The Holy Spirit Came - Sunday December 6, 2020

Sunday December 6, 2020 (Vol 10, Unit 28, Session 1)

Hi-there parents! Welcome back! Or if you're new here, welcome! The following blog is here to be a tool for you to help your kids grow in their faith. Please feel free to use as much of it as you choose. You know your kids and are the best possible teacher for them. God has given you the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to do more than you think possible (Eph 3:20).  

 If you would like to join us in person, we are excited to announce that Children's Church for Kindergarten through 5th grade has resumed and is meeting during the 10:30 service. We would love to see your kids there!   

Pre-k is back as well! Consider joining us at 10:30 for in-person children's church!  

Parent Devotional: This week’s lesson, "The Holy Spirit Came" is found in Acts 2.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He instructed the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. So, the disciples went back to Jerusalem, where they waited and prayed for 40 days.

The time came for the Jewish festival called Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks. As with the Passover festival, Jews from all over the Roman Empire would be at the temple in Jerusalem.

During this festival, the Holy Spirit came to the disciples in Jerusalem. They heard a sound like a violent, rushing wind. When the Holy Spirit filled Jesus’ followers, they were able to speak in foreign languages. They went out into the city and began to preach, and the Jews from all over the world were amazed. These men were from Galilee, but they were speaking in languages the visitors could understand.

Some of those who heard this thought the disciples were drunk. But Peter explained that God had kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit. He reminded them of the prophet Joel’s words: “I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity” (Joel 2:28).

The disciples told about God’s plan. The Holy Spirit convicted the crowd and they asked, “Brothers, what must we do?” Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. That day, three thousand people received salvation!

With the Holy Spirit’s help, Jesus’ disciples could share the gospel with the entire world. (See Acts 1:8.) God gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior. As you teach kids, emphasize that the Holy Spirit gives us power to do God’s work, and He changes us to be more like Jesus.

As we begin to explore this week’s lesson, take a moment to remember the verse from Deuteronomy about teaching your children the scriptures. Deuteronomy 6:9 says: "You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Maybe you don't have time to sit and have an hour of Bible time all at once, or maybe your children are too young to sit for that long. Take the key points and ask God to give you opportunities to speak them into the hearts of your children throughout the week. Let the Bible become a part of your day to day. Be blessed this week my friends!  

Each week we include songs, activity pages, the bible lesson video, memory verses and possibly a craft or 2. We pray this will help you find ways to engage your kids spiritually. It is written in script form from the K-2nd grade lesson so you can read directly from it or change it up to suit your children. Take a few moments to look at and print the activity pages as well as the additional activities and information (found in the links at the bottom of the page) also to review the lesson so you can make adjustments as needed. I have included the Bible and Discussion questions along with a breakdown of the Gospel in the Older Kids Activities pages and loads of activities and crafts on the Preschool Extra Activity Pages. Once you are ready, go ahead and start with these songs if you'd like or pick some of your favorite worship songs and then jump right in! Have fun! And remember, this does not need to be done in one sitting! Feel free to break it up over the course of the week. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!  

So, let's get started. I like to begin each week with Blessings and Bummers. Tell me, what have you seen the Lord doing in your lives this week? What have your greatest blessings been? How about your biggest bummers? 

Parents share your blessings and bummers and encourage the kids to do the same. 

Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father God, Thank you. Thank you for providing for our needs. You are so good to us even though we don't deserve it! Thank you for continuing to bless us Lord. Thank you for being patient with us. Thank you for our friends as well as our families. Most importantly, thank you for sending Jesus to live a perfect life and die to pay for our sins. Thank you for raising Him from the dead and promising us life with you forever if we believe. Help us to appreciate all you do for us and to look to you in all that we do. In Jesus name, Amen. (please add to or customize prayer time to fit your family)

Praise the Lord for hearing our prayers! 

Prompt kids to discuss a time they waited for something wonderful, such as a birthday party or a holiday celebration.

Say • When we want something good, but it hasn’t arrived yet, we have to wait. Waiting can feel very difficult, but it is often a part of our lives. Today we will learn about a time Jesus’ disciples waited for something wonderful and what happened when that wonderful event finally happened.

Optional Session Starter Activity Pick one of two options, or do both, this is your party. These are found in the activity pages attached below.

As we get into the story, I want you to think about this question: How does the Holy Spirit help Christians? I’ll give you the answer later, but I want you to see if you can find some examples in the story of ways the Holy Spirit helps.

If you have been coming week after week, you may remember that we recently discussed what happened near the end of Jesus’ time on earth. Jesus died the death we deserve and rose from the grave on the third day. After that, Jesus spent time with His disciples for a little over a month before He ascended—rose up into the air—back to heaven to be with God. 

But before Jesus left, He gave His disciples a mission, and a promise. The mission was to spread the gospel and make disciples who love and obey Jesus. The promise was for a Helper who would come to guide them in their mission. This week, we will learn about the time when the Helper finally arrived!

Before the Holy Spirit came, Jesus’ disciples were locked in a room, afraid of the religious leaders who had crucified Jesus. After the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ disciples rushed out to begin boldly sharing about Jesus. Nothing about the disciples themselves had really changed. They didn’t have a sudden burst of new knowledge or wisdom; what they had was the Holy Spirit in their lives!

The Holy Spirit gave the disciples boldness to proclaim the good news. He gave them wisdom to remember what Jesus had taught them. He even gave them power to speak in languages they had never studied or learned! He is the amazing fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that God would be with believers forever. 

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. That means He is fully God just as Jesus and the Father are fully God. He is the Helper Jesus promised to send. He lives with all believers and gives us the power we need to live for God’s glory. How does the Holy Spirit help Christians? The Holy Spirit comforts us, shows us our sin, and guides us as we live for God’s glory. Without the Holy Spirit, no one could love and obey God, and with Him anyone can have a huge impact to change the world for God’s glory.

God kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit’s help, Jesus’ disciples could begin their work to share the gospel with the entire world. God gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Bible Time! 

Distribute a Bible to each kid. Help them find Acts 2.

Ask the following questions. Lead the group to discuss:

What did the disciples hear as the Holy Spirit came upon them? (a sound like a rushing wind, Acts 2:2)

What languages did the disciples preach the gospel in? (many languages; each listener heard his own language, Acts 2:6)

Which prophet did Peter quote to explain the miraculous events the Holy Spirit was causing? (Joel, Acts 2:16-21)

How can we receive the Holy Spirit? Guide kids to think about the gospel and what it means to believe the gospel to be saved. Remind them that works cannot save us, and we must come to Jesus in faith. Help them see that all who repent and believe the gospel receive the Holy Spirit.

How has the Holy Spirit affected your life? Guide kids to talk about ways they have seen the Spirit working in their lives or the lives of their family members who are saved. Help them think through the kinds of traits God said would mark a believer, such as love, kindness, faithfulness, and so forth.

Who can we tell about Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit? Explain that with the Spirit’s power, we can tell everyone the gospel. Guide kids to think about specific people they can share the gospel with. Help them plan a time and a way to talk about Jesus and encourage them to trust the Spirit for boldness.

Say • God kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit. God keeps all His promises. When we believe the gospel and have faith in Jesus, we are saved, and the Holy Spirit fills us. He helps us live on mission for God.

Let's take a look at our new memory verse: 

There is no better source of power and guidance than the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Peter wrote this key passage as part of his letter to believers. He wanted them to know that the Holy Spirit gives us everything we need to live for God.

Memory Verse Activity:

Work together with your group to develop hand motions to go with the verse. Consider researching some sign language words to help. Ensure the whole group knows the motions, then say the verse, with the motions, multiple times. You may use the suggested motions and word cues.

Power—Motion as though grabbing your left bicep with your right hand.

Life—Make an L-shape with the thumb and forefinger of each hand. Place your hands below your chest, with your forefingers pointed at each other. Move your hands up over your chest toward your collar.

Knowledge—Use your left hand to point to your temple with four fingers.

Glory—Clap your hands together before moving them apart, one upwards and the other down.

Say • Peter wanted believers to know that God’s power is enough for us. He gives us everything we need!

That's it for this week!

Let's pray: God, You always keep Your promises. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit as a gift for all who believe in You. Thank You for never leaving us alone and providing everything we need to live and glorify You. May the way we live point others to You. Amen.

Thanks for joining us! I hope to meet you here again next week!

Additional Activities and Information