) How do you know you can trust the Holy Spirit? (Because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is from God; the Holy Spirit is God, part of the Trinity.) Have both groups stand. Say: After you ve answered this next question, sit down again. Bible Insight Although the disciples could not understand at the time what Jesus meant about sending the Holy Spirit, they were well prepared by Jewish Scripture for the concept. The Spirit mentioned throughout the Old Testament is God s Spirit, personal and present and involved in the lives of God s people. 135
Lesson 12 Ask: What s one way you d like the Holy Spirit to help you? (To know what to do when my friends are mean to me; to know what to do about my parents, who are fighting.) Give each student an opportunity to answer the question. Then say: The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. We can trust the Holy Spirit because he s giving us God s instructions and encouragement. When we go astray, he ll help us get back on track. Let s learn more about how our Helper the Holy Spirit can help us each day. If you can t make your room dark enough for this activity to be effective, consider placing the Bible and glitter tie in another room that you can darken. n Light the Way SUPPLIES: Bible, bookmarks, flashlight, black garbage bags or heavy paper, masking tape Before class, tape garbage bags or heavy paper over any windows. Also put bookmarks in a Bible to mark Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26-27; and 1 Corinthians 2:9-14. Have kids sit in a circle. Warn kids that you re going to turn out the lights so no one will be startled, and ask kids to close their eyes. Turn off the lights. Using a flashlight, set the Bible with the bookmarks in it in a corner of the room. Place the glitter tie about 2 or 3 feet away, pointing toward the Bible as an arrow. Then join the circle, and tell kids they can open their eyes. Say: We ve been talking about who the Holy Spirit is, and now we re going to try to answer the question, How does the Holy Spirit help us? I ve hidden something in the room that will answer the question. You ll each get a chance to use the flashlight to look for it. To find it, look for a special guide. During this activity, remain seated and quiet. Each person will have 10 seconds to look. You don t need to let anyone know if you think you see the guide we re looking for. Hand the flashlight to the person on your left. Give each person a turn to look for the guide. When the flashlight comes back to you, ask kids to raise their hands if they think they spotted the guide. Then point your flashlight at the glitter tie, and say: I see something that guides me to the right place. Turn on the lights, and lead kids to the glitter tie. Ask for volunteers to read aloud the Scriptures marked in the Bible, and then ask: How was looking for an answer in the dark like looking for answers in real life? (Sometimes it s hard to know the right way to go; sometimes we need some help.) How did the glitter tie help us find what we were looking for? (It pointed to the Bible; it showed us the right way to go.) How is that like how the Holy Spirit helps us know God s will for our lives? (The Holy Spirit shows us the right way to go, too; the Holy Spirit points us to what God wants for us.) What do these Scriptures tell us about how the Holy Spirit helps us do what s right? (The Holy Spirit helps us pray, even when we don t know how to; the Holy Spirit helps us know God s will; the Holy Spirit gives us power to tell others about Jesus.) Say: The Holy Spirit is always nearby to guide us. We can rely on the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. We can trust that the Holy Spirit will give us God s direction wherever we go and whatever we do. 136
Jesus Tells About the Holy Spirit n Holy Spirit Help SUPPLIES: Bibles, Child of God handout (p. 139), pencils Before class, photocopy the Child of God handout so every student can have one. Twist the ends of the bendable noodle together to form a circle. Have kids form pairs and tell their partners one way they d like the Holy Spirit to help them do what s right. Distribute the Child of God handouts and pencils. Give kids a couple of minutes to complete them, and then ask: What do these Scriptures tell you that the Holy Spirit does for us? (The Holy Spirit frees us from sin, helping us do what s right; the Holy Spirit tells us that we are God s children.) Say: Our Bible verse today is Romans 8:2, which is on your Child of God page. Let s look that up again and read it together. As we read, let s each have one hand on the bendable noodle circle, to show that we are all connected by the Holy Spirit. When children are ready, read Romans 8:2 together: And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Say: God loves us so much that he made us his very own children and gave us his Spirit to guide us. The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. Let s pray and thank God for his great love and the gift of his Holy Spirit. Have a few volunteers pray; then close with a prayer similar to this: Dear God, we re so thankful for your love and for the Holy Spirit. Help us listen to what the Spirit says so we can always follow your ways and do what s right. In Jesus name, amen. Closing n Prayer for Guidance SUPPLIES: Bibles Have kids sit in a circle and turn to John 14:25-26 in their Bibles. Ask a volunteer to read the verses aloud. Ask: Why did God send the Holy Spirit to Jesus disciples? (He didn t want the disciples to be alone or sad; he sent the Holy Spirit to comfort them; to teach them and remind them of what Jesus said.) How is that like what the Holy Spirit does today? (The Holy Spirit still comforts us; the Holy Spirit can teach us and remind us of Jesus.) 137
Lesson 12 HANDS-ON BIBLE Say: The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. Open your Hands-On Bible, and turn to the Just Ask! activity near James 2. God wants to help us do what s right that s one reason he sent the Holy Spirit. Let s find out more. You ll need colored self-adhesive paper, scissors, and pens or fine-tip markers. Have kids follow the instructions in the activity. Let kids show off their artwork to one another. Ask a few volunteers to read what they wrote on the stickers they made. Encourage kids to place the stickers where they ll see them often. Say: The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. Let s spend some time praying. I ll start the prayer, and then I ll give you a few minutes to pray your own prayers silently. Then I ll finish the prayer. Begin the prayer time with something simple like, Dear God, we need your help to do what s right. Pause for a few minutes for students to offer their own silent prayers. Then close with something simple. You might say: Thank you for sending your Spirit. Thank you for never leaving us and helping us do what s right. In Jesus name, amen. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to spark meaningful discussion on this week s topic. 138
Child of God Name: With your partner, read aloud these Scriptures: Romans 8:2 Romans 8:16 Write here how you d like the Holy Spirit to help you do what s right. Permission to photocopy this page from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 139
LESSON 12 The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death (Romans 8:2). The Holy Spirit helps us do what s right. Can you think of a time you felt the Holy Spirit telling you what to do? What happened? Share about your favorite way to listen for the Holy Spirit s guidance. ETC. ETC. ETC. Take a Heads or Tails trip with your family! Start just outside your front door and say something like, Heads, we go to the left; tails, we go right. Then flip the coin, and go in the appropriate direction. Take turns with other family members flipping the coin to decide which direction to go each time you come to a stop sign, road, crosswalk, or Read John 14:15-17. Why doesn t the world understand the Holy Spirit? Read John 14:25-26. How has the Holy Spirit helped you learn about God? Read Galatians 5:22-23. How can this fruit help you to be healthy? house. As you walk, talk about how reassuring it is to have the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guiding you instead of having to flip a coin. When you get back home, say a prayer of thanks for the Holy Spirit. Each night at dinner, light a candle to remind you of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Ask family members to share how they ve noticed the Holy Spirit during their day and how the Holy Spirit has guided them. Talk about what a comfort it is to have such a helper with you daily. Place two unpeeled bananas and some unshelled peanuts in front of you and a friend. Explain that you can t see inside the peels and the shells, but you know there s food in there. Discuss how that is like knowing the Holy Spirit is in our lives even though we can t see him. As you peel the bananas and shell the peanuts, talk about ways the Holy Spirit reveals himself in your life. Crush the peanuts in a bowl, and then roll the bananas in the crushed peanuts. Enjoy your snack. 140 Permission to photocopy this page from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com