13 Jesus Sends Power From God - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/waipunachapel/documents/lesson 13_5.pdf · Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers

13Session

164 FaithWeaver • Spring Quarter

Session Sequence What Children Will Do Supplies

Let’s Praise God!

(about 25 minutes)

Sing• “God’s Not Dead” (track 12)• “Sing Unto the Lord” (track 8)• “A New Creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) (track 2)• “Miracles Happen Every Day” (track 3)• “Go and Make Disciples” (Matthew 28:19) (track 15)

KidsOwn Worship Kit:Songs From FaithWeaver, Inflatable Microphone, KidsOwn Worship DVD: “More Power”

Classroom Supplies: CD player, TV, DVD player, inflated balloon

Jesus Sends Power From GodActs 2:1-21

Worship Theme: The Holy Spirit is powerful.

Weaving Faith Into Life: Kids will worship God for the power of the Holy Spirit.


Let’s Learn the Point!

(about 25 minutes)

Bubble PowerPlay with bubbles, and talk about what gives them power.

Classroom Supplies:Bubble solution, 1 wand per child, fan

* Holy Spirit PowerExplore the story, and talk about things that help them.

Classroom Supplies:Bible, night light, teddy bear, picture of your family

More PowerAct out things that are powerful, and compare them to the Holy Spirit.

Session 13 • KidsOwn Worship 165



(about 25 minutes)

Finding PowerPlay a game of trading balloons by giving them power.

Classroom Supplies:1 uninflated balloon per child, masking tape

* God’s Holy Spirit Is PowerfulExperience the Bible story with several senses.

Classroom Supplies:Bible, fans, hair dryers, flashlights

* Who’s Got the Power?Compare the power of God’s Holy Spirit with a Balloon Car Racer.

KidsOwn Worship Kit:Balloon Car Racer

* Starred activities can be used successfully with preschool and elementary children together.

Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers and elementary children for Section 2.

Or, if you keep the children all together for the entire worship session, we suggest you choose from the starred activities.


Let’s Pray!(about 10 minutes)

The OfferingOffer their gifts to God.

Classroom Supplies:Offering bowls

Power PraiseAcknowledge that the Holy Spirit is powerful by comparing the Holy Spirit to other powerful things.

Closing PrayerClose the worship session in prayer.


Fifty days after the Passover celebration, the Jews celebrated the Feast of Weeks, otherwise known as Pentecost. However, the celebration described in this passage from Acts was a very special one. Jerusalem was crowded with Jews from many surrounding areas who had gathered in the holy city for the feast. Many of them spoke languages other than the Aramaic and Greek that were most common in Palestine at that time. God had set the stage for a miraculous display of his power through the Holy Spirit.

What is important to glean from this passage is that the Holy Spirit came upon Christians in a new and powerful way, enabling them to better spread the good news about Jesus. They were filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Somehow the disciples were able to speak so that people from several different ethnic groups could hear them in their own languages. The disciples were “declaring the wonders of God.”

Why did some accuse the disciples of being drunk (Acts 2:13)? In every crowd there are doubters. When they heard uneducated men speaking in other languages, they concluded that their utterances must be nonsense. They hardened their hearts and missed out on a miracle!

Notice who takes the lead in verse 14 and the powerful message he gives. Could this be the same Peter who, only seven weeks earlier, had three times denied even knowing Jesus? the same Peter who had hidden with the other disciples behind locked doors for fear of the Jews? Indeed it is. Peter’s experience with the risen Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit made Peter a new man!

Peter had no delusions about the source of the power he exhibited. He readily pointed out that the crippled man (described in Acts 3:1-10) was not healed by any power of Peter’s, but by the power of faith in Jesus.

God sent the Holy Spirit to empower his people to further his kingdom. Although Jesus had risen several weeks earlier and had spent time with the disciples after his resurrection, nothing is recorded in the Bible of any witnessing efforts prior to the events at Pentecost. In fact, Jesus had told his followers before he ascended to heaven that they were to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. God knew that they needed the power of the Holy Spirit to spread the good news. We can learn an enormous lesson from this event: When God has something big for us to do for him, he’ll empower us to do it. And he may use us in remarkable ways if we’re willing to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and let him work in our lives.

Bible Background for Leaders


Devotion for LeadersWhen you have a relationship with Jesus, you’re never

alone. The Holy Spirit is always with you! Morning,

noon, or night, you can grow in your friendship with

God.

Weaving Faith Into Your Life: Read Acts 3:12-20. Talk

about a makeover! Is this the same guy who repeatedly

denied Christ? The power of the Holy Spirit radically

changed Peter. How has the Holy Spirit changed you?

How will you rely on the Spirit’s power to live daringly

and speak boldly about your faith? Pray, asking God for

a Holy Spirit “makeover” in your lifestyle.


Why We Worship for LeadersWhen Jesus and his disciples celebrated the last Passover they would have together, he knew it was time for his arrest and crucifixion. Jesus told his disciples that he would be leaving them soon. They immediately became frightened at the thought of losing Jesus. They were confused and needed encouragement for the future they would face without Jesus by their side.

Jesus knew they would need help to fulfill the mission planned for them. So Jesus made a promise to his disciples. He promised them a whole new relationship with God’s Holy Spirit, who was coming to live in them! The Holy Spirit came in a powerful rush of wind at Pentecost, bringing power and strength to the disciples. The Holy Spirit empowered those men to speak the gospel with bold conviction. The same Holy Spirit lives in all Christians, giving them power to live for God each day. Let’s praise God for giving us such a welcome gift.

Easy Prep for LeadersLet’s Praise God!—

• Set up a TV and DVD player. Set the KidsOwn Worship DVD to play the segment titled “More Power.” Watch the segment before the session.

• Inflate a balloon, and set it aside with the Inflatable Microphone (still flat).

God’s Holy Spirit Is Powerful—Place several fans, hair dryers, and flashlights around the perimeter of the room, making sure you have outlets to plug the fans and hair dryers into. You’ll also need to enlist several adult helpers to turn on the fans, hair dryers, and flashlights at your signal.

Preschool Activities—Refer to the preschool pages for preparations.

Let’s Praise God!Play Songs From FaithWeaver, Spring 2012 as kids arrive. Ask some of the children to stand at the door to welcome everyone who comes into the room. Ask them to smile, shake hands, and say, “Welcome!”

When everyone has been greeted,

We are here to worship and praise God today. Our God is a great God. Today we’re worshipping God because he sent the Holy Spirit to us. The Holy Spirit is powerful, and he lives inside us and gives us strength, courage, and comfort. Let’s sing “God’s Not Dead” to praise God for sending his powerful Spirit to live in us.

Sing “God’s Not Dead.”

Lyrics are in the back of this book.Track 12


Our God is a powerful Savior. He sent Jesus to take away our sins. That’s really powerful! When Jesus was here on earth, he promised to send us even more power. Let’s watch a video about this.

Show the KidsOwn Worship DVD segment titled “More Power.” This video is a spoof of “Tool Time” from the TV program Home Improvement. It will show that the Holy Spirit brings more power into our lives.

After the video, have the children discuss the following questions:

• What kind of power do we get from the Holy Spirit? (The Holy

Spirit’s power helps us; God’s power.)

• Why do you think it was important for Jesus to send the Holy

Spirit to us? (We need God’s help to follow Jesus; the Holy Spirit

helps us live the way Jesus wants us to.)

After Jesus went to heaven, he sent a powerful helper to those who believe in him. We call that helper the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity. That means that the powerful Holy Spirit is God, too. And the powerful Holy Spirit lives inside all Christians. That’s reason to sing praises!

Sing “Sing Unto the Lord.”

Lyrics are in the back of this book.

In the Bible story we’ll be looking at today, the Holy Spirit came to those who believed in Jesus. The Holy Spirit brought them power and courage. Let’s play a game to see what that was like.

Have children form two teams, and have the teams line up on opposite sides of the room.

Today we’re going to play a little church baseball. I’ll give the balloon to one team and the microphone to the other team. Each person on the ball team will pitch the “ball” one time to the other team. On the batting team, each person will have one chance to hit the ball with the “bat.”

Give the batting team the Inflatable Microphone—but don’t inflate it. Give the other team the balloon. Give everyone on the batting team one chance to bat and everyone on the pitching team one turn to pitch.

Have the pitchers stand fairly close to the batters. Have them gently pitch the balloon underhand to the batters. Have the batters try to hit the balloon gently. As batters and pitchers take their turns, have them move to the back of their line. Continue until everyone has had a chance to bat or pitch.

• What did you think of this game? Was it easy or hard? (I couldn’t

hit the ball; it was hard to get the balloon to go anywhere.)

• What would’ve made this game easier? (If the bat were blown

up; if we had a real bat.)

Track 8

WarningChildren under 8 yrs. can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision required. Keep uninflated balloons from children. Discard broken balloons at once. Balloons may contain latex.


Now let’s switch sides. The batters will become the pitchers, and the pitchers will become the batters.

Give the balloon to the new pitching team. Inflate the microphone, and give it to the new batting team. Play the game again.

• What did you think about this version of the game? Was it

harder or easier than the first version? Explain. (It was easier,

because the bat was blown up; it was easier because I could hit the

balloon farther.)

• Which game would you rather play? Why? (The first one,

because it’s harder; the second one, because it’s possible to play.)

The uninflated bat hit the balloon but not as powerfully as the inflated bat did. When people don’t have the Holy Spirit in their lives, they’re like the uninflated bat—weak and powerless. But when we become Christians, we’re like the inflated bat; we have the powerful Holy Spirit living inside us. He fills us with power and courage so we can do important things. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us because he loves us and wants us to be able to be strong and courageous. We’re God’s children. God takes care of us by sending the Holy Spirit to us. Let’s sing “A New Creation” to celebrate the fact that God loves us.

Sing “A New Creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).


Today we’ll look at a Bible story about a mighty miracle that happened when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples. The Holy Spirit filled them with power so they could speak in languages they’d never learned before. Miracles happen every day. Let’s sing about that.

Sing “Miracles Happen Every Day.”


The people who spoke all these languages did so to help others hear about Jesus. The Holy Spirit gave them the power and the abilities they needed to spread the message about Jesus to many people. Let’s sing about that now.

Sing “Go and Make Disciples” (Matthew 28:19).


God, we praise you for giving us the Holy Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit is powerful. Thank you for sending us such a powerful gift to help us and strengthen us. Help us now to learn important things about your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Track 2

Track 3

Track 15

Check out the FaithWeaver Worship DVD included with your KidsOwn Worship

Kit! Use these segments to help you lead worship with your children each week.



Preschool Activities, pages 171-172At this time, have the preschool leader invite the preschoolers to go to

their own room for this section of activities. Tear out the Preschool Activities page, and give it to the preschool leader. Have the preschool leader bring the preschoolers back to participate in Let’s Pray! with the older children. If you prefer to keep all the children together, do the starred (*) activities. They will work well with both elementary and preschool children.

Elementary Activities

Finding PowerLet’s explore what it means to do something with and without power.

Have kids form pairs. Instruct them to form two lines by standing and facing their partners. Then ask kids to take 5 to 10 steps backward until there’s about 10 feet between the two lines. Place a long piece of masking tape in front of each line to make sure kids stay behind the line so the challenge remains fair. Give each child an uninflated balloon.

Without moving from where you’re standing, I want you to trade balloons with your partner. You will have to figure out a way to power your balloon in order to get it to your partner. There’s only one rule: You can’t shoot it like a rubber band because that might hurt someone.

Allow kids several minutes to solve this challenge. There are at least two ways to solve it. Kids can blow up the balloons without tying them off. When they let go of the balloons, the air in the balloons will propel the balloons to their partner. The children can also blow up the balloons, tie them off, and hit the balloons to their partners. You may have to help some kids explore their options and figure out how to meet the challenge. Also be prepared to help younger children inflate their balloons.

• What did it take to get the balloon to your partner? (I had to be

creative; it took the power of air.)

• How did you decide what to do? (I tried several different ways

that didn’t work; I watched other people; I thought about what

would work.)

• What was the fastest and most powerful way to get the

balloon across the room? (Blowing it up but not tying it off; not

blowing it up very far, then hitting it really hard.)

• What are some other powerful things air does? (It helps

airplanes fly; it keeps us alive.)(continued on page 173)


13Session

Preschool Activities



Worship Theme:

The Holy Spirit is powerful.

Easy Prep for Leaders

Bubble Power—You’ll need at least one bottle of bubble solution, bubble wands, and a fan.

Holy Spirit Power—Set out a Bible, a night light, a teddy bear, and a picture of your family.

Using TheoConsider using Theophilus the FaithRetriever puppet today in these ways:

• Have Theo lead the preschoolers from the main worship area to the preschool room.

• Have Theo help the children blow bubbles during the “Bubble Power” activity. Theo can also talk about the Bible story by making sounds like rushing wind or saying something in a different language.

• See the KidsOwn Worship Kit for a puppet skit written for today’s worship session.

Bubble PowerToday we’re going to make bubbles.

• Can you make bubbles without using the wand included in the bubble bottle?

Give children a few minutes to try making bubbles without the bubble wands.

Now you can use the bubble wands that came with the bottles of bubbles. Can you blow bubbles now?

Let children blow bubbles and enjoy the fun for a few moments. Then turn on the fan, and ask children to hold their bubble wands in front of the fan. This will make lots of bubbles all around the room.

• Was it harder or easier to make bubbles with the wands? with the fan?

• Were you surprised when you put your wand in front of the fan and saw how many bubbles came out?

Playing with bubbles is fun. When we blow gently on the bubble wand, we get lots of bubbles to play with. But when we put the wands in front of a more powerful wind like the fan, we got more bubbles faster! The fan was a powerful helper as we made bubbles. Today we’re going to talk about a story from the Bible that’s about a powerful wind and a powerful helper. Let’s find out what happened.


Preschool Activities

More PowerPlay this game to help children celebrate the fact that the Holy Spirit is powerful.

In our Bible story, we learned that the Holy Spirit came with great power. The Holy Spirit made a sound like a huge wind.

• What is the strongest wind you have ever seen or heard?

God’s Holy Spirit is more powerful than the biggest storm or tornado. Let’s pretend that we’ve been caught in a big wind. Encourage children to turn in circles and act like they’re being tossed in the wind.

• What is something else that is very powerful?

Allow children to share several examples. Act out each example for a few seconds. For example, you might say, “A train is powerful. Let’s be a powerful train.” After children line up and chug around the room, say, “The Holy Spirit is even more powerful than a train.”

Other examples include anything with a motor, such as cars, trucks, boats, and so on; water; electricity; rockets; and dinosaurs and other big animals. Help children realize that small things can be powerful, too. For example, matches and dynamite are small things that are powerful. Play several rounds of the game, and try to use as many of the children’s ideas as you can.

* Holy Spirit PowerOpen your Bible to Acts 2:1-21.

Jesus knew that it was time for him to return to heaven. He would leave behind his special friends, the disciples. Jesus knew that his friends would be lonely for him after he left. And he also knew they would need help because they had a big job to do. The disciples needed to spread the news about Jesus to the whole world. So Jesus promised that after he left, he’d send the Holy Spirit to be with them. The disciples were sad that Jesus was leaving.

• Have you ever felt sad when your parents left you to go to work or run errands or go out for the evening?

I brought some items that help us feel better when we’re sad or afraid. Show the children the night light.

• How does a night light help people when they’re sad or afraid?

Show the children the teddy bear.

• How does a teddy bear help people when they’re sad or afraid?

Show the children the picture of your family.

• Lots of people keep pictures of their family close by when they’re sad or afraid. How does a picture help people when they’re sad or afraid?

Jesus didn’t want his good friends to be lonely for him. He didn’t want them to be sad or afraid. So Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help them.

After Jesus went to heaven, the people celebrated a holiday called Pentecost. People from all over the world were in Jerusalem to

celebrate Pentecost. The people spoke many different languages, but they all came to Jerusalem to thank God for their good harvests.

• Can any of you say “thank you” in a different language? Allow children to share different ways to say “thank you,” such as gracias, arigato, or danke.

Suddenly it happened. No one knows exactly how, but the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ friends. They heard the sound of a loud rushing wind. Ask kids to make a sound like the wind. Have them do this several times, and encourage them to get louder each time.

They saw little tongues of fire over each person. All at once Jesus’ friends began to speak. And they all spoke in other languages. It was a miracle because the friends didn’t really know how to speak those languages. The Holy Spirit helped them to do it. And the people who were visiting Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost heard Jesus’ friends speaking in their own languages.

When Jesus’ friends saw what was happening, they weren’t afraid. They had boldness and courage to tell others about Jesus. They wanted everyone to know that Jesus was the Christ and that they were his friends.

Peter was one of Jesus’ friends. He boldly stood up where all the people could see him. He told the people that they had received a great blessing from God. He preached to the people about Jesus and let them know that God’s Holy Spirit was now with them. The people listened and heard Peter with their hearts as well as with their ears. And many of the people believed in Jesus that day. The Holy Spirit truly was a powerful helper.


Blow up a balloon, and release it so that it flies across the room.

Just as our breath gives power to an empty balloon, the Holy Spirit gives power to God’s people.

• Why do we need the Holy Spirit’s power? (The Holy Spirit helps

us live the way Jesus wants us to; the Holy Spirit gives us strength

to do things we couldn’t do on our own.)

• What does the Holy Spirit’s power help us do? (Bring people

closer to Jesus; help the church grow; the Holy Spirit helps us do

miracles for God.)

Earlier we sang a song called “Miracles Happen Every Day.” Today we’re going to learn about a miracle that happened one day among Jesus’ followers. We’re going to learn about the day God sent the Holy Spirit with great power.

* God’s Holy Spirit Is PowerfulHave helpers you’ve enlisted sit by the fans and hair dryers. Give flashlights to the other helpers. Turn off the room lights. Open your Bible to Acts 2:1-21.

This story happened many days after Jesus returned to heaven. It was time for a special holiday called Pentecost, and Jews had traveled to Jerusalem from all over the world to celebrate the holiday.

The apostles were all gathered in one place. Let’s pretend that we’re the apostles. The Bible doesn’t tell us what they were doing when they were all gathered together. They may have been sharing a meal. They may have been praying. Whatever they were doing, I’m pretty sure they weren’t expecting what happened next.

All of a sudden, a sound like a mighty wind came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were gathered. Signal your helpers to turn on the fans and hair dryers.

• What would you think if this happened here? (I’d be a little

scared; I’d think it was a hurricane or tornado.)

Then the apostles saw what looked like little tongues of fire that came to rest on each of them. Signal your helpers to stand by individual children and shine the flashlights onto the tops of their heads. Have the helpers mingle until they’ve shone the flashlights on each child’s head.

• What would you think if this happened here? (That would really

scare me; I’d begin to think something really cool was happening; I

wouldn’t know what to think.)

All of the people in the room were filled with the Holy Spirit. They all began to speak in all kinds of different languages.

(continued from page 170)


• What would you think if that happened here? (I’d be impressed;

I’d probably be pretty confused.)

People outside heard the noise that came from the building. They were all amazed, and they wondered what was happening. The people were from every nation in the world, and they all spoke different languages. But each person heard the apostles speaking in his or her own language.

Have the helpers turn off the fans, flashlights, and hair dryers.

Some of the people didn’t understand that the powerful Holy Spirit had come to the apostles and caused this to happen. They thought the apostles were drunk.

That’s when the Apostle Peter stood up and spoke to the crowd. He explained that the Holy Spirit had come and given them power to speak in different languages. Then Peter told all of the people about Jesus. About 3,000 people decided to believe in Jesus that day, and it was all because the powerful Holy Spirit helped the apostles.

Now turn to someone sitting next to you, and discuss these questions:

• How does knowing that you have the power of the Holy Spirit

living inside you make you feel? (I feel like I can do anything; it

makes me know that God loves me.)

• What does the Holy Spirit’s power help you do? (It helps me

have courage; it helps me serve God; it helps me know God better.)

God wants to do amazing things in the world. God has chosen to work through the people who believe in him so he sent his Spirit, the powerful Holy Spirit, to live in us. Let’s learn more about the Spirit’s power.

* Who’s Got the Power?Find a large, flat area of the floor to use as a racetrack, and gather kids around it. You’ll need the Balloon Car Racer from the Kids Own Worship Kit. Make sure the balloon is attached and ready to inflate, but don’t inflate it yet.

The Holy Spirit is powerful. Let’s use this Balloon Car Racer to demonstrate how powerful the Holy Spirit is. Let’s pretend that the car is a normal person just like you or me. We’ll also pretend that this person isn’t a Christian—the Holy Spirit isn’t living inside of him or her. Let’s set the car down on the racetrack, and we’ll see how far it races on its own.

Set the car down without pushing it; it should not roll.

Remember that we’re pretending that the Balloon Car Racer is a person without the Holy Spirit living inside him or her.



• Why do you think the car didn’t race? (It was missing something;

it needed something else to help it move; it didn’t have the power

to go anywhere.)

• How is this like a person who isn’t a Christian and doesn’t have

the Holy Spirit living inside? (That person doesn’t have the power

of the Holy Spirit; the person is missing something important.)

Now let’s see what it’s like to have the powerful Holy Spirit living inside us. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit came in a rush of wind. So let’s add some air to the Balloon Car Racer.

Inflate the balloon, and hold one finger over the balloon opening. Then set the car down at one end of the racetrack, and uncover the balloon opening. If the car veers off course or doesn’t go very far, you can repeat as time permits.

• What happens to us when the powerful Holy Spirit lives inside us?

(We have power to do great things; we can be good servants of God.)

• Why do you think God sent us such a powerful helper?

(Because we need God’s help; we can’t do those things on our

own; we need to help others get to know God.)

• How does knowing that you have this powerful helper living

inside you make you feel? (I feel strong; I feel like I can do anything.)

The Holy Spirit is a powerful friend and helper. Before we become Christians, we have to rely on our own strength and our own power. But as Christians, we have all the power of the Holy Spirit because the Spirit lives inside us. Jesus sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit because he knew we’d need powerful help to live for him. Let’s praise Jesus for sending us such a powerful friend and helper.

Let’s Pray!The Offering

Today we talked about how the Holy Spirit came to the apostles with great power. The Holy Spirit came and helped the people understand one another even though they spoke different languages. The Holy Spirit is powerful and gave the people power to do something they could not do normally. The powerful Holy Spirit lives in all Christians. Right now as we take the offering, think of an area of your life in which you need the Holy Spirit’s power. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you power.

Take the offering.


Power Praise Now let’s praise God and the Holy Spirit aloud. For this prayer, you’ll need to think of something that’s powerful—a rocket or a superhero, for example. I’ll give you a moment to think of powerful things before we begin our prayer. Give kids 30 seconds or so to think of power ful things.

God, today we praise you because you have given us your powerful Spirit. There are many things in this world that are powerful, but we know that nothing is more powerful than your Holy Spirit.

Invite kids to take turns calling out the name of something that’s powerful. When someone has named something powerful, have the rest of the group respond by praying, “[Name of object] is powerful, but we praise the Holy Spirit, who is more powerful.” Continue until everyone has had an opportunity to name something powerful.

Thank you, God, for your gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Closing PrayerInvite several of the children to close the worship session in prayer. If no one wants to do this, close the session yourself.

Holy Spirit, you are powerful and good. You give us courage, strength, help, and comfort. We thank you for living within us. Help us to be aware of you every day, and help us to rely on you to help us live for God. Amen.

Encouragement for LeadersDear Lord, thank you for the sacrifice you

made when you sent your Son, Jesus, to die for

us. Remind me daily of your willingness to give

up everything for me. Teach me to be selfless for

the sake of the children in my ministry. In Jesus’

name, amen.

Documents

13 Jesus Sends Power From God - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/waipunachapel/documents/lesson 13_5.pdf · Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers