GOD SPEAKS TO METHROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT!

LESSON 2

POWER PHRASEGod speaks to me through the Holy Spirit!

MEMORY VERSEJohn 14:17, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows

Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

SUPPORTING DOCTRINESFor supporting doctrines, see our Statement of Faith at novoministries.org/statement-of-faith.

GOALSThe child will...

• Learn how God gives the Holy Spirit to all those who have asked for forgiveness and accepted Jesus as the

Lord of their lives!

• Understand how God can speak to every believer through the Holy Spirit!

• Choose to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and listen to what He says!

REMINDERSThe Holy Spirit is such a blessing to each and every believer. It is so important for the children to know who

the Holy Spirit is and how they can listen for Him and allow Him to guide them each and every day.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe want to express our gratitude to the volunteers who contributed ideas toward the development of this

lesson: Deborah Lunsford, Sky Elliot, LaShane Hill, Kristn Punjabi, and Kelly Anderson. All of our contributors

work with the children of Oklahoma City’s inner city. Thank you for the time you have invested in these

children.

The stories and photos shared in the Gospel Presentation activities are used with the permission of

www.iamsecond.com.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESAll Large Group or Small Group activity visuals or supply items followed by an asterisk ( * ) may be downloaded

for printing at www.novoministries.org/resource.

2 | AT A GLANCE

PETER’S MESSAGE AT PENTECOST (BIBLE STORY - ACTS 2:14-36)

Recommended Visuals

• Bible Story Visuals*, Lip Sync Visuals*

Recommended Supplies

• Bible, Bible Insert for Large Group*, dress shirt or bathrobe

Captivate #1 - Helping Hands!

• Choose two boys to act out the part of Peter in the Bible Story. Have the first boy put on a dress shirt or

bathrobe backwards. Have the second boy be the arms of Peter by standing behind the first boy and

putting his hands through the sleeves of the shirt/bathrobe. Be sure to add a lot of activity and expressions

throughout the Bible Story. (Since the children will be standing so close together, it is recommended to

choose two boys for this activity.)

Captivate #2 - Lip Sync!

• Print the Lip Sync Visuals and cut out the mouth sections. Choose a child to be Peter. Have him

dramatically repeat different parts of the Bible Story as you tell it.

Introduction

• Pentecost occurred 50 days after the day Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus had already gone back to

Heaven, but His followers were waiting to receive the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised would come. Since

Jesus wouldn’t be with them any more, He said that the Holy Spirit would help bring them closer to God.

Story

• Retell the story from Acts 2:14-36

• See Bible Story Script.

Conclusion

• Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, people can be forgiven for their sins and receive the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will dwell in them and be with them in all that they do!

TESTIMONY• Share about a time you were about to do something wrong and then the Holy Spirit spoke to you and

helped you make the right choice.

• Share about a time you were going through something difficult and the Holy Spirit brought you comfort.

LARGE GROUP | 3

CHALLENGERecommended Visuals

• Key Point Visuals*, Power Phrase Visual*, Memory Verse Visual*

Supplies

• Bible, Bible Insert for Large Group*, clear cup, milk, chocolate syrup, spoon

Introduction

• Before Large Group, pour chocolate syrup in the bottom of the clear cup and then milk on top of it, trying to

keep the liquids from mixing together.

• During Large Group say, “How many of you like chocolate milk? I’m going to have a nice drink of this

chocolate milk.” The children will notice that the milk is white and not chocolatey. Explain that the chocolate

is in the glass but hasn’t been stirred, so it isn’t mixed with every part of the milk. • We are like the chocolate milk! When we become a believer, God gives us the Holy Spirit. He is a part of

our lives, but it us up to us to allow Him to be mixed into every aspect of our lives. Are we listening to the

Holy Spirit and allowing Him to guide us? If not, we aren’t allowing Him to do the work that God sent Him to

do in our lives.

• Stir the milk and syrup together to show the children what it is like when we allow the Holy Spirit to impact

every part of our lives. When we are open and listen, God can speak to us through the Holy Spirit!

Key Points

Who is the Holy Spirit?

• There is only one God, but there are three persons in an everlasting relationship with each other which is

called the Trinity–God the Father; Jesus, God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. This is not an easy thing to

understand, but the more that we know about God, the more we will understand who God is and all that He

does.

• 2 Corinthians 13:14 says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the

Holy Spirit be with you all.” It is talking about the three persons of God being with us.

• “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of

truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He

dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)

• The Holy Spirit can be compared to the wind. You cannot see it, but you can see the effect of it. You see

the branches moving or you feel your hair being blown. You cannot see the Holy Spirit, but you can feel

Him and see the effect He has on you and around you.

How do we receive the Holy Spirit?

• The Holy Spirit is given to all those who believe and is a security guaranteeing our inheritance until Christ

returns (Ephesians 1:13-14).

• The Holy Spirit lives permanently inside every Christian (1 Corinthians 6:19). John 14:17, “Even the Spirit of

truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He

dwells with you and will be in you.”

4 | LARGE GROUP

CHALLENGE (CONTINUED)

Key Points (continued)

What does the Holy Spirit do?

• The Holy Spirit was promised to be given to every believer (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

• The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16:7-11).

• The Holy Spirit is with believers day after day (Psalm 139:7-10).

• The Holy Spirit gives wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:7-13).

• The Holy Spirit guides believers (Romans 8:14).

Conclusion

God gives the Holy Spirit to each and every believer when he or she receives Jesus as Lord of their life. The

Holy Spirit is there to guide, comfort, and convict us so we can live for God.

Invitation

For the unsaved child:

• God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to give you His Holy Spirit to help you

each and every day. All you have to do is admit that you are a sinner and want Jesus to forgive you and be

the Lord of your life.

• Jesus paid the price for your sin; He became your Substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is because of Jesus that

we can admit that we have sinned and ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives (Romans 3:23).

• Invite the children to stay behind and talk to a leader if they have any questions or would like to ask Jesus

to forgive their sins and be the Lord of their lives.

For the saved child:• Challenge the saved child to allow the Holy Spirit to be an active part of his life and to listen to His voice

each and every day.

• Encourage children to stay behind and talk to a leader if they have any questions.

LARGE GROUP | 5

SUPER POWERS (ARRIVING ACTIVITY)

Visuals

• Picture of a superhero using super powers*

Instruction and Application

• As the children arrive, ask them who their favorite superheroes are. Next have them share what super

power their superheroes have and how they acquired it. Maybe their superhero was born with the super

power, or maybe their superhero got the super power later in life after something happened. Ask the

children if they think they have a super power. If they could have super powers, what would they be?

Superheroes have powers that allow them to do good.

• When we choose to ask Jesus to forgive our sins and be the Lord of our lives, He fills us with His Holy Spirit.

We can see this as similar to a super power. The Holy Spirit is there to strengthen and encourage us, as well

as give us wisdom and convict us when we are doing things we shouldn’t. Today we are going to learn

more about how God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.

• Review the Memory Verse with the children. John 14:17, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot

receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in

you.”

6 | SMALL GROUP

KNOW HIM (MEMORY VERSE)

Visuals

• Memory Verse Visual*, Picture of a man walking up a path*

Supplies

• Bible

A.G.A.I.N. Acrostic

A — Attention Grabber (Grab their attention with an interesting introduction and don’t let go!)

There once was a little girl who always knew when her father was walking up to the house. He always

whistled a specific little tune as he walked. She could recognize the smell of his cologne on his clothing. She

knew these things because of her close relationship with her father. God has given all believers the Holy

Spirit. We can know Him because He dwells in us and is always with us and speaks to us.

G — God’s Word (Show them that the concept you are teaching them comes from the Bible.)

John 14:17, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows

Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

A — Awareness (Make them “aware” of the words and concepts.)

Spirit of truth – God the Holy Spirit, who brings truth

World cannot receive – unbelievers cannot receive the Spirit nor the things of the Spirit

Neither sees Him nor knows Him – does not know the Holy Spirit personally

He dwells with you – remains with you

Will be in you – He inhabits the lives of believers

I — In Their Lives (Teach them to apply the lesson “in their lives.”)

Unsaved child (questions to ask an unsaved child)

How can you receive the Holy Spirit in your life? What impact can this have on your life? Would you

like to believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins, be the Lord of your life?

Saved child (questions to ask a saved child)

How can you recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit and know what He is saying to you? Do you think it

will always be easy to obey the Holy Spirit?

N — Number of Times (Repeat the content again and again until the children understand it.)

Read from Scripture. Repeat after me. Play the Memory Game three or four times.

Memory Game

Play March-a-Verse (Jog-a-Verse/Skip-a-Verse). Chant the Memory Verse as the group marches around the

room/Small Group area. Say a word or phrase with each step you take. If you are in a small space, you can

have the children pat their hands on their legs instead of marching.

SMALL GROUP | 7

COMPLETELY SURRENDER (GOSPEL PRESENTATION)

Visuals

• “Who is God?”, “What’s Your Choice?”, and “What to Do Now?” Foundational Gospel Truths Visuals*, Picture

of R.A. Dickey*

Supplies

• Bible, paper, writing tools

Instruction and Application

• R.A. Dickey’s dream came true when he became a professional baseball player. Dickey had one of

baseball’s worst pitching records, giving up an unbelievable six home runs in one game. Dickey was sent

back to the minors and his dreams came crashing down. Dickey had decided to end his life. Not only was

he experiencing the pain of losing his baseball dream; he hadn’t dealt with the pain and hurts he

experienced in his childhood. In this dark moment, Dickey felt like God was right beside him and told him

not to end his life.

• Dickey had hoped baseball would give him meaning and a way to escape the pain of his past, but all of that

seemed impossible now. He couldn’t see how he would one day find healing and redemption and success

beyond his wildest dreams.

• One day R.A. almost drowned when he was swimming in the river. A teammate was ahead of him and

pulled him out of the water. He decided to open up to his wife about the abuse he faced as a child. He

thought he would lose her, but she stayed with him. When R.A. gave everything to God, he experienced

healing in many areas of his life and even a clearer purpose and focus for baseball. He was given the Cy

Young Award in 2012, the only knuckleballer in MLB history. • R.A. learned who God was, how God was always there in every circumstance, and that God loved him very

much. Use the “Who is God?” Visual to review.

• R.A. made the choice to ask Jesus to forgive his sins and be the Lord of his life. He was able to find healing

from the hurts and pains of his childhood when he gave everything to Jesus. Each of us has to make a

choice about Jesus. Use the “What’s Your Choice?” Visual to review.

• Just like R.A., each of us needs to completely surrenders to God daily–to put God first and allow Him to be

the center of all we do. Use the “What to Do Now?” Visual to review.

Discussion

• Older Team: Have the children discuss what it means to completely surrender and how they can completely

surrender to God.• Younger Team: Have the children discuss how they can G.R.O.W. to be more like Jesus.

• Quiet Team: Have the children write the word surrender on their papers. Have them connect other words to

that word that are associated with completely surrendering to God.

• Active Team: Have the children find a partner and play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner can share what it

means to him to completely surrender to God.

8 | SMALL GROUP

FLASHBACK (REVIEW QUESTIONS)

Supplies

• Review Questions*

Large Group Story Review Questions

• When did Pentecost occur? (50 days after Jesus rose from the dead)

• What did Jesus promise would happen? (They would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them.)

• What was Pentecost? (A day to celebrate and thank God for the harvest)

• What did the people bring to God? (Two loaves of bread and two lambs)

• What suddenly happened? (A sound like a wind filled the whole house.)

• Who was speaking to the crowd? (Peter)

• What happened when the tongues of fire rested on the heads of those in the crowd? (They were filled with

the Holy Spirit and spoke in other languages.)

• What did people from other lands find when they came to see what happened? (They heard people

speaking in their home language.)

• What did some people accuse them of? (Having drunk too much wine)

• What did the people do when they realized that they were responsible for Jesus’ death? (They wanted to

know what they could do to receive forgiveness.)

• What did Peter tell the people to do? (Repent and be baptized)

• What changed that day for believers? (They were filled with the Holy Spirit.)

Discussion Questions

• What impact does the Holy Spirit have on your life?• How can you better listen to the Holy Spirit?

SMALL GROUP | 9

HOLY SPIRIT (CRAFT)

Visuals

• Craft sample*

Supplies

• Headband template*, scissors, coloring tools, glue, tape

Instruction and Application

• Give each of the children a headband template. Have the children color the largest flame red, the middle-

sized flame orange, and the smallest flame yellow. Encourage them to color the headband piece however

they would like to. Next have them cut out each of the pieces and glue the flames on the headband from

largest to smallest as shown on the craft sample. Finally, have the children tape the ends of the headband

together. Remind them that today we learned that God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. Every believer

has received the Holy Spirit, and He is always with us.

• Review the Memory Verse with the children. John 14:17, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot

receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in

you.”

10 | SMALL GROUP

WHAT’S THE POINT? (APPLICATION ACTIVITIES)

Supplies

• God & Me Journal*, paper, writing tools

Activity #1

• Give each child a God & Me Journal. Review “Talk to God” and “God Speaks To Me” on the cover. Have the

children share why it is so important to spend time talking and listening to God each and every day. Then

have the children turn to “What did I learn?” Have them discuss how God can speak to them through the

Holy Spirit. Have the children write ways the Holy Spirit might speak to them. For instance, maybe they are

about to do something wrong, and they suddenly feel convicted not to do it. Or maybe something bad has

happened and they are very upset, but they feel a peace and know that everything is going to be alright.

Have the children write how they can better listen to the Holy Spirit and be obedient to what He says. • Encourage the children to spend time with God every day this week and write in their God & Me Journal.

Activity #2

• Have the children break into pairs and pray together. Encourage them to walk through each of the parts of

prayer. They are doing the first step by making it a priority and taking time to pray! Encourage the children

to ask God to help them to listen more closely to the Holy Spirit when He speaks to them.

NOW WHAT? (ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY)

Supplies

• Additional Activity #1: Peter’s Message Coloring Page*

• Additional Activity #2: Spirit Hidden Word*

• Additional Activity #3: The Big Take Away Key Chain*

Instruction and Application

• These activities are to be used with your team as time fillers while reinforcing the lesson concepts. The

children can take these home each week or do them while they are listening to you teach during Small

Group. These activities require little to no explanation and can be great for moments when you are

transitioning or don’t have time to start another activity.

SMALL GROUP | 11

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DEEPERGOD SPEAKS TO ME

THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT!LESSON 2