GOD IS HOLY SPIRIT GOD GIVES A HELPER GOD IS HOLY SPIRIT GOD GIVES A HELPER. PRESCHOOL guide. guide 11. book THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD ALIVE IN US

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1 Page 1 PRESCHOOL guide foundation guide 11 - Property of Tri-Cities Baptist Church 171 Promise Land Dr. Gray, TN Chief Contributor and Editor: Jennifer Thurman September 2016

2 Page 2 overview FOUNDATION: God not only exists as Father and Son, but also as Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is probably the most difficult person of the Trinity for us to grasp because it is the concept most unfamiliar to us. The Bible tells us that God is Spirit. The Holy Spirit is fully God, active, alive, and at work today in the lives of those who place their faith in God. Jesus told the disciples that it was far better for Him to leave the world than to stay, because God would send the Holy Spirit to indwell them, lead them, and work in them. God does not leave us on our own as Christians, but has sent us a helper, the Holy Spirit. BIG TRUTH: BIBLE VERSE: John 4:24 God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. BIG IDEAS The Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit makes God s people alive. The Holy Spirit lives within God s people. BIG AIMS Every child should know that the Holy Spirit is God and lives within God s people. Every child should be in awe of the God who lives within His people. KNOW FEEL Every child should be able to thank God for sending the Holy Spirit to make us alive and to live within us. Every child should want to know more about who the Holy Spirit is and how He makes us alive through Jesus Christ. DO WANT BIBLE STORY: EZEKIEL 37:1-14 In this passage God is showing Ezekiel what He is going to do in the nation of Israel in the future. He is going to make them alive again with His spirit. The story in Ezekiel is a picture of God raising the dead to life by causing His spirit to live inside of them or indwell them. This new life is given to every believer when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of them. FAMILY DEVOTION: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR HELPER God sends the Holy Spirit to live inside of every believer. This spirit is God s mark on His people. The Holy Spirit is the believer s helper. It is God living inside of each person who has faith in Christ. This helper serves as our guide and teacher and helps us know more about God and His will for our lives. Help families build on this week s Big Truth by encouraging parents and guardians to utilize this weeks devotional available online at

3 Page 3 game plan STUDY SESSION (LEARN TRUTH): The Study Session is where ers are taught the week s foundation principle concerning who God is and what He has given. Bible Reading: John 4:24 Teaching Focus: We worship God in spirit and truth. Bible Story: John 4:24 Big Question: Since the Holy Spirit is God, how do we worship God in spirit and truth? Use John 4:24 to teach the truth that the Holy Spirit is God and we should worship God in spirit and truth. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is fully God. WORSHIP SESSION (LOVE TRUTH): The Worship Session is where ers praise and make much of God through song, Bible reading, and teaching. Song Focus: The Holy Spirit makes God s people alive again. Bible Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Teaching Focus: The Holy Spirit brings new life to believers when they have believed in Jesus Christ. Bible Story: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Big Question: How did the Holy Spirit make God s people alive again? Use the resources included to teach the truth that The Holy Spirit is God Alive in Us. You will not use everything, but the supplied resource is designed to provide you with a clear understanding of this Bible story and how it relates to The Big Truth. Give consideration to the Big Ideas & Hooks. LIFE SESSION (LIVE TRUTH): The Life Session is where ers are engaged to interact through Hooks that help reinforce the Big Ideas of the week. Verse Activity: John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Use the supplied Hooks or an approved activity to help ers learn and understand the Bible verse. Example: Help the er memorize John 4:24 by singing it to the tune of Frère Jacques. Provided Resources Provided Bible Verse Hook: Example under Life Session: Singing verse to Frère Jacques Provided Bible Story Hook: Coloring Sheet; Do under BIG IDEA: The Holy Spirit Makes God s People Alive. The Jesus Story Bible Reading: God Sends Help GENERAL HELP: Stay on subject with the Big Truth and Bible Verse. Every talk should return to the Big Truth. Keep it simple. Make it memorable. Reinforce the Big Ideas in conversation with the kids. Prepare with conviction. You will not use everything, but the supplied resource is designed to provide you with a clear understanding of this Bible Story and how it relates to The Big Truth. Give consideration to the Big Ideas & Hooks in your preparation and delivery. Pray for wisdom and receptive hearts.

4 Page 4 BIBLE VERSE: John 4:24 The Holy Spirit is God The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is fully God. John recounts Jesus encounter with the woman at the well in this passage. In this passage Jesus teaches the Samaritan woman that the Holy Spirit is God and must be worshipped as such. We were created to worship God. All of mankind was created to worship God. In order to worship Him rightly, we must worship Him in spirit and truth. We bring God glory when we acknowledge and worship the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit serves as our guide to truth. In order to rightly worship God, we must worship Him in spirit, meaning we must acknowledge the Holy Spirit as God. The Holy Spirit is not a lesser part of the Trinity. He is our teacher and guide to the truth. When we acknowledge the Holy Spirit and give Him the right place in our lives, we can find truth and worship God rightly. The Holy Spirit indwells, or lives inside of every believer. Because the Holy Spirit lives inside of every believer, we can worship God rightly. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot worship God as we should. The Holy Spirit is necessary for every believer to know God and understand Him as He reveals Himself through the Spirit.

5 Page 5 BIBLE STORY: EZEKIEL 37:1-14 Dry Bones Made Alive Supporting Scripture: John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18; Matthew 28:19; Romans 8:11 Teacher Introduction: Ezekiel s vision of God recreating the community of the Israelites is one of the most powerful in God s Word. It is one of the first references to the resurrection of the dead in the Old Testament and points towards the coming of God s Son. Most importantly in this vision, the third person of the Trinity is highlighted the Holy Spirit. We learn from Ezekiel s vision about the power and function of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit breathes life into the dry bones, re-creating life that had once been, but since passed away. This picture is symbolic of the new life that the Holy Spirit breathes into every person who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation. The Holy Spirit is God and God breathes life into His people. Teaching Guide: The guide below is provided to help you teach Dry Bones Made Alive. The three points are the Big Ideas that should guide your lesson as you share the narrative Dry Bones Made Alive. Footnotes are provided for further study of the text and God s interaction with His people. Throughout the lesson questions are placed to help you guide the ers to think about and process the narrative---dry Bones Made Alive. Opening Illustration: Gather enough white paper lunch sacks for each child to have one. You can write the word Bones on the bags or allow the children to draw bones on their bag. Once this is completed have them crumple their bags up. Make sure they don t tear their bags. Do you know what our bags represent? (They represent very dry bones.) Do you think dead, dry bones can come back to life? (They may have varying answers, but remind them that bones can t come back to life by themselves.) Do you know who breathes life into everything? (The Holy Spirit breathes life into everyone and everything.) These bags are all crumpled up and dead, but we re going to breathe life back into them. Help the children hold their bags around their mouths and blow air into them so they are no longer crumpled up. This is what the Holy Spirit does to us when it breathes new life into us.

6 Page 6 BIG IDEA: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is fully God just like the Father and Son. He is referred to, in scripture, as Holy Spirit or Spirit. 1 He is the creator and re-creator, breathing life into God s people. Ezekiel refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Lord, revealing that he is part of the Trinity, or Godhead. Ezekiel s vision is given to him through the Spirit which reveals the words of God to man. 2 The Holy Spirit has the same attributes as the Father and Son. The Holy Spirit is not confined to one place. He is God; therefore, he is omnipresent just as the Father and Son are. The Spirit refers to Himself as God when He speaks to Ezekiel. The Holy Spirit is omnipotent, or all-powerful and He is omniscient, or all-knowing, just as the Father and Son are. 3 The Spirit breathed life into the dry bones in Ezekiel s vision revealing His power to give life and to bring back the dead. The Holy Spirit should be worshipped as God. The Holy Spirit is not a lesser person of the Trinity. He is not part of God, but he is God. Because the Spirit is God, He should be worshipped as God. The Spirit is an integral part of reconciling God s people to Himself. 4 Who is the Holy Spirit? (He is the third person of the Trinity.) Is the Holy Spirit God? (Yes, He is fully God.) KNOW Use popsicle sticks to create a unilateral triangle. On each stick write one of the persons of the Trinity. Tell them that the entire triangle is God, but God has three persons and the Holy Spirit is one of them Corinthians 3:16-18: The Holy Spirit, often called the Spirit, is fully God and is the third person of the Trinity. 2. Acts 13:2: The Spirit is seen throughout scripture, in the Old and New Testaments, speaking to man. The Spirit speaks to the prophet Ezekiel revealing the words of God to him Corinthians 2:10: The Spirit of God searches all things and reveals things to man. He is omniscient. 4. Matthew 28:19: The Great Commission includes the three parts of the Trinity. The Spirit is part of the work of salvation in man.

7 Page 7 BIG IDEA: THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES GOD S PEOPLE ALIVE. The Spirit brings new life. Ezekiel s vision was symbolic of, or represented what God was going to do to the nation of Israel. Ezekiel s entire prophesies the destruction of Israel and its restoration. When Ezekiel is shown the dry bones by the Spirit, he is seeing the future restoration of Israel by God. This Spirit causes the dead to live again. 5 The Spirit raises the dead to life. The Spirit brings new life to the physically dead. 6 He breathes life into mankind, giving new life to those God creates. He breathes life into the dead, just as the Spirit breathed life into the dry bones. The bones were so dry and old that they were white. These bones were without any sign of life. There was nothing left but the brittle dry bones, yet the Spirit breathed life into them again. The Spirit is the life giver. He brings life to men and makes the dead live again. The Spirit gives new life through Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives new life when faith is placed in Jesus Christ. This new life is seen when Ezekiel sees the Spirit breathe life into the dry bones and they return to life. The resurrection of the dry bones is symbolic of the new life God was going to give His people through His Son. He was going to breathe new life into them through His Spirit. The Spirit gives new life to God s people. It makes them alive again. 7 Who makes God s people alive? (The Holy Spirit makes God s people alive.) Who raises the dead? (The Holy Spirit raises the dead.) DO Use a balloon to show the children how the spirit breathes life. Tell them the flat balloon is someone without life. It is flat and lifeless. Blow air into the balloon. Tell them that the air going into the balloon is like the Holy Spirit breathing air into the dead life. The Holy Spirit breathes life into the dead and gives life to God s people. 5. John 6:63: The Spirit gives life and makes it live again. He is the one who resurrects the dead. 6. Romans 8:11: The Spirit raised Jesus, the Son, from the dead. It is the power of resurrection. 7. Colossians 2:13: We are dead in our transgressions and sins until we believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ. When that faith happens, the Spirit of God breathes new life into us and we are reborn or born again.

8 Page 8 BIG IDEA: THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES WITHIN GOD S PEOPLE. The Spirit indwells, or lives inside, God s people. The Holy Spirit is the promised helper to every believer of God s salvation. He lives, or indwells every believer without exception. 8 He breathes new life into believers, resurrecting them from a life dead in their sin to a life alive in Jesus. He guides and directs believers to know God and obey Him. 9 The Spirit is God Himself living in the hearts of His people. God chooses to live in the hearts of His people. 10 He breathes new life into them through His Spirit and comes to live inside of them. Ezekiel s vision revealed this new life coming to live inside of His people when the Spirit breathed life into the dry bones. The bones became people again, living and breathing with the Spirit of God. He is not only the creator of life, but the re-creator of life as well. The Spirit is God s mark on His people. The Spirit is a mark of God s promise to always be with His people. The Spirit lives inside of God s people as a way to be with them always. He reveals that God s people are no longer separated from Him by their sin, but are now reconciled to Him. The Spirit is a promise of a new heart and spirit within God s people. Who lives inside of God s people? (The Spirit lives inside of God s people.) FEEL Help the ers be in awe that God dwells inside of His people by singing the chorus of Holy Spirit by Jesus Culture. Holy Spirit You are welcome here Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere Your glory God is what our hearts long for To be overcome by Your Presence Lord 8. 1 Corinthians 3:16: God s people are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God lives inside of His people. 9. Psalm 143:10: Believers are led by God s Spirit. He serves as our guide and source of wisdom Corinthians 3:16-17: We are God s temple. He lives inside of us. He chooses to indwell His people.

9 Page 9 hooks CHURCH DO The Spirit is like the Wind Gather two or three red Solo cups and one plastic straw for each child. Place the cups tops down on a table. Gather the children around the table and show them how to blow the cup across the table using only the straw. If they are able, allow the ers to try blowing the cup with the straw. How did we move the cups across the table? (We used the straws and our breath.) Did we see our breath? (No, we didn t.) Do we see the Holy Spirit? (No, we don t, but we see what the Holy Spirit does.) The Holy Spirit is like the wind or like our breath. It s not seen, but we see what the Holy Spirit does. FEEL The Spirit Lives Inside of God s People Gather several empty seashells, specifically crab shells if you can find them. If possible, use a hermit crab also. Show the ers the empty shells. These shells are empty. Do you know what used to live in them? (Crabs lived inside of them.) The Holy Spirit lives inside of God s people like a crab lived inside of this shell. If you have a hermit crab shell with a crab in it, show it to the children. If not, show them an empty one. A hermit crab will come to live inside of this shell. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside of His people when they place their faith in Jesus Christ. WANT The Spirit Makes God s People Alive Gather a small container of dry, uncooked pasta. In another container place the same amount of cooked pasta. Show the bowl of uncooked pasta to the children. This is dry pasta. (Let them feel it and taste it if they want.) It doesn t really taste good, does it? (No, it s hard and doesn t taste good.) The hearts of God s people are not good either, but the Spirit makes them alive again. This pasta (show them the bowl of cooked pasta) is different. It s cooked and tastes and feels different, doesn t it? (Allow them to touch and taste the pasta if they want.) God s Spirit makes His people different; It makes them alive again. It breathes life into them, just like cooking this pasta gives it a better taste and feel.

10 Page 10 hooks HOME KNOW Help your child learn the Bible Verse for this week by singing the verse to the tune of Frère Jacques. Remind your child that the Holy Spirit is God and we should worship God in spirit and truth. DO Lead your child in a discussion about the Holy Spirit. As you take a walk outside or drive to the store, school, or church, talk about the many ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives. It leads us and guides us. Spend some time praying together as a family to thank God for giving His people the Holy Spirit. FEEL Use a rock or some other item that is inanimate. Show it to your child. Let your child feel it and talk about how it doesn t grow like other things because it s not living. Then show your child something that is alive, like a plant or a fish or other small animal. Talk with them about how we know the living thing is alive. Talk with them about how the Holy Spirit breathes life into God s people. It makes them new and gives them a new heart. WANT Lead your child in a discussion of how the Holy Spirit makes people more like Jesus Christ. Using a poster board or large piece of paper, help your child make a list of what Jesus is like. Help him or her list the qualities and characteristics of Jesus. Then help your child make a list of the ways the Holy Spirit helps God s people be more like Jesus. Remind your child that, because we are sinners, we can t be obedient or do good on our own. It is the Holy Spirit living inside of us, when we ve placed our faith in Jesus, who helps us obey and do things that please God. FAMILY CONNECT The focus of today s lesson was: The Holy Spirit is God Alive in Us. The Holy Spirit indwells God s people. It lives inside of us, making us new and alive again. It breathes new life into the people of God. This week s devotion will focus on The Spirit is Our Helper. The Spirit helps us by making us new and more like Jesus. As parents drop-off and pick-up their children share with them the Big Truth this week: The Spirit is God Alive in Us. Encourage them to talk with their child about how the Spirit is God and it indwells His people. As parents are picking up their children ask the child to tell his or her parent how the Spirit made the dry bones live again. Remind them that the Spirit makes God s people new again.