Dear Parents, We hope the following summary of the Sunday School lesson will help you in discussing the lesson with your children and working through this booklet together. SCRIPTURE PASSAGE:
The Holy Spirit God’s Power In My Life
Acts 2:1-41 BIBLE STORY SUMMARY: Jesus told His disciples they would become His witnesses, going into all the world to tell others about Him. The disciples spent several days in prayer preparing for the Holy Spirit to come. Ten days after Jesus returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit came to live in the hearts of Jesus’ disciples. The Holy Spirit gave them power to become bold witnesses for Jesus. LESSON FOCUS: To understand that Jesus will give me His power, through the Holy Spirit, to live for Him each day and to be His witness. To understand that sin in my life keeps the Holy Spirit from filling me with His power. WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT GOD: The Holy Spirit fills me with God’s power to live for Jesus each day. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE LEARNED:
The Holy Spirit Gives Me Power to Live for Jesus
Just before Jesus returned to heaven, what did He tell His disciples would happen? They would receive power to become His witnesses. Where were they to go after Jesus ascended to heaven? What did they do while they waited for the gift Jesus had promised? They waited in Jerusalem, as Jesus had told them to do and prayed together for several days. They were still in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, a harvest celebration. What happened that day? The house where the disciples were praying was filled with the sound of a violent wind from heaven. Tongues of fire came and rested on each of the believers and all were filled with the Holy Spirit, who enabled them to speak in other languages. People had come from many places to Jerusalem to celebrate the harvest. How did they respond to what was happening with Jesus’ disciples? They were amazed to hear to the good news of Jesus being proclaimed in their own languages by disciples from Galilee. Peter came outside the house to speak to the crowd. How did Peter have the courage to talk to so many people about Jesus? How did the people respond? The Holy Spirit filled him with power to be a Copyright 2008 witness for Jesus. About 3,000 people beBerean Baptist Church lieved in Jesus and were baptized that day. 309 E County Road 42 Burnsville, Minnesota 55306 952.432.7168
Pentecost—Powerful Witnesses This Week’s Memory Verse: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to Him, ”Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:1-6
June 1, 2014
Monday—Wait For The Gift
Read Acts 1:8 1 John 1:9
We must be filled with the Holy Spirit’s power in order to be powerful witnesses for Jesus! Try this experiment at your house! You will need: *Clear glass or Jar *Water *Some Rocks *Plate or tray for glass to sit on
Saturday—This Week’s Puzzle
Do you know the way to eternal life in Jesus? Practice saying what you have learned so far from John 14:1-6. See if you can find the way through this maze. (Hint: You might want to trace the way with your finger before you use a pencil!)
1) Fill the glass to the top with water
When you become a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you.
2) List some sins. _____________________________________ 3) Drop the rocks into the glass one at a time, and give each rock the name of a sin as you drop it in. 4) What happened to the water when the rocks were dropped in?
Spend eternity in heaven with Jesus
_________________________________________
When we sin, it takes up room in our lives, And the Holy Spirit no longer fills us with His power. Just as there is still water in the glass, the Holy Spirit still lives in you, But sin keeps you from being filled with His power. 5) Remove the rocks and fill the glass up with water again.
That is what happens when you confess and repent of sin! God removes it from your life and fills you with His Holy Spirit again! Can you think of any sins in your life that might be preventing the Holy Spirit from filling your life with power?
__________________________________________________ Will you confess your sins to Jesus and ask God for His power to turn from sin and live for Jesus?
Read through this week’s memory lines at least two times.
Turn from sin and believe in Jesus
Friday—Peter Preaches To The Crowd
Read Acts 2:14-41
Which one of Jesus’ followers stood up to speak to the crowd? (verse 14)
__________________ Another day Peter had been too afraid to say that he knew Jesus. Now he was a bold witness telling large crowds about what Jesus had done!
Tuesday—Praying For Ten Days Just before Jesus returned to heaven, what did He tell His disciples would happen?
They would become His witnesses. They would receive power. All of the above. Where did Jesus tell them to wait for the Holy Spirit? (Acts 1:4)
Peter told them that what they were hearing was the Holy Spirit God had promised. He told them that Jesus had died for their sins and that God had raised Jesus to life. After they understood what Peter was telling them, the people wanted to know how they could have forgiveness of sins.
What did they do while they waited for the Holy Spirit? (Verse 14)
“____________________ and be baptized, every one of you, in the name
________________ of your _____________ and you will receive the _______________________ of the __________________ __________________. of Jesus Christ for the
Earlier that day, there had been only a houseful of Jesus’ followers. How many new Christians joined them that day? (Verse 41)
3 30 300 3000 Will you praise God for sending the gift of His Holy Spirit to help you?
Acts 1:8, 12-14
They would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It was the Holy Spirit who filled Peter and gave him the courage to speak! It was the Holy Spirit who gave Peter the right things to say.
What did Peter tell them? (Acts 2:38)
Read
J ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _______________________________________________ Jesus had given His followers the job of being His witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus knew that His friends were scared and didn’t know what to say. To tell others about Him, they would need His power. The disciples prayed every day for 10 days. As they prayed, God showed them sin in their lives that would prevent the Holy Spirit from filling them with His power. Do you ever feel scared to be Jesus’ witness? Yes No Sometimes Do you ever feel that you don’t know what to say? Yes No Sometimes
Will you pray and ask God to give you His Holy Spirit’s power to be His witness?
Wednesday—The Holy Spirit Comes
Read Acts 2:1-4
As Jesus’ followers prayed in the upper room, some amazing things happened! Put a 1 by the things that happened first, a 2 by what happened next. Keep numbering until you have them all in the right order.
_____ Each follower of Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, who came to live in each of them. _____ They began speaking in languages that they didn’t even know.
Thursday—The Crowd Hears Many Languages
Acts 2:5-13
This was already a very special day in Jerusalem. People from far and near came to thank God for the good harvest He had given them. Because they came from many places, they spoke different languages. Many people could not understand each other. Why did a crowd gather outside of the house where Jesus’ followers were praying? (verse 5 to 6) A. They heard the sound of a great wind.
_____ Flames, “tongues of fire,” came and rested on each of Jesus’ followers.
B. They heard many languages being spoken.
_____ They heard a sound from heaven that was like a violent wind blowing and filling the house.
D. A, B, and C.
When God helped them speak in different languages, what did they talk about? “We hear them declaring the
_________________ of ______________!
Read
C. Even if they were from far away, they heard someone speak their language.
Mark all the boxes that show what the people were thinking when they heard their language being spoken by Jesus’ followers.
This is amazing even though I don’t know how it’s happening! How can these people from Galilee know so many other languages? Those guys are really smart.
Why do you think Jesus would do these things—send the sound of a might wind, the fire and fill their mouths with other languages?
To fill them with fear.
Those disciples must be drunk! Who made sure that there were so many people in Jerusalem to hear about Jesus?
They would know that the Holy Spirit had come in power.
_______________________________________________
More people would learn about Jesus.
Who gave the right words to Jesus’ followers so everyone could hear about Him?
They would look like they were really smart.
_______________________________________________ God doesn’t expect us to do His work on our own!
What an amazing answer to their prayer! Jesus had told them they would receive power to be His witnesses when He sent the Holy Spirit. When these things happened, Jesus’ followers knew His power had come! Can you say this week’s memory lines by heart?
He brings those who need to hear about Him, And He gives us His power to be His witness! Will you tell God “Thanks,” that He will help you be His witness?