WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? Bottom line. The Holy Spirit is our counselor and our guide who teaches us God s plan for our life. Objectives. For students to: -Discover the story of Pentecost -Begin to learn about the Holy Spirit -Practice listening for the Holy Spirit s voice Key Passages. John 14:15-21 Acts 1:4-8 Acts 2:1-12 Memory Verse. John 14:26 Summary. After Jesus death and resurrection, he knew his followers would need someone to guide them. So God sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our counselor and our guide. Throught the Holy Spirit, we can learn about God and learn what his plan is for our life. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT SUMMARY

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you. -John 14:26

ICE BREAKER When you need to make a big decision, whom do you ask for advice? WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT ICE BREAKER

OBJECT LESSON Item needed: A bluetooth earpiece Have any of you noticed grown ups walking around talking to themselves? It used to be if you saw someone walking around by themselves having a conversation, you thought they were crazy. But these days, if you see someone walking around talking to themselves, they probably have one of these in their ear. Show the kids the earpiece. Do any of your Moms and Dads have one of these? Any of you ever get confused whether Mom and Dad were talking to you when they were talking on their phone? It can be confusing, can t it? It s pretty amazing technology though. For decades, people had to hold a phone to their ear to have a phone call. Now it all fits over your ear. You can have voice after voice talking in your ear all day. When you have the Holy Spirit in your heart, you have a voice inside you speaking to you, just like this earpiece. It s not audible like a voice on the phone, but it s there, guiding you through tough decisions and temptations and all sorts of trials. But it s not just a parent or a co-worker or a friend on the other end of the line. The Holy Spirit is God himself, part of the trinity. It is God s presence in your heart and life, changing you from the inside. The only bad thing about having the Holy Spirit is that there s no volume control. It s a still, small voice that speaks to us, and if we re too loud or too busy, we will miss what it has to say to us. Like a man on a cell phone who needs to hear, we need to learn to be still, listen carefully, and obey what it says. The Holy Spirit is God dwelling in our hearts, and the best way to draw closer to God is to be still and listen. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT OBJECT LESSON

LESSON How many of you have heard the story of Pinocchio? Pinocchio was a wooden puppet who wanted one thing: to be a real boy. A blue fairy brought him to life, and she told him that if he did a good deed, he could become a real boy. The blue fairy also gave him someone to help him on his way. His name was Jiminy Cricket, and Jiminy had an important job. Do any of you remember what it was called? Jiminy was Pinocchio s conscience. His job was to counsel Pinocchio and help him to know what was right and what was wrong. In the Disney version Jiminy even sings a song in which he says, Always let your conscience be your guide. If you know who Jiminy Cricket is and know how he helped Pinocchio, you have a pretty good idea of who the Holy Spirit is. He s not an easy person to figure out. He s not a flesh and blood person like Jesus was, but like Jesus, he is God, part of the Trinity. Like Jiminy Cricket, his job is to be our guide, to show us right and wrong. But he s also there to lead us where God wants us to go. The Holy Spirit isn t just a conscience. It s something far better. It s the Spirit of God who dwells in your heart! SCRIPTURE We first learn about the Holy Spirit right before Jesus dies on the cross. Jesus is comforting his disciples, telling them that they will not see him much longer. He is preparing to finish his earthly ministry. After his death and resurrection, Jesus would remain on Earth another couple of weeks. Then he would be leaving to return to Heaven. But the followers of Jesus would not be left alone. Jesus tells them that a special helper is coming. Read John 14:15-21 Jesus disciples were worried what they would do without Jesus. They had given three years of their lives to him, following him everywhere. How could they go on without WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT LESSON PAGE 1

LESSON him? What would they do? Jesus told them that they would still see him through the Holy Spirit. If they continued to follow Jesus s teachings and kept his commands, the Spirit would go with them. The disciples had no way of knowing what all this meant. Even after Jesus s death and resurrection, they did not fully understand. They still believed Jesus had come to set up an earthly kingdom. But Jesus had other plans, and the Holy Spirit was about to take over. Read Acts 1:4-8 The disciples wanted Jesus to stay, but Jesus knew that if he stayed, the Holy Spirit could not come. By returning to his Father, Jesus made way for the Holy Spirit to come and lead his followers in the final step of God the Father s plan. Now that sin and death had been defeated, God wanted everyone to hear the good news. The Holy Spirit would guide the disciples and help them to spread the word about Jesus throughout the Earth. The disciples stayed in Jerusalem, not sure what was going to happen. Sure enough, the Holy Spirit arrived. Read Acts 2:1-12 Let me step back and set the scene for you. Pentecost was a huge holiday. Jews from all over the world came to Jerusalem for Pentecost. Although they shared a common ancestry, they did not share a common language. Suddenly, a group of locals appeared in the crowd speaking in all the languages from around the world, telling people about Jesus! This was the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came on these people who had never studied these foreign languages and allowed them to speak in tongues so that people from Asia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Lybia, all over the world could hear the good news of WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT LESSON PAGE 2

LESSON Jesus spoken in their language! As a result of this miracle, thousands of Jews from around the world came to know Jesus. They accepted him as Savior, they received the Holy Spirit, and then what do you think they did? They took the message of the gospel back to their homelands. The book of Acts is filled with stories of people who were led by the Holy Spirit. A man named Phillip went from place to place finding people everywhere he went ready and waiting to receive the Holy Spirit. The Spirit allowed Peter and other disciples to perform miracles and heal the sick. The Spirit led the first missionaries as they traveled throughout the Roman Empire, spreading the good news. And the Spirit comforted those believers who soon fell under persecution. Who is the Holy Spirit? It is the Spirit of God that lives in the hearts of believers. When we sense that we are being tempted and that we should get away, that s the Holy Spirit. When you suddenly feel the need to pray for a friend or family member who might be in trouble, that s the Holy Spirit. When you feel a nudge inside telling you to show love to someone in need, that s the Holy Spirit as well. God the Father is our Creator. He made us, and he made the plan to restore us to him. Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. He was human and God, and he paid the price for our sins. The Holy Spirit is God in Spirit. He lives in our hearts. He teaches us right and wrong, and he guides us down the paths God chooses for us. If we listen to the Spirit and obey his commands, God will use us to spread his love to others. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT LESSON PAGE 3

POWERPOINT GAME Who s Your Teacher? The Powerpoint Game will feature the names of characters from film and literature who were counselors, teachers, leaders, and inspirations to the heroes and heroines we love. Pick two teams of two kids to compete with one another in this game. Players will have to guess what hero each teacher/guru/etc belongs to. Suggestions: Glenda the Good Witch (Dorothy) Yoda (Luke Skywalker) Dumbledore (Harry Potter) Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid) Gandalf (Frodo or Bilbo Baggins) The Fairy Godmother (Cinderella) WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT POWERPOINT GAME

DISCUSSION Break the ice. 1. When was the last time you had to ask someone for advice or guidance? 2. Who did you speak to? What advice did they give? Study the story. 3. When did Jesus first tell his disciples about the Holy Spirit? 4. Why were the disciples upset at that time? [Jesus was about to go to the cross, and he had been talking about leaving them. The disciples did not want Jesus to leave because he was their leader.] 5. In Acts 1, what did Jesus promise that the Holy Spirit would do? 6. When did the Holy Spirit come on the believers? 7. What miracle happened when the Holy Spirit came on the believers? 8. Why was it important for the believers to be able to speak different languages? 9. What happened as a result of the miracle on Pentecost? 10. What is the Holy Spirit s role in our lives? [The Holy Spirit acts as our guide and counselor. It helps us to avoid temptation, and it helps us to follow and find God s will.] 11. How do you receive the Holy Spirit? 12. Can someone who is not a believer hear the calling of the Holy Spirit? WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT DISCUSSION PAGE 1

DISCUSSION [No, but if they accept Christ, they will receive the Holy Spirit as well.] SAY: The Holy Spirit wants to be our guide through life. It knows the will of God and wants to lead us in His steps. Live it out. 13. Are there areas in your life right now where you need guidance? 14. How can you take your request to the Holy Spirit? [Through prayer, but also through reading the Word. The Holy Spirit often speaks to us through God s word.] 15. Those of you who are believers, have you ever heard the Holy Spirit speak to you? SAY: In order to hear the Holy Spirit, we must learn to be still and listen to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is not silent. It is a still small voice calling to us from within. Let s take a few moments of silence to pray and to listen. If you ve never stopped to listen for the Spirit, I encourage you to start doing so now. [Have a few moments quiet time, then close.] Dear God, Thank you for your perfect plans. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to live with us. Give us ears to hear and hearts that are willing to listen so we may live lives that are pleasing to you. In Jesus Name, Amen WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT DISCUSSION PAGE 2

GAME Four Man Balloon Bounce Blitz Prep. For this game you will need two party balloons (blown up with air, not helium) and a racing area at least 10 ft wide by 25 ft long. Mark the starting line and finish line, and run a line down the length of the track so you have two 25 ft (or longer) racing lanes. Play. Choose two teams of four. Have each team take a lane, and have the four team members stand in a circle facing one another. Give each team a balloon. Let the teams bounce the balloon around their circle. They can only hit the balloon, not catch it. Let them get a feel for the balloon as you explain the race. The Game. Each team will have to move as a group down the track from start to finish while bouncing the balloon around their circle. They must keep the balloon in the air at all times, and they must stay in their lane. Players are not allowed to catch the balloon; they must keep it bouncing. If the balloon hits the ground or goes into the other team s lane, the team must stop and get the balloon back in the air before they move on. The first team across the finish line wins! Take it to the next level. Line the racing route with some electric fans of various sizes and turn them on when the race begins. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT GAME